从辅弼、监察到尸位--明代王府文官制度的历史演变

Aid, Supervision and Dereliction: The Role Change of the Ming Prince Court Civilian Officials

明代王府文官制度脱胎于明初的王府相傅制度。朱元璋曾两次对王府官制进行改革,通过设立长史、增加文官、取消相傅兼官、裁撤王相傅府等措施,使王府辅导官的权力大为削弱,其“辅弼”职责的内涵也被大幅度狭义化。“靖难之役”后,出于削藩的政治需求,朱棣通过恩威并施的方式,把王府辅导官变为朝廷监察诸王的耳目,使其职责发生了异变。弘治时期,朝廷正式规定“亲王有过,专罪辅导官。郡王有过,专治内使教授”,标志着王府文官监察职责正式确立。明中期以后,随着宗藩体制的衰落,王府文官制度也无可避免地走向衰败,辅导官多“庸琐衰惫”之人,普遍尸位素餐。

The civilian official system of the prince courts in the Ming dynasty started from the xiang-fu(相傅,prime minister and instructor)system in the early Hongwu period.After that,Emperor Taizu carried out some reforms to the prince court official system to reduce the power and responsibility of the prince court civilian officials.After the Battle of Jingnan,the main role of the top level prince court civilian officials changed into supervising the princes for the Emperor.By Hongzhi period,a formal supervisory regulation of the prince court civilian officials was established.After the mid-Ming period,the prince court civilian official system became functionless when the officials commonly did nothing but holding positions.