问题与应对:北宋临时遣使巡察地方论析

Problem and Reply: Study on Temporarily Sending Heralds to Inspect the Place in the Northern Song Dynasty

北宋时期,皇帝临时派遣使臣巡察地方是逐渐完备的官僚政治体制的应急措施,往往运用于地方发生严重的自然灾害或地方官忿争等突发事件之时。从宋太宗到宋神宗时期,皇帝派遣的巡察官员出现由宽泛向专业化变化的趋势,即皇帝逐渐倾向于选择与应对地方突发事件相关的中央机构官员。这些官员到达地方后,着意解决赈恤百姓、清理狱讼、按察地方官、导扬壅遏等具体问题。尽管被遣官员是秉承皇帝旨意巡察地方,但其权力还是受到一定的限制,惠及百姓之事可“便宜从事”,若关涉监察地方官的重要事务,则只有举奏权,不可擅自处置。

In the Northern Song Dynasty,emperor temporarily sending heralds to inspect the place was the emergency measure of the bureaucratic system.It was often used to deal with serious natural calamities,local officials struggling and so on.From Song Taizong period to Song Shenzong period,the heralds had appeared the trend of specialization,that is to say,emperor was inclined to choose the related central officials to local emergency.When the heralds arrived the place,they mainly solved such concrete problems as relieving the people,checking up the cases,investigating local officials,understanding local circumstances and so on.Meanwhile,the heralds’power was limited by the emperor to a definite range.They could freely deal with the people’s affairs,but if there were local officials’important affairs,they had to report information to emperor.