Chapter 19 Brief introduction to the first section "Spring and Autumn"

"Spring and Autumn" is the history book of Lu State, and it is also the earliest chronicle in the world.It records the 242 years from the first year of Lu Yin, that is, the forty-ninth year of King Ping (722 BC), the first monarch of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, to the fourteenth year of Lu Aigong, that is, the thirty-ninth year of King Jing of Zhou (481 BC). Important events of Lu State and other vassal states as well as the Zhou royal family.Therefore, this era is called the "Spring and Autumn Period" in the history of our country. Chronicle is a form of history book that records events by year and month. The chronicle of "Spring and Autumn" is very simple, one event and one sentence, which is quite a chronology of major events, so only about 16,000 characters are used to describe the historical events of 242 years.The following is an excerpt from a record of the first year of Yin's reign to see it.

The first year, spring, Wang Zhengyue.In March, Gong and Zhu Yifu allied with Yu Mie.In summer, in May, Zheng Boke Duan Yuyan (yan smoke).In autumn and seventh month, the king of heaven sent Zai [Xuan Xuan] to return to Hui Gong and Zhong Zi's wealth [Feng Feng].In September, the people of the Song Dynasty joined forces at Su.In winter, there are two months in ten, offering sacrifices to Belai.The son benefits the teacher and dies. After the first year, "two years" and "three years" are recorded in sequence, until the eleventh year "winter, eleventh month, Renchen, Gongfu [hongyang] (Duke Lu Yin died)".Next, remember Duke Huan of Lu: "In the first year, spring, Wang Zhengyue, the Duke ascended the throne." The following is "two years" and "three years", until the eighteenth year of Duke Huan, "Winter, in February, Ji Chou, buried I am Duke Huan." Duke Huan was followed by Duke Zhuang, Duke Min, Duke Xi, Duke Wen, Duke Xuan, Duke Cheng, Duke Xiang, Duke Zhao, Duke Ding, and Duke Ai, a total of 12 monarchs.This is the so-called "Spring and Autumn Twelve Dukes".We memorized the 12 characters "Yin, Huan, Zhuang, Min, Xi, Wen, Xuan, Cheng, Xiang, Zhao, Ding, Ai", and grasped the general outline of the "Spring and Autumn" records.

The word "chunqiu" is equivalent to the concept of "history" today, and it was a general term for the history books of various countries at that time.Therefore, there are sayings such as "Chunqiu of Zhou", "Spring and Autumn of Yan", "Spring and Autumn of Song Dynasty" and "Spring and Autumn of Qi" in "Mozi". "Spring" and "Autumn" are the two most important seasons of the year (called "four seasons" in ancient times).Spring planting and autumn harvest are the major events of the year. After the autumn harvest, the major events of the year are considered to be over.So the ancients used the names of these two seasons to represent the course of a year.Chronicles record things in units of years, so the book that records historical events in a year is called "Spring and Autumn".The current "Spring and Autumn" is the title of the history book of Lu State.Because it is a native of the country who remembers the affairs of the country, it is enough to only use the word "chunqiu", just as Sima Qian only used "Historical Records" as the title when writing the ancient history of our country.

The State of Lu was the feudal state of Zhou Gongdan, the younger brother of King Wu of Zhou. However, from the time when Boqin, the son of Duke Zhou, became the king of Lu State, to the Duke Hui, the father of Duke Yin, there are no records of these 12 generations of monarchs for hundreds of years.So "Spring and Autumn" is an incomplete history of Lu.Nevertheless, it still provides rich historical materials for the study of the history of our country from the 5th to the 8th centuries BC. "Spring and Autumn" not only records a large number of ancient wars, alliances, coups, military systems, criminal laws, taxes, ritual systems, patriarchal clan, weddings and funerals, but also records a large number of natural phenomena such as astronomical phenomena, geography, earthquakes, and famines. data of. The value of "Spring and Autumn" lies here.Here are two examples:

(Xuan Gong) In ten or five years... autumn... the first tax mu.In winter, weed [yuan yuan] is born, hungry. [To the effect] In the fifteenth year of Xuan Gong,...in autumn...the tax was levied according to the number of acres.In winter, locust swarms appear and cause famine. This record shows that from the autumn of the fifteenth year of Xuangong (622 BC), the State of Lu began to levy taxes based on the number of acres of land owned by individuals.In the past, the ownership of the land belonged to the slave owners at all levels headed by the king of Zhou.Slaves engaged in agricultural production were accessories of the land, and slave owners could give the land together as rewards or gifts.That is to say in "The Book of Songs Xiaoya Beishan": "Under the sky, is it the land of the king, and the shore of the land, is it the king's ministers." Now the landowners tax the land users according to the number of acres of land, which shows that the production relationship starts. The relationship between slave owners and slaves became that of landlords and peasants.Changes in the relations of production determine changes in the social system.Therefore, from the record of "early tax mu", we can see that Chinese society at that time was transforming from slavery to feudalism.

