英廟「盛德」：明天順朝君臣對「建文問題」之態度

The Great Grace: the Ming Emperor Tianshun and His Administration’s Attitude toward “Issues of Jianwen”

明建文四年燕王朱棣藉「靖難」奪位並登基為明太宗後，其大規模政治整肅和革除措施使「建文問題」成為明代的政治禁忌，建文君臣的歷史地位遭到抹殺，並被官方大加汙衊。太宗去世後，繼任帝王對建文諸臣及其遺屬的態度漸寬，而有所赦免、弛禁，然而永樂之統在正統年間獲得正式確立，使弛禁對象僅止於建文諸臣遺屬。但天順年間情況出現轉變，閣臣李賢對建文君臣的正面記錄與評價，獲得後世普遍認同，並成為此類論述的先驅。藉奪門之變復辟的英宗，復位後即開始包裝自身形象並詆毀其弟景泰帝；釋出建庶人與已故吳庶人眷屬的措施，成為其妝點形象的絕佳途徑。英宗無意恢復建文帝的歷史地位，甚至盡可能避免相關措施與建文帝扯上關係，以免已正式確立的永樂正統遭受動搖，故其寬赦僅止於建庶人、吳庶人，而未上及建文帝。然而，當此政治演出被其閣臣與後世美化並高度稱頌後，卻使民間開始期待對建文帝本人的政治弛禁，成為進一步恢復建文君臣正向評價和歷史地位的契機，對後世看待建文朝與建文君臣的態度，及相關歷史私修活動的開展，都有所激勵和影響。因此，天順朝在建文君臣地位恢復與歷史重建的過程中，確實是個承先啟後的時期。 This article explores some of the reasons why the Emperor Jianwen’s living relatives were released during the Tianshun period. This so-called “Great Grace” significantly influenced the development of the unofficial effort to rewrite the history of the Jianwen reign. The Emperor Tianshun had known about his duty of defending the legitimacy of the Emperor Yongle, and by extension, his own legitimacy, since the Zhengtong period. Therefore, the Emperor Tianshun dealt with the matters of the Emperor Jianwen carefully during his reign. This article demonstrates that the release of the Emperor Jianwen’s family members was simply a means to glorify the Emperor Tianshun after the palace coup that led to his restoration. Unexpectedly, this “Great Grace” had the effect of encouraging courtiers and commoners alike to believe in the imminent reinstatement of the Emperor Jianwen’s policies. Such expectations inspired the effort to rewrite the history of the Jianwen reign period and established the Tianshun period as a turning point in this historical re-appraisal of the Jianwen period.

This article explores some of the reasons why the Emperor Jianwen’s living relatives were released during the Tianshun period. This so-called “Great Grace” significantly influenced the development of the unofficial effort to rewrite the history of the Jianwen reign. The Emperor Tianshun had known about his duty of defending the legitimacy of the Emperor Yongle, and by extension, his own legitimacy, since the Zhengtong period. Therefore, the Emperor Tianshun dealt with the matters of the Emperor Jianwen carefully during his reign. This article demonstrates that the release of the Emperor Jianwen’s family members was simply a means to glorify the Emperor Tianshun after the palace coup that led to his restoration. Unexpectedly, this “Great Grace” had the effect of encouraging courtiers and commoners alike to believe in the imminent reinstatement of the Emperor Jianwen’s policies. Such expectations inspired the effort to rewrite the history of the Jianwen reign period and established the Tianshun period as a turning point in this historical re-appraisal of the Jianwen period.