Xi zhenchi

Xi zhenchi

Xi Zaochi (317-384, 325-393, 328-413) was born in Xiangyang (now Xiangyang City, Hubei Province). He was a famous historian and writer in the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

Xi Zhenya was once appointed as the leader of Xi Cao by Huan Wen. Because he opposed Huan Wen's plot of usurpation, he was demoted to Hu Cao to join the army. Later, he was appointed as the governor of Xingyang. Shi Daoan, a famous monk, was invited to Xiangyang to promote Buddhism. It also has a certain influence on the history of Buddhism in China.

In his later years, Xi was called up by Fu Jian, met in Chang'an, attached to the former Qin Dynasty, and then returned to Xiangyang to recuperate from illness. After the recovery of Xiangyang from the Jin Dynasty, Xi was enlisted as a national history official and died before he died. It is also said that Xi Zaochi, who did not succumb to Fu Jian's forced use, was a hermit in Baimei, Xinyu, Jiangxi Province, in order to avoid death.

Xi Zaochi is proficient in metaphysics, Buddhism and historiography. His main works include the spring and Autumn Annals of Han, Jin, Xiangyang, biography of Yiren and Gaoshi, and collection of Xi zhenchi, among which the spring and Autumn Annals of Han, Jin and Jin is a famous historical work with far-reaching influence.

(source: the Xi family tree of Meitian in the fifth year of the Republic of China)

Life of the characters

Make friends with Huanwen

Xi chiseled teeth, the word Yanwei, Xiangyang people. The family is rich and prosperous. He has been a country gentry for generations. When Xi Zaochi was young, he was ambitious, erudite and famous for his articles. Yuan Qiao, the Prime Minister of Jiangxia, highly valued him and praised his ability in front of Huan Wen many times.

Around the second year of Yonghe (346), Huan Wen was promoted to Xi zaoya, who was the principal of Xi Cao. Since then, Xi zhenchi has been promoted many times to be a good driver. Huan Wen sent troops to fight. Xi Zaochi sometimes marched and sometimes stayed behind. His position was often in an important position. He made great achievements as a director and was good at writing letters and discussing. Huan Wen attached great importance to him and trusted him. Han Bo and Fu Tao, who were famous for their free talk articles at that time, all had deep friendship with Xi zhenchi. Later, Xi Zaochi was sent to the capital under the command of Huan Wen. Sima Yu, then prime minister, also respected him. After returning to Jingzhou, Huan Wen asked, "what kind of person is the prime minister Kuaiji Wang?" Xi Zaochi replied, "I have never seen it in my life." This is not in accordance with Huan Wen's will. As a result, Xi Zaochi was demoted to the rank of Hu Cao.

Xingyang Prefecture

In 356, Huanwen recovered Xingyang. At the beginning, Xi Zaochi and his two uncles, Luo Chong and Luo you, all worked for the state. When Xi zhenchi was transferred to another position, his position was above his two uncles. Xi zhenchi repeatedly asked Huan Wen for promotion for his uncles. Later, when Huan Wen was infuriated by Xi Zaochi, he promoted his two uncles to be the governor of Xiangyang, but appointed Xi Zaochi as the governor of Xingyang.

In 363, Xingyang was captured by Qianyan. Xi Zaochi should have left his post and returned to Xiangyang at the latest. Huan MI, the younger brother of Huan Wen, is also very talented. He has always been friendly with Xi zhenchi. Xi Zaochi returned to Xiangyang and wrote to Huan MI after he was removed from the post of sheriff. In the letter, he recalled the elegant demeanor of the ancients such as Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Deng you, Yang Hu, Cui Zhouping and Xu Shu, and said with Huan MI, "this time is another time. How can we know that today's talent is not as good as before? In a hundred years' time, Liu Jingsheng and I will not be regarded as mediocre by later generations."

