“郑伯克段于鄢”地理考

“郑伯克段于鄢”究竟是怎样的一桩历史公案?受公羊传统的影响,郑庄公处心积虑谋杀弟弟,几乎成了普遍接受的看法。然而,历史事实究竟如何呢?从地理的角度考察当时的政治形势,或可为问题的解决提供一个合理的解释。庄公即位后,母亲武姜要他把制封给弟弟共叔段。制与虎牢,统言可视为一地,分言则为相邻两城,据险共同构成郑国与周王室的交通要塞。考虑制的重要战略地位,郑庄公拒绝了,但把京封给了共叔段。京虽大城,却非险要,且受制于包括制和国都在内的三座重要城市。共叔段倚仗武姜的支持和京的强大,先收边邑,后北据廪延,南控鄢地,意图夹击郑都。经过二十多年的扩张,控制了便于与卫国联络的黄河渡口延津,以及南部重镇鄢地,几乎占有郑国一半的领土,与庄公势成水火,给郑国公室造成严重威胁。庄公凭借地理优势和民的支持,打败了共叔段。共叔段逃往卫国,途经庄公控制区域,未遇阻拦。这说明,庄公无意杀弟,所谓杀弟之说实为臆断。

A Geographical Account for the Historical Record That Zheng Zhuang Gong Defeated Gong Shu Duan at Yan

When Zheng Zhuang Gong ascended the throne,his mother Wu Jiang required him to grant Zhi as fief to his younger brother Gong Shu Duan.But Zhuang Hong refused and gave Jing,rather than Zhi,to his younger brother.Zhuang Gong had an obvious reason.Jing was a big city but not a strategic fort.Zhi was comparatively small,but was neighbor to Hu Lao: the two together constituted an important traffic fortress connecting the state Zheng with the East Zhou Dynasty.So Jing was potentially controlled by three important cities,including Zhi and the capital of Zheng.Gong Shu Duan,who depended on his mother Wu Jiang's support and the extensive area of Jing,first commanded remote border areas,then Lin Yan in the north and Yan Ling in the south,so as to enclose the capital from three sides.And by more than twenty years' expansion,he almost got hold of half of the Zheng territory,including the Yellow River ferry Yan Jin,which was easy to reach Wei Dynasty,and the important southern city Yan Di.So he became a formidable challenger to his elder brother.However,Gong Shu Duan was eventually defeated for lack of support from the people.But it seems that Zhuang Gong meant to let his brother go free since the latter's escape route was in tight control of his elder brother.This apparently goes against the popular view ever since Gong Yang Zhuan that Zhuang Gong killed his brother,which lacks sufficient evidences.