汉末三国中使考

Studies on 'Zhong Shi' During Late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms Period

汉末灵帝时宦官充任的中使甚嚣尘上,但在献帝时突然消失,这是因为灵帝崩后袁绍诛尽宦官,而献帝是个无权的君主,汉末未再出现中使。曹魏因耻于其祖辈曾为宦官,也一直敌视和限制宦官。蜀国以汉的承绪者自居,在汉末士人普遍仇视宦官的背景下,虽然后期出了一个宦官黄皓,但并未重新形成宦官系统,所以魏蜀都没出现中使。吴国的心态比较放松,加之吴主孙权的权力比较集中和稳定,所以中使在吴国复活,并得到完善和发展。

When Emperor Ling was on throne in late Han Dynasty, ‘Zhong Shi＇ , a position usually held by eunuchs, caused a temporary clamor. However,they disappeared all of a sudden after Emperor Xian came into power. This is because Yuan Shao executed all the eunuchs after Emperor Ling died; moreover, Emperor Xian＇s regime was a puppet one. Therefore,‘Zhong Shi＇ forever quited the stage of Han Dynasty. Humiliated by the fact that his ancestors were eunuchs ,Monarch Cao of Kingdom Wei had been hostile to the eunuchs and suppressed them. Kingdom Shu considered itself as the successor of Han Dynasty ,and the literati living at the end of Han had a general hatred of the eunuchs. So the eunuchs didn＇ t develop into a power in Shu despite that Huang Hao, an eunuch, came into the picture during that time. While People of Kingdom Wu took an easy attitude, plus the centralized and steady regime of Monarch Sun Quan, ‘Zhong Shi＇ revived in Wu and was developed further.