Liu Zhiji was a historian of the Tang Dynasty, and his representative, as "Stone", for the great value of the book "Stone", Bai Shouyi edited the "History of Chinese Historiography", which said: "During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the outstanding historian Liu Zhiji wrote the book "Stone". This is an epoch-making work of historical criticism in ancient Chinese historiography. The advent of "Stone" marks that Chinese historiography has entered a higher stage of self-consciousness, is a new turning point in the development of historical thought and the construction of historical theory, and has had a far-reaching impact on the development of historiography in later generations. ”
Why does Liu Zhiji's book "Stone" have such great value? This is because before Liu Zhiji, China only had history books and no historiography, and Liang Qichao said in the article "Chinese Historical Research Law": "There are Zuo Qiu, Sima Qian, Ban Gu, Xun Yue, Du You, Sima Guang, Yuan Shu and others, and then China has a history." There were Liu Zhiji, Zheng Qiao, Zhang Xuecheng, and then There was historiography in China. ”
China's history books can be described as rich, but there are very few works that can really be called historiography, Liang Qichao said in the "Chinese Historical Research Law": "Critics of historians, when questioned, are rated as part of the historical research method, and the construction of historiography is also based." In the two thousand years since the beginning of historiography, there have been three people: in Tang Liu Zhiji, his doctrine is in "Shi Tong"; in Song Ze Zhengqiao, his doctrine is in "Tongzhi · General Order" and "Yiwen Sketch", "School Strategy", "Atlas Sketch"; in Qing Ze Zhang Xuecheng, his doctrine is in "Wenshi Tongyi". ”
Ji Yun wrote the four volumes of "Stone Cutting Fan" In the first year of the Qing Dynasty, the Hubei Chongwen Bureau engraved and plated
Liang Qichao's words are somewhat absolute, he believes that in the more than two thousand years since the beginning of China's history, only three people can be called historians, and he believes that these three people are Liu Zhiji of the Tang Dynasty, Zheng Qiao of the Song Dynasty, and Zhang Xuecheng of the Qing Dynasty, while Liu Zhiji is the first chinese historian. It can be seen from this that Liu Zhiji's contribution to Chinese historiography is so great. And his book "Stone" was also highly praised in later generations, and Xu Lingyun's comment in "Liu Zhiji's Commentary" was: "The first historical theory monograph in ancient China, "Stone". ”
Liu Zhiji was a native of Pengcheng in the Tang Dynasty, and Pengcheng is today's Xuzhou City in Jiangsu Province, so Xuzhou is Liu Zhiji's hometown. He was born in the first year of Emperor Gaozong of Tang's Longshuo and died in the ninth year of Emperor Xuanzong's reign. Liu Zhiji was born into a family of eunuchs, his great-grandfather Liu Min served as Suiyang Taishou in Northern Qi, his grandfather Liu Wuben was the governor of Sui Liu County, his grandfather and father were also well-known officials, his father Liu Zangqi served as a servant during Emperor Gaozong's reign, and Liu Zangqi was also a gengzhi courtier.
Regarding Liu Zhiji's personal life, it is mainly recorded in the "Self-Narration" he wrote in "Stone", and it can be seen from the "Self-Narration" that Liu Zhiji has favored historiography since he was a child: "To give young children to serve the court and travel to literature early." In his old age, he was inspired by the Ancient Book of Shangshu. Every bitter word is difficult to read, and it is difficult to read. Although it is repeatedly beaten, its karma is not successful. I tried to hear that Jiajun listened to the brothers' lectures on the "Spring and Autumn Zuo Clan Biography" and every time the "Book" was abolished. When you have finished speaking, you will say it for the brothers. For he sighed, 'If all the books are like this, I will not slacken off.' The first king was surprised by his intentions, so he began to teach the Zuo Shi, and he recited it for many years. At that time, there were two out of ten years. Although what has been said has not been deeply understood, the general meaning is outlined. ”
Ji Yun wrote the four-volume engraving of the Hubei Chongwen Bureau in the first year of the Qing Dynasty, the beginning of the volume
Classics is the basis of Chinese Confucian thought, so the ancients have made great efforts in classics, Liu Zhiji's family taught him to study the Ancient Literature and Shangshu when he was a child, and he could not read it anyway, so he was also reprimanded a lot. However, he liked to listen to his father explain the "Spring and Autumn Left Biography" to his two brothers, he found the story in this book too attractive, and when his father finished the class, he discussed the story in the "Left Transmission" with his brothers, so that he privately lamented that if other scriptures could be as interesting as the "Left Transmission", he would study hard without pushing him.
