One of the Han Dynasty stone reliefs collected by the Han Dynasty Stone Reliefs Museum in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, shows the story of Qin Shihuang fishing in Surabaya. This case depicts a bridge. On both sides of the bridge, people pull a tripod with ropes, and a faucet in the tripod sticks out to bite the rope. On the bridge, Qin Shihuang is waiting to get Zhou Ding. [1]
The salvage of Zhou Ding by Qin Shihuang in Surabaya, Pengcheng (now Xuzhou, Jiangsu) has been circulating in China for more than 2, years. Although it was written into ancient books, the authenticity of this story was questioned in the Han Dynasty. However, those who tell the truth are even more well-founded. That is what Sima Qian said in Records of the First Qin Emperor: "The first emperor returned, crossed Pengcheng, fasted and prayed for the temple, and wanted to leave Surabaya, Zhou Ding. Make thousands of people have no water to ask for it, and they will be blessed "; And Li Daoyuan's account in Notes on Water Classics: "(Qin Shihuang) made thousands of people have no water to ask for, and the so-called" Ding Fu "was also. It is also a cloud system, but before it comes out, the dragon bites off its system. "
When the author carefully reads the biographies of Zhou Benji, Qin Shihuang, the Book of Closing the Zen and other ancient books in Historical Records, and consults the collection of Han Dynasty stone reliefs published all over the country, he not only finds inconsistencies and many doubts recorded in ancient books, but also firmly believes that Qin Shihuang never went to Surabaya, Pengcheng to salvage Zhou Ding. The so-called "fishing in Surabaya" is a myth woven by some people for the need of "divine right of monarch"; The great significance of this myth lies in "destroying Qin and prospering Han" and rewriting the history of our country!
is this sensational? No!
1. There is no real basis for the story of "fishing for Ding in Surabaya"
1. Jiuding's biography is generally orderly, and historical materials clearly record that Jiuding has entered Qin from Zhou:
Records of Sacrifice in the Suburbs of Han Dynasty says: "Yu received the gold of nine shepherds and cast Jiuding, like Kyushu." According to legend, in the early Xia Dynasty, the world was divided into nine states, and the famous mountains, rivers and exotic foreign objects in each state were cast on the tripod of each state and displayed in the royal ancestral temple, which became the symbol of kingship and country. It is also the earliest map in the world.
Zhou Ce, the Warring States Policy, said: "Last week, when Yin was conquered, it won the Jiuding, and 9, people held it for every tripod.". Because the products were extremely scarce at that time, and the tools for mining minerals were crude and the technology was backward, the output of copper was very limited at that time, and it seemed impossible to cast such a big Jiuding. Archaeological findings show that even a bronze mirror in the tombs of the pre-Qin period is not possessed by ordinary tomb owners, which shows that copper is rare and precious.
Because Jiuding is the symbol of kingship and the country, it was regarded as the treasure of the country in the pre-Qin period. However, there have also been incidents in which Wang Zhengduo, a warlord, won the championship. In addition to the "Warring States Policy Zhou Ce", it is said that Zhou cut Yin and gained the dominant position; "Zuo Zhuan Xuangong Three Years" also records that Chu Zhuangwang's Northern Expedition, Chen Bing Luoshui, showed off his force to the Zhou Dynasty. King Ding of Zhou sent Wang Sunman to comfort Chu. Chu Zhuangwang took the opportunity to ask Wang Sunman about the size and weight of Jiuding in Zhou Dynasty. Wang Sunman replied: You can't ask about the weight of Jiuding casually! Because "winning the championship" means plotting kingship, the vassals or common people who aim to seize kingship are extremely concerned about Zhou Ding.
There are some records in Historical Records of Zhou Benji as follows: "(Zhou Wuwang) ordered Nangong Kuo and Shi Mi to exhibit Jiuding Baoyu." Later, he became king. "A king in abundance, make Zhao Gong camp luoyi, such as featuring. The duke of Zhou resumed his divination, died and built, and lived in Jiuding. " When Zhou Ding was king, Chu Zhuangwang won the championship. In the twenty-third year of King Wilhelm, Jiuding was shocked. In the fifth year of Shen Liang's reign (316 BC), Ba and Shu attacked each other, and they were both in a hurry in Qin. King Hui of Qin wanted to conquer Shu. "Zhang Yi said:' It is better to cut Korea.' The king said,' Please listen to him.' The instrument said,' Pro-Wei, be good at Chu, send troops to three rivers, attack Xincheng and Yiyang, and approach the suburbs around. According to Jiuding, according to the map, the emperor is in command of the world, and the world dares not listen. This is also true of Wang Ye.' "("Zi Zhi Tong Jian Zhou Ji San ") shows that Jiuding is in Zhoudu, and Qin wants to get them.
