Chapter 20 Section Two: The Historical Value of "Zuo Zhuan"

"Zuo Zhuan" is the best annotated version of "Spring and Autumn".Huan Tan of the Han Dynasty once commented in "Xin Lun": "The "Zuo Shi Zhuan" is in the scriptures, just like the outside and inside of the clothes, treating each other. There are scriptures but no biography, so that the sages can't know it for ten years behind closed doors. .” (Volume 14 of Yan Kejun’s “Quanhou Han Wen”) This is a very practical evaluation.For example, the "Spring and Autumn" scripture quoted above in the first year of Yin's year "Xia, May, Zheng Boke Duan Yuyan" is really "a decade of closed-door thinking" and I don't know what's going on.Only through the explanation of "Zuo Zhuan" can we know that it was the battle between King Zheng Guoguo and his younger brother Gongshuduan. "Zuo Zhuan" explains it like this:

At the beginning, Zheng Wugong married Yu Shen, named Wu Jiang, who gave birth to Zhuanggong and Gonggong Shuduan.Zhuang Gong Wu [wu Wu] gave birth (reverse birth, feet first), startled the Jiang family, so he called Wu Sheng, and hated him. He loved his uncle Duan and wanted to establish him, so he urgently asked Duke Wu.Gong Fu Xu.And Zhuang Gong came to the throne, and asked for the system (asked to entrust him with the system).The public said: "Zhi, Yanyi (an important town) is also, and Uncle Guo [Guoguo] died. He is only ordered." Please Beijing (request to seal the city) and make it live, which is called the uncle of the capital. .Sacrifice [zhai debt] Zhong said: "The capital city (the city wall) exceeds a hundred pheasants (a radius of more than 300 feet), and the country is also harmed. The system of the former king: most of them are only one of the participating countries (the big city does not exceed one-third of the capital) ; Medium, one of the fifth; small, one of the nine. Today the capital is not built (the city walls of the capital exceed the regulations), and it is not controlled (violating the system). The king will be unbearable." Harm?" Confrontation: "Why does the Jiang family hate (satisfied) existence! It's better to deal with it (early treatment), without letting it grow, and it's hard to grow. The weeds can't be eradicated, Kuang Jun's favorite brother!" The Duke said: "If you do many injustices, you will kill yourself. My son and aunt will treat it." Then the uncle ordered Xibi and Beibi to be his own (let the western and northern border areas be under his leadership).The son Lu said: "The country is unbearable (can't stand dual leadership), what should the general do? If you want to be with the uncle, please ask him to do something; if you don't want to be with him, please get rid of him, and there will be no people's hearts (don't disturb the people's hearts)." The duke said: "Wuyong (doesn't need it), I will send myself to my door." The uncle also took the second as his own (cancelled the dual leadership and became his own territory), as for (expanded to) Linyan.Zifeng said: "That's right! The thick general will win the crowd (if the power becomes strong, people will follow him)." The duke said: "Unrighteousness is not good (unjust people cannot unite), thick generals will collapse (if the power is strong, people will follow)." Collapse)." Uncle Wanju (repairing the city and preparing food), armored soldiers, and soldiers (expanding troops), will attack Zheng.The wife will start it (Kaicheng will respond).When the public heard about the period, he said: "It's okay!" He ordered his son to seal the handsome car and multiply it by two hundred times to attack Beijing.Uncle Duan rebelled in Beijing, Duan entered Yan, and the public attacked all Yan.In May, Xin Chou and his uncle left for the Communist Party (fleeing to the Communist Party).

Only through this explanation can we understand the whole story of "Zheng Boke Duan Yuyan".In addition, we can also see that the articles in "Zuo Zhuan" are clear in hierarchy, rigorous in structure, vivid in narrative and concise in language.In only 300 words, the entire process of complex events that can be adapted into a multi-act historical drama is written. "Zuo Zhuan" pays great attention to the portrayal of characters' personalities and psychological states. "Wuyong, I will reach it myself." Only five words were used to outline Zheng Zhuanggong's indifferent demeanor that the city's mansion is deep and his chances of winning are stable.Therefore, after reading this article, we feel that the characters on the stage are flesh and blood: Gongshu Duan is self-willed and gradually expands;The characteristics of these characters are all vivid on the paper as the story unfolds. "Zuo Zhuan" not only preserves rich and complete historical materials, but also creates a record literature that can set an example for future generations. Its main historical value lies in this.

"Zuo Zhuan" interprets the scriptures, there are places where the mistakes in the scriptures are corrected, and there are places where the scriptures are interpreted wrongly.For example, the scriptures in the twenty-seventh year of Xianggong: "In winter, there are February in ten, and there are eclipses in the sun." "Zuo Zhuan" was changed to "November, Yihaishuo".Both Wang Fuzhi and Jiang Yong of the Qing Dynasty affirmed that this revision was correct.According to retrospective calculations, this was a total solar eclipse on October 13, 546 BC.However, "Zuo Zhuan" interprets "stars fall like rain" as "together with the rain" in the previous citation of the scripture "In the night, the stars fall like rain" in the seventh year of Duke Zhuang.In this way, it becomes meteorites and rain, and it is completely wrong.

In "Zuo Zhuan", there are many "unscripted biography".These notes are often supplements to "Spring and Autumn".However, the "Biography of Wujing" from the sixteenth year to the twenty-seventh year of Ai Gong was added by later generations, and it is called "continued biography".The continuation not only writes that Duke Ai of Lu left for Yue in the 27th year, but also extends to the fourth year of Duke Mourning of Lu. It has reached the era when Han, Zhao, and Wei were divided into Jin and entered the Warring States Period.Based on this, we can know that the last book of "Zuo Zhuan" should be in the early years of the Warring States period.

"Zuo Zhuan" has been circulated in society from the pre-Qin period to the Han Dynasty, but it was temporarily depressed after Qin Shihuang burned the book.Pre-Qin literature such as "Han Feizi" quoted it.In the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang's imperial edict quoted it.Zhang Cang, Jia Yi, and Zhang Chang all taught it.Sima Qian's "Records of the Historian", which "gathered the world to release lost old texts", also used a lot of materials from "Zuo Zhuan".King Xian of Hejian set up a doctor of "Zuo Zhuan" in his own kingdom.Liu Xiang and his son were very fond of "Zuo Zhuan" before the court school.But these are all "private studies".At that time, the "official learning" of "Spring and Autumn" was "Gongyang". "Gongyang" scholars mainly study "subtle words and great meaning" based on "Gongyang Biography".The main reason they objected to "Zuo Zhuan" was that "Zuo Zhuan" did not preach scriptures, that is to say, it only recorded historical facts without emphasizing the meaning of scriptures.In fact, this statement is one-sided. "Zuo Zhuan" also talks about "small words and great meaning".It's just that it is more realistic, not as mysterious as "Gongyang Biography".