This preference of his was noticed by his father, so he turned to let him study the "Zuo Zhuan", and sure enough, Liu Zhiji was talented in this regard, and in a short period of time, he read through this book. At this time, he was only 12 years old, and although he could not understand the subtle words in the book, he remembered the whole story in his heart. And the father and brother also hoped that he could broaden his horizons: "Father and brother want to make BoGuan righteous and thin, and refine this sutra." After resigning to get Lin, he did not see it, begged and looked at the rest, in order to hear widely. The next time I read "History", "Han", and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Since he wanted to know the history of ancient and modern times, and the numbers were inherited, he touched the class and looked at it, and did not fake the teacher's training. Since the Han Dynasty has descended, until the royal record, there are seven in the tenth year, and the glimpse is slightly weekly. Most of his readings are due to false debts, although the part is mutilated, the first part of the chapter is left behind, and as for the narrative outline, the outline of the statement, it is also roughly understood. But at that time, I will seek progress and practice and ponder, and as for concentrating on history, I have no time. ”
So Liu Zhiji read several other canonical histories, and after such a study, he loved the history books more and more, and in the process of reading the history books, he had the idea of summarizing the history and law, but unfortunately, he was busy with the examination at that time, and he could only bury his thoughts in his heart.
Liu Zhiji entered the army and later passed the examination of the subordinate department, and he was appointed as the chief bookkeeper of Zhijia County, a position that was only Zhengjiupin, and he worked in this position for 19 years. It was not until the second year of the Wuhou Holy Calendar that Liu Zhijifang, who was already 38 years old, was transferred to cangcao, the capital of the Jing Dynasty. However, he did not take up this position, because soon after arriving in Beijing, he was ordered by Wu Zetian to go with several officials to study the Three Teachings of Zhuying. The Old Book of Tang and the Biography of Xu Jian contains this incident: "Jian also practiced the Three Teachings zhuying with Xu Yanbo, Liu Zhiji of the DingwangFu Cangcao, and Zhang Zhiji of the Right Supplement. ”
Ji Yun wrote the four-volume "Stone Cutting Fan" In the first year of the Qing Guangxu Dynasty, hubei Chongwen Bureau inscription, Liu Zhiji's original preface
Why did Wu Zetian order a few of them to compile such a book? This incident was directly related to Wu Zetian's two faces. The brothers Zhang Changzong and Zhang Yizhi were wu Zetian's male favorites, and most of the historical records have the idea of a harem. Although the harem refers to women, Wu Zetian is an empress, and her harem is of course some men, while the Zhang brothers are the two most favored in the harem, and the Zhang brothers are proud of their pampering. In the New Book of Tang and the Biography of Zhang Changzong, it is stated: "After every Yan collection, the two Zhang Zhuwu miscellaneous attendants, And Li Bo argued for laughter. Or to mock the secretary of state, to show fornication, and to be ashamed of it. When the uninspected and frivolous also said that Changzong was the prince of the jin dynasty, after the feathers, blowing pipes, riding the crane, Pei returned to the court, such as the immortals, the words and subjects argued for the poetry to flatter, after knowing the ugliness, thinking to cover it up. It is the Zhao Changzong, that is, the Forbidden Treatise. Twenty-six people, including Li Zhao, Zhang Shuo, Song Zhiqing, Fu Jiamu, and Xu Yanbo, wrote the "Three Teachings of Zhuying". Jiachang Zongsi servant Qing, Yi Zhilin Tai supervisor. The power is tremendous. The crown prince and the xiang king asked Feng Changzong to be king, but he did not listen, and qianchun guan shilang, feng yi guo gong, heng guo gong, and shi feng three hundred households each. ”
Wu Zetian, who was embarrassed by the Zhang brothers' crazy ugly attitude, tried to help the Zhang brothers cover up, and Wu Zetian came up with the solution to let Zhang Changzong compile a work on the unity of the three religions. This male favorite was obviously difficult to hold this post, so Wu Zetian ordered 26 famous courtiers such as Li Zhao, Zhang Shu, Song Zhiqing, and Liu Zhiji to compile this book, of course, the editor-in-chief of the book must be Zhang Changzong.
Wu Zetian wanted to use the way of compiling books to cover up the ugliness of the Zhang brothers, but this incident gave Liu Zhiji a turning point in life, and he could be arranged to participate in the compilation of the "Three Teachings of Zhuying", which was enough to show that his achievements in literature and history had spread to the palace, and it was also possible that it had reached the ears of Wu Zetian. The book "Three Teachings of Zhuying" was compiled in the first year of Chang'an, so Liu Zhiji also stayed in the palace the following year as a writer, when he was 42 years old. This position was from the six pins, which was far higher than his position as the master bookkeeper of the nine pins.
