Canonical Classics ← 第十一回
第十一回
yóutàizōnghuánhún
jìnguāguǒliúquánpèi

Touring the Underworld, Taizong Returns to Life · Presenting Melons and Fruit, Liu Quan Renews the Marriage Bond

兩班問覺
模式 Mode Read Study
拼音 Pinyin Off
字體 Script
原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

兩班問覺 The Two Ranks Inquire

tángwángshàngjīnluánbǎo殿diànliǎngbānwénshānpǐnfēnbānzhǐtīngdechuánzhǐdào:「yǒushìchūbānláizòushì退tuìcháo。」dōngxiāngshǎnguòmàogōngwèizhēngwángguīhuìfángxuánlíngyuántiāngāngchúnfēngjìngzōngděng西xiāngshǎnguòyīnkāishānliúhóngsānbǎoduànzhìxuánchéngyǎojīnqínshūbǎojìngxuērénguìděngshàngqiánzàibáijiēqiánzòudào:「xiàqiáncháomèngjiǔfāngjué?」tángwángshàngjīnluánbǎo殿diànliǎngbānwénshānpǐnfēnbānzhǐtīngdechuánzhǐdào:「yǒushìchūbānláizòushì退tuìcháo。」dōngxiāngshǎnguòmàogōngwèizhēngwángguīhuìfángxuánlíngyuántiāngāngchúnfēngjìngzōngděng西xiāngshǎnguòyīnkāishānliúhóngsānbǎoduànzhìxuánchéngyǎojīnqínshūbǎojìngxuērénguìděngshàngqiánzàibáijiēqiánzòudào:「xiàqiáncháomèngjiǔfāngjué?」


逐句解 Line by line

tángwángshàngjīnluánbǎo殿diànliǎngbānwénshānpǐnfēnbān tángwángshàngjīnluánbǎo殿diànliǎngbānwénshānpǐnfēnbān

The Tang king ascended the Golden Chimes Hall, gathered the two ranks of civil and military officers, and when the shouts of acclamation were done, they took their places by grade.

金鑾寶殿 the Hall of the Golden Chimes, the throne hall. 山呼 the ritual acclamation ('Long live!'). 依品分班 to array by official rank; fēn.

zhǐtīngdechuánzhǐdào:「yǒushìchūbānláizòushì退tuìcháo。」 zhǐtīngdechuánzhǐdào:「yǒushìchūbānláizòushì退tuìcháo。」

Then an edict was heard: 'Let those with business step from the ranks and memorialize; those without, withdraw from court.'

出班 to step forward from one's rank to address the throne. 退朝 cháo, to withdraw from the audience. 聽得 resultative de.

dōngxiāngshǎnguòmàogōngwèizhēngwángguīhuìfángxuánlíngyuántiāngāngchúnfēngjìngzōngděng西xiāngshǎnguòyīnkāishānliúhóngsānbǎoduànzhìxuánchéngyǎojīnqínshūbǎojìngxuērénguìděngshàngqiánzàibáijiēqiánzòudào:「xiàqiáncháomèngjiǔfāngjué?」 dōngxiāngshǎnguòmàogōngwèizhēngwángguīhuìfángxuánlíngyuántiāngāngchúnfēngjìngzōngděng西xiāngshǎnguòyīnkāishānliúhóngsānbǎoduànzhìxuánchéngyǎojīnqínshūbǎojìngxuērénguìděngshàngqiánzàibáijiēqiánzòudào:「xiàqiáncháomèngjiǔfāngjué?」

From the eastern aisle came forth Xu Maogong, Wei Zheng, Wang Gui, Du Ruhui, Fang Xuanling, Yuan Tiangang, Li Chunfeng, Xu Jingzong, and the rest; from the western aisle came Yin Kaishan, Liu Hongji, Ma Sanbao, Duan Zhixuan, Cheng Yaojin, Qin Shubao, Hu Jingde, Xue Rengui, and the rest — all together advanced and, prostrate before the white-jade steps, memorialized: 'Your Majesty dreamed at the last audience — how is it you were so long in waking?'

The two ranks of Taizong's ministers and generals. 袁天罡 (Yuan Tiangang) and 李淳風 (Li Chunfeng) are famed Tang astrologer-diviners. 前朝 cháo, 'at the earlier audience.' The court takes the emperor's death for a prolonged dream.


總評 Commentary

The court frames the emperor's three-day death as a mere 'dream,' a diplomatic fiction that lets the marvelous be absorbed into ordinary business. The roll of famous names — including the historical diviners Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng — grounds the fantastic episode in the recognizable personnel of the early Tang, and sets up the emperor's own first-person account of what befell him.