The Shunzhi Dynasty set up a "Ming History Museum" for analysis

In the first year of Shunzhi (1644), the Qing Dynasty "Dingding Yanjing, to Sui China", the new dynasty was first established, in order to establish the "orthodoxy" of the dynasty, it was imperative to revise the history of the previous dynasty. Therefore, the Qing court quickly organized historians to revise the History of Ming. The Qing Dynasty revised the "History of Ming" and completed it in nearly a hundred years during the four dynasties of Shunzhi, Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong. The institution responsible for compiling the History of the Ming Dynasty is known as the "Ming History Museum" in academic circles. Regarding the time of the initial opening of the Ming History Museum, the academic circles have formed the conclusion that "the Ming History Museum was established in the second year of Shunzhi". The author combed through the data and found that the Shunzhi Dynasty did not set up a special Ming History Museum to be responsible for compiling the "History of Ming" as in the Three Dynasties of Kang Yongqian; the so-called "Shunzhi Dynasty Ming History Museum" was rendered and constructed by scholars today; the entire Ming History revision activities were all responsible for the Internal Three Courtyards, and the site of the museum was also selected as the "Yuzhi Palace" in the Inner Three Courtyards.

　　"The Ming History Museum was established in the second year of Shunzhi" formed a discernment

　　In the study of the Ming History of the Qing Dynasty in the past hundred years, scholars often acquiesced and used the "Ming History Museum set up in the second year of Shunzhi", but it is not clearly recorded in the vast Qing Dynasty literature. There are two main bases for examining the formation of this discourse. First, volume VIII of the Biography of the History of the Qing Dynasty records the discussion of Zhu Zhixi, a scholar of the imperial guard: "Since the state set the ding, the museum has been opened to revise the History of the Ming Dynasty. The "opening of the museum" that appears here has become an isolated evidence for the academic community to build the Ming History Museum in the Shunzhi Dynasty. Second, in May of the second year of Shunzhi, the Qing court for the first time appointed a group of historians to revise the history of the Ming Dynasty, according to the "Records of the Ancestors of the Qing Dynasty": six people, including the university scholar Feng Quan, were appointed as presidents; eight people, including the bachelor Zhan Ba, were served as bachelors, and 11 people were served as vice presidents; nine people, including Lang Tingzuo, were the officials of the revision; seven members such as Shi Tu were the receiving officials; ten members such as Gu Lu were full character transcription officials; and thirty-six members such as Wu Bangbao were recorded in Chinese characters. The reason for this appointment was that in April, Yushi Zhao Jiding had asked Xiu Mingshi to "select wen xing hongru, charge president, repair and other officials". However, neither Zhao Jiding's suggestion nor in the appointment of historians mentioned the "Ming Shiguan". Nowadays, people only regard the organization method of clear office and quota of personnel as the establishment of the Ming History Museum. In this way, the conclusion of "setting up the Ming History Museum in the second year of Shunzhi" was also derived.

　　However, the careful examination of these two bases is debatable. First of all, Zhu Zhixi's "opening of the museum" was played in February of the twelfth year of Shunzhi. Therefore, the relatively vague time record of "since the establishment of the state" refers to the period between the first year of Shunzhi and the twelfth year of Shunzhi from the scope of the scope, and it is obviously inappropriate to default it to "the second year of Shunzhi"; and as far as "opening the museum" is concerned, it is not clearly stated that it is the "enlightened history museum", and the opening of the museum to revise the "History of Ming" is equivalent to the opening of the Ming history museum, confusing the connotations of the two concepts. Therefore, this "isolated evidence" does not explain the existence of the Ming History Museum. Secondly, in the appointment of historians in May of the second year of Shunzhi, the Records of the Ancestors of the Qing Dynasty recorded: "Qin Feng Sacred Commandment, President Ming Shi"; the Donghua Lu contains: "Revise the History of Ming". Carefully reading the narrative of this period of history, almost all of them are as stated in the "Meng Lintang Collection" by the Qing Dynasty Yang Chun: "The compilation of the "History of Ming" began in the second year of Shunzhi. That is to say, many documents do not have a single word about the "Ming History Museum". This also adds many difficulties to the mystery of the Shunzhi Dynasty's Shiming History Museum.

　　The revision of the history of the Shunzhi Dynasty was a major event of the country, and the opening of the history museum was related to the progress of the revision of history. It is doubtful that the present generation uses the appointment time of the historian to be the time of the Enlightened History Museum, thus forming the intention of the existence of the Ming History Museum. Because the biggest loophole is that since the Ming History Museum has been opened, where is the specific site of the Ming History Museum? Academia tends to overlook this issue. Exploring the location of the Ming History Restoration Activities is the key to solving whether the Ming History Museum really exists.

