In ancient China, spring and autumn were the seasons when princes hired royalty. In addition, Spring and Autumn also represented the four seasons in ancient times. History books record all the major events that occur throughout the year, so "Spring and Autumn Period" is a general term for history books. The official name of Lu's history book is Chunqiu. Traditionally, Chunqiu is regarded as the work of Confucius, while some people think it is the collective work of Lu historians. The Spring and Autumn Annals was originally lost after the Qin Dynasty, but the current version is made up of three biographies: Zuo Zhuan, Gong Yang Zhuan and Gu Liang Zhuan.
Chunqiu is the proper name of Lu's history books. There are proper names in the history books of various countries, such as the history books of Jin called Cheng and Chu called Lang Lang (see Mencius,). Lu's history book is called "Spring and Autumn Annals", so "Zuo Gong Er Nian" talks about sending Han to Lu to see Yi, Xiang and Lu Chunqiu. However, what Han Qi saw in Lu Chunqiu must have started from the narrative of the Duke of Zhou, before he could say, "I know the virtue of the Duke of Zhou and the reason why Zhou is king." The existing Spring and Autumn Annals only started from Lu Yingong. The original historical record of Lu's father's seclusion and helping the world has been completely lost. Chu Yu merchants also said, "To teach the Spring and Autumn Annals is to teach the monarch with historical books. Mozi Ming Gui Pian includes Zhou Chunqiu, Yan Chunqiu, Song Chunqiu and Qi Chunqiu, which shows that all the historical books of Zhou, Yan, Song and Qi have been read by Mozi. At the latest, from the Western Zhou Dynasty, Taishi Zhi recorded state affairs. At the beginning of each season, we usually write about the season from "spring" to "autumn". However, the ancients attached great importance to the Spring and Autumn Period, so they called the national history record Chunqiu, which may be the reason why Chunqiu was named as a history book. The existing Spring and Autumn Annals, which lasted for 12 generations of monarchs, counted for 244 years (according to Biography of Ram and Biography of Gu Liang, it was 242 years from the 14th year of mourning for the public, and Zuozhuan was two years longer), and it was basically the original of Lu's history books.
According to legend, The Spring and Autumn Annals was written by Confucius. In the old society, there was a saying that "Wang Wen was arrested and played Zhouyi and Zhongnie as Spring and Autumn Annals". However, later generations also have different views. Yuan Gufang, a A Qing, said in On Calligraphy in the Spring and Autumn Period that Lu was also the author of Spring and Autumn Period. Lu's books were recorded and hidden by Confucius, spreading information to later generations. Shi Yuyu's "Du Xuelu's First Draft on the Spring and Autumn Period" also said: "Spring and Autumn Period" is an old article of Lu Shi. Spring and Autumn Annals has a history of 240 years, and there must be dozens of people writing. Can these dozens of people, whose families are teachers and whose people are learners, achieve the same calligraphy? Although the author of Chunqiu is controversial, there is little difference after being revised by Confucius.
In fact, Spring and Autumn Annals, as a national history book of Lu, has long gone beyond the scope of history books, and its wording has become a unique style of writing, known as the Spring and Autumn brushwork, and has been regarded as a classic by literary historians of past dynasties. The Spring and Autumn Annals is an important event in all countries in the Spring and Autumn Period for more than 240 years, but the full text is only 16000 words. However, according to Cao Wei, Zhang Yan and the late Tang Dynasty, the Spring and Autumn Annals are all 18,000 words (Zhang said it was quoted from Historical Records, Preface to Taishi, Collection of Explanations, and Xu said it was quoted from Biography of the Ram and Twelve Years). Many important events were omitted.
Because "Spring and Autumn Annals" is a rich and colorful stroke. In order to make up for this vacancy, biographies mainly in the Spring and Autumn Period appeared later, that is, Biography of the Spring and Autumn Ram, Biography of the Spring and Autumn Guliang and Biography of the Spring and Autumn Zuoshi, which have been handed down to this day, and are called Three Biographies of the Spring and Autumn Period. The characters in Chunqiu Jing are basically the same in Zhuan, but there are some differences. Biographies are merged by year, and the first one is handed down. Although Chunqiu is not a historical work, it is a valuable historical work, so it is of great significance to study the history of pre-Qin, especially Confucianism and Confucius. Therefore, the use of Chunqiu from the perspective of historical materials is not only in line with the nature of Chunqiu, but also more valuable than treating it as a historical work of "scrapping newspapers". The works of pre-Qin philosophers belong to historical works, but they are all necessary historical materials for modern people to study ancient history. The historical facts and principles of Chunqiu are clear because of the "three biographies", which is its characteristics and advantages.
Regrettably, for a long time, most scholars have been surprisingly indifferent to the important historical value of Chunqiu. For several years, the study of Confucius' thought has been confined to one Analects. Some scholars have made such a survey: "Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, there have been no fewer than 800 articles on Confucius and his thoughts in newspapers and periodicals. Aside from the dregs of the so-called "criticizing Confucianism and criticizing the law" during the ten-year turmoil, about four or five hundred articles can be preserved as historical materials. The opinions in the middle, whether accurate or not, have different colors, but if most of the materials cited are not beyond the scope of the Analects, they may not be dismissed as nonsense. " In response to such a strange phenomenon, the commentator realized: "To say Confucius, the Analects of Confucius is the only credible material, and all the books are insufficient, which becomes a problem." To study Confucius and his thoughts beyond the Analects of Confucius, we should first use Chunqiu. I'm afraid this is what the commentator should mean in the title of the above paragraph.
