Historical Archaeology Has the Final Say / Author: Shao Ming

- From "Shaved Head" to "Once Saint"

(Online screenshot)

Li Shimin once said: "Taking copper as a mirror, we can take the right clothes and crown, take people as a mirror, we can know gains and losses, we can learn from history, and we can know the rise and fall." This is a sentence that we are familiar with, but how many people care about the truth of history. Study history, profoundly grasp the historical laws of human development, draw wisdom from in-depth thinking about history, and move toward the future. Taking history as a mirror to know the rise and fall, the change of dynasties allows us to understand that some trajectories of historical development have learned lessons from it, but this must be real history.

In History Textbooks, What Parts have Been Overturned by Modern Archaeology? "In November 1975, a batch of Qin zhujian was unearthed in Yunmeng County, Xiaogan District, Hubei Province, and because of the constant temperature of groundwater, it was relatively well preserved. After being sorted out by archaeologists, a total of 1155 pieces, 80 fragments, classified and sorted into ten parts, including: "Eighteen Kinds of Qin Laws", "Effective Laws", "Miscellaneous Copies of Qin Laws", etc., most of which are legal provisions, recording the original text of the provisions of more than twenty separate laws and regulations implemented in the Qin Dynasty, and a total of 600 articles of law.

Among them, there is a transcription of some of the provisions of the Qin Law in the "Law of Qi", which records that there are "Imperial Signs, Lack of Fu Xing, And Zhao Erjia." Three to five days of loss of time, slander; six days to ten, one shield; ten days, one shield; after ten days, one shield. Water and rain, except for excitement. ”

This means that the state is conscripted into servitude, and if there is no delay in levying, it shall be punished by the second class. Three days to five days late, reprimand; six days to ten days, a fine of one shield; more than ten days, a fine of one. If the rain cannot be started, this levy may be waived.

That is to say, according to the excavated Qin Jian records, the state levyed servitude, and the maximum penalty for late arrivals was only a fine worth a pair of armor, and because of the late arrival and delay caused by heavy rain, no punishment would be imposed, and the order for requisition would be cancelled.

This record is similar to Chen Sheng's claim during Wu Guang's uprising that "it will rain heavily, the road will not work, and the degree has been lost." Lost time, the law is cut. "On the contrary, whether the Qin Law was wrong or the provisions of the Qin Law were just pretending to be benevolent and not actually enforced, or whether Chen Sheng and Wu Guang deliberately distorted the law and deliberately exaggerated the punishment for late servitude in order to instigate an uprising, or whether Qin II revised the Qin Law is a question worth studying."

Archaeologists and historians have so far not given a definitive answer. This reminds me of the relationship between the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and Zeng Guofan. The comments on Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang have changed one hundred and eighty degrees, especially the "shaved head" who suppressed the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and became "Zeng Sage". In addition to being a hot seller, Zeng Guofan's books seem to have become classics. However, I checked the historical materials of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement on Baidu, and it seems that it is still the same as when we were studying. The portrait of the leader of the peasant uprising movement on Hong Xiuquan'an is still the same.

Baidu - "The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement led by Hong Xiuquan swept through most of China for fourteen years, dealing a heavy blow to Chinese and foreign reactionary forces and leaving a profound impact on China's modern history. Hong Xiuquan made great contributions to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement, and even Sun Yat-sen also called himself "Hong Xiuquan second".

Four great comments: to the nearest person, to serve Zeng Wenzheng alone. Looking at the battle of Hong and Yang, it is perfect, so that today it can be changed, and it can be as complete as the other? Zeng Guofan was the most powerful figure in the landlord class."

I also read "The Biography of Zeng Guofan", and I also admired the five bodies of "Zeng Shaved Head", but I did not dare to agree with his Confucianism. My view of Hong Xiuquan is the same as that of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, and there is nothing to praise about the success of the king and the defeat of Kou. Now I am also a bit confused, if I want to "take history as a mirror", it seems that archaeologists can only rely on archaeologists to tell the truth. Whether the current historians are also waiting for the people in the tomb to tell the truth, I dare not cross the question.