After the establishment of the imperial examination system in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it became more perfect in the Song Dynasty. One of the manifestations was that the three-level examinations of “township and provincial hall” became customized.
The imperial examination in the early Song Dynasty had only a two-level examination system. The first level is the removal test held by the states, and the first level is the provincial test held by the Ministry of Rites. In order to select truly talented people for official positions, Song Taizu conducted a palace examination in the sixth year of Kaibao (973). Since then, the palace examination has become the highest level of the imperial examination system, and the three-level imperial examination system of state examination, provincial examination and palace examination has been formally established. After the palace examination, there is no need to pass the examination of the Ministry of Personnel, and the officials are directly awarded. Song Taizu also ordered that the examiner was not allowed to call himself a teacher or a student after the exam. In this way, all the people who are in the first place will become “the disciples of the emperor”.
After the palace test, the top three will be released. After the Southern Song Dynasty, the emperor will also hold a ceremony to announce the rank of Jinshi, and give a banquet in Qiongyuan, called Qionglin Banquet. Later generations followed suit and became customized.
The imperial examinations in the Song Dynasty were initially held once a year, sometimes in a year or two. Song Yingzong ruled for three years (1066), and it was officially set as a three-year period. Exams are administered by the states each fall, and by the Ministry of Rites the following spring. The provincial examination will be held in the same year as the palace examination.
In these three-level examinations, the candidates of the Zhongxiang Examination are called Juren, and the head is Jieyuan; the candidates of the Central Examination are called Gongshi, and the head is Huiyuan; those admitted in the Palace Examination are called Jinshi, the ranking is divided into another row. Since Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, the jinshi has been divided into three categories, the first three are named the first one, and the top three are given the first grade; the top three in the Northern Song Dynasty are generally called the champion, and in the southern Song they are called the champion, the second place, and the tanhua; the second grade is several names, and the first grade is given to the jinshi; the third best Several names were given to the “Tongjinshi” origin.