阁部制衡:明代吏部侍郎政治角色演变探析

The balance between Grand Secretariat and Ministries——An analysis on the evolution of the political role of the assistant minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs in Ming Dynasty

明代专制皇权空前加强。朱元璋废丞相、权归六部,永乐间设置内阁,皇权之下,以吏部为首的六部与内阁在朝堂上互争雄长。吏部侍郎的政治角色亦随之不断变化。明初,皇帝大权独揽,吏部、内阁在其控御之下各司本职,故吏部侍郎凭借职务之便多有直接继任该部尚书者。正统后,皇帝惩三杨在阁时权势过盛,重吏部以制衡之,吏部尚书成为事实上的外廷之长。但吏部侍郎地位却未随之提升,故与该部尚书实际差距日渐扩大,从而逐渐丧失继任该职的可能。与此同时,皇帝为防范吏部权重,又以擢升吏部侍郎入阁来加强内阁对吏部要务的参预,以维持阁部平衡。吏部侍郎政治角色的变化,清晰地反映出明代皇帝通过平衡阁部权势以确保皇权至上的政治现实。

The autocratic imperial power was strengthened unprecedentedly in the Ming Dynasty.Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the prime minister and gave the power to the six Ministries.The Grand Secretariat was set during the Yongle period.Under the control of the emperor,the six Ministries,headed by the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs,struggled with the Grand Secretariat at the court.The political role of the assistant minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs has also been constantly changing.At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty,the emperor had the sole authority,the six Ministries and the Grand Secretariat held their respective positions under his control.Therefore,the assistant minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs can directly succeed the post of the minister of the ministry by the virtue of his post.After Zhengtong period,the emperor punished Yang Shiqi,Yang Rong and Yang Fu for being too powerful when they were in the Grand Secretariat,and stressed the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs to check and balance.As a result,the minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs became the real head of the six Ministries.However,the status of the assistant minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs has not been upgraded accordingly,so the actual gap between the assistant minister and the minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs was gradually widened,and the possibility of succeeding the position was gradually lost.At the same time,in order to prevent the power of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs from being too heavy,and maintain the balance between Grand Secretariat and Ministries,the emperor strengthened the participation of the Grand Secretariat in important affairs of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs by promoting the assistant minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs to enter into the Grand Secretariat.The evolution of the political role of the assistant minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs in Ming Dynasty clearly reflects the political reality that the emperor tried to ensure the supremacy of imperial power by balancing the power of Grand Secretariat and Ministries.