明代武宦功臣劉永誠事蹟研究

A Study on the Deeds of Liu Yung-ch’eng, a Military Eunuch and Meritorious Official of the Ming Dynasty

自1990年代以來，明史學者陳學霖及梁紹傑等人開始注意到明代不同時期較不知名的宦官，例如黃儼、海壽和王彥。前人對於這些宦官的研究固然能為學術界對明代宦官的認識帶來新知。然而，仍有少量不知名的明代宦官還未被學者所關注，本文的研究對象劉永誠便是其中一例。考劉永誠自永樂朝崛起，迄成化朝善終，侍奉六位帝主，前後凡七十年，其對明室軍事、政治兩方面的貢獻，對其身處時代及後世的影響，可想而知是多麼重要。就此，本文的研究核心在於對劉永誠在永樂朝三扈明太宗北征，到其在成化朝的晚年生涯作詳細考察。並同時就明代各種文獻記載劉永誠生卒年份、入侍大內年份的不同之處作一深入考究，以及探討劉永誠生前建立的功勳，對其自身以及當世、後世人士所帶來的影響。

Since the 1990s, specialists in Ming history such as Chan Hok Lam and Leung Siu Kit have focused on lesser-known eunuchs from various periods of the Ming dynasty, such as Huang Yan, Hai Shou, and Wang Yan. Research by previous scholars on these eunuchs undoubtedly contributes new perspectives to the academic understanding of eunuchs during the Ming dynasty. However, there are still a few lesser-known eunuchs from the Ming dynasty that have not yet attracted scholarly attention. Liu Yung-ch’eng, the subject of this study, is one of the examples. Liu Yungch’eng rose to prominence during the Yongle reign and concluded his career successfully by the Chenghua reign, serving six emperors over a span of seventy years. It is evident how significant his contributions were to both the military and political realms of the Ming dynasty, as well as the impact he had during his time and on the later periods. The central focus of this article is a thorough investigation of Liu Yung-ch’eng’s accomplishments, from his three campaigns in the north with the Emperor Chengzu against the Mongols during the Yongle reign, until his later life during the Chenghua reign. Additionally, this article conducts an in-depth investigation into the differing accounts in Ming historical records concerning Liu Yung-ch’eng’s birth and death years and the year he began serving in the imperial palace. It also explores his achievements and their influence on both his time and later periods.