Sima Qian meritocracy

 

[H1.98]  The story of Xiao He is that of a man loyal to his emperor, a trusted advisor who made all the right decisions, and was well-rewarded for his service.  But it is more than the usual sort of success story, for the target audience of this history are the ambitious men who are going to go into civil service.  For them, this is an aspirational biography:  the Grand Historian wants his gentlemen to know that based purely on merit, the common man can become the “first among the ranks of officials.” 

Xiao He was a minor Qin official who was conscientious, discrete, and apparently honest.  He recognized Gaozu’s potential early on and encouraged him.  Gaozu in turn trusted him implicitly.  When it came time for Gaozu to reward his followers, the Historian was careful to distinguish between momentary and everlasting merits.  The former were the battlefield merits of the sort the emperor’s men expected to be richly rewarded for with territory and revenue.  These were merits that were easy to tally: Cao Can had over seventy scars on his body [H1.93mb].   But the true merits were earned behind-the-scene: there is no glory in being the master logistician who kept the front lines supplied with men, food, and equipment. 

As the prime minister, Xiao He served the emperor by serving the people.  For doing his job, Gaozu tossed him in jail [H1.97].  But being a ruler with wise advisors, the emperor recognized his mistake and released Xiao He with these lines: “You asked for the park for the sake of the people . . .  The reason I had you bound was so that the people might all hear of my fault.”  And that, the Grand Historian tells his gentlemen, is the highest honor an official can achieve, when he has been true to both ruler and his office.  The officials are the ones who helped make the new beginning for the empire, and they will be the ones who will make sure the empire keeps running when peace reigns.  Not for nothing was Xiao He granted the posthumous title of “Civil Fulfilment Marquis.” 

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