Can Liu Zhi geometry attract the attention of the imperial court? Of course, this is directly related to his assiduous study of history books, he said in "Self-Narration": "So I had spare time in my thoughts and fulfilled my wish." Traveling to Beijing and Luo, quite accumulated over the years, borrowing books from public and private, and reading with affection. As in the history of a generation, it is divided into several families, during which the miscellaneous small books are even different, and they do their best to dig through the chisels and do their best. He has looked at the book since he was a child, and likes to talk about the name and reason, and those who have realized it have all obtained it, not by dyeing. Therefore, the beginning is in the general corner, reading the "Han" of Ban and Xie, I blame the "Former Book" should not have the "Table of Ancient and Modern People", and the "Later Book" should be more established as the beginning of the chronicle. At that time, the hearers jointly blamed the boy for not knowing anything, but dared to despise the former philosopher. So I lost myself and had no words to say. Later, see "Zhang Heng" and "Fan Ye Collection", and the result is that the second history is wrong. It has a secret fit with the ancients, and the cover is invincible. Those who have always known the customs are difficult to say, and where there are similarities and differences, they are stored in all directions."
Ming Wang Wei examined and wrote the twenty-volume "Shi Tong Xun Gu" The 39th year of the Ming Wanli Dynasty, "Liu Zhiji Biography"
Liu Zhiji used all his time to read all kinds of books, his way of reading was to read while analyzing, he found a lot of problems in ancient history books, because he was young at that time, so whenever he talked to others about the problems of famous ancient books, he would be blamed by others, thinking that he did not respect the predecessors. Later, he read similar views in the works of Zhang Heng and Fan Ye, so that he could allude to the ancients, which greatly increased Liu Zhiji's confidence, which was the original motivation for his later writing of the book "Stone".
However, when Liu Zhiji was a historian in the capital, because there were many officials involved in the revision of history, each of them had different ideas, so that many of his ideas could not be implemented, and sometimes speaking out would offend others. Liu Zhiji wrote in "Self-Narration": "I will be afraid of shocking the last world, taking blame on the people of the time, in vain, and I will not see it and reward it." So every time you hold the tube, sigh, the late returner is long. Unless you want it, you can't do it, and you can't dare to do it. ”
Later, Liu Zhiji and other historians jointly revised the "History of Tang", and in the process of revising this correct history, he was still unable to make him exert his own revenge, he said in the "Self-Narration": "In Chang'an, he will be ordered to pre-revise the "History of Tang", and now that he is on the throne, he will also write the "Record of the Great Saint Empress Zetian". Whoever wrote a book tried to carry out his old ideas, and the fellow scholars and the overseers and nobles at that time were difficult to enter into each case that contradicted their chisels. Therefore, the cuts contained in it are all superficial and vulgar. Although he claimed to be obedient, Judas was jealous of the historian. ”
Liu Zhiji was an assertive man, and whenever he bluntly expressed his opinions on the revision of history, it was difficult to get the approval of others, and his bluntness caused some historians to be dissatisfied with him. He also gave a corresponding example in the book "Stone", in which he wrote in the original note of "Stone Yili": "When the history of the country was revised, the biography of Li Yiyan was compiled. The Yan family is in Changle, Weizhou, has been three generations, because of the clouds: 'Yi Yan, Weizhou Changle people also. The overseer laughed, thinking that he was deeply obedient to the historical body, so he changed his name to Longxi Chengjiren according to Li's old hopes. Since words are not followed, it is said that. ”
Ming Wang Wei inspected and wrote the twenty-volume "Shi Tong Xun Gu" The thirty-ninth year of the Ming Wanli calendar, Liu Zhiji's original order
When Liu Zhiji said his opinion, he was ridiculed by everyone, why did these people laugh at him? Liu Zhiji explained: "Modern history is the Wang clan chuanyun: 'Langya Linyi people. 'Passing on the day for the Lee clan: 'Longxi Chengjiren.' The non-only kings and li tribes left their home for a long time, and there was no such county since then. Both are old names before the Jin and Wei dynasties. ”
It turned out that the door valve system was very popular in that era, and many people were attached to the Wang clan, as long as it was the same surname, it would be written as a certain Wang clan. However, Liu Zhiji believes that the records in the history books should be based on facts, and the place names of these wang clans have long ceased to exist with the changes of history, and it is obviously contrary to historical facts to continue to follow this way of recording. However, his correct way of recording was ridiculed by his colleagues, so that Liu Zhiji sighed and said: "Although he is in charge of his post, but I can't do it; when it is used, Meizhi does not succeed." ”
