北宋覆奏制度述論

On the “Fuzou” System in Northern Song Dynasty

覆奏是指將已作出的決策再次向皇帝彙報,請求確認的文書環節。由唐至宋,中樞決策體制不斷調整,愈發以皇帝爲中心展開運作。皇帝逐漸掌握更大的主動權,決策流程相對簡化,決策與施行趨於混同。原本並不重要的覆奏,蘊含的參與決策的比重增加。覆奏制度在宋初逐步發展完善。在保證事由皇帝親出的前提下,覆奏盡力兼顧決策的審慎與行政的高效。覆奏給予臣僚對皇帝決定表達異議的機會,即在覆奏時執奏,但並沒有硬性的制度依托。北宋中期,決策傾向高效原則,覆奏趨向精簡;另一方面,又因防止宦官欺蔽而趨向細密。這都爲北宋末期皇帝個人專權力提供了制度上的可能。

'Fuzou(覆奏)' is a procedure that the court officials send the edicts back to the emperor and confirm it one more time. From Tang to Song Dynasty,the central decision-making system underwent changes and gradually centered upon the emperor. As the emperor became increasingly dominant,the process of decision-making was simplified. The line between the decision-making unit and the executive branch became vague. As a result,Fuzou,which was originally not a very important procedure, contained more chances to influence the decision-making. Fuzou developed into its mature form at the beginning of Northern Song,and existed in the emperors' every ways of decision-making. In the premise that every decision be made by the emperor himself,Fuzou balanced the decision-making prudence and the administrative efficiency. Fuzou granted the court officials right to express their different opinions(termed as 'Zhizou 執奏') after the decision was made by the emperor. But their right to restrain the royal power lacked any clear-stated institutional guarantee. In mid-Northern Song, the efficiency principle eventually overwhelmed that of prudence. On the one hand,Fuzou was further simplified in many aspects; on the other hand,it became more complex in other aspects to prevent the corruption of powerful eunuchs. Institutionally,all these paved the way for the extremely expansion of royal power near the end of Northern Song Dynasty.