The Chinese scholar official held a position at the very top of society because he had prestige, wealth, and power. What was an important skill for the scholar official to have.

The most important skill for a person who wanted to be a top court official was to master the classics of Confucius - the great ancient scholar, philosopher and teacher-, to acquire deep knowledge of Confucian ideas and doctrines. Several centuries ago, a system of state exams was instituted by the emperors. Candidates had to pass difficult tests on Confucian philosophy and works.