This article was published in the 6th issue of "Bashu Historical Chronicles" in 2023
Yang Shen
He is the author of the history of the development of the Chinese nation
Zhu Xiaozhou
In the later period of Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty, Gaoyao Village, Kunming County, Yunnan Province. An old man with "bearded eyebrows" would give a lecture in front of the grass house where he lived every day after dinner, and dozens of village children would surround him and listen carefully. Under the ears of the ears, "everyone knows history".
This tireless old man is Yang Shen, the champion of Xin Weike in the sixth year of Ming Zhengde (1511), the son of the former first assistant, and known as the head of the "Three Talents of the Ming Dynasty". Why did this great genius go to the border? How did the banquet lecturer who once gave lectures to the emperor become a "village school teacher" who taught village children?
One
The noble son of the new capital is old and old
On the sixth day of November in the first year of Hongzhi (1488), the 30-year-old Hanlin Academy reviewed Yang Tinghe and was happy to have the eldest son. This baby boy is Yang Shen, who was later called by Mr. Chen Yinke, a master of Chinese culture, "talented and knowledgeable, with a Ming generation, and a rare match". Yang Shen (1488-1559), a native of Xindu County, Sichuan Province (now Xindu District, Chengdu). At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the ancestors of the Yang family moved from Hubei to Shu in order to avoid the disaster of war. Since the fourth Yang Chun, the four generations of the Xindu Yang family have a total of 1 champion, 6 jinshi, and 4 lifters. Among them, Yang Ting and the four dynasties of Lixianzong, Xiaozong, Wuzong, and Sejong once served as the first assistant, and had the merit of eliminating difficulties and making decisions; Yang Shen was a bright young man and was known as a "prodigy", and he won the top prize at the age of 23. Therefore, the new capital Yang has the reputation of "a family of seven scholars, the prime minister's champion".
Yang Shen "early wisdom", smart and studious, childhood by his mother Mrs. Huang taught to read, and then with Fujian Township Jinshi Wei Jun Xi Ju Ziye, his occasional "Yellow Leaves" poem, more than fifty years of cabinet assistant minister Li Dongyang read after saying "this is not an ordinary son can do", not only to the 13-year-old Yang Shen to "little friend" commensurate, but also to the door of the door, personal guidance. In the second year of Ming Zhengde (1507), Yang Shen returned to his hometown Chengdu to participate in the township examination and was promoted to the top of "Yi". In the spring of the following year, Yang Shen went to Beijing to participate in the examination, and his answer sheet had been favored by the examiners Wang Wei and Liang Chu, and was placed as the first choice, but this answer sheet was burned due to "lost candles", and Yang Shen was "left behind". Three years later, Yang Shen went to the exam again, the second in the Ministry of Rites and the first in the palace examination.
In March of the sixteenth year of Ming Zhengde (1521), Zhu Houzhao of Ming Wuzong died. Wuzong had no heirs, and under the auspices of Yang Tinghe, Zhu Houxi, the son of King Xingxian, was able to inherit the unification. This is Ming Shizong, that is, Emperor Jiajing. Soon after Sejong ascended the throne as a foreign vassal and ascended the throne, he had a dispute with some courtiers over the honorific titles of his biological parents, which triggered the "Great Rites Discussion" incident in the early years of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty.
Sejong was originally the nephew of Ming Xiaozong and a cousin of Ming Wuzong, and Yang Tinghe and others supported Zhu Houxi with the meaning of "brother to brother", and advocated that Sejong should take his uncle Xiaozong as the emperor's examination, and his biological father Xingxian Wang as the emperor's uncle; Sejong and his courtiers Zhang Xuan and Gui Cao believed that Xiaozong should be respected as the emperor's examination and the king should be presented as the emperor's examination. The two sides disputed, and in July of the third year of Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1524), Sejong changed the honorific title of his biological mother, the Empress Dowager Zhangsheng, and the courtiers thought that Sejong would "change filial piety to Bokao", so they opposed it. On the 15th, more than 200 ministers wept outside the Zuoshun Gate on the east side of the Forbidden City, from morning to noon. Sejong ordered the celebrant to retire the courtiers, but the courtiers still fell to the ground, and Yang Shen and others shook the door and cried, "sonic shock", trying to force the emperor to submit. In his rage, Sejong sent Jinyi to arrest 8 people and put them in prison. Among the petitioning officials, those above the fourth rank were fined and deprived of their salaries, more than 180 people below the fifth rank were given court rods, and 17 people were killed by the cane.
