唐五代小說的世亂書寫

Abstract

唐朝在經歷安史之亂後，政治社會局勢有了極大的轉變，朝廷為求儘速平定亂事，以授予節鉞的方式招降安史黨羽，讓他們在原本的勢力範圍擔任節度使；再加上安史之亂初平定時，唐朝經歷長時間的動亂，需要休養生息以恢復國力，故對於地方軍閥多採取姑息的態度。因此，導致安史之亂過後，中晚唐出現了藩鎮割據的現象，許多軍閥不服朝廷管束、獨霸一方，甚至出現節度使世襲的狀況，直接傳與自己的子孫。面對這樣的情況，朝廷基本上是採取姑息的態度，雖然德宗、憲宗都曾以強硬的手段，試圖抑制藩鎮勢力，將權力收歸朝廷，但不是因此引發動亂，而重回姑息的政策，就是後續政策失當、後繼無人，以至於藩鎮勢力死灰復燃。 藩鎮割據的問題，是導致中晚唐政治、社會局勢混亂的一大原因，甚至因此引起如四鎮叛亂、涇源兵變等亂事。除此以外，中晚唐政治、社會的動盪，天災人禍導致人民生活上的困境，也因而導致由人民發起的叛亂事件。由此可知，中晚唐是一個叛亂不斷，兵變、民變頻仍的時代，在這樣混亂的時局中，便產生了不少以此為題材的文學作品。中國古典小說向來有反映社會局勢的特色，故在唐五代的小說中，出現了為數不少涉及中晚唐世亂書寫的作品。本論文即以唐五代小說為對象，探討其對中晚唐世亂的書寫，分析小說文本所反映的文人作意與關懷；以及小說內容常涉及的面向，及其所蘊含的意義，反映的社會現象；最後則分析小說與史書對中晚唐世亂敘事的差異，並探究史書又是如何受到小說的影響。 本文首先分析李肇《唐國史補》、康軿《劇談錄》、皇甫枚《三水小牘》和孫光憲《北夢瑣言》等小說集的中晚唐世亂書寫，以期從作者的撰作動機、生平經歷，探究作者補史之闕的用意，和於小說中寓託褒貶，所展現的對政治、社會的關懷與批判。從這些小說文本中，可以明顯發現文人基本上站在反對亂賊，支持李唐王朝的立場，對於亂賊、叛亂採取否定的態度。其次，從小說書寫的內容來看，主要可以分為「眾生相」和「神異主題」兩大面向，「眾生相」的部分，分別從官員、女性、以及官員和女性之外的受害者三個面向，探討在世亂中，不同群體所面臨的處境、展現的樣態，其中所反映的政治社會現象、世亂光景，以及文人所寄託關懷與褒貶。「神異主題」則可以分為「預言徵應」和「天道報應」兩部份，分別反映唐人的命定思想，企圖以命運解釋世亂，以及用天道、天命觀，斥責為禍的亂臣賊子，擁護李唐王室的正統。最後，關於小說與史書的部分，則比較相同事件在小說與史書記載，討論兩者敘事上的異同，可知史書基於紀實、簡約的筆法，記錄往往不具神異色彩，情節也較小說簡略；此外，比較新、舊《唐書》，亦見小說影響史書的記載。 透過本論文研究，可知唐五代小說中的中晚唐世亂書寫，不單反映了作者的作意與寄託，也反映了中晚唐的政治社會樣態，世亂中各群體所面對的處境，及其應對的態度。

