Leaving the Academy

Chen HengqingNanhai Publication Company · ChinaJun 2024

3.0

Word count: 442 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

The Hanlin bachelor is like a newborn infant, still waiting to bloom; hence it is commonly said that the day of the dispersing review is the day of blooming. The papers of the top three graduates are tied in a separate bundle, and the reading ministers always place them in the first class to protect their official rank. If the writing is grossly erroneous, however, they cannot be protected. In the Renzi year of the Xianfeng reign, the principal graduate Lu Zengxiang was demoted to county magistrate for violating the format, and everyone said, how could a principal graduate serve as a county magistrate? He therefore donated funds to be promoted to prefect. I said: "A principal graduate's calligraphy must be excellent; have you not heard of Wang Daling of Jin? A Daling can gain much wealth; a prefect is not his equal." Later his son Lu Weiting became a compiler, and was quite impoverished. The second and third graduates occasionally violated the format at the dispersing review and were reassigned as ministry directors, rising a grade in rank—this is cause for joy, so why be despondent? There were also poor scholars who obtained the Hanlin bachelor status but, calculating that they could not endure poverty, deliberately wrote one wrong character or used one wrong rhyme at the dispersing review, willingly placing at the bottom of the third class so as to be assigned to a county magistrate post through the ministry—this was called the tiger class, and they obtained posts very quickly. Generally, when a tiger takes office, not a soul in the county survives. Those who violated the format unintentionally and were assigned as county magistrates still had humane hearts; such men as Ding Youchen of Wei and Yu Fuhang were both worthy magistrates. I call them false tigers—tigers that are actually qilin. Since the abolition of the examinations, the paths to office have become muddled, and those who become county magistrates seek only profit, devouring like wolves; some even abscond with the treasury and flee overseas. I call them fleeing rabbits and scurrying rats—worse than tigers and wolves. Alas!

Editor's review

"Dispersing Review" begins with the dispersal review of Hanlin bachelors and paints the human calculations at the end of the examination system with biting concreteness. The author first likens the dispersal review to "a newborn infant still waiting to bloom," then explains how the papers of the top three graduates are tied separately and always placed in the first class by the reading ministers to protect their rank, and recounts how in the Renzi year of Xianfeng the principal graduate Lu Zengxiang was demoted to county magistrate for violating the format and later donated funds to be promoted to prefect, as well as how second and third graduates who violated the format were reassigned as ministry directors and actually rose a grade. The description of poor scholars who deliberately wrote a wrong character or used a wrong rhyme, willingly placing at the bottom of the third class to be assigned quickly as county magistrates—the "tiger class"—reveals the calculations people made within the gaps of the system. The author then praises as "false tigers" and "tigers that are actually qilin" those who violated the format unintentionally and became worthy magistrates, and ends with a lament over the muddled paths to office after the abolition of the examinations and the profit-seeking magistrates of the time. Though brief, the piece links rank, poverty, appointment, and local governance in one line, combining institutional observation with judgments of character; the language is humorous yet sharp. It suits readers interested in the examination system, Qing official careers, and the ecology of officialdom.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of literature and history studying the examination system and Qing appointment and dispersal review procedures
General history enthusiasts interested in officialdom and the fate of scholars
Researchers seeking sources on late examination-era figures and institutional details
Readers who enjoy short note-style pieces and sharp satire

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a comprehensive survey and systematic textual research on the examination system
Beginners unfamiliar with classical Chinese notes and official terminology
Casual readers seeking only light stories and unwilling to engage with institutional discussion

Reading tips

First clarify basic concepts such as Hanlin bachelor, dispersal review, top three graduates, and appointment as county magistrate; the piece will then read much more smoothly.
Sort the examples of Lu Zengxiang, the tiger class, and the false tigers separately, and observe how the author moves from institutions to people.
Pay attention to metaphors such as "tiger" and "fleeing rabbits and scurrying rats," which carry the author's judgments on official conduct.
Read alongside Qing examination memoirs or chapters of institutional history to compare the rules of the dispersal review with actual practice.

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

版权信息
散馆

FAQ

What is the dispersal review, and how does the author describe it?

The dispersal review was the assessment and assignment stage after Hanlin bachelors completed their study period. The author compares it to "a newborn infant still waiting to bloom" and says it is commonly called the day of blooming, vividly showing that this stage determined whether bachelors could formally enter official careers and how the assignment results affected their prospects.

What is the tiger class, and what is the author's attitude toward it?

According to the text, some poor scholars who obtained Hanlin bachelor status, calculating that they could not endure poverty, deliberately wrote one wrong character or used one wrong rhyme at the dispersal review and willingly placed at the bottom of the third class so as to be assigned to county magistrate posts through the ministry and obtain posts very quickly; this was called the tiger class. The author judges them severely, saying that when a tiger takes office, not a soul in the county survives; but those who violated the format unintentionally and became magistrates he calls false tigers, tigers that are actually qilin.

What does the experience of the principal graduate Lu Zengxiang show?

In the Renzi year of Xianfeng, the principal graduate Lu Zengxiang was demoted to county magistrate for violating the format; people said, how could a principal graduate serve as a county magistrate? He later donated funds to be promoted to prefect. The author uses this to show that even though the papers of the top three graduates were usually placed in the first class to protect their rank, grossly erroneous writing could not be protected; the rules of the dispersal review were not entirely without constraint on the top graduates, and the episode also reflects contemporary views on the gap between the status of principal graduate and the post of county magistrate.

Related on WeRead

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Chen Hengqing Author · Chinese · 1844–1920

Chen Hengqing (1844–1920), courtesy name Zijiu, was a native of Weixian in Shandong (present-day Weicheng District, Weifang). A late Qing official and scholar, he passed the provincial examination in 1873 and the metropolitan examination in 1886. He served successively as a secretary in the Ministry of Works, rising through the Waterways, Construction, and Colonization Departments, and later held posts as Supervising Censor of the Ministry of War, Investigating Censor of the Henan Circuit, and Chief Supervising Censor. In 1908 he was appointed prefect of Jinzhou. He retired at sixty and wrote works including Jianshu Xian Notes (also known as Jili Qingtan) and Unofficial Gleanings of the Late Qing. His extant writings are considerable, with 154 titles held in our collection, many drawing on folk literature and Eastern philosophy. They touch on modern upheavals such as the militia conflicts, the Boxer movement, and the Nian rebels, as well as rural tales and social types like foxes and swindlers, and social issues such as Manchu-Han differences, bearing the documentary flavor of note-style historiography. Public information is limited, and his literary standing and influence await further study.