The administration of central power in China changed significantly during the Axial Age, as royal appointees replaced hereditary officeholders. What is the difference between a royal appointee and a hereditary officeholder?
Hereditary officeholder:
"I am the oldest son of a noble family, closely related to the Zhou king. For centuries now, our family has controlled thousands of acres near Luoyang. One day, managing the land will all be my responsibility."
"My father is first-cousin to the Chu king and he is in charge of tax collection in the whole region. When he dies, I will be the new tax-collector."

Royal appointee:
"I left my home state and came to serve another king. Because of my loyalty and skill, I am now a top legal adviser to the king of Qin." T/F

The difference between a royal appointee and a hereditary office holder stems from the fact that they both do not share hereditary characteristics as a means of occupying an office. The hereditary officer can take office when someone related to him dies with no consideration as to whether he is competent to take office or not. On the other hand, the royal appointee can only take office if he is appointed to occupy an office that serves the king/queen or any other royal position, and this is mostly based on skill level and competency and/or "loyalty" as indicated above.