「飛燕外傳」成書年代・作者考

Abstract

Fei-yen wai-zhuan 飛燕外傳 (The Unofficial Biography of [Zhao] Fei-yen) is one of the classical-language fictions in traditional China, describing the famous romance between Emperor Cheng-di 成帝 and Zhao Fei-yen 趙飛燕 sisters in the Former Han Dynasty. The author is attributed with Ling Xüan 伶玄, who definitely had confessed that he was living with the Former Han Dynasty in his brief autobiography. However, it was too suspicious to believe, from the beginning of its appearance in the Southern Song Dynasty, scholars have been puzzled to determine the true era of its birth. Through their discussions, now it is widely accepted that Fei-yen wai-zhuan was born during the Six Dynasties, not in the Tang Dynasty, though it is still lacking in conclusive evidence. But some insist that it could be compared with the great masterpieces of Tang-tales, like Ying-ying zhuan 鶯鶯傳, Li Wa zhuan 李娃傳, Huo Xiao-yü zhuan 霍小玉傳, which belonged to the Tang Dynasty. Then should we say that Fei-yen wai-zhuan was a premature masterpiece? It still remains a great mystery to all, including its author Ling Xüan himself. This study, paying attention to the text itself, proves this tale should belong to the Tang Dynasty. Its main keywords are two, Zhen-la 眞臘 and Qi-chu Ling-hua jing 七出菱花鏡 (Water-chestnut flower shaped bronze mirror, circled by seven petals). The former, used first in the historical records in China was in the Sui Dynasty Da-ye 大業 12years(616), and the latter one likely appeared after reign of Empress Wu(690--705). These facts simply tell us Fei-yen wai-zhuan was born in the Tang Dynasty. The true author of this tale is Niu Seng-ru 牛僧孺, a famous prime minister of late Tang and was also a well-known writer of Tang-tales, who authored Xüan-guai lu 玄怪錄. We could know the close affinities between Fei-yen wai-zhuan and Xüan-guai lu. As a drafted scholar-official, all of Niu's life had been under the strife in bureaucracy with the factional parties at that time. Once the opposition party blamed Niu for violating his majesty, to write the tale Zhou Qin xing-ji 周秦行記 named Niu Seng-ru. Though its writer was anonymous, Niu was nearly accused of injury to the majesy (Lèse majesté). I contend Niu decided to write Fei-yen wai-zhuan under a pseudonym to make counterattack against a recreant writer in the same manner and to regain true pride for himself.