E57 四京：拱卫国都，以御外敌

E57 四京：拱卫国都，以御外敌

课程导读

上节课我们讲到，苏洵父子三人赴京赶考，苏东坡及弟弟苏辙顺利通过秋闱。在东都开封逗留之际，苏洵也受到了文坛领袖欧阳修的赏识。今天这节课，我们将了解北宋时期的都城分布情况。为什么当时的统治者会设置四个都城？强敌环伺之下，北宋做出了何种选择？

英文原文

The young brothers spent their time looking at the gay streets, eating at the famous restaurants, and standing in the cold watching with great admiration the renowned ministers passing by in their carriages.

The Sung Dynasty had four capitals, of which Kaifeng, in modern Honan, was the chief.

Kaifeng, then called the Eastern Capital ("Tungking," which in Japanese would be pronounced "Tokyo"), consisted of an outer city, thirteen miles in circumference, and an inner city seven miles in circumference.

The city had twelve gates, provided with double and triple traps against enemies, and on top of the city wall, "horse heads" resembling gun emplacements were constructed at regular intervals.

As the capital was situated on a low-lying plain without strategic protection, save that on the north it was protected by the long stretch of some two hundred miles of the Yellow River, along which the modern Lunghai Railway now runs, a well-thought-out plan of military defense had been devised.

On the west at Loyang, about a hundred and thirty miles away, was the Western Capital, which was established as a bulwark guarding the approach from the northwest through the strategic Tungkuan Pass.

On the east, at Shangchiu, some eighty miles away, was established another military anchor, the Southern Capital. There was no fear of invasion from the south.

On the other hand, during the first half of the tenth century, barbarian tribes from the north had invaded China.

There was a war lord then who had set up a separate government and was able to defy the rest of China by pledging allegiance to a strong dictatorial foreign power lying in the direction of Mongolia.

Shih Chingtang became the son of the Siberian emperor, though he declared that he loved China and was concerned for the peace and welfare of the people.

He called himself the "Sonny Emperor," while he addressed the Siberian as "Daddy Emperor."

While he lived and broke up China's unity, he won the plaudits of foreigners.

Particular care, therefore, was taken to prevent a repetition of such a separatist regime, because whether in ancient or in modern China, there are always enough "patriots" willing to serve as puppets of a foreign government in the name of the common people of China so long as they can keep themselves in power.

The fact that the "son" of a foreign dictator was thrown out of power and died of shame and frustration did not prevent the rise of another puppet, Chang Pangchang, in the twelfth century; and the fact that Chang was thrown out when he had served his purpose did not prevent still another "patriot" in the sixteenth century, Wu Sankuei, from leading his army, armed by a foreign power, inside the Great Wall to crush the Chinese government.

The Northern Capital, therefore, was established at Tamingfu in southern Hopei, guarding against the approach of Mongol potentate from the north.