Song Zhenzong has a poem "Persuade to Learn": A rich family doesn't have to buy fertile land, but there are thousands of millet in the book. There is no need to build a high hall to live in, and the book has its own golden house. There is no need to hate going out without a car. There are many horses in the book. There is no need to hate a wife without a matchmaker. There is a female Yan Ruyu in the book. The man wants to make a success of his life, and reads the Six Classics to the window frequently. The implementation of the imperial examination system broke the monopoly of aristocratic families on officialdom, which enabled countless ordinary people to change their destiny through reading and imperial examination, and a cultural atmosphere of respecting scholars was formed in society. In order to change themselves and the fate of their families, many people spend their whole lives studying, hoping to achieve fame. However, for some scholars, if they can't take the imperial examination, what other choices will they have in life? First, unhappy. In the Tang Dynasty, there was a great poet named Li He, who was particularly talented. It is said that at the age of seven, his fame spread far and wide, which made Han Yu, the leader of the literary world at that time, visit him personally. Maybe he was too dazzling, which caused others' jealousy, so these people tried their best to prevent Li He from entering the official career. Li He's father's name is Li Jinsu. Because "Jin Su" and "Jinshi" are homophonic, some people say that Li He should obey the taboo and should not take the imperial examination. Helpless, Li He could only write full of ambition and dissatisfaction into his poems, and finally he worked hard and was unhappy, and died early at the age of 27. Second, when the staff. Learn written martial arts, goods and emperors' homes Scholars take part in the imperial examination, on the one hand, they hope to realize their ambitions in the future. However, if you don't have a chance with the emperor, it is also very good to be the staff of local officials. Staff, generally civil servants, are responsible for making suggestions. As we all know, Tang Bohu was particularly talented, but he was somehow involved in a case of cheating in the imperial examination, and the final result was that he was never allowed to take the imperial examination. This is almost fatal to the reader. Without official career, it is difficult to turn over for a lifetime. Therefore, after returning to Suzhou, Tang Bohu suffered a black eye, and he himself drowned his sorrows by drinking all day. Later, he received an invitation from Ning Wang to be the chief of staff, thinking that this could also show his talent, so Tang Bohu gladly kept the appointment. There was also a particularly famous aide in the Ming Dynasty, named Xu Wei. Xu Wei is also particularly talented, and he is proficient in poetry, books, paintings and the art of war. But it is such a talented person who has repeatedly hit a wall in the imperial examination. Later, Hu Zongxian, governor of Zhizhe, admired Xu Wei's talent and invited him to be a secretary of the shogunate. And Xu Wei did live up to expectations, and made many contributions to the war against Japan in the Ming Dynasty. In history, there is also a particularly famous aide, Li Bai. Li Bai, who had never participated in the imperial examination in his life, was appreciated by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty by virtue of his excellent talent. However, it was soon "returned". Later, "An Shi Rebellion" broke out. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty fled to the west, and Tang Suzong ascended the throne, while Yong Wang Lin paid tribute to his troops in the south. At this time, Li Bai was frustrated. Later, at the invitation of Yong Wang, he became an aide. Unfortunately, however, Yong Wanglin was regarded as a rebellion at that time, and Li Bai was also implicated. 3. Selling calligraphy and painting for a living Scholars are disdainful of engaging in manual labor, but in order to make a living, they have to play their own specialty, that is, selling calligraphy and painting for a living. Like Tang Bohu in the Ming Dynasty, although he was invited by Ning Wang as his chief of staff, he soon discovered the secret that Ning Wang wanted to rebel. In order to survive, he soon left Ning Wang. Later, he sold calligraphy and painting on the streets of Suzhou for a living. In fact, not only Tang Bohu, but also the Eight Eccentrics in Yangzhou in Qing Dynasty mostly made a living by selling calligraphy and painting. In addition to selling calligraphy and painting, some scholars will write epitaphs, letters or Spring Festival couplets for others to earn some money. After all, there were many illiterates in ancient times, and many things related to culture needed to be done by scholars. Like Li Yong in the Wu Zetian period, he made a lot of money by writing epitaphs for others. However, there will also be some scholars who pretend to be lofty and disdainful to engage in this work. Because most people who can afford money are rich, but their educational level is generally not so good, so some literati would rather be poor than grovel. Fourth, Mr. Teaching. Generally, wealthier families will let their children study and study. They will send their children to private schools, or directly invite teachers to their own homes to teach their own children or children of the same clan. Most of these teachers are scholars who have given up the imperial examination or have not yet achieved fame. For example, Jia Yucun, the teacher of Lin Daiyu in A Dream of Red Mansions, taught Lin Daiyu to read before he was admitted to Jinshi. Although teaching is a noble profession, many scholars disdain it. Because in some people's eyes, Mr. Reading may be "king of the children" and will be looked down upon. Zheng Banqiao wrote in his Poems on Teaching Libraries: "The teaching libraries were originally obscene, spending their spring and autumn with others. Half-starved and half-satisfied leisure guests are imprisoned without locks and cangue, and fathers and brothers who have less classes are too lazy, and children who have more work are resentful. "Five, be a doctor. Fan Zhongyan in the Song Dynasty famously said: If you are not a good doctor, you are a good doctor. Many intellectuals in ancient China hoped to help the world and save people. And becoming a doctor can save lives. There are many kinds of medical books in China, and the readers have a certain cultural background. It doesn't seem very difficult. In fact, many scholars regard some medical books as idle books when studying in the imperial examination. Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty is the most famous one who gave up the imperial examination and aspired to be a doctor. Sixth, write a book. Confucius said: establish morality, make statements and make contributions. This is even the lifelong pursuit of scholars. Taking part in the imperial examination for fame is the first step to achieve meritorious service. However, some people, all their lives, are hard to get into. Therefore, they settle for the second best, and will pass down their lifelong talents and ambitions through the form of writing books. For example, Wu Cheng'en wrote The Journey to the West, Pu Songling wrote Strange Tales from a Lonely Studio and so on. Like the Yuan Dynasty, where imperial examinations were not held for most of the time, many scholars had no choice but to live near Goulan and provide scripts for performances. Seven, businessmen. During the Ming Dynasty, the seeds of capitalism appeared in China. At this time, business gradually flourished, and some scholars gave up the imperial examination and became businessmen. Famous Huizhou merchants, for example, deal in Four Treasures of the Study and other products. They "dress well and learn from Confucianism" and become veritable "Confucian merchants". Learning to be excellent is an official. For scholars, taking part in the imperial examination is the best choice. If they can't continue to take part in the imperial examination for some reasons, the Confucian classics they studied before will have a far-reaching impact on their lives. Text: Mo Yu's writing was created by the team of History University Hall, and the pictures originated from the network copyright and belonged to the original author.