During the reign of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, he established the imperial examination system. Students from poor backgrounds had the opportunity to show their talents, and it was easier for the court to select talents with the ability to govern the country. This system affected The feudal history of China for more than a thousand years. Before the emergence of the imperial examination system, how did the imperial court select talents? Mencius wrote in "Born in Sorrow, Die in Peace": "Guan Yi was raised by scholars, Sun Shu'ao was raised by the sea, and Baili Xi was raised by the city."
In other words, the more common method at that time It is "recommended". Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms period once recommended filial piety and honesty. Due to human nature, those who can be recommended have good family backgrounds. It is not easy for talents from poor backgrounds to be reused by the court, but there are exceptions. During the Western Han Dynasty, there was a quite legendary prime minister who was still raising pigs when he was nearly 50 years old. When he was 60 years old, he was recommended by others to become an official in the court. He lived until he was 80 years old and died. His deeds were quite inspiring.
Gongsun Hong was a native of Xuexian County, Sichuan State in the Western Han Dynasty. Although his family was relatively poor, he had great ambitions and had read some books by sages. When he was in his twenties, Gongsun Hong found a job as a jailer in the county government. This made him extremely happy. He couldn't sleep for many days and secretly swore in his heart that he must work hard and maybe he could be promoted. , Guangzong Yaozu is just around the corner.
It didn’t take long for Gongsun Hong to be fired for making a mistake. This was a huge blow to him. Without a salary, he lost his only source of income and was unable to support his family. became a problem. In desperation, Gongsun Hong learned the knowledge of pig raising from his friends, borrowed money to buy a few pigs, and made a living by raising pigs from then on. Although he was not rich, he lived a pretty good life, and he married a wife and had children. .
In 159 BC, Gongsun Hong had passed his forties and was filled with emotions. He believed that raising pigs was not a long-term solution and he had to find a path that suited him. Therefore, he began to study ancient books such as "Spring and Autumn" and "Gongyang Zhuan" in depth, and often consulted Hu Wusheng, a great talent known in his hometown. Opportunities are always reserved for those who are prepared. This saying could not be more appropriate for Gongsun Hong.
After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty succeeded to the throne, in order to recruit talented people from all over the world, he issued an imperial edict to local officials, requiring the recommendation of "virtuous, upright, outspoken and admonishing" people. Although Gongsun Hong was already 60 years old at the time, he was famous for his talent in the local area and stood out from the crowd. He was recommended to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, was given an official position, and was appointed by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty as an envoy to the Xiongnu.
Since ancient times, the emperor's thoughts have been the most difficult to fathom. Because a memorial offended Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Gongsun Hong was dismissed from office and could only return to his hometown to retire.
Perhaps it was because Gongsun Hong was proficient in health preservation and had always been in good health. At the age of seventy, he was recommended again and proposed the following principles for governing the country: "Those who are virtuous will advance, those who are not virtuous will retreat, those who have merit will be promoted and those who are not, and those who are virtuous will be rewarded accordingly." Tao, was appreciated by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and was successively appointed as Zuo Neishi, Yushi Dafu, and a few years later became the prime minister at the head of hundreds of officials. He is definitely a typical representative of a late bloomer. Do you accept it?