After the An Lushan Rebellion(安史之亂), the political and social structure of the Tang dynasty underwent dramatic changes. In an effort to swiftly quell the unrest, the imperial court adopted a strategy of appeasement by granting military authority to former affiliates of An Lushan, appointing them as military governors(Jiedushi節度使) in their original spheres of influence. Additionally, after the initial suppression of the rebellion, the Tang dynasty, having suffered prolonged turmoil, was in urgent need of rest and recovery to rebuild national strength. As a result, the central government took a generally lenient stance toward local military powers. This ultimately led to the rise of regional warlordism in the mid-to-late Tang period: numerous warlords defied imperial control and ruled their territories independently, with some even passing down the title of jiedushi hereditarily to their descendants. Faced with this situation, the court mostly maintained a conciliatory policy. Although emperors such as Dezong(德宗) and Xianzong(憲宗) made attempts to curb the power of the regional warlords and restore central authority through strong measures, such efforts were often abandoned due to the disorder they provoked or the failure of subsequent policies and lack of capable successors—resulting in the resurgence of warlord power. The fragmentation of authority caused by the jiedushi system was a major source of political and social instability in the mid-to-late Tang period, triggering major disturbances such as the Rebellion of the Four Garrisons and the Jingyuan Mutiny(四鎮之亂、涇原兵變). Moreover, political and social unrest, combined with natural disasters and man-made calamities, caused severe hardship for the general populace and gave rise to numerous civilian uprisings. Thus, the mid-to-late Tang era can be characterized as a time marked by continuous rebellion and frequent military and civil unrest. In such turbulent times, numerous literary works emerged that took social disorder as their main theme. Classical Chinese fiction has long exhibited a tendency to reflect societal realities; therefore, in the fiction of the Tang and Five Dynasties periods, there is a notable body of work depicting the chaotic conditions of the mid-to-late Tang era. This thesis takes fiction from the Tang and Five Dynasties periods as its primary focus, examining how these works portray the disorder of the mid-to-late Tang era. It analyzes the intentions and concerns of the literati as reflected in the texts, explores recurring themes and their underlying meanings, and investigates the social phenomena represented within. Finally, it compares the narrative approaches of fiction and historical records regarding the same events, and considers how historiography may have been influenced by fictional narratives. The thesis first analyzes depictions of mid-to-late Tang disorder in collections such as “Tang Guo Shi Bu” by Li Zhao(李肇《唐國史補》), “Ju Tan Lu” by Kang Pian(康軿《劇談錄》), “San Shui Xiao Du” by Huangfu Mei(皇甫枚《三水小牘》), and “Bei Meng Suo Yan” by Sun Guangxian(孫光憲《北夢瑣言》). Through a close reading of these texts and an examination of the authors’ motives and life experiences, the study aims to uncover their intention to supplement official history, and how their political and social concerns were expressed through literary allegory. These works reveal that the literati generally opposed rebellious forces and supported the legitimacy of the Tang royal house, adopting a critical stance toward rebellion and disorder. Secondly, the thesis explores key themes in these narratives of mid-to-late Tang chaos, which fall into two main categories: the human condition and the theme of the supernatural. The theme of the human condition is explored through the perspectives of officials, women, and other non-official, non-female victims, examining the circumstances faced by different groups during times of turmoil, the societal realities reflected in these portrayals, and the sympathies or judgments conveyed by the authors. The theme of the supernatural can be further divided into “omens and prophecy” and “divine retribution.” These reflect a Tang belief in fate, with attempts to interpret disorder through the lens of destiny, and the use of cosmological or divine justice to condemn traitors while affirming the legitimacy of the Tang royal lineage. Lastly, the thesis compares the narrative treatment of the same events in both fictional and historical sources, discussing their similarities and differences. Historical texts, grounded in factual recording and written in a concise style, typically lack supernatural elements and are more straightforward in narrative structure. A comparison between “Old History of the Tang”(《舊唐書》) and “New History of the Tang”(《新唐書》) also reveals the influence of fiction on historical documentation. Through this study, it becomes clear that the depictions of mid-to-late Tang disorder in Tang and Five Dynasties fiction not only reflect the authors’ intentions and ideals, but also provide valuable insight into the political and social conditions of the time, the struggles faced by various social groups during periods of unrest, and their responses to the chaos around them.