两周之际若干重要史实考论

On Some Important Historical Facts in the Transition between the Western and Eastern Zhou Dynasties

周幽王并非西周最后一位君主。幽王之后,有携王。携王在位二十一年,且得到诸侯大臣普遍拥戴,最后为晋文侯所杀(前750);携王死后,晋文侯等拥立平王,但诸侯拒绝承认,天下虽无共主,而西周未亡;平王复居京师三年之久,亦为西周之延续。宜臼(即平王)曾两次称王:第一次为申侯、曾侯、许男等拥立(前771),并未得到诸侯大臣拥护,旋即放弃王号;第二次为晋文侯、郑武公等拥立(前750),即位后三年,东迁成周,方为东周之始。晋文侯生于穆侯七年,他杀殇叔自立在周携王五年(前766),幽王被杀之次年(前770),他尚未即位,不可能助平王东迁;晋文侯在位二十年而非三十五年;郑桓公死于幽王之乱,其子武公东迁,数年后灭郐、灭虢,始建立新郑,也不可能在前770年助周东迁。《竹书纪年》所谓“周二王并立”,清华简《系年》称“周亡王九年”,体现出作者的立场和倾向,并不符合事实。《竹书纪年》说幽王灭后“二十四年,定鼎洛邑”,清华简《系年》说携王立二十一年,为晋文侯所杀,晋文侯立平王于京师,“三年,乃东徙,止于成周”,两者完全吻合。从武王伐纣至平王东迁,西周存续时间为二百八十一年而非二百五十七年;东周起始时间为公元前747年而非前770年,平王即位应推迟二十年,在位时间亦当相应减削二十年(实际在位三十一年而非五十一年),东周肇始之年当后移二十四年。周平王以幽王嫡嗣自居,而将即位时间“通前数之”,以显示其正统地位,于是,携王在位二十一年、“周亡王九年”的史实因此湮没不彰。平王非周室中兴之主,而是继幽王之后导致周室衰微的又一关键人物。

King You of Zhou was not the last monarch of Western Zhou dynasty.After King You,there is still King Xie,who reigned for 21 years,and was widely supported by the princes and ministers.Finally,he was killed by Marquis Wen of Jin in 750 B.C.After his death,Marquis Wen of Jin and others set up King Ping,who was refused by princes.At that time there was no common lord in the world yet the Western Zhou has not fallen.King Ping resided in the capital for three years,which can be considered as the extension of the Western Zhou.Yijiu(King Ping)was crowned king twice:first he was supported by Marquis Shen,Marquis Zeng and Baron Xu in 771 B.C.,but without supported from other princes and ministers,so he eventually gave up the throne.The second time he was supported by Marquis Wen of Jin,Duke Wu of Zheng and others in 750 B.C.Three years after taking the throne(747 B.C.),he moved the capital east to Chengzhou,which was the beginning of Eastern Zhou.Marquis Wen was born in the seventh year of Marquis Mu,he killed Uncle Shang and established himself in fifth year of King Xie of Zhou(this is marked by A Chronology of the Twelve Princes as the fifth year of King Ping,i.e.,766 B.C.).The year after King You was killed(770 B.C.),Marquis Wen of Jin had not yet ascended the throne,so he could not help King Ping's migration to the east.Marquis Wen reigned for 20 years instead of 35 years.Duke Huan of Zheng died in the turmoil of King You,and his son Duke Wu moved to the east,destroyed Kuai and Guo several years later and began to establish Xinzheng.Therefore,Duke Huan was also impossible to help Zhou move east in 770 B.C.The so-called“two kings ruling simultaneously”in the Bamboo Annals,and the saying that“for 9 years there was no King in Zhou court”in Tsinghua Bamboo Script Ji Nian,are only demonstration of the stance and tendency of the authors but not reflect the truth.The Bamboo Annals records that“24 years after King You's death,the capital was settled in Luo Yi”.The Tsinghua Bamboo Script“Ji Nian”says that the King Xie reigned for 21 years and killed by Marquis Wen who then established King Ping in the capital,three years later,moved to the east and settled in Chengzhou.These two records are completely consistent.From King Wu's crusade against King Zhou of Yin to the time when Zhou court's moving eastward,the Western Zhou should be counted as 281 years instead of 257 years;The beginning of the Eastern Zhou dynasty was in 747 B.C.instead of 770 B.C.The date of King Ping's accession to the throne should be postponed by 20 years,his reign period should be reduced by 20 years accordingly(he actually reined for 31 years instead of 51),and the beginning of the Eastern Zhou should also be delayed by 24 years.King Ping considered himself as the authentic heir of King You,so he counted his time of accession all the way up to earlier to show his orthodox status.As a result,the historical facts of King Xie's 21-year reign and“for 9 years there was no King in Zhou court”(the princes still refused to recognize the King Ping even after he was installed twice-they refuse to go to the court to meet him)were thus lost.King Ping was not the master of the revival of the Zhou dynasty,but another key figure that led to the decline of the Western Zhou after King You.