再論晉獻公

A Second Thought on Duke Shien of Jin

本篇再度討論太子申生與晉獻公究竟是父子還是兄弟、晉武公死因與獻公有無關聯、桓莊之族何以偪迫獻公、太子申生的立場與動向等問題進行討論。以為晉獻公實無殺太子之心，太子自縊，為以死報復其父欲廢其太子之位，適見其無共志。至於所謂「驪姬之亂」者，欲加之罪，其無辭乎。

This article means to solicit second thoughts on Duke Shien of Jin's (晉獻公) merits and demerits in Jin's hegemony. Such a symposium will definitelytrigger off heated debates hovering over the duke's reputation as aninnovator. They run the gamut in the court politics－from Duke Shien'senigmatic relationship with Prince Shen-shen (太子申生), a war tugged betweena fraternal bond and a vertical pedigree as their titles suggest, to the conspiracy leading directly to Duke Wu's (晉武公) premature death, and thento Duke Shien's own subdued wrath under the clan pressure from Huan andJuang (桓莊). Court politics also help us profile and reconstruct a PrinceShen-sheng whose strategies to survive these struggles were found to noavail. Deprived of power and a prospect, he was driven to desperation byhanging himself as a protest against his duke-father's decision to disinherit him. A princedom in name never grows into a scepter in hand. Shen-sheng's heirship was a thorn in the duke's side, a permanent tickle that sometimes threatened to gore deeper. Such a lurking menace allude to usurpation or a coup d'etat. Concubine Li-ji's Revolt (驪姬之亂) was no better than a false accusation inflicted upon the underdog in the power struggle, even though the duke withdrew his offensive remarks and disclaimed an intention to execute his own heir.