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Chapter Four 632 Chapter Four 經學極盛時代 The Golden Age of Classical Scholarship [4/1 SVA Introductory Comments: In this, the opening section of the chapter, Pi Xirui explains why this period became the "Golden Age" of Classical scholarship. For him, this period begins with the recognition on the part of the imperial court of the value and the importance of the learning a person acquires from the serious study of the Classics. This, in the form of the appointment of Gongsun Hong by Emperor Wu, drew the attention of scholars and was certainly a motivating factor. Subsequent reigns saw the increase in the number of men versed in the Classics appointed to high positions. In addition, there was state support for the study of the Classics in the form of an increase in the number of government supported students at the Imperial Academy. Furthermore, there were positions in the bureaucracy that required the holder to be versed in Classical Learning. In the case that one did not hold an official position, there were opportunities to teach at the numerous schools which were located throughout the empire.] 633 4/11 The period beginning with the reigns of Emperor Yuan 元 (reg. 48-33 B.C.) and Emperor Cheng 成2 (reg. 32-6 B.C.) of the Former Han dynasty to the Later Han dynasty was the highpoint of Classical Scholarship. The reason it flourished to the highest degree was that during the early part of the Han, Ruists were not employed in official capacities,3 but when Emperor 1[SVA: Section 4/1 corresponds to pp.101-3 of the Zhonghua ed. and to pp.98-101 of the Yiwen ed.] 2(4/1, n.1) Zhou Yutong comments: Yuan 元 and Cheng 成 refer to Emperor Yuan 元帝 and Emperor Cheng 成帝 of the Former Han dynasty. Emperor Yuan was on the throne for sixteen years, from 48 to 33 B.C. and Emperor Cheng was on the throne for twenty-six years, from 32 to 7 B.C. 3(4/1, n.2) Zhou Yutong comments: The "Rulin zhuan" chapter of the Shi ji states, "The Han arose...but there were still battles being fought in the process of bringing peace and stability to the realm bounded by the four seas. It was also the case that there was little time to devote to matters of establishing schools. During the reign of Emperor Hui (reg. 194-188 B.C.) and the Empress Lü period (187-180 B.C.) the high ranking officials were all ministers who had attained their positions by virtue of their military achievements... Emperor Wen (reg. 179-157 B.C.) originally was fond of the discourses of the Xingming legalists. During his reign, Emperor Jing (reg. 156-141 B.C.) did not employ Ruists, while Empress Dou was enamored with the theories and explanations of the Huang-Lao school. Thus, there were Erudites who filled the positions and [on occasion] were asked for advice, but there were never any who advanced beyond this." (See: Shi ji 121.3117; Watson, Records, II, p.398). Based on this account then, from the 634 Wu first appointed Gongsun Hong 公孫弘 to the position of Counselor-in-Chief4 and enfeoffed him as a marquis, throughout the Empire learned scholars to a man followed the prevailing winds.5 Emperor Yuan especially favored Ruists,6 with Wei Xian 韋賢 and his son Wei Xuancheng time the Han arose through the reign of Emperor Jing, there were no Ruists employed. 4[SVA: Counselor-in-chief = chengxiang 丞相--Hucker 483.] 5(4/1, n.3) Zhou Yutong comments: The "Rulin zhuan" chapter of the Shi ji states, "After the present emperor (Emperor Wu) ascended the throne...Gongsun Hong, because of his command of the Spring and Autumn Annals, went from commoner status to become one of the Emperor's three highest ranking officials (san gong 三公--Hucker 4871), and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Pingjin 平津侯. Scholars throughout the empire came in great numbers as if blown by the wind." (See: Shi ji 121.3118; Watson, Records, II, pp.398-9). Gongsun Hong was a native of Xue 薛 who lived during the Han and had a solid command of the Spring and Autumn Annals. During the Yuanshuo 元朔 period (128-123 B.C.), he held the position of Counselor-in-Chief and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Pingjin. For his biography, see Han shu 58.2613-24. In the Chinese xiang 鄉 is a loan character for xiang 向. 6(4/1, n.4) Zhou Yutong comments: The "Rulin zhuan" of the Han shu states, "Emperor Yuan was partial towards Ruists. Those thoroughly versed in a single Classic were all exempt from taxes and conscript service." (See: Han shu 88.3596) 635 韋玄成, Kuang Heng 匡衡, Gong