“沈万三”的真实家世及传奇

Shen Wansan’s Real Extraction and Fancied Stories

以'豪富'著称一时的苏州'沈万三'及其谱系,长期以来,缘其众多的'传奇'色彩而为学术界、文学界所津津乐道。本章以刘三吾、王行所撰相关志、序为基础,结合诸野史、笔记的涉及文字,将其作为'真实'人物进行考察,从而较为清晰地勾勒出元末、明初这一氏族发迹而又衰落的历史轮廓。主要的结论如下:第一,沈氏由迁居长洲的沈祐务农为业,其子沈富又在同县'世族'陆德原家为'经纪人',襄助经营。逮至正中,为避免被戮的横祸,陆氏年轻的主人陆颐孙效仿其岳父倪瓒,将其财产'转赠'沈富等人,从而使之跨入浙西'富豪'行列。第二,张士诚覆灭后,沈富贡宝纳粮,以博取新朝的欢心,结果反而遭致明太祖的嫉恨,而被一度流放。第三,沈富死后,其子沈茂、沈旺连带其弟'沈万四'沈贵之子沈德昌、沈汉杰分为四支,分别栖居于长洲的尹山市、周庄镇等地。由于'禁网'严密,担任着'粮长'职务的沈氏成员,过着战战兢兢的日子。第四,洪武末、永乐中,缘两次卷入'逆案'、'反案',沈氏成员或戮或流,并由数次'查抄'不再以'富'闻名。第五,鉴于当时的形势,与其说'沈万三'是一个由'商贸'发家的大财主,倒不如说是位经营'垦殖'有方的大地主。

Shen Wansan was famous as one of the richest in Suzhou and his pedigree has been taken delight in talking by litterateur and historians for the records with something miraculous.Based on the materials written by Liu Sanwu and Wang Xing,referring to relative paragraphs of unofficial history,this article will more clearly draw the outline of the history how the family got rich and came down during late Yuan and early Ming.The main conclusions are as follows:1.The man named Shen You moved to Changzhou County and lived as a farmer,and his son Shen Fu became a chamberlain in a gentleman’s family assisting with farm work.During the period of middle Zhi-zheng,the young master Lu Yisun,the Lu Deyuan’s son,gave most of his possessions to Shen Fu for easily escaping from tragedy happening imitating his father-in-law Ni Zan’s doing.And Shen Fu had been among the rich and powerful in Zhexi area.2.After Zhang Shicheng’s rule finished,Shen Fu paid much treasure and foodstuff to the new dynasty in order to gain favor,and just opposite to what he wishes,he was banished once because of the emperor’s jealousness and abomination.3.After Shen Fu died,his sons Shen Mao,Shen Wang and his brother Shen Gui’s sons Shen Dechang,Shen Hanjie moved to Yinshan and Zhouzhuang towns separating into four branches.Those members of Shen’s who took charge of ratepaying work lived a scared life since there would be various punishments for them.4.Some people in Shen’s families were executed and exiled while being embroiled in so-called revolting case twice in the years of Hongwu and Yongle,and they were not famous for rich after being confiscated.5.Taking the historical conditions into account,we would rather take Shen Wansan as a landlord good at agricultural management in stead of a rich man getting rich from commercial activities.