Jiangling County
Zhang Juzheng was born in Jiangling County, in modern–day Jingzhou, Hubei province, in 1525, and was renowned for his intelligence at an early age, passing the county "shengyuan" examinations at the age of 12 and enrolling for the provincial "juren" examinations the next year, where the chief examiner failed him to prevent his becoming complacent. Finally, in 1547, he passed the imperial examination and was appointed as an editor in the Hanlin Academy.