A Brief Account of the Official Appointment of the Huizhou Jinshi Group in the Ming Dynasty—An Investigation Centered on Shexian County
In the Ming Dynasty,Huizhou had a prosperous imperial examination system and cultivat-ed a group of successful candidates.The number of successful candidates in Shexian was the highest among the six counties in Huizhou.The Jinshi of Shexian County in the Ming Dynasty began to be ac-tive on the political stage after the Chenghua period.Although their starting point for official career was lower than the national average,their career development was relatively good.During their tenure as officials,they upheld the people-oriented sentiment of"governing chaos and promoting abolishment,being diligent in governing and benefiting the people",the political responsibility of"speaking frankly and holding the constitution without hesitation",the honest style of"enforcing the law impartially,pun-ishing traitors and weeding out the strong",and the military character of"skillfully mobilizing troops,being brave and skilled in battle".As a result,they were loved by the people and their reputation spread far and wide,forming the official path of the Huizhou Jinshi group in the Ming Dynasty.The emergence of this governance concept and behavior is mainly due to the nourishment of the study of Zhu Zi and clan organizations in Huizhou regional culture.