Yu 貢禹, and Xue Guangde 薛廣德7 all serving as ministers of state. From this time on, with respect to the highest ministerial ranks, no one advanced who did not follow the methods 7(4/1, n.5) Zhou Yutong comments: [In the original] the Weis 韋 refer to Wei Xian 韋賢 and his son Wei Xuancheng 韋玄成. Wei Xian (zi Zhangru 長孺) was a native of Zou 鄒 who lived during the Former Han dynasty and had a strong command of the Lu Version of the Songs 魯詩. He passed on this knowledge to his son Wei Xuancheng 韋玄成 (zi Shaoweng 少翁). Both father and son, owing to their skill in Confucian learning, attained the position of Counselor-in-Chief (chengxiang 丞相--Hucker 483). For the biography of Wei Xian, see Shi ji 96.2686 and Han shu 73.3101-7. For the biography of his son, Wei Xuancheng, see Shi ji 96.2688 and Han shu 73.3108-15). Kuang 匡 refers to Kuang Heng 匡衡. See 1/4, n.6. He had a strong command of the Qi Version of the Songs 齊詩 and attained the position of Counselor-in-chief. Gong 貢 refers to Gong Yu 貢禹 (zi Shaoweng 少翁) who lived during the Former Han and was a native of Langye 琅邪, had expertise in the Qi Version of the Lunyu 齊論, and served in the position of Censor-in-Chief (yushi daifu 御史大夫--Hucker 8181). For his biography, see Han shu 72.3069-80. Xue 薛 refers to Xue Guangde 薛廣德 (zi Zhangqing 長卿) who lived during the Former Han and was a native of Pei commandery 沛郡. He had a thorough command of the Lu Version of the Songs and held the position of 636 [acquired from the study] of the Classics. There was a saying that attaining the blue and purple robes of officialdom was as easy as picking up a mustard seed,8 and carriages and fine robes were the glorious rewards for investigating antiquity.9 A basket full of gold did not measure up to Censor-in-Chief. For his biography, see Han shu 71.3046-48. 8(4/1, n.6) Zhou Yutong comments: The biography of Xiahou Sheng 夏侯勝 in the Han shu states, "Every time Xiahou Sheng instructed his students, he would invariably tell them, 'A scholar-official is deficient if he does not clearly understand the Classics. If classical learning is clearly understood, then attaining the blue and purple will be [as easy as] bending over and picking up a mustard seed off the ground. If one is not clear in his study of the Classics, then it's better to go back to plowing.'" Yan Shigu offers the following explanation on this passage in his notes, "Dijie 地芥 refers to the seed of a plant lying across the ground. 'To bend over and pick it up' speaks to the ease of this action and the certainty of obtaining it." (See: Han shu 75.3159 and note 1 to this passage.) Wang Xianqian notes in his Hanshu buzhu, "During the Han, those who held the rank of Counselor-in-Chief and Defender-in-Chief (dawei, taiwei 大尉--Hucker 6260) carried seals made of gold and a purple sash. Those of the rank of Censor-in-Chief (yushi daifu--Hucker 8181) carried seals made of silver and a blue sash. These three offices were the most highly venerated." (See: Han shu buzhu 75.5a) 9(4/1, n.7) Zhou Yutong comments: In the "Gao yao mo" chapter of the Documents there is the phrase, "Carriages and garments are bestowed upon them due to their efforts." (See: Karlgren, Book of Documents, p. 11.) The forged Kong commentary states, "To officially bestow carriages and 637 teaching one's son a single Classic.10 The continuous prominence of successive generations effected the admiration of an entire age. During the Later Han, [successive generations] of the Huan family in turn acted as imperial tutors11 and [successive] generations of the Yang family served at garments shows they are able to employ them." (See: Shangshu zhengyi, Ssjzs, 5.10b). The biography of Huan Rong 桓榮傳 in the Hou Han shu states, "[The emperor] appointed Huan Rong to the position of Junior Mentor (shaofu 少傅--Hucker 5096), and bestowed upon him a canopied carriage and a team of fine horses. Huan Rong convened a meeting of his students, showing off his carriage, horses, seal, and sash to them and said, 'That which I received today is the result of efforts made investigating antiquity." (See: Hou Han shu 37.1251) 10(4/1, n.8) Zhou Yutong comments: In the "Biography of Wei Xian" 韋賢傳 in the Han shu, it states, "To pass on a basket full of gold to one's son is not as good as passing on [the command of] a single Classic." In the note to this passage, Ru Chun 如淳 comments, "A 'ying' 籯 is a bamboo container which holds three or four dou 斗 (pecks)." (See: Han shu 73.3107 and n.1).
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