Ming historians have said that the contestant of the Great Rites Discussion is "just the end of the ritual text", but behind it is "the content of the struggle for power between the first assistant and the emperor". As the eldest son of Yang Tinghe, Yang Shen was a key member of the opposition to Sejong's ceremony, and he was also a central figure in organizing and participating in the Zuo Shunmen petition. In this power game, Yang Shen paid a terrible price for his political ideas, and from the time he was expelled from Beijing until his death, he was never able to return to the political center to fulfill his ambitions. Because of the ceremony, Sejong hated Yang's father and son "very much", so that Yang Shen served his sentence on the border, and was amnesty many times but was not pardoned. From time to time, there was a regulation that "those who are sixty years old will be substituted for their nephews", and Yang Shen, who is over sixty years old, "repeatedly appeared in the military guards and in power", and no one dared to respond. Until the thirty-second year of Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1553), when Yang Shen was 66 years old, he returned to Shu by leading the military service and lived in Luzhou, which is located in southern Sichuan. However, in the winter of the 37th year of Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1558), Wang Yu, the governor of Yunnan, listened to the rumors and sent four commanders to arrest Yang Shen and return him to the garrison. After Yang returned to Yongchangwei, he died the following year at the age of 72.
Two
Bo Qiaguan was able to write a book for a while
"History of the Ming Dynasty: The Biography of Yang Shen" contains: "The Ming Dynasty recited the breadth, the wealth of the works, and prudence is the first. In all fairness, such an evaluation is not low, but to what extent can Yang Shen's "Bo" and "Rich" go respectively? If he does not explain, it may hinder future generations from understanding this great talent.
Jian Shaofang, a scholar who was a contemporary of Yang Shen, pointed out that Yang's "the breadth of the universe, the mysteries of the hundred schools of history, the subtleties of the barnyard officials' novels, the medical skills, the details of plants, trees, insects and fishes, are not knowledgeable, explain their reasoning, and understand their interests, but make them false." There are more than 400 kinds of writings in his life, and there are many scattered works, and scholars hate to see them all." When the Qing people revised the "History of the Ming Dynasty", they believed that Yang Shen "wrote more than 100 kinds of miscellaneous works in addition to poems and texts, and they were in the world". The late Mr. Wang Wencai, a contemporary scholar in Shuzhong, once counted Yang Shen's writings that had been circulated since the Ming and Qing dynasties, a total of 269 kinds. According to the classification of ancient classics in the mainland, there are 30 kinds of scriptures, 27 kinds of history, 52 kinds of sub-departments, and 108 kinds of collections. There are still 160 types of duplicates removed. In terms of content, these works involve literature, history, classics, and even natural sciences, and if further subdivided, they also cover phonology, literature and art, folklore, local history, gold and stone studies, drama and opera, as well as a large number of poems and musical operas. Therefore, Li Tiaoyuan, a Bashu all-rounder who is also a "Sichuan historical celebrity" with Yang Shen, commented that Yang was "the richest person to write books in ancient times", and Mr. Yuan Tingdong, a famous contemporary scholar of Bashu culture, called Yang Shen "the most distinctive encyclopedic university scholar in the history of mainland culture". Yang Shen's "Bo" and "rich" are indeed well-deserved.
Some of the evaluators in later generations also made different voices. The Siku Pavilion Minister, represented by Ji Yun, criticized Yang Shen for "choosing a name too quickly, and it was a little rolled, that is, to pay for jujube pears". The implication is that Yang's scholarship is not "refined" enough. Therefore, although Yang Shen is "rich in fishing and hunting, and his roots are deep", he can be called a leader in the Ming Dynasty, but compared with the ancients, he can only be compared with Zheng Qiao, who repaired the "Tongzhi", and Luo Mi, who wrote the "History of the Road". With Yang's Boqia, if he can "study and think, cover hundreds of generations, and make every effort to make a book", his achievements should be in the middle of the Song Dynasty Wang Yinglin and Ma Duan.
