乡党政治、士人心态与历史人物书写——以明清史传中的李至刚为中心

Townsman Politics, Intellectual Mentality and the Writing of Historical Figures:Centered on Li Zhigang in the Historical Biographies of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

历史人物书写往往是复杂的社会关系、政治环境以及多样心态主导下形成的主观表达。传统时代,人物事迹被置于道德框架之下书写,人物评价及其形象被特定时代的社会关系和文化心态所塑造。明清史传对永乐初年礼部尚书李至刚的书写,则是其中的典型个案。明人杨士奇所撰的《解缙墓碣铭》和《李至刚墓表》是后世史传中李至刚书写的祖本,李至刚“蒙垢简牍”的故事不断被复制、传播和再创造,最终影响到清代官修《明史》的道德性书写。这一案例呈现了个体书写如何影响集体书写的过程。究其原因,这可能是明代中前期杨士奇长期秉政,并以其政治声望、文化影响进而掌握社会舆论和话语权的反映,也是明代史家反思和批判永乐朝史事、明代中后期现实的心态折射。

The writing of historical figures was often a subjective expression dominated by complex social relations, political environment and diverse mentalities.In the traditional era, the deeds of figures were written in the ethical framework, the evaluation of figures and their images were shaped by the social relations as well as cultural mentality of the specific era.The writing of Li Zhigang, the Minister of Rites in the early years of Emperor Yongle’s reign, in the historical biographies of the Ming and Qing dynasties may be a typical case.Xie Jin’s Tombstone Inscription and Li Zhigang’s Gravestone,written by Yang Shiqi of the Ming dynasty, were the original version of writings on Li Zhigang in later historical biographies.The story of Li Zhigang’s “stigmatization” was copied, disseminated and recreated continuously, which eventually affected the ethical writing of Ming History by official historians of the Qing dynasty.This case shows how individual writing affects the process of collective writing.It may be a reflection of Yang Shiqi’s long-term governance in the middle and early Ming dynasty and his control of social public opinions and discourse power with his political reputation and cultural influence.It also reflects Ming historians’ mentality of reflecting and criticizing the historical events of Emperor Yongle’s reign and the social reality in the middle and late Ming dynasty.