Great podcast and great episode. Keiju system was a tool for the emperor, not for the ruling classes. The first two rounds were anonymized and in the highest

Great podcast and great episode. Keiju system was a tool for the emperor, not for the ruling classes. The first two rounds were anonymized and in the highest level exam the gentry performed worse than those coming from lower ranks. The incentive for the emperor was not to allow potential competition into high offices. It was meritocratic, but it also homogenized the ideology and stifled innovation.