Three Kingdoms: Ten Times Speed, Diao Chan Says I'm Too Fast

The Sima clan killed Tao Qian...

Duan Yu, who was in the carriage, frowned slightly upon hearing this.

After the Liaodong War, Duan Yu had already learned that the Sima and Zhuge families had once offered advice and strategies to Gongsun Du.

However, no one from the Sima or Zhuge clans was found after the war.

It is said that two branches of the Sima and Zhuge clans fled with some of Gongsun Du's former subordinates.

Xu Rong was one of them.

As for where they escaped to, that remains unknown.

However, it now seems that the person has escaped back to Xuzhou.

The reason it's described as an escape is, of course, because of the Zhuge clan of Langya.

"Is it only the Sima family?"

Sitting in the carriage, Duan Yu frowned and asked.

Liu Baitu, standing outside the carriage, shook his head and said, "To be precise, there's also the Zhuge family."

Duan Yu nodded slightly.

now it's right.

If it were only the Sima family, it probably wouldn't be enough.

Although the Sima clan of Hanoi enjoyed a high reputation in Guanzhong.

But that place is, after all, Xuzhou.

It was a place where the local gentry of Xuzhou had the final say, not the domain of the Sima clan.

Without the help of the Zhuge clan of Langya, the Sima clan would not have been able to seize power so easily.

Tao Qian, this person...

He was portrayed as too kind-hearted in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

But that's not actually the case.

Tao Qian was not from a traditional aristocratic family.

Tao Qian's family was also a gentry family, but they were from a humble background.

His family fell into poverty in his early years, and his father only served as a county magistrate.

Moreover, Tao Qian's father died before he even came of age.

Tao Qian's rise to power can be traced back to his father-in-law, Gan Gong.

The Records of the Three Kingdoms states:

Qian's father was the magistrate of Yuyao. Qian was orphaned at a young age and initially became known throughout the county for his unruly behavior. At fourteen, he still strung together silk banners and played on bamboo horses, with all the children of the town following him. The former Prefect of Cangwu, a fellow county official named Gan, happened to meet him on the road. Seeing his appearance, he was struck by his unusual charm and called out to him, stopping his carriage to speak with him. He was greatly pleased and promised his daughter to him. When Gan's wife heard of this, she was furious, saying, "I've heard that the son of the Tao family is unruly and dissolute; how could I promise him my daughter?" Gan replied, "He has an extraordinary appearance; he will surely achieve great things when he grows up." So he married her to him.

The meaning of the text is:

Tao Qian's father once served as the county magistrate of Yuyao.

Tao Qian lost his father when he was young. As a teenager, he was known in the county for his unruly personality. At the age of fourteen, he used cloth as a battle flag and rode a bamboo horse to play with the children in the village.

When his fellow townsman, Gan Gong, who had served as the governor of Cangwu, went out, he met Tao Qian. Seeing that Tao Qian was extraordinary in appearance, he invited him into his carriage to talk with him. He was very pleased and married his daughter to Tao Qian.

Gan Gong's wife was furious and said to him, "I've heard that the Tao family's children are playful and unruly. How can I marry my daughter to them?" Gan Gong replied, "This child has an unusual appearance and will surely become a great man when he grows up."

In fact, Tao Qian did live up to expectations.

He first passed the imperial examination and served as an official in the prefecture and county. Later, he was recommended as a talented scholar, appointed as a secretary, and then served as the magistrate of Shu County.

The title of "a scholar of outstanding talent" is extremely prestigious.

The number of places is extremely limited, with only a few dozen people selected nationwide each year, far fewer than the two hundred or so candidates for the "filial piety and incorruptibility" award.

The recommendations are made at a high level, mostly by high-ranking officials such as governors and county magistrates, rather than by lower-level officials, and the selection process is more rigorous.

It not only emphasizes practical skills, but also requires expertise in classics, political talent, or special expertise, and is not solely based on moral character.

Each newcomer was typically appointed to a key county-level position such as county magistrate or county assistant, or a central government official, a starting point far higher than that of a regular assistant official appointed through the "filial piety and incorruptibility" system.

The nominees for the title of "Maocai" were of extremely high rank, including high-ranking officials such as the Three Dukes, generals, Grand Master of Ceremonies, Commandant of the Capital Region, and governors of provinces and prefectures.

