唐代前半期の常朝--太極宮を中心として

Abstract

Many aspects of the functioning of the Tang-era imperial palace 宮殿, which served as the locus of the emperor's political role, are obscure, and have long been the object of debate. Whether daily deliberations of the imperial court, changchao 常朝, were held at the Middle Court 中朝 (Taijidian of the Taijigong 太極宮太極殿, Xuanzhengdian of the Daminggong 大明宮宣政殿) or the Inner Court 内朝 (Liangyidian of the Taijigong 太極宮兩儀殿, Zichendian of the Daminggong 大明宮紫宸殿) is particularly ambiguous. In this regard, the theory propounded by Ouyang Xiu 歐陽修 of the Northern Sung in the Biography of Li Qi 李琪傳 in the 54th fascicle of the New History of the Five Dynasties 新五代史 has long been accepted due to its clarity, and it still holds weight with scholars today. His theory, which may be deemed the zhungchao changchao 中朝常朝 theory, held that the Xuanzhengdian or Taijidian (宣政殿 • 太極殿) was the site of daily court operations with the exception of two days each month (the first and 15th) when the an abbreviated ceremonial known as ruge 入閣 was held within the Inner Court 内朝. However, this theory displays a strong sense of having been created to criticize the fossilization of the daily functioning of the imperial court in the Wendedian 文德殿 (the equivalent of the Tang Taiji 太極 and Xuanzhengdian 宣政殿), which the emperor was neglecting to attend during the Northern-Sung dynasty, and thus it cannot be considered as evidence of actual Tang practice. I have previously pointed out that the same theory cannot be applied to the later half of the Tang dynasty in "Todai jocho seido shiron, " (A hypothesis on the Tang dynasty system of changchao) , Ritsumeikan Toyoshigaku, Vol. 26 (2003). The current study is based on the elucidation of the system of the second half of the Tang explained therein and considers whether Ouyang Xiu's theory realize for the earlier half of the Tang, chiefly as regards the Liangyidian 兩儀殿 and Taijidian 太極殿 of the Taijigong 太極宮. Although during first half of the Tang dynasty one can see evidence of the cycle of "the imperial court functioning once every five days" 五日一朝 , this system was applied to the civilian and military officials of the fifth rank and above, but all civilian officials above the fifth rank were additionally expected to attend court everyday, and the emperors also usually attended court each day in accordance with this practice from the time of their accession to the throne. Moreover, the Liangyidian became the site of imperial court deliberations at the latest of the reign of Taizong. The Taijidian was designated as the location of the court on the first and 15th of each month, and Gaozong and the retired emperor Ruizong carried on the system by attending the Taijidian once every five days. However, it is doubtful whether this practice was maintained for long; and judging from the frequency, it can be surmised that the daily attendance of civilian officials of fifth and higher rank at the imperial court at the Liangyidian was the basic practice. Therefore, it appears that the theory of Ouyang Xiu does not hold true for the first half of the Tang either. This means that gradual formation of the system of "three imperial courts in the official palace of the emperor" 三朝正殿 was consciously formed and performed from a relatively early point in the Tang.