　　Ming Shi was rebuilt in the Yuzhi Palace of the Inner Third Courtyard

　　The institutions of the Shunzhi Dynasty to revise the History of the Ming Dynasty are not recorded in the Qing palace archives and official documents. Fortunately, clues can be glimpsed in the private writings of the historians who participated in the revision of the Ming Dynasty at that time. Jin Zhijun, a Shangshu of the Shunzhi Dynasty, once wrote an article entitled "He Xueshi Yansheng Chen Gong Deputy Revision of the President's Preface", congratulating his friend Chen Zhisheng (Zi Yansheng) on his appointment as vice president of The History of TheOry of TheOry of TheOry of Chen: "Bachelor Yansheng Chen Gong, straight and bright, with good historical talent. The new dynasty Nie Xing, taking the mirror of the past, ordered the auxiliary minister so-and-so, and served as the president of the official to revise the "History of Ming". According to the Records of the Ancestors of the Qing Dynasty, in May of the fourth year of Shunzhi, "Chen Zhiyi, who edited chen zhiyi in the ming dynasty, served as a bachelor of the Inner Hanlin Secretarial Academy." Chen Zhiyi became a "bachelor" no earlier than May of the fourth year of Shunzhi, so his participation in the revision of the Ming Dynasty was after May of the fourth year of Shunzhi. At the beginning of his participation in the revision of the Ming Dynasty, he once wrote a poem "The Ten Thousand Calendars Compiled by the Former Yuzhi Palace of the First Entry into the National History Academy": "The Collection of Confucians in the Guidian Temple, the Ancient Book of Zhifang. "Zhu Confucians" refers to the group of historians who revised the history of the Ming Dynasty. Judging from Chen Zhiyi's records, the historians who participated in the revision of the Ming dynasty were concentrated in the "Yuzhi Palace" in the Inner Kingdom History Academy. If shunzhi had already opened the "Ming History Museum" in the second year, why did it leave it vacant and not use it, but chose to repair it in the inner three courtyards?

　　In fact, the Ming Dynasty of the Shunzhi Dynasty was compiled by the Inner Third Yuan. The Records of the Ancestors of the Qing Dynasty records that in August of the fifth year of Shunzhi: "The Three Courts of the Imperial Household, the history of the Ming Dynasty, the four years and seven years of the Heavenly Revelation are missing, and the deeds after the first year of Chongzhen." The Qing court issued the edict on the revision of the History of the Ming Dynasty to the "Inner Three Courts", and all the materials on the history of the Revision of the Ming Dynasty were also sent to the collection of the Inner Three Courts, "The context shifted, and those concerned with political affairs were quickly opened to the Ministry of Gifts and sent to the Inner Courtyard for preparation." In February of the tenth year of Shunzhi, Emperor Shizu entered the Three Inner Courtyards to review the progress of the Ming History, "Shangxing Inner Courtyard To see the Ming History". This further clarifies that the institution for compiling the history of the Ming Dynasty is the Inner Three Courts, not the so-called "Ming History Museum". In March of the sixteenth year of Shunzhi, Yushi Jiang Tunan played the imperial court: "Although the book "History of Ming" belongs to the previous dynasty, the canon of revision is in this dynasty. Please send out the golden collection of books, the cabinet, the Hanlin ministers, and open the library to compile copies. Why is Jiang Tunan playing "Opening" at this time? Through the examination of historical materials, it can be seen that it was precisely because the Inner Three Houses were withdrawn, and the newly established Cabinet and the Hanlin Yuan could not undertake the task of compiling the History of the Ming Dynasty alone.

　　In July of the fifteenth year of Shunzhi, the Qing court decreed the abolition of the Inner Third Chamber, the establishment of a cabinet, and the Separation of the Hanlin Yuan, which was subordinate to the Inner Third Chamber, to become a yamen parallel to the Cabinet. The cabinet is called 'Dorji Yamen' and the Chinese characters are called 'Cabinet'; the HanlinYuan full character is called 'Pen Tie Hei Yamen', and the Chinese characters are called 'Hanlin Yuan'." Both the newly formed Cabinet and the Hanlin Academy participated in the revision of history, and one of the responsibilities of the Cabinet was to "compile books such as the Records of the Revision of Records". The two duties of the Hanlin Academy are to "revise and translate the history of various books" and "to list the names of the posts of the revision and send them to the cabinet for inscriptions." Therefore, after the removal of the Inner Three Courts, the revision of history was completed by the joint participation of multiple yamen, which urgently required the establishment of a new History Museum to continue the revision of the history books led by the Inner Three Courts.

