明初赵秩使日问题新探

New Analysis on Zhao Zhi as Envoy to Japan in Early Ming Dynasty

明朝初建之时,明太祖多次遣使赴日,欲以通好。洪武三年(1370),明太祖派遣赵孟頫后人、山东莱州府同知赵秩等人赴日。为给日本增加更大的外交压力,明太祖又派遣杨载第二次赴日,负责押送15名倭寇。最终,怀良亲王遣使来华朝贡,奉表称臣。怀良态度的陡转并非仅仅由于赵秩庭上的激昂陈词,而是与其面临的北朝大敌压境的客观形势有关。四年,赵秩并没有继续客留日本,而是回到了明朝。赵秩第二次出使日本时与仲猷祖阐、无逸克勤等人同舟,时值五年五月末,而非如《明实录》等所记载之四年十月。洪武六年十月至次年五月,赵秩等人之所以在博多停留,是因需候风等船,他们并没有被当地官员拘留,相反,在此期间他们与日本友人的文化交流活动频繁,且得到了诸多日本友人的帮助。

In the early period of Hongwu’s reign, Ming Taizu dispatched envoys several times to Japan for good will. He sent a mission led by Zhao Zhi, a descendant of Zhao Mengfu to Japan in 1370. To give Japan greater diplomatic pressure, Ming Taizu sent Yang Zai to Japan again, to return 15 Wokou. Prince Kanenaga decided to pay tribute to Ming China to express his loyalty as a vassal by dispatching envoys with a vassal letter, because of Zhao Zhi’s words and the pressure from its northern border as well. After the mission returning to China in 1371, Zhao Zhi, together with Zuchan and Keqin, was sent to Japan in 1372, and returned until the fifth lunar month of 1374. During the period of the tenth lunar month of 1373 and the fifth lunar month of 1374, the Ming envoys had to wait for favorable winds and ships, and they were not detained or controlled, instead, they made many cultural communications with Japanese friends who had helped them a lot.