"Over time, these people gradually gained some rights, they had larger landholdings, and everyone respected them more. Of course, their own characters did not change, but their descendants grew up in an environment where they were flattered by others."
"As time slowly passed, this lineage would expand locally."
"They had land, were esteemed by others, and also held fame and status."
"The official system was based on recommendations, and under such a system, naturally, the families with influence in each region could recommend people to rise up. Once these families had an official, they could develop even better locally."
"Then comes the third step, where Court officials recommend new officials. If one is a commoner and the other is a family member, there's no doubt they will choose their own noble son."
"Throughout the dynasties, sovereigns tried to contain this, which only led to worse outcomes."
"One is an unknown person, and the other is from a different family."