"Shiye" (private adviser) was a title for the aides and staff of court officials during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The generals in ancient China, when going out for a war, often took their tent (mu) as the commanding office as they did not have a regular place to handle military affairs, so the aids and staff worked for them were called "muliao" (literally, tent official) or “muyou” (tent friends), who were called "shiye" later in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The private advisers, hired by some court officials, were not formal officials and were called "lao fuzi" (old pedant). They and the court officials treated each as guests and hosts. The private advisers would loyally assist their employers, putting forward suggestions to handle political affairs. Though they were limited in number, they had great potential power, for they could restrict local government officials. As a result, they played quite an important role in the feudal despotic politics.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the private advisers were former scholars who failed to pass the imperial examinations. Though what they engaged in could not be counted as a trade, they had their respective masters from whom they could learn tricks. They formed their own faction and acted in collusion with one another in the governments of all levels, not difficult for them to do whatever they wanted; if, however, things went on not as the way they liked, they would try every effort to find fault with those things and make them hard to progress. Of all the private advisers at that time, those from Shaoxing accounted for the largest number; so "Shaoxing private advisers" had their name heard across the country, being as much praised as blamed.

According to the property of their duty, the private advisers could be classified into four categories: some responsible for writing official report statements, some for handling criminal and civil cases, some for finance and taxes, and some for writing letters of social intercourse; each did their duty for their masters.

The title "shiye" originated in the Ming Dynasty and prevailed in the Qing Dynasty. Along with the changes of time and the reform of political systems, branches of learning such as new-style law, politics, finance and economy etc were introduced in the late Qing Dynasty. People with the new learning were penetrated in all levels of government, as it goes, the stale being got rid of and the fresh being brought forth; hence the private advisers were gradually phased out. Thereafter, "Shaoxing private adviser" has become a historical name.