The selection criteria primarily target current officials or individuals with outstanding reputations and special talents, and the number of positions is extremely limited, with only about 17 people selected each year.

This means that those recommended as outstanding talents must already possess certain administrative experience or exceptional qualifications, with the selection criteria focusing on the prominence of their "talent."

The power to recommend candidates for the civil service examination was mostly held by local officials of lower or middle rank, such as prefects and governors.

The selection process emphasized moral character, with "filial piety towards elders, integrity and honesty" as the core criteria. The candidates were mostly officials under the jurisdiction of prefectures and counties or ordinary Confucian scholars who were well-versed in Confucian classics.

During the Han Dynasty, the number of candidates was determined annually based on population ratio. For example, a prefecture or kingdom with a population of about 200,000 would recommend one person as a filial and incorruptible official each year. The number of candidates was much larger than that of outstanding talents, the selection scope was broader, the threshold was more focused on basic morality and basic knowledge, and the requirements for prior qualifications were lower.

The starting point for those who became officials was a substantive position at a relatively high level. Most of them were directly appointed as county magistrates or county officials, who were in charge of the administration of a county. Some outstanding individuals could even directly become high-ranking officials at the level of two thousand shi (a unit of grain measure). They did not need to go through the grassroots level. They could take charge of a region or assume important positions as soon as they entered the government. Their starting point for administrative power and responsibility was very high.

However, once a candidate for the civil service examination is recommended to the central government, they are generally not immediately granted a substantive post.

Typically, they would first enter the Imperial Secretariat as officials, responsible for matters such as palace guards. The core purpose was to allow them to observe and learn how ministers governed and become familiar with the court's administrative procedures.

After this period of training, they will be selected and appointed as local subordinates or lower-level officials based on their performance. The initial stage is more focused on cultivating reserve talents rather than directly granting them core administrative powers.

Tao Qian's ability to rise from humble beginnings to become a scholar of exceptional talent speaks volumes about his outstanding abilities.

Xun Yu, as everyone knows, was hailed as having the talent of a king's advisor and was also recommended as an outstanding talent.

However, if we really compare the circumstances at the time, Tao Qian's title of "Maocai" was much more prestigious than Xun Yu's.

Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yingchuan has produced many famous scholars, a place where talented people abound.

If we're really talking about talent and learning, Xun Yu might not have been able to obtain the position of "Maocai" (a high-ranking official) based on his talent and learning in that era.

The main reason was that the Xun family sacrificed their reputation by having Xun Yu marry the daughter of one of the Ten Attendants.

At that time, the Ten Attendants held immense power and influence.

After being recommended as a talented scholar and serving in a local government position, Tao Qian began his military career.

In March of the second year of the Zhongping era, Beigong Boyu and others led the Qiang and Hu tribes to invade the Three Auxiliary Regions. Emperor Ling of Han dispatched General Huangfu Song to lead an army to suppress the rebellion. Huangfu Song requested that a military general accompany him, and Tao Qian was appointed as the Commandant of Yangwu to lead the expedition together. They defeated the rebellious Qiang people.

In July, Huangfu Song was demoted and stripped of his title because he had previously offended the eunuchs Zhao Zhong and Zhang Rang, and was slandered by them.

The imperial court appointed Zhang Wen, the Minister of Works, as General of Chariots and Cavalry to lead the campaign. Zhang Wen invited Tao Qian to serve as his military advisor and treated Tao Qian with great hospitality.

Of course, this is all based on the historical records of Tao Qian.

In Duan Yu's understanding, this is also the Tao Qian from the original world.

Because of Duan Yu's time travel, Bei Gong Boyu and the Qiang tribe's rebellion have been personally suppressed by Duan Yu.

Even so, Tao Qian's abilities cannot be denied.

In terms of ability, Tao Qian in Romance of the Three Kingdoms is portrayed as far weaker than he actually is.

Moreover, Tao Qian came from Danyang, and it is well known that there is a powerful army in the world, namely the Danyang Army.

The Sima family was prestigious in Hanoi, but in Xuzhou, they were far from being able to compete with Tao Qian.

But with the help of Zhuge Liang, things would be a different story.

"Return to the manor and compile all the detailed intelligence; I want to see it."