“变气易命”与秦始皇三十七年出巡动机考

Bian Qi Yi Ming(Changing Fortune and Destiny)and a Textual Research on the Motivation of the Tour in 210 BC of the First Emperor of Qin

记载于《史记·秦始皇本纪》秦始皇三十六年的“今年祖龙死”谶言,在多种文献中引作“明年祖龙死”。这一异文首次集中出现于唐代,且产生了一定影响。《史记》原本作“今年祖龙死”当无疑义,唐代或许出现了作“明年祖龙死”的《史记》版本,但未及流传至宋则衰微了,且暂未影响到其他相关文献的流传。秦始皇三十七年出巡的动机与这则谶言直接相关,此次出巡是对秦始皇三十六年诸事的积极回应。北京大学汉简《赵正书》言及“变气易命”,意指改变气数与命运,是秦始皇此次出巡的主要目的之一。

The prophecy of“Ancestral Dragon Die This Year”recorded in Historical Records is cited as“Ancestral Dragon Die Next Year”in various documents.The discrepant text appeared in the Tang Dynasty for the first time,which caused a certain impact.There is no doubt that“Ancestral Dragon Die This Year”was originally written in Historical Records.There may have been another version of Historical Records in the Tang Dynasty,but the discrepant text had declined before it was spread to Song Dynasty,when the other relevant documents still remain the same record as originally written in Historical Records.The motivation of the tour in 210 BC of the First Emperor of Qin is di⁃rectly related to this prophecy.His tour is a positive response to the events happened in 211 BC.Bian Qi Yi Ming,the words recorded in the Book of Zhaozheng,the Han Bamboo Slips collected in Pe⁃king University,which literally means changing of fortune and destiny,is one of the main purposes of the tour in 210 BC of the First Emperor of Qin.