Only in terms of Yang Shen's talent and the "slackness" in his writings, the criticism of the Siku Pavilion is justified. But we should take into account the historical context of Yang Shen's Yudian. Yang went to Yunnan because he was "convicted and sent to prison", that is, the offender was exiled to the border and guarded there. Before Yang Shen, although Yunnan was not an absolute "cultural desert", it was not comparable to Bashu and Jingshi after all. In particular, Yongchangwei, which Yang Shen guarded, was located in the western part of Yunnan, and it was even more difficult to obtain various academic resources. Therefore, after Yang Shen went to Yunnan, although he adhered to the attitude of "having a lot of time to spend in the wilderness, and reading everything from books", the reality of "no books to check" still greatly limited Yang Shen. Under the condition of "relying only on memory", "neglect" is inevitable.
It should be noted that most of Yang Shen's writings were completed during the expedition to Yunnan. Under such a social environment and academic conditions, Yang Shen is still diligent in writing and leaving a valuable academic legacy for future generations, because he has a strong sense of preserving history and making a statement. In the third year of Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1524), Yang Shen was expelled from Beijing and arrived in Yunnan in the first month of the following year. On the road to degradation, enduring the staff wound that has not yet healed, Yang has begun to pay attention to the road situation from the mainland into Yunnan. After arriving in Yunnan, Yang Shen immediately began to compile the "Records of the Journey of Yunnan". The book has many records of the pavilions along the way from Gangneung to Yongchang, the topography and the Yang's observations.
In addition to the "Records of Yunnan Journey" about transportation, Yang Shen also compiled many works related to the history and scenery of Yunnan based on his own experience and experience after arriving in Yunnan, such as "Records of Yunnan Wait", "Records of Yunnan Production", "Records of Yunnan Records", "History of Southern Zhaoye", "Chronicles of Mountains and Rivers of Yunnan", "Words of the Moon Festival of Southern Yunnan", "Collection of Central Yunnan", etc., and was hired to participate in the compilation of "Yunnan Tongzhi" by Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty. These works have strong historical significance and academic value, and they have made up for the situation of "the classics of the officials and the compendium of the opposition" after the Ming army conquered Yunnan in the early Ming Dynasty, and thus made up for the great loss of the Chinese books in Yunnan to a certain extent. For example, Yang Shen's "History of Nanzhaoye", although there were works on the local history of Yunnan before it, it was recorded that "many interpretations of the old and unruly, and disorderly", after Yang Shen conquered Yunnan, although he read his books, but "the six edicts were unaware of it". Later, Yang re-examined the historical events according to the "Ancient Dian Collection" collected by the Duke Mu of Qianguo and the "History of Nanzhaoye" by Ni Lu of the Dian people, and compiled the "History of Nanzhaoye". Looking at this book, "the six edicts are known from beginning to end". These works have become an important way for future generations to understand the secession regime in ancient Yunnan, the social conditions in Yunnan, and the customs and customs of ethnic minorities.
In addition, these local historical records written or participated in the compilation by Yang Shen, especially the local chronicles, also have the functions of information and education to a large extent. As Yang Shen said, his own compilation of local historical records "is to promote the prosperity of the country and unify the country, and to prepare for the details of the beginning and end of Yunnan." In Yunnan, where ethnic minorities live in high concentrations, stories or legends passed down orally among ethnic minorities are recorded in the form of Chinese characters. In this process, the "border lands" were included in the historical narrative of the Central Plains Dynasty, the mainstream Confucian values, etiquette and customs were also presented in written form in the border areas, and the traditional Chinese culture with Confucian culture as the core was gradually accepted and practiced by the border areas.
It can be said that Yang Shen's entry into Yunnan has effectively spread the advanced culture of the Central Plains in the border areas, and further deepened the understanding and identification of the ethnic minorities in the border areas with Chinese culture. With Yang Shen as the mediator, the exchanges and integration between ethnic minorities and the Han nationality have also been strengthened.
Three
Do not continue to compose Chinese history for the heaven and earth beetle
After Yang Shen conquered Yunnan, he was unwilling to be a "beetle of heaven and earth", insisted on studying and studying in the predicament, and at the same time paid great attention to exchanges with the gentry and students in Yunnan. After arriving in Yongchangwei, Yang Shen was able to live in Anning Prefecture with the help of Guo Nan, the governor of Yunnan, and Guo repaired the academy for him to teach. After that, Mu Shaoxun, the Duke of Qianguo, Wang Wensheng, the governor of Yunnan, and Gu Yingxiang, all provided a residence for the Yang family and treated them well. The deliberate "favorability" of local officials made it convenient for Yang Shen to get acquainted with the gentry and cultivate talents in Yunnan.