In addition, Spring and Autumn Annals is a political work, and its political thoughts are reflected by the interpretation of modern writers. However, due to the misunderstanding of the nature of Chunqiu, modern scholars have never paid due attention to the academic value of modern texts. Gongyangxue and Bianliang studies even once became neglected fields in modern academic history. It is not inconceivable for today's scholars to study the history of pre-Qin without reading the biography of Gongyang, but it is regarded as a shocking move to study modern Confucian classics. Jiang Qing, a contemporary scholar, once criticized: "In the late Qing Dynasty, wonderful flowers reappeared, and Kang Cui was unique and full of fragrance. Do you think there is a fire in the room? Learn more and make waves. Therefore, arguing for death cannot be sacred; Governing the country by relying on it confuses classics with history. From then on, I learned to sweep the floor, and no one taught me. What's worse, I stepped on it in order to lose my righteousness. Although there are one or two sages here, such as Beiliu Jackie Chan, who want to turn the tide and believe in the truth, they are lonely in the wilderness and have no knowledge. It has been 60 years since Ram became a school. " Whether Jiang's idea of reviving Confucianism is appropriate or not, as an important part of the history of ancient political thought, Confucian classics should undoubtedly be brought into the researchers' field of vision. Mencius said: "Confucius became the Spring and Autumn Annals, and the rebels were afraid." Jiao Zi said: "Those who said the Spring and Autumn Annals did not precede Mencius."
Wang Anshi's Biography of Song History: "The book Spring and Autumn Annals should not be listed as a scholar, and the title of the play should be abolished." The genre of the Spring and Autumn Period is "Year, Time (Season), Month and Day-Notes".
Year: The year when the monarch Lu Gong was in power.
Time: season. The "spring, summer, autumn and winter" of the four seasons.
Month: "the first month, February, March ...".
Day: "Jia Zi, Yi Chou, Bing Yin ...".
Note: short sentence composition.
king
For example, the hidden year in AD (based on Zuo Zhuan).
Notes on seasons, months and days of the year
The first month of the first spring.
In March, the Duke made an alliance with the father of etiquette.
In the summer of May, Zheng Boke was in Yan (Zheng Bo defeated his brother Duan Shu in Duan).
In autumn and July, the heavenly king sent messengers to clean up his son Hui.
In September, Song Renmeng stayed at the hotel.
In the tenth winter, there is a sacrifice to Bo in February.
Yi Shi is dead (Yi Shi is dead).
In the spring of 2002, the guild was in danger.
In summer and May, people live in the direction.
The fearless commander entered the pole (the fearless army entered the pole)
In autumn and August, the Duke of Chen Geng and Rongmeng were in the Tang Dynasty.
In September, the corpse came to rebel against her daughter.
In October, it swept Yu Ji (Ji Bo married Yu Ji).
Ji Zi Bo Ju Meng Zi Mi Yu
In February, Mrs Mao Yi's son passed away.
Zheng people attacked Wei (Zheng people attacked Wei)
(Note: The explanations of Spring and Autumn Annals in the above articles are different in the three biographies, and brackets are only one of the references. The words used in the Spring and Autumn Period are very concise, and the records of events are very brief, with at least one word, such as "rain" in June of the third year of the year; Or two or three words, such as "no rain" in the summer of three years and "land payment" in the summer of eight years; Even Ding Gong's Four Years of Spring and March, with the largest number of words, has no more than 45 words. At first, the original text was only 18000 words. The Spring and Autumn Annals calculated by Zhang Yan and Cao Weishi in the Three Kingdoms period had 18000 words, and Yan Xu calculated 18000 words in the late Tang Dynasty. Lin Xue, written by Wang in the Southern Song Dynasty, is recorded in 16500 words, and the existing version is only 65400 words. So the ancients wrote some works for this book, explaining and explaining the records in the book. This is the so-called "biography". According to "History of Literature and Art in Hanshu", there were ***5 biographies in the Spring and Autumn Period:
Thirty volumes of Zuo Zhuan
Ram biography (volume 1 1)
Gu Liangchuan 1 1
Zou Chuan, Volume 1 1
Biography of Jia +0 1 volume
The latter two have disappeared. Biography of Ram and Biography of Gu Liang were written in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, using the official script prevailing at that time, which was called Jinwen. There are two kinds of Zuozhuan, one is written in ancient fonts before the pre-Qin period, called ancient prose; One was handed down by Xun Qing during the Warring States Period.
Biography of Ram and Biography of Gu Liang are quite different from Zuozhuan. Ram passed on Gu Liang's "Slight Words and Great Righteousness", hoping to clarify Confucius' original intention (the author thinks that "Spring and Autumn Annals" was written by Confucius), and some people think that some contents are far-fetched. Zuo Zhuan is based on historical facts, which supplements the events not recorded in Spring and Autumn Annals. Some records are different from Chunqiu. Some people think that the historical value of Zuo Zhuan is greater than that of Yang Gongzhuan and Gu Liangzhuan.