In terms of natural phenomena, "Spring and Autumn" records 36 solar eclipses, and according to modern astronomical calculations, 33 of them are accurate.In addition, there are many precious astronomical records.Such as: (Zhuang Gong) Seven years... Summer, April, Xinmao, night, the stars are gone.In the night, stars fall like rain. " [To the effect] In the summer of the seventh year of Duke Zhuang, on Xinmao day in April, the usual stars were not visible in the evening.In the middle of the night, meteorites rained like rain. According to modern astronomical calculations, this record refers to the meteor shower near the constellation Lyra that occurred on March 16, 687 BC.This is the world's oldest meteor shower record.Another example:

(Wen Gong) In four out of ten years... Autumn, July, there is a star (Bei Bei) entering Beidou. [To the effect] In the fall and July of the fourteenth year of Duke Wen, a comet entered the Big Dipper constellation. According to tracing, this refers to Halley's Comet. "Bo" means radiant.The radiant comet is also called "Bo". "Book of Jin · Tianwen Zhi": "'Bo' also belongs to 'comet'. Partially refers to (drags a tail) is called 'comet', and the glow is called 'Bo'." This is the earliest record of Halley's Comet in the world.

The way of recording events in "Spring and Autumn" was the common style of chronicles of various countries at that time.Moreover, at that time, various countries had the habit of notifying each other of major events that occurred in their own countries.So the same thing, the records in the history books of various countries are roughly the same.The "Bamboo Book Chronicles" discovered in the second year of Taikang, Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty (AD 281), is the history book of Wei State.According to Du Yu of the Jin Dynasty, "The Preface to the Collection of Spring and Autumn Zuozhuan Collection", "The meaning of his writing is similar to that of the "Spring and Autumn Classics." Liu Zhiji of the Tang Dynasty, "Shi Tong Huo Jing" also said: "The things he recorded are all It is the same as Lu's "Spring and Autumn Annals." Judging from the surviving records of "Bamboo Book Chronicles", Du and Liu's accounts are credible.For example: "Spring and Autumn" records "Qi people wiped out Yu Sui" in the summer of the first year of Zhuang Gong, "Zheng Abandoned His Master" in December of the second year of Min Gong, and "Meteorites in the Fifth Song Dynasty" in the spring of the sixteenth year of Duke Xi. "Bamboo Book Chronicles" not only There are the same notes and the same text.There are also slightly different texts.For example, "Spring and Autumn" records that in the battle between Wu and Chu in November of the fourth year of Dinggong, the Chu army was defeated. "Character.However, in the fourteenth year of Jin Linggong's official historian, "Zhao Dun killed his lord", the "Spring and Autumn" recorded in the second year of Xuangong's record is slightly more explicit, and it is recorded as "Jin Zhao Dun killed his lord Yigao".It can be seen that "Spring and Autumn" records events in the style common to all countries at that time.

"Spring and Autumn" was originally the history of the country recorded by the official historian of the State of Lu, but the old theory was written by Confucius. "Mencius Teng Wengong Xia" said: "The world is declining, and there are heresy and atrocities. There are ministers who kill their kings, and sons who kill their fathers. Confucius was afraid and wrote "Spring and Autumn." Sima Qian's "Historical Records Ten The Preface to the Chronicles of the Two Princes said: "Confucius understood the way of kingship, but he was unable to use more than seventy monarchs. Therefore, looking at the Zhou Dynasty in the west, and discussing the old news of historical records, it was popular in Lu and followed by "Spring and Autumn". "Because these two authoritative works Therefore, the statement that Confucius wrote "Spring and Autumn" has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

