威權、速度與軍政績效－－宋代金字牌遞新探

Authority, Speed and Their Effects on Military and Government Affairs: A New Study of Golden Tablet Deliveries in the Song Dynasty

金字牌遞產生於熙豐時期變法圖強，開邊擴土之大背景下。表面上看，其直接原因是討交趾與伐西夏之軍事需要，而實際上卻是在變法圖強之政治理想下，皇權與相權的合分與競逐。金字牌遞由入內內侍省發下，而不經進奏院，所傳「御前文字」，除御筆手詔和御劄之外，還包括部分尚書省劄子、樞密院劄子和三省樞密院劄子，反映出皇帝對三省（主要是尚書省）、樞密院下發文書之直接掌控與干預，從而獨裁軍國大事之政治傾向，此狀況到南宋更為突出。金字牌遞是憑藉最高威權保障傳遞速度，以實現中央權力在地方及軍事行動中最有效施行之文書傳遞等級，在溝通中央與地方及軍事前線之間信息聯絡方面，發揮出不可替代之作用。但在許多情況下，卻亦不能實現其威權保障、制度要求之目的，甚至變化無常，出現戲劇性之效果。朝廷與岳飛軍前之詔奏往來，及岳飛日奉「十二道金牌」之故事，生動地說明了這一事實。

Golden tablet deliveries began during the Xining 熙寧 and Yuanfeng 元豐 periods in the Northern Song, a time of reform and expansion. They appear to be a direct response to military needs generated by attacks on Jiaozhi交趾 and Dangxiang 党項; in reality, however, they were a result of collaboration and competition between the imperial and prime ministerial power bases in the light of these reformist and expansionist political ideals. The tablets were issued from the palace eunuch’s office and not through the Memorials Office. Apart from imperial edicts and documents written by the emperor himself, these imperial communications included some of the official documents sent by various government departments. This reflected a political trend towards direct intervention and control by the emperor over the issue of official correspondence, in particular those relating to the council of state affairs. This allowed him to dictate state administrative and military affairs, a situation that by the Southern Song had become even more prevalent. Carrying the highest authority, golden tablet deliveries were guaranteed to be swift, and became the most effective means for central government to deliver communications both locally and in military operations. They were irreplaceable in their role in communications between the imperial court and regions and the military frontier. However, in many situations they were still unable to achieve guaranteed authority and meet the needs of the system, to the point where there was great variability, resulting in dramatic effects. This fact is vividly illustrated by the story of twelve tablets in one day being sent between the imperial court and Yue Fei’s 岳飛 command post.