從元代到明初鄉、會試二場考試內容辨析——「詔誥章表內科一道」之斷句及解讀

Analyzing Provincial and Metropolitan Exams from The Yuan to the Early Ming–The Punctuation and Interpretation of Zhao Gao

本文辨析元代到明初鄉、會試第二場考試內容，尤集焦於「詔誥章表內科一道」之斷句及意涵探討。元代皇慶2年初開科舉和至元6年復科舉所頒制度，二場考試內容略異，前者古賦僅為諸體的選項之一，後者古賦為必考。今人對「詔誥章表內科一道」之斷句及解讀有歧異，本文考證詔、誥文體不同，而章體唐後已亡，「章表」實單指表文，標點應作「詔、誥、章表內科一道」。明承元制，洪武初年二場公文考試，文獻記載有「詔誥章表」、「詔誥表箋」、「詔誥表」之出入。經探索考察，此「章表」、「表箋」亦單指表文。本文辨析文獻對元代、明初二場考試記載的紛亂，證明公文考試乃詔、誥、表各出一題，從中擇一作答。研究所得，有助於確認元、明鄉、會試科舉考試內容，增進對舉業文體的認識，澄清文獻記載之得失，亦可作為辨析其他朝代公文考試之憑藉。

This study seeks to analyze the content of Yuan and Ming era civil service examinations at the provincial and metropolitan levels, focusing specifically on the second sitting of such exams (a single exam having multiple phases or sittings held at different times over the course of an exam year). In particular, this essay will focus on the meaning of the following sentence to be found in such exams- 詔誥章表內科一道- and will provide a suggested means of punctuating it. The content of the exam established in 1313 by the Yuan emperor Huangqing was slightly different from the one presented in 1269 by the emperor Zhiyuan, who resumed the civil service exams. In the former, poetic exposition was optional, while in the latter it was necessary. Contemporary scholars hold differing views regarding how to understand the meaning of the terms zhao (詔edicts), gao (誥imperial mandates), and zhang biao (章表 acknowledgements). This study shows that the textual forms of zhao and gao were indeed different, and that the zhang biao form ceased being used after the Tang. Zhang biao meant simply a document. Hence the sentence should be punctuated as: 詔、誥、 章表內科一道 (zhao, gao, and zhangbiao, selecting one to finish the test). The Ming inherited the examinations forms of the Yuan, and as such in the civil service examinations of the Hongwu reign, the terms zhao gao zhang biao (詔誥章表), zhao gao biao jian (詔誥表箋), and zhao gao biao (詔誥表) were all used. This study argues that the terms zhang biao (章表) and biao jian (表箋) denote simply a document. This study thus clarifies the textual imprecision that has characterized documents relating to the examinations during the Yuan and the Ming, verifying that the documents indicate candidates had to select one question from the categories of zhao (edicts), gao (imperial mandates), and biao (acknowledgements) to finish the test. This study thus increases our understanding of the terms and textual formats used in these documents (as well as how they changed over time). As such, the article establishes a reliable foundation for conducting close textual analysis of the examination documents of other dynasties.