唐初功臣刘文静死因新探

A New Exploration on the Death of Liu Wenjing Appointing as Minbu Shangshu in the Early Tang Dynasty

武德二年(619)九月,开国功臣刘文静被杀。这是唐初政治史上的一件大事,其原因已有学者从李渊的用人及能力、李渊与突厥的关系及李渊家族内部矛盾等方面进行了探讨[1]。这些成果揭示部分重要缘由,但未以刘文静为核心进行考察,因而对事件的分析还存在不足。刘文静因任遇与裴寂相差悬殊心怀不满,酒后失言遭人检举,被李渊处死,临刑时叹“高鸟逝,良弓藏,故不虚也”[2]。李树桐指出,依照常理.

Liu Wenjing achieved remarkable achievements in the process of building the Tang Dynasty.Later,due to losing one important campaign,his official position was demoted from the prime minister to the minister of revenue.The gap of official treatment between Liu Wenjing and Pei Ji was gradually widening,so he was resentful.His generous personality and the alcoholic habit were likely to lead him to disclose the obscure things in the process of Li Yuan’s building of the Tang Dynasty when he complained.He was deeply embroiled in various contradictions in the early Tang Dynasty.In addition,his behavior was harmful to internal unity.For these reasons,LiYuan determined to kill him.