in the forty-two years of Zhou Nanwang's reign, Qin broke the huayang agreement. (Minister of Zhou Dynasty) Ma Gong said to Zhou Jun,' Please ask Liang Cheng Zhou.' It is said that the king of Liang said,' If the king of Zhou is ill and dies, he will die. If you commit a crime, please enter the king with Jiuding, and the king will commit a crime by Jiuding. " Liang Wang said,' Good'. The general meaning of Ma's dialogue with Liang Wang is that in order to make Wei Liang Wang send troops to build a city for Zhou, Ma lied to him that Zhou Wang was about to die and he would be buried with him, so he wanted to dedicate Jiuding to Liang Wang, so he asked him to send troops to Zhou to protect himself, which led Liang Wang to fall into the trap. This conversation clearly shows that Jiuding is still in Zhoudu. If Jiuding is absent, King Liang will never be deceived by a horse offender. It was forty-two years in Zhou Nanwang (273 BC). [2]
During this period, the Zhou Dynasty, whose national strength was declining, was in a precarious state. In the fifty-ninth year of Zhou Nanwang, under the attack of Qiang Qin, "Jun of the Western Zhou Dynasty went to Qin, and suffered a sudden loss. He gave his city 36 and his mouth 3,. Qin was offered by him and returned to his king in Zhou. Zhou Jun and Wang Yun died, and Zhou Min died in the east. Qin takes Jiuding jewels. " (Zhou Benji) At this time, it was 256 BC. Qin Benji is the same as Zhou Benji. The Book of Records of the Historian, Closing the Zen, also said: "The Qin Dynasty destroyed Zhou, and Zhou Jiuding entered Qin."
from this, it can be seen that Zhou's Jiuding has indeed entered Qin, and there is no doubt about it.
2. In the historical materials of the Qin and Han Dynasties, there is nothing to say about Zhou's Jiuding's absence from Surabaya:
As mentioned above, Ding can't be asked casually, and of course, Jiuding, which is closely related to the national movement, can't be lost without reason. It's a great matter for the imperial court to enter the Ding of Qin Dynasty, if it didn't fall into Surabaya in Pengcheng, when and why it sank in Surabaya. Why is it not recorded in Historical Records of Zhou Benji and Qin Benji? And Jiuding's route from Zhoudu to Qin Dou does not pass through Surabaya in Pengcheng, so how can it be "lost"? If Jiuding Falls in Surabaya, such an earth-shattering event will never be ignored by historians, nor dare it be ignored without being recorded in ancient books.
As for Sima Qian's statement in the Book of Records of the Historian, "The Qin Dynasty destroyed the Zhou Dynasty, and the Zhou Dynasty entered the Qin Dynasty. Or that the Taiqiu Society in Song Dynasty died, and the tripod was not under Pengcheng in Surabaya. " Obviously, the first sentence is definitely that Zhou Ding has entered Qin; The use of the word "or yue" in the last sentence should be understood as "someone's legend". It seems that there is some reason behind Sima Qian's writing history, which leads to a discount on the belief that "Ding did not Surabaya"; Or write the folk rumors heard during the inspection in Pengcheng into Historical Records.
3. The story of fishing for Ding in Surabaya, which Li Daoyuan described in the Notes to the Water Classics, is based on misinformation:
Li Daoyuan described in the Notes to the Water Classics: "In the forty-second year of the reign of King Xian of Zhou, Jiuding failed to see Siyuan. Qin Shihuang, and the tripod is now in Sishui. The first emperor was so happy that thousands of people had no water to ask for it, so it was called "Ding Fu". It is also a cloud system, but before it comes out, the dragon bites off its system. " Obviously, Li Daoyuan didn't just tell the story, but focused on the expression that Qin Shihuang got the tripod "Fude" because of the key words such as "dragon biting off its line". In addition, from the Han painting "Surabaya fishing tripod", it can be seen that at the latest in the Han Dynasty, when Qin Shihuang was fishing tripod, there was a rumor that "the dragon bit off its line", indicating that Li Daoyuan did not make it up at will.
