英文摘要
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In the imperial system of China, the power of appointment rested upon the zaixiang (宰相) and the Libu (吏部), and the Libu therefore enjoyed superior status to other departments within the imperial government. It goes without saying that it held significant sway in the polity. In the development of organization and power structure of the libu during the Tang (唐) Dynasty, the Zuo- and Youpuye (左右僕射) were the officials with the full authority of the zaixiang in the early Tang Dynasty. The Shangshusheng (尚書省) was then the department under the zaixiang and an executive department. The holders of shangshu (尚書) of the Libu were all trusted men of the Emperor Gaozu (高祖). It was difficult for a deputy shangshu of the Libu or other inferior Shangshusheng officials lower than the fifth class to be promoted to this position. As a result, this office was highly prestigious. In addition, the shangshu of the Libu was, politically speaking, both significant and indicative. Moreover, the Tang Dynasty saw the practice of appointing civil servants through examination. A fair and independent system of examination was established for entry level positions of civil service. This laid the foundation of the civil servant examination system of the Song (宋) Dynasty and beyond. In the early Tang Dynasty, the civil servant examination, which awarded employments to officials below the sixth class, was managed by the Libu. This system manifested the legitimacy of a centralized government and the power of the emperor. Therefore the Libu carried a weighty responsibility, which was not only highly pertinent to the political career of every candidate in the nation, but it was also significant in the orderliness of the country's governance.
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