However, judging from the fact that the style and characters of the history books of various countries mentioned above are the same, Confucius should not enjoy the copyright of "Spring and Autumn".After the Tang Dynasty, many scholars began to have doubts about the statement that Confucius wrote "Spring and Autumn".Wang Anshi of the Song Dynasty even called the Spring and Autumn Annals "Duan Lan Chao Bao" (an incomplete government announcement). But it cannot be said that "Spring and Autumn" has nothing to do with Confucius.Because there are many places in the ancient books of the pre-Qin period that "Spring and Autumn" is related to Confucius.Moreover, "Spring and Autumn" is one of the courses of Confucianism. If it is said that Confucius taught students, he used this official chronicle manuscript. He made certain arrangements in the teaching, or made some choices, but basically It is also reasonable to retain the original appearance of Lu history.Confucius would not, and I am afraid he would not dare to delete or change the history of the country regardless of his "name".The various accounts of later generations are nothing more than word of mouth.In order to improve the authority of "Spring and Autumn", it is understandable to exaggerate and increase the number of layers.Sima Qian, who was deeply influenced by Jinwen Jing, also failed to realize it.However, although there are many records in "Historical Records" that are debatable, the statement in "Preface to the Chronicle of the Twelve Princes" that "prospered in Lu and followed by "Spring and Autumn"" is advisable.Because "ci" means "compilation", not creation.

Because the records of "Spring and Autumn" are too simple, later generations made various annotations. The "Spring and Autumn" scriptures and important annotations recorded in "Hanshu Yiwenzhi" include: ""Spring and Autumn": twelve chapters of ancient scriptures, eleven volumes (Gongyang and Guliang). "Zuo Shi Zhuan" Thirty volumes (Zuo Qiuming, Taishi of Lu). Eleven volumes of "Gongyang Zhuan" (Gongyangzi, a native of Qi). Eleven volumes of "Guliang Biography" (Guliangzi, a native of Lu). The "Classics" and "Biography" of "Spring and Autumn" were originally written separately, not separate books.The compilation of "Spring and Autumn" scriptures and "Zuo Zhuan" biography texts together by year began with Du Yu in the Jin Dynasty.Therefore, what is recorded in "Hanshu Yiwenzhi" is still the situation before the merger of classics and biography.The so-called "Twelve Ancient Classics" are the ancient texts of "Spring and Autumn".Each of the twelve gongs is one chapter, so there are 12 chapters. "Eleven Volumes of Classics" refers to the "Spring and Autumn" Jinwen Jing used in the two biographies of "Gong" and "Gu".It may be that Min Gong with fewer characters was merged with Zhuang Gong, so there are 11 volumes.What is worth noting here is the symmetry of the two quantifiers "pian" and "juan". "Pian" refers to a book written in bamboo and wood.Weave Jane in a row with rope and call it an article. "Volume" refers to a book written in silk.Roll up a piece of silk and call it a roll. The ancient scriptures of "Spring and Autumn" are counted in chapters, so it can be seen that they were written on bamboo slips.It is emphasized that it is an "ancient scripture", so it can be seen that it is an ancient character in the pre-Qin period.The other scriptures and biographies are all in volumes, so they must have been written on silk in Han Li. "Zuo Zhuan" was originally an ancient biography, but since it is counted in volumes, it can be seen that it has been transcribed in official script. The three volumes of "Zuo", "Gong" and "Gu" recorded in "Hanshu·Yiwenzhi" are the ancestors of the current three volumes, but the division of volumes is different.Judging from the "Spring and Autumn" scriptures in the third biography of this edition, there is not much difference in the text, but the lower limit of the description is different. The "Spring and Autumn" scriptures in "Gong" and "Gu" ended in the fourteenth year of Ai Gong (481 BC) "Spring, Xishou Huolin." The "Spring and Autumn" scriptures in "Zuo Zhuan" ended in the tenth year of Ai Gong Six years (479 B.C.) "Summer, April, Ji Chou, Confucius died." In the early Han Dynasty, Jin Wen Jing was used to say, so "Historical Records The Family of Confucius" identified "Spring and Autumn" as "up to Yin Gong, down to mourning". Fourteen years, twelve lords." Later generations took the "Historical Records" as the standard. The extra two years of "Spring and Autumn" scriptures in "Zuo Zhuan", commonly known as "continued scriptures", are generally considered to be follow-ups by the disciples of Confucianism, in order to record the names of their teachers in the annals of history. The situation in "Spring and Autumn" is roughly the same.