Living in Xiangyang

In the third year of Xingning (365), Emperor AI of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, monk Shi Daoan came to Xiangyang. He was handsome, eloquent and talented. From the north to Jingzhou, he met with Xi ZhengChi for the first time. Xi said: "the four seas are used to chisel teeth." Shi Daoan replied: "the heaven is full of Shi Daoan." At that time, people thought it was a wonderful couplet. (in the biography of Xi Zaochi in the book of Jin, the first couplet of dao'an and the first couplet of dao'an are written, and the first couplet is written in the biography of eminent monks and jinlouzi.)

At that time, Huan Wen attempted to usurp the throne. Xi Zaochi lived in Xiangyang County, and wrote "Han, Jin, and spring and Autumn Annals". The book begins with Emperor Guangwu of Han Dynasty and ends with emperor Mian of Jin Dynasty. According to the book, when the three kingdoms were in power, Xishu was regarded as orthodox. As for Cao Wei, although he inherited the throne of Han Dynasty and abdicated to Jin Dynasty, he still usurped the throne. He believed that the Han Dynasty was not defeated until Emperor Wen of Jin Dynasty pacified Xishu, but Jin Dynasty rose immediately. He also cited the meaning of Yan Xing by Sima Yan, the founder of Jin Dynasty, and the omen of abdication by Liu Chan, the later leader of Jin Dynasty. Later, Xi chiseled teeth because of foot disease, become Lane disabled people.

Death in old age

In the first month of 379, Xiangyang was occupied by Fujian of the former Qin Dynasty. Fu Jian often heard about Xi's name, so he sent Xi and Shi to Chang'an in a sedan chair. After meeting, I talked with him and appreciated him very much. The gifts are very generous. Fu Jian's documents to the towns said: "in the past, when Sima family of Jin Dynasty pacified the state of Wu, he gained two talents, Lu Ji and Lu Yun. Today, when I pacified Hannan, I only got one and a half people." That half of a person refers to a lame tooth. Soon Xi chiseled teeth and returned to Xiangyang due to illness.

In April 384, Xiangyang and Dengzhou returned to the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The Jin government planned to recruit Xi Zaochi to be in charge of writing national history. Soon (that is, in October of the same year), Xi zhenchi died of illness, and the matter was terminated. On his deathbed, Xi Zaochi left a detailed discussion on the orthodoxy of Jin and Han Dynasties.

Main impact

historiography

Respect for Chinese orthodoxy

In his comments on the history of the Three Kingdoms in the spring and Autumn Annals of Han, Jin, Xi zuocha took Shu Han as the orthodoxy and Cao Wei as the usurper. He thought that although Jin Dynasty was ruled by Wei Chan (SIMA Yan, Emperor Wu of Jin Dynasty, was the emperor of Wei Dynasty in 265 AD), he should inherit Han Zuo, that is, he thought Jin Yue Wei should succeed Han Dynasty, otherwise Jin Dynasty would not be orthodox. On his deathbed, he wrote a treatise on the unification of Jin and Han Dynasties, which systematically expounded the thought of the unification of Jin and Han Dynasties, and formed a new feudal orthodox view of history.

At the beginning, Chen Shou of the Western Jin Dynasty made the annals of the Three Kingdoms, respecting Cao Wei as the orthodox, which should be inherited directly from the Eastern Han Dynasty. However, Xi ZhengChi changed the respect for Shu Han to orthodoxy. Sima Guang's Zizhi Tongjian in the Northern Song Dynasty passively admitted the orthodoxy of Cao and Wei, while Zhu Xi's Tongjian compendium in the Southern Song Dynasty provoked a big discussion about which of the two was orthodoxy, and successfully changed the old system and respected Shu Han as orthodoxy. This view of history has lasted for hundreds of years and reached a peak in the romance of the Three Kingdoms. Therefore, we should thank Xi zhenchi for offering sacrifices to the emperors and ministers of the Shu Han Dynasty.

