She can still figure out Guo Kang's derivation. However, she still had some doubts about this conclusion.
"Then you mean, people like me can't do serious jobs anymore?" She hesitated, "Why is that?"
"Because the bureaucracy is too fluid." Guo Kang told her: "Although there are all kinds of cover-ups, as well as various corruption phenomena such as party formation and nepotism. But overall, the bureaucracy is still more open and fair than other systems. Much more.”
"Since it is said to be fairer, why are there fewer opportunities?" Guo Ponu asked.
"Because more people get opportunities." Guo Kang replied.
Guo Ponu thought for a while and gradually understood the meaning.
"You mean, like the heirs of European nobles, there may only be a few people, and you can choose one of them. Sometimes the nobles will die out, and there will simply be no male to inherit, so there is also the possibility of a daughter taking over." She analyzed : "But if the imperial court rules, the local people will not be nobles, but local officials. These people are chosen from hundreds of people. The ratio is too low, so ordinary women can't compete."
"But is there a problem with this?" She asked back: "If it is true that anyone can be an official, then the total number of women will not be less than men. Why does the government directly prohibit them from becoming officials?"
"Because the competition among officials is too fierce." Guo Kang replied: "Even if these women compete, they can't compete with men. Therefore, they can only be given up."
"During the Southern Song Dynasty, there were actually incidents of women participating in the imperial examinations." He told Guo Ponu: "In the first year of Chunxi, Emperor Xiaozong of the Song Dynasty, a girl named Lin Youyu participated in the children's examination."
"According to regulations, children under the age of 15 can take this subject. After passing the preliminary examination of Zhongshu Province, the emperor will personally preside over the second examination. The imperial examination system at this time has been much improved than before, but the formulation When the rules were written, no one probably thought of such a thing at all, so there was no explicit rule stating that women were not allowed to participate.”
"The Zhongshu Ministry didn't know what to do, so it followed its bureaucratic instincts and followed the rules. It really allowed her to participate, and it was discovered that this person had excellent results in the forty-three classics that were tested in the general study test. I was surprised. , she was sentenced to pass, and the petition was submitted to the emperor. Song Xiaozong didn't know how to appoint such a girl, so he made an exception and granted her the treatment of a 'ruren'."
"When I arrived at Ningzong in the Song Dynasty, another girl named Wu Zhiduan also signed up for the children's subject. But this time, some ministers thought that even if the girl was admitted and had a quota, how could she use it? And she was wearing makeup. , appeared in the court wearing different clothes, which shocked everyone, and actually destroyed the majesty of the court. The emperor thought that the minister’s words were indeed reasonable, so he banned her from continuing the exam. After that, there was no one like her."
"I don't think this just shows that the government is unfair?" Guo Ponu asked him: "Logically speaking, as long as you have the ability to pass the exam, wouldn't it be enough?"
"Then you can think further." Guo Kang did not refute, but continued following her words: "Generally speaking, society can function normally only when the core of equality of rights and responsibilities is. This kind of unfairness Why can the system be maintained?"
Guo Ponu thought about it and couldn't think of the reason for a while, so he had to say: "It should be the emperor and others who are using coercive means to maintain it."
"This girl also comes from an official family, and the ministers who oppose her are also the emperor's ministers. One of them wants him to take the exam, and the other doesn't want her to take the exam. Then why does the emperor recognize the ministers more when making rulings?" Guo Kang continued ask.
"Of course it's because ministers and people who hold this view have become more powerful." Guo Ponu did not hesitate this time.
"Then why do people with this view have more power?" Guo Kang asked.
"Well... all the important ministers in the DPRK support this," Guo Ponu said.
"The important ministers themselves have already passed the imperial examination." Guo Kang pointed out: "And they don't just have sons. Don't the ministers have a daughter? Allowing daughters to participate in the imperial examination and compete will make the family stronger. Isn’t it good?”
"Then...because they are all men?" Guo Ponu could only guess.
"They are not Greeks, so why would they like other men." Guo Kang disagreed: "If you really want to say it, their biggest political enemies are also men. Even the biggest enemy country outside the Southern Song Dynasty, the Jin Kingdom, is also ruled by men. And There are obviously many more men they have hatred against than there are women against them. So why do they still protect men? Is there any benefit to them? "
"Uh..." Guo Ponu couldn't answer, so he had to say: "Maybe it's not for the benefit, but a kind of... culture?"
"Then why does this kind of culture form?" Guo Kang said with a smile: "And a person may act according to his own beliefs and moral principles; a group of people will generally only seek profit."
"Why do so many different eras, so many different civilizations, and so many different people, from Ireland to Khitan, from the church to the government, all choose this 'cultural habit'?"
"What the hell..." Guo Ponu couldn't answer and became unhappy: "Why do you keep asking me so many questions?"
"This is a way to discuss philosophy. This is how Socrates reasoned." Guo Kang explained: "I just want to help you peel off the cocoons and analyze the most essential reasons here."
After hearing what he said, Guo Ponu thought for a while and nodded, looking like he was also interested.
"Or, if we look at it another way, you can think further." Guo Kang then continued: "The imperial examination system in the Tang Dynasty was not very fair, but the imperial examination system in the Song Dynasty was much improved. Do you know the reason?"
"I have heard of this." Guo Ponu said: "It is said that the imperial examination can no longer recruit talents, and some people simply defect to the feudal towns so that they can get more talents and continue to confront the court overtly and covertly. In the end, Huang Chao, who failed to pass the exam, The table was overturned, and the Tang Dynasty also headed for destruction."
"Do future generations always have to learn from the lessons of the previous dynasty?" She said: "If the Song Dynasty wanted to avoid these situations, of course it had to reform the imperial examination system."
"Yes, you see, the imperial examination is unfair, and it is very serious for the bureaucratic society." Guo Kang nodded in agreement, and then changed the topic: "But you just said it, female bachelors are not allowed to participate in the imperial examination, which is very unfair to them. .”
"But why, when these men encounter unfairness, they take quick action to force the government to change their course. Why haven't we seen a yellow nest among women in so many years?"
"In this case...because most people are not as good at fighting as men?" Guo Ponu could only speculate again.
"Look, isn't this getting closer to the answer?" Guo Kang concluded without any surprise.
(End of chapter)
