圣德与臣节:廷杖所见明代君臣之间的名誉博弈

The Emperors’Virtue and Courtiers’Morals:Analyzing Emperors and Courtiers’Reputation Game by Court Beating in the Ming Dynasty

廷杖,作为明代一种不成文的、与厂卫特务相齐名的著名秕政,自明太祖朱元璋施行以来,由一种臣僚触犯皇帝威严后受到的惩罚而愈演愈烈。在这一过程中,廷杖逐渐演变成为可以左右他人心中对自我品行认知的工具。在明代大规模廷杖案背后所隐藏的,实则是君臣双方之间对自我名誉的维护和博弈。从中也可窥探到朝堂与民间的公议对统治者权欲的制约,以及名为“圣德”的贤君行事准则之建构过程。

Court beating,as an unwritten and famous bad policy,which is similar to the factory guard spy of the reconnaissance agency policy in the Ming Dynasty,was implemented by Zhu Yuanzhang.It was a punishment for officials who violated the majesty of the emperor and gradually became acute.In this process,court beating gradually evolved into a tool that can influence others’perception of self-conduct.What was hidden behind many court beating cases in the Ming Dynasty was the maintenance and game of self-honor between the emperors and the courtiers.From this,we can also see the imperial court and the public’s opinion restrict the ruler’s desire for power,and the process of constructing the rule of action of the wise emperor.