程卓《使金录》考论

An Analysis of Record of Diplomatic Mission to Jin Dynasty by Cheng Zhuo(程卓)

南宋程卓于嘉定四年(1211)九月使金贺正旦,嘉定五年(1212)二月返回南宋首都临安(今浙江杭州),出使期间撰成《使金录》一书。有人认为其书“简略太甚,不能有资考证”,“所记惟道途琐事”,“不能当作史料应用”,等等。其实,《使金录》一书,不是宋人出使辽金“语录”中最为简略的,而是众多“语录”中比较祥赡的一种。书中涉及内容十分广泛,包括宋金交聘制度和礼仪,使者出使行程之地理、文物古迹、遗闻趣事、金代城市建筑、政治、军事、经济形势等,皆为作者亲见亲闻,是研究金末政治、军事、地理、经济、文化以及宋金交聘制度十分难得的珍贵资料。

Cheng Zhuo(程卓)of Southern Song Dynasty was sent on a diplomatic mission to Jin Dynasty in September of the 4th year of Jiading (嘉定,1211) to celebrate the Lunar New Year’s Day and returned to Lin’an (临安,now Hangzhou, Zhejiang), the capital of Southern Song Dynasty in February of the 5th year of Jiading. During the mission, he wrote the book of Record of Diplomatic Mission to Jin Dynasty . Some people think that his book is “too brief to have textual research”,“only records the trivial matters on the road” and “cannot be used as historical materials” etc. Actually, Record of Diplomatic Mission to Jin Dynasty is not the briefest one among the “records” of diplomatic mission to Liao and Jin Dynasties, rather it is one of the relatively detailed records. The book covers a wide range of contents, including the system of dispatching envoys between Song and Jin Dynasties and their etiquette, the geography, cultural relics, historical sites and anecdotes of the journey, and urban architecture, politics, military affairs and economic situation of Jin Dynasty, which was seen and heard by the author himself. So they are valuable materials for the study of politics, military affairs, geography, economy, culture and system of dispatching envoys between Song and Jin Dynasties.