The environment within the history bureau made it difficult for Liu Zhiji to penetrate his thoughts in the history books, which gave him the idea of "the Tao is not working, floating in the sea by the pole". So he resigned from the work of Shi Guan, of course, to resign also to find opportunities and suitable excuses, Tang Hui WantEd Shi Guan Miscellaneous Records" said: "On April 20 of the second year of Jing Long, Wei Juyuan, Ji Shune, Zhongshu Ling Yang Zaisi, Bingbu Shilang Zong Chuke, Zhongshu Shilang Xiao Zhizhong, and supervised the revision of the history of the country. Subsequently, the crown prince of Shiguan allowed Liu Zhiji to be a supervisor, which was a disadvantage of national history, so he asked for the dismissal of shi and played a record of Xiao Zhizhong. ”
Liu Zhiji's excuse was that there were too many staff members in the history bureau, and he believed that the large number of people was mixed and thoughtless, which was not conducive to the compilation of national history, so he proposed his resignation. The New Book of Tang and the Biography of Liu Zixuan also says: "When the chancellor Wei Juyuan, Ji Shune, Yang Zaisi, Zong Chuke, and Xiao Zhizhong all led the supervision, Zi Xuan was ill and had many chieftains, and his intentions were still different, and the theory of the number of responsibilities was ineffective, and he was reckless, but he asked to be dismissed." ”
The above two records show that Liu Zhiji's environment when he worked in the History Bureau, and the real reason why he proposed his resignation, was actually to concentrate on writing the book "Stone". Why did Liu Zhiji have to write this book? He explains it in "Self-Narration": "Oh! Although he holds his position, but I can't do it; when it is used, it is not successful. Yu Kuai is lonely and angry, and there is no way to hope. He will sleep without saying a word, hey without saying anything, and he is afraid that after the world, who knows the giver. Therefore, he retired to write "Stone" privately to see his ambitions. ”
From this passage, it can be seen that Liu Zhiji's main idea when he entered the History Bureau was to express his ideals by compiling history books, and he failed to think that the working environment in the History Bureau was quite different from his imagination, resulting in his ideals not being released at all, which made him very depressed. Liu Zhiji believed that if he endured in obscurity, future generations would not understand his thoughts until his death, and instead of this, it was better to quit the History Bureau and concentrate on writing "Stone". It can be seen that the book "Stone" expresses the historical ideas that Liu Zhiji wants to express.
Pu Qilong wrote the "Stone General Interpretation" Twenty Volumes Appendix Volume I Qing Qianlong Seventeen Years Pu Shi Qiu Shu Zhai Inscribed Edition, Preface
Why does Liu Zhiji care so much about expressing his own ideas? He said in "Stone Shi Guan Jianzhi": "The lady is like a heaven and earth, and her life is like an ephemera in the world, like the gap of the white colt, and the shame of the year is not established, and the disease is not known." From the emperor to the bottom, to the poor and the near, to the court, to the far away from the mountains and forests, forgive their merits and fame, and do not draw and work diligently. What about the husband? All in order to immortal things also. What is immortality? The title of the book is bamboo veil. ”
Time is eternal and life is short, and Liu Zhiji believes that no matter who has the pursuit of fame, why should there be such a pursuit? He believes that all people want to be immortal, but unfortunately, the body of a hundred people will soon decay into the world, and only the immortal is the idea written in the book. In this way, Liu Zhiji also wrote "Stone" in order to make his thoughts immortal, and he can bluntly point out such a motive, which shows his true rate of being a human being. However, later generations did not speak highly of his words, such as Pu Qilong of the Qing Dynasty who commented on this passage in the "Stone Interpretation" as follows: "The original history of what was done was also done." The historian, the golden mirror of a thousand autumns, only thinks from the heart of the name, so it is said to be shallow. ”
Pu Qilong thought that Liu Zhiji's words were somewhat vulgar, and he felt that this passage was "suitable for coriander", and then Ji Xiaolan really deleted this passage in "Stone Cut Complexity". Of course, the motivation of these two people may be to make Liu Zhiji perfect, but when I read this original text, I can feel that Liu Zhiji is a sincere and straightforward person. Instead of weakening his image in my mind, he became fuller.
Then Liu Zhiji devoted himself to writing the book "Stone", and by the fourth year of Emperor Jinglong of Tang Zhongzong, Liu Zhiji completed the writing of this book, which was exactly 50 years old.