Why does Zhao Ming, clearly of great talent, refuse to enter officialdom?
It is precisely because he belongs to a collateral branch of the Zhao Family, thus the highest rank he could attain was the fourth grade. Zhao Changyu recommended Zhao Ming to the emperor several times, but at that time Empress Jia was in power. She even wanted to eliminate Zhao Changyu from court; how could she possibly allow another talent to arise from the Zhao Family?
Therefore, under her manipulation, Zhao Ming's rank in the talent selection banquet was set very low.
Zhao Ming originally looked down on the Sima Family and Empress Jia, and he didn't rely on the Sima family for sustenance. Being so humiliated by the Zhongzheng official, he straightforwardly chose not to enter officialdom. Instead, he stayed home to assist Zhao Changyu and his father in handling family affairs, occasionally going out for studies, which was quite enjoyable.
