On Ancient Times, the Career Path Is What It Is

The yamen system, in other words the bureaucratic system, is one of the defining features of Chinese history. The culmination of the many ills of officialdom is the “official-centered” culture that has permeated every corner of Chinese society for thousands of years.

In Talking About the Ancient Road to Officialdom, Zhang Cheng surveys every aspect of an official's life, from recruitment to retirement. Readers can wander among high-ranking officials, low-level functionaries, failed scholars, recluses, monks, and even ordinary townsfolk, traveling through different dynasties and a dazzling array of government offices. Unofficial histories and legends are treated with the same seriousness as official histories, welcomed into the halls of scholarship and given a prominent place in this book.

Traditional textual research and interpretation blend perfectly with fashionable popular writing, while rigorous historical inquiry meets lighthearted tales and legends.