　　In summary, the evidence that the first historian was appointed to open the Ming History Museum cannot be established. In fact, in the Shunzhi Dynasty, not only the History of the Ming Dynasty was compiled, but many other historical revision activities were also carried out in the inner three courtyards.

　　The Inner Third Courtyard is the only historical museum

　　Founded in March of the 10th year of Tiancong (1636), the Inner Third Yuan was re-established from the "Bunkan", which was a comprehensive central institution for handling state affairs. During the Chongde Dynasty, the Inner Third Yuan was responsible for compiling the Old Manchurian Archives and the Records of Emperor Taizuwu, which became an important historical revision institution. After the Qing Dynasty entered the customs, the Qing court continued to use the inner three courtyards, and designated it as the Zhengerpin Yamen, which was the same as the six departments and set up a classic hall. Hanlin officials are subordinate to the Inner Three Courts, known as the Inner Hanlin National History Academy, the Inner Hanlin Secretarial Academy, and the Inner Hanlin Hongwen Academy. After the establishment of the cabinet in the fifteenth year of Shunzhi, the Inner Third House temporarily withdrew from the stage of history.

　　The establishment of the Shunzhi Dynasty History Museum is different from the "Ming History Museum", "Shilu Hall" and "Guild Hall" that were separately opened in later generations, and the history book revision activities were carried out in the inner three courtyards. In the fifth year of Shunzhi, he asked Wei Xiangshu to revise the "Great Qing Huidian", which was under the responsibility of the Inner Third Yuan: "The Emperor ordered the ministry to compromise with the previous generations, consult the Manchu Han, confirm the details of the discussion, and send it to the Inner Court for ruling." In the first month of the tenth year of Shunzhi, "Shangxing Inner Courtyard, Reading Tongjian, to Tang Wudi"; in February, "Shangxing Inner Courtyard, Reading the Chapters and The History Books of the Wanli Calendar"; in March, "Shangxing Inner Courtyard, Reading Department Zhongshu and Translating the Five Classics". Even though it was the Imperial "Jade Palace" that the ZongrenFu was responsible for, the Inner Three Houses were also involved. In October of the twelfth year of Shunzhi, "the Imperial Inner Courtyard, the Hanlin Officials and the Imperial Household, and the Rebbe were repaired." In the sixth year of Shunzhi, he compiled the Records of Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty; in the twelfth year of Shunzhi, he compiled the two hadiths of Emperor Taizong of Taizu, both of which were also "three courts within the Imperial Court", and were under his responsibility. It can be said that in the Shunzhi Dynasty, the Inner Three Courts had a unique and irreplaceable position in the revision history books.

　　The Republic of China scholar Fang Susheng found in the cabinet archives a "Theory Of the Number of Confessions Due from Each Museum" of the Classics Hall of the Three Courts in the ThirteenTh Year of Shunzhi, which involved the "Hadith Hall", "Great Training Hall", "Commandment Room", "Teaching Hall", "Tongjian Hall" and "Filial Piety Hall", which is an accurate portrayal of the operation status of the historical museum during this period. These "pavilions" are named after the books that each undertakes to repair to show the difference, in fact, the "group rooms" in the three inner courtyards.

　　In short, the expression "Shunzhi Ii Year Ming History Museum" rendered by the academic circles is inaccurate. This rendering may be influenced by the special "Ming Shiguan" set up by the Three Dynasties of Kang Yongqian, thus inventing the discourse that the Shunzhi Dynasty also had the Ming Shiguan. In the Shunzhi Dynasty, the three inner chambers oversaw the compilation of various books and became the only "historical museum". As Fang Susheng said: "In the second year of Shunzhi, the officials of the Hanlin Academy were subordinate to the three inner courts, and this is called the 'History Museum', which should refer to the Inner Hanlin National History Academy." This also shows the fundamental difference between it and the revision of the history of later history museums. Today's research, called the "Ming History Museum", requires caution, which is easily confused with the Ming History Museum opened by the Three Dynasties of Kang Yongqian, and weakens the important role played by the Three Courts in the revision of Ming History.

　　(Author Affilications:School of History, Chinese University)

Source: China Social Science Network - China Social Science Daily Author: Li Jinfei

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