清初《桃花扇・餘韻》評點所拈「龍尾」的資鑑襟懷

The Political Commentator’s Mentality Expressed in the Peach Blossom Fan――Lingering Melody with the“Majestic Ending”

清聖祖康熙二十三年，聖裔孔尚任御前講經、擢授官職；三十八年定稿傳奇《桃花扇》，載誌鼎革史事。作者化身老贊禮於劇中口述，另有題名云亭山人於劇外評點，劇末「續」加〈餘韻〉，評點「文章卻是龍尾」，意蘊卒章顯志。由劇文擴及外緣資料，「龍尾」所指有三：一則〈餘韻〉劇文，歷敘三遺民三唱之話近事，二則〈餘韻〉最末總批，指涉桃源之避禍入山，三則與是劇攸關的友人跋文、作者自敘出仕始末之文，要皆警策以戒慎鍼砭、修己明德。顯然，《桃花扇》劇末拈出龍尾，儆惕興亡、諫誡君王，深富資鑑襟懷。經此爬梳，當對其人其劇之研究，提供另番不同的視野。

In the 23rd year of Kangxi’s reign (1684 A.D.) in Qing Dynasty, Kong Shangren was appointed the official post of an“imperial lecturer on classics.”In Kangxi 38th year (1699 A.D.), Kong finalized the manuscript of The Peach Blossom Fan, recording the history of the rise and fall of Ming and Qing Dynasties. The author is transformed into a narrator telling the story, while also giving a comment as an outsider in the alias name of Yun Ting Shan Ren (literally“Master of the Cloud Pavilion”). In the end of the play, a sequel“Lingering Melody”is added, noting that“the writing has a majestic ending,”which implies his ambition. From the play script as well as other peripheral information, three meanings are embedded in the“majestic ending:”(1) the main text of the“Lingering Melody”that includes three remnants’songs from the former dynasty discussing the current affairs; (2) the final summary at the end of the“Lingering Melody”that hints at fleeing into the mountain through the connotation of the“peach blossom land”(meaning a utopia); and (3) the postscripts by friends related to The Peach Blossom Fan and the author’s articles detailing his path to officialdom that caution the emperor to be prudent and vigilant and to cultivate one’s virtues. Through this analysis, it can be seen that The Peach Blossom Fan actually embodies a majestic ending that expresses a political commentator’s mentality, giving admonition and exhortation for the emperor. It provides another perspective for studying Kong and his play writings.