There are three points worthy of attention in Li Daoyuan's statement: First, it is said in the text that in the twenty-fourth year of King Xianzhou (that is, 345 BC), "Jiuding lost his vision"; However, Historical Records of Zhou Benji recorded that in the 59th year of Zhou Nanwang (that is, in 256 BC), Zhou Jiuding arrived in Qin Dou. From the time point of view, the former obviously contradicted the latter. Historical Records is the first biographical general history in China. Shui Jing Zhu is a literary geographical masterpiece, which contains ancient myths and folklore circulating all over the country. Compared with the two books, the historical books should prevail, so it is difficult to establish the statement that Jiuding failed to see the source. Secondly, the words behind this passage in Shui Jing Zhu are similar to those in Historical Records. The word "or yue" seems to reveal Sima Qian's helplessness and has to be said; Li Daoyuan, on the other hand, followed Sima Qian's statement; Both of them are uncertain; Of course, it is not enough to be the basis for determining that Qin Shihuang's fishing in Surabaya is a real event. Thirdly, the descriptions of "fishing ding in Surabaya" in the two books are all collected from folk legends; In this regard, it will be described in detail later.
4. Many evidences prove that "fishing for a tripod in Surabaya" is a false statement:
From the above, it can be seen that there are not only contradictions in the time of the account of fishing for a tripod in Surabaya by Qin Shihuang in Historical Records and Notes on Water Classics, but also the only written account is obviously ambiguous and difficult to justify.
More importantly, according to the Historical Records, if Qin Shihuang really fished for the tripod in Surabaya and "the dragon cut off its lineage" and "gained success", it means that the Jiuding of Zhou still sank in Surabaya. Since Jiuding is a symbol of kingship and country, why don't Qin Ershi and Han emperors, especially Liu Bang, go to Surabaya to salvage Jiuding? Even in the first year of Emperor Wendi's reign, those who suggested salvaging Jiuding were beheaded for cheating the emperor. Why? Perhaps here, "fishing in Surabaya" is a very sensitive word, and people are only silent. However, in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the philosopher Wang Chong questioned the statement that "dragons cut off their lines". He thinks: "Dragon" is only a mythical beast in ancient people's imagination, but it doesn't really exist. How can it "break its line"? [3] Wang Chong hit the nail on the head. The fact that the royal family didn't salvage it and avoided talking about it not only reflected that Jiuding sank in Surabaya, but also told people from the side that the person who made and first spread this rumor among the people had a close relationship with the royal family in Han Dynasty.
Qin Shihuang's fishing tripod in Surabaya is a folk legend, so when and why did this folk legend come into being?
Second, the time, place and theme of the legend that can't be ignored
Some folklore, after listening to it for a long time, often only pay attention to the "strangeness" of the legend, but ignore when and where it came into being and the theme of the legend, and no longer seriously explore it; Perhaps in the face of the sacred kingship, no one dared to touch it deeply in the Han Dynasty. Now, we can swing away the layers of fog that hang over this legend and gradually see its true colors.
1. When did this folklore come into being?
From the above textual research and exploration, it can be seen that Qin Shihuang did not go to Surabaya in Pengcheng to salvage Zhou Ding, and there was no record of it in other history books. In the 37th year of Qin Shihuang (21 BC), he died of illness in a sand dune, and Qin Ershi Hu Hai immediately became emperor. In the first year of II (29 BC), there were successively: Chen Sheng and Wu Guang revolted in osawa Township (Jinan, Liucun Village, Yongqiao District, Suzhou, Anhui); Xiang Liang and Xiang Yu revolted in Wu (now Suzhou, Jiangsu); Liu Bang formally revolted in Pei (now Pei County); Later, Wei, Qi, Yan, Zhao and other countries revolted one after another. However, there is no record of this matter in the historical materials during this period. In the 5th year of Hanwang (22 BC), Liu Bang established the Han Dynasty. It was not until the first year of Emperor Houyuan of the Han Dynasty (163 BC) that Zhou Ding's desire to leave Surabaya and come out of Zhou Ding was mentioned in the Book of Records of the Historian. That's just a lie made up by the alchemist.
It is particularly important to point out that the legend of Qin Shihuang fishing for Ding in Surabaya is aimed at Qin Shihuang, so the legendary time should not occur in the Han Dynasty, but in the late Qin Dynasty.
2. Why is it said that Qin Shihuang fished for a tripod in Surabaya, Pengcheng?
Surabaya originates from the mountains in the southeast of the former Lu State, flows westward through Xianqiu (north of Yanzhou, Shandong Province), turns southward, passes through Huling (southeast of Yutai County, Shandong Province), passes through Peixian County and flows eastward through the northern suburb of Pengcheng ...
From Xianyang, Qin Dou to Pengcheng, there are both Weishui, Luoshui and Suishui, but it is said that Qin Shihuang went to Pengcheng for fishing in Surabaya.
The author speculates that the person who originally fabricated this lie may not be familiar with the geography, customs and even social customs of Wei, Luo and Sui river basins, but he knows all kinds of situations in Surabaya, Pengcheng, which is two or three thousand miles away from Xianyang. It seems that this person lives in Surabaya area of Pengcheng.
