Imperial Exams and the Promotion of Qing Dynasty to Language/Literacy as a Political Tool

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What might have accounted for the applicability of Imperial Exams (Ke Ju) in the late imperial period (late Ming, Qing)?
Ming and Qing dynasties inherited the style of imperial exams from previous dynasties dating back to the Shang Dynasty. The system had remained fundamentally unchanged through those generations. The imperial exam system was still structured to serve the very issues it was meant for. It was established to institute a new system that served as the qualification for government jobs. They became policymakers among other important and prestigious posts in the government. Before the imperial exam system, the appointment into political office/government office depended on recommendations from aristocrats and government officials. The need for transparency prompted the government to establish new ways of hiring government officials. The nature of the previous system was very subjective and it was marred by corruption since the appointees tended to come from upper-income families who had connections and could influence the will of the recruiters to favor their sons. The people also craved status. Those who passed exams were entitled to wear gold and silver buttons, participate in Confucian ceremonies, receive municipal and imperial subsidies, exemption from labor service tax and immunity from punishment by the local magistrate. The imperial exams outlined a new system in which all citizens had an equal chance to land these prestigious government jobs if they passed the exams. The new exam system favored poorer households and peasant families who had a chance at escaping poverty if their children could pass these exams. It took money to pass the examinations; tutors were expensive and average peasant family could hardly afford to spare the labor of one of its members in the futile hope that studying would bring prosperity. Though the learning process largely disadvantaged the poor, some managed to land the prestigious jobs of the government because of the imperial examination system. This system is what the Ming Dynasty inherited and remained largely unchanged till it was abolished in the 20th century.[The Fall of Imperial China. Gentry. Pg. 20] [The Fall of Imperial China. Gentry. Pg. 85]
How does Qing history reveal an awareness of the importance of language/literacy as a political tool?
The Qing Dynasty continually recognized the talented and learned Chinese and rewarded them with senior government posts irrespective of their backgrounds. It was the millennia-old system that had existed in China and the society had come to normalize its role in determining the future leaders. Only the best performers in the system were selected for the top jobs and the emperor relied on the advice of these top performers to rule the empire.
However, the 19th century prompted a reevaluation of the system when China lost the cessation of Hong Kong to Britain. China noted that its education system which was largely based on rote learning methods which critics of the system argued it stultified creative thought and rewarded drones rather than original intellects. It was also relatively low quality compared to the foreign education system which offered Math, Science, Engineering etc. The foreigners they inter...