濮议之争与欧阳修之死

Dispute about Puyi and the death of Ouyang Xiu

濮议之争是英宗登基后,围绕其生父濮王的封号而产生的争议。执政者与台谏因此而分裂为对立的两派,北宋君主出于权力制衡的目的,重视台谏,台谏与执政之间的矛盾由来已久。欧阳修曾经任谏官,并一直重视与支持台谏,但在濮议之争时,他作为副宰相与台谏产生激烈冲突。随着矛盾的不断激化,最终扩大为整个士人共同体对欧阳修的围攻。北宋以文治国,是士人地位的巅峰时代,但濮议之争充分暴露出士人政治的诸多缺陷,欧阳修个人也因此而反受其害,黯然告别政治舞台,并旋即退出人生舞台。

The dispute about Puyi involved the title of the biological father of King Yingzong in the Song Dynasty. The courtsplit accordingly into two camps headed by Prime Minister and Imperial Counsellor respectively. Ouyang Xiu was on the side of the Imperial Counsellor in the dispute, which later provoked an attack on him and ultimately caused his downfall and demise. In the Song Dynasty, the bureaucratic elite had a louder say in state affairs;however, the dispute about Puyi was an evidence for the defects of this political system.