3. What is the gist of the legend of fishing ding in Surabaya by Qin Shihuang?
it is bound to have its main purpose to make up a story that the whole world believes is a bizarre thing that has never happened before. Of course, after careful examination of this legend, it is not difficult to find that the core of this legend is not about Qin Shihuang's fishing for the tripod, but to emphasize the "dragon" and "break its line" This view can be found in the picture of the No.2 Wei and Jin sarcophagus "Jing Ke stabbed Qin Wang and took Ding" unearthed in Jiang 'an County in the Collection of Portraits of Stone Coffins of Han Dynasty in Sichuan (pictured). On the left, only one tripod, one-man tripod and Yi Long biting the tripod are depicted. The dragon biting the tripod is the main part of the picture, and the tripod fishing is only an auxiliary scene.
Shuowen says: "Dragons, the scale worms are long, quiet and bright, fine and huge, short and long, reaching the sky at the vernal equinox and diving in the autumn equinox." "Guangya" said: "Dragon, Jun also." "Yili" contains: "Jun, the supreme." Dragons, which can go from heaven to earth, have infinite power; Call the wind and call the rain, omnipotent. The place where Liu Bang lived was once the territory of Chu, and the dragon was universally respected by Chu people.
Qin Shihuang was tyrannical and angry. The dragon's breaking off of its lineage made Qin Shihuang win the tripod "Fu De", which was a punishment from heaven, and also indicated that the Qin dynasty would be doomed, and the kingship and the Jiangshan state would also be lost. The dragon will take its place, crusade against the tyrant, destroy the decay and turn around Gankun. The fabrication and spread of this legend also reflected the thought that the common people of Li people worshiped dragons and believed in ghosts and gods at that time.
As long as the above analysis is connected, you will be surprised to find some words such as "late Qin Dynasty, Surabaya and Dragon". It can be said that the purpose of making up this "legend" at the earliest was to announce the world that the "Surabaya Dragon at the end of Qin Dynasty" would save the people of Lebanon from fire and water and create a new world!
So, who is this "Surabaya Dragon in the Late Qin Dynasty"?
Third, the reincarnation of the dragon, the death of Qin Xing Han
In the historical materials of Qin and Han Dynasties, although there is no clear record, it shows that so-and-so first weaved this myth that Qin Shihuang won the tripod because of the "dragon biting off its lineage". From the historical records, combined with Liu Bang's identity as the reincarnation of the dragon, it is further inferred that this "dragon" was once a Sishui Pavilion in Pei County at the end of Qin Dynasty.
1. Liu Bang was reincarnated as a dragon:
First, Sima Qian wrote in Historical Records of the Emperor Gaozu: "Gaozu was born in Zhongyangli, Peifengyi, and his surname was Liu Ji. Father said Taigong, mother said Liu Wei. First, Liu Wei tasted the evil of osawa, and when he dreamed of meeting God, it was a time when the thunder and lightning were dim, and when the squire looked at it, he saw the dragon on it. I have a body and I have a high ancestor. "
Secondly, look at the fifth stone Han painting in the left stone room of Wushi Temple in Jiaxiang, Shandong Province. The picture is divided into three grids: the story of Liu Lei, the distant ancestor of Liu Bang, feeding the dragon; Zhongge is a description of Zhao Dun's salvation; In the middle of Xiage, a woman with a headdress and a bun rests on the ground with her right hand supporting her head, and her body is wrapped with Yi Long; There are salamanders crawling, dragonflies flying and catfish swimming on both sides of the woman. There are feathered people flying from the sky at the top left. It depicts the story of Liu Bang's "Dragon Reincarnation". [4]
The passage "Historical Records of the Emperor Gaozu" can be regarded as an interpretation of the painting of the fifth stone Han Dynasty in Zuoshishi, Wushi Temple; The portrait of Xiage can also be regarded as the image expression of this passage in Historical Records of the Emperor Gaozu. In different cultural forms, it reflects Liu Bang's reincarnation as a dragon. Liu Bang's distinguished status was easily believed by people at that time. With this magical coat, Liu Bang's influence has naturally improved.
In addition, the figure in this portrait implies that Liu Bang, like Zhao Dun who saved the spirit, will be the savior of the suffering Li people and the "real dragon son of heaven"; Shangge reflects Liu Bang's prominent family lineage as a descendant of Emperor Yao.
Because the author once wrote an article on this portrait of the Han Dynasty, "Interpretation of the Han Dynasty Paintings in the Wushi Temple", which was published in the seventh issue of Journal of xuzhou institute of technology in 27, here.