Answer:
a. merit
Step-by-step explanation:
Confucius believed that the people should be appointed to a post on the basis of their merit and not through inheritance. In recorded history Confucius is one of the first philosophers to propose this idea of meritocracy.
Various examinations were setup in order to judge the merit of a person who has applied for a position. To a certain extent it empowered all classes of society as a person from any class could apply for any position.
Hence, the answer is merit.