During the more than 30 years that Yang Shen lived in Yunnan, he traveled with local scholars and students everywhere he went. In the ninth year of Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1530), Yang went to Dali, "the people of Yuzhi, without knowing and not knowing, salty wine from Mr. Tour." ...... For a while, the questioner shoulders the foothills". In the thirteenth year of Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1534), he went to Ami and Jianshui, and came to ask the scholars to gather together, "teaching students and apprentices, many causes, so the style of writing is in the counties." After Yang Shen's death, You Jujing, the governor of Yunnan, said in an epitaph written for him: "The things of Yunnan are counted in thousands of miles, and the people who are employed by the door are thousands of people. It can be seen that during Yang Shen's stay in Yunnan, he had extensive exchanges and interactions with local gentry, scholars, and students in Yunnan.
Among them, Yang Shen and Mu Gong, as well as the "Seven Sons of Yangmen" as the core of the scholar group are the most noteworthy. Mu Gong, the word Shuqing, is the Naxi Tusi of Lijiang, Yunnan. After Yang Shen conquered Yunnan, he had a lot of contacts with Mu Gong, and Mu often sent his poetry collection to Yang Shen to ask him for advice. Yang Shen not only wrote the preface to his poetry collection "Wan Song Yin" and the "Mu Eunuch Spectrum" edited by him, but also personally selected Mu's poems, compiled them into "Selected Poems of the Snow Mountain", and commented on them, so that the poems of the border Tusi gradually became known to the people of the Central Plains.
"The Seven Sons of Yangmen" is the collective name of Zhang Han, Yang Shiyun, Wang Tingbiao, Hu Tinglu, Li Yuanyang, Tang Qi and Wu Mao. Yang Shen had a close relationship with them, and was also a teacher and friend. In addition to the seven sons, there are Qiu Wenju, a scholar from Anning Prefecture who has followed Yang Shen for more than 30 years, Liang Zuo, a scholar from Dali in the twenty-sixth year of Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty (1547), Dong Nan, who is a Tusi of the Bai nationality, and more unknown protégés, such as the "old protégés" mentioned in Yang Shen's poem "Eight Old Protégés", and the 32 Bai protégés mentioned in Li Yuanyang's "Preface to the Poetry of Sending Sheng'an to Return to the Hakkayu of Mantis".
Among these protégés, there are both Han and ethnic minorities. Under the guidance of Yang Shen, they took Confucian culture as the guide, and used preaching, teaching, and poetry and literature exchanges as the way to jointly promote the development and prosperity of culture and education in the border areas. It can be said that the protégés of the Yang family, with the "Seven Sons of Yangmen" as the core, are themselves a "community" formed in the process of exchanges between the Han nationality and ethnic minorities, and the exchanges and blending of Central Plains culture and frontier culture.
Later generations commented that during Yang Shen's stay in Yunnan, he "advocated elegance and made the habit of hazel and wuwu in southern Yunnan turn into the style of Zou Lu and Zhusi, and so far the Yunnan people worship him and respect him as the first teacher." Therefore, as a frontier region, Yunnan was able to complete the integration with Chinese culture in the Ming Dynasty and integrate into the big family of the Chinese nation at the cultural and spiritual level, and Yang Shen played an important role in this historical process. For more than 30 years, while writing and studying, the Yang clan promoted the exchange and integration of the border ethnic groups in Yunnan and the Han nationality, and promoted the development of Yunnan culture. This is not only of special significance to the literary history, cultural history and ethnic history of Yunnan in the Ming Dynasty, but also has important implications for the writing of the history of the development of the Chinese nation.
In the early years of the Republic of China, Lu Wanzhong, a student from Yunnan, went to the former residence of the Yang family in Gaoyao Village, and heard the story of Yang Shen telling history for the village children. Looking at Yang's life history: he became famous at a young age, and was the eldest son of the first assistant, and when his ambition was about to be unfolded, he was exiled to the border because of the great gift and served more than 30 years in prison until his death. The Qing Dynasty poet Zhao Yi said, "The country is unfortunate and the poet is lucky". It may be said here that Yang Shen's great misfortune is the luck of the children of Gaoyao Village, the luck of the culture of Yunnan Province, and the luck of the Chinese nation.
Special Tips
Please indicate: "Source: Fang Zhi Sichuan"
Source: Sichuan Provincial Office of Local Chronicles
Text/Photo: Zhu Xiaozhou (Associate Professor, School of Chinese Traditional Culture, Sichuan Normal University, Director of the Center for the Study of Modern and Contemporary China)