This orthodox political and historical view of Xi Zaochi not only directly affected the spread of the story of the Three Kingdoms among the people and the romance of the Three Kingdoms, but also had a profound impact on Chinese historiography and cultural circles. Zhang Chun, the leader of the Ming Dynasty, said: "the 54 volumes of the spring and Autumn Annals of the Han, Jin, written by Xi Zaochi, said that although the Jin Dynasty was influenced by the Chan of the Wei Dynasty, it must take inheriting the Han Dynasty as the right one. This is the great theory of the eternal cardinal principles." The summary of Siku general catalogue sums up the dispute over the orthodoxy of the Three Kingdoms, saying: "the book (Annals of the Three Kingdoms) took Wei as the orthodoxy, until Xi Zaochi wrote Han, Jin and spring and Autumn Annals. Since Zhu Zi, it is not longevity but chiseling teeth. However, from the point of view of reason, the fallacy of longevity is absolutely ineffable. From the point of view of potential, it is easy for the emperor to chisel the teeth, but difficult for the emperor to go against it. "

Use history for reference

Xi Zaochi's Han, Jin and spring and Autumn Annals affirms the unity of the country and the nation, and advocates a positive and enterprising spirit of life. Some scholars have analyzed that Xi Zaochi regards historiography as political science, and believes that the task of historiography is to collect history, and its function is to provide lessons. Xi's method of historical research is to criticize history with Confucian benevolence and righteousness, and to observe it from the beginning to the end.

write the truth without fear or favor

As for the history of Wei, Jin and Chan dynasties, Wang Shen used more Qubi since the book of Wei, especially to protect the Sima family. Because Sima family inherited the orthodoxy of Wei, it was also protected by Cao Wei. In the spring and Autumn Annals of Han, Jin, and Jin Dynasties, Xi Zaochi revealed many things, such as the death of Zhuge, Zou Huo, Zhongda, Sima Zhao's regicide and so on, which was praised by Liu Zhiji. However, Xi sometimes overemphasizes the political nature, cutting the objective facts with subjective interests, and "looking at the past with the present", it is still inevitable that the records are inaccurate.

Textual research on Kong Ming

Xi zhenchi has deep admiration for Zhuge Liang. He once went to Longzhong in the west of Xiangyang City to pay homage to Kongming's former residence, and wrote Zhuge Wuhou's house inscription, which recorded the scene of Kongming's former residence, and discussed Zhuge Liang's achievements in Zhongxing Hanshi and pursuing the great cause of unification. He admired Zhuge Liang's thought style of impartiality, strict law enforcement, dedication and death. Xi's record of the location of Kongming's ancient house has also become a controversial topic when Xiangyang and Nanyang fought for Kongming's "farmland". In addition, in the spring and Autumn Annals of Han, Jin, Xi Zhenya included houchushibiao, which provides strong evidence for the later research on the authenticity of houchushibiao.

At the Wuhou Temple in Chengdu, Zhong Han, a modern man, wrote such a couplet because of his contribution to the study of Zhuge Liang: "we know each other from different generations; we worship the Marquis of Wuxiang for thousands of years."

Preservation of historical materials

Xi Zaochi's books, such as the spring and Autumn Annals of the Han and Jin Dynasties and Xiangyang Qi Jiu Ji, have preserved many historical materials about the historical facts of the Han and Jin Dynasties, Xiangyang and Hubei. However, the historical value of Xiangyang Qi Jiu Ji has been questioned due to its personal creation.

literature

When Xi Zaochi was young, he was famous for being good at literature. Some researchers believe that the historical characteristics of his novel Xiangyang Qi Jiu Ji are not prominent, but have obvious novel character. The book focuses on the personality style of the characters, chooses typical events in daily life, the typical words and deeds of the characters themselves to show their unique personality and conduct, and is good at setting the scene, putting the words and deeds in the set scene to express, and emphasizing the beautification of the characters. These characteristics reflect the general trend of fiction in the creation of miscellaneous biographies in the Han, Wei and Six Dynasties, which has an important influence on the rise and prosperity of Legendary Novels in the Tang Dynasty.

In addition, Xi's poems and couplets are handed down. See "personal works" of this data for details.

Buddhism

Xi Zaochi believes in Buddhism and understands Buddhism

Chinese PinYin : Xi Zao Chi