Where is the Central Plains often mentioned in novels now?

The formation of the concept of the Central Plains region has gone through a long period of time. During this development process, the term "Central Plains" has changed from meaning wilderness, which had no special meaning in the past, to referring specifically to the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. a region. When did the term Zhongyuan begin to appear, specifically referring to the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. According to the analysis of existing historical data, it was probably during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. After the development of the Han Dynasty, the term Zhongyuan had become a proprietary regional term by the Six Dynasties period. Because from relevant historical books, we can find that the word Zhongyuan began to refer to the wilderness at this time, sometimes to the Central Plains area, and in the later period, it specifically referred to the Central Plains area.

Let’s first look at the word “Central Plains” in the non-regional concept in ancient books of the Pre-Qin Dynasty. "The Book of Songs·Xiaoya·Jiri" says: "Looking at the Central Plains, there are Qikong." The "Central Plains" here refers to the "Yuanzhong", and the author here describes the number of wild beasts in the wilderness. "The Book of Songs·Xiaoya·Xiaowan" says: "There are bean sprouts in the Central Plains, and the common people pick them." It describes people picking beans in the wilderness. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the word "Zhongyuan" still meant wilderness. After the siege of Kuaiji was lifted, King Goujian of Yue apologized to the people and said: "I don't know that my strength is insufficient, but I still fight against the great powers to expose the bones of the people. In the Central Plains, this is a sin committed by an ordinary person. Please update me." ("Mandarin·Yueyu Part 1") This means that the bones of the people after their death were exposed in the wilderness. After decades of recuperation, the State of Yue gradually became stronger. When fighting against the State of Wu, it faced five challenges a day from the Wu army. When the King of Yue was about to agree, Fan Li came to admonish him and said: "The corridor temple of Fumou is lost in the Central Plains. Is that okay? Aunt Wang doesn’t allow it. “The Central Plains here still has the meaning of wilderness. Xun Kuang, a representative figure of Confucianism at the end of the Warring States Period, said in "Xunzi: Kingship" that "those who use weapons and equipment will be exposed and destroy the Central Plains day by day. I will modify it, follow it, and cover it up in the treasury." Although the rulers are taught how to govern the country, the author's meaning of "Central Plains" here obviously means wilderness. "Sun Tzu's Art of War: Combat Chapter" says: "If a country is poorer than the teacher, it will lose far away, and if it loses far away, the people will be poor; if it is close to the teacher, it will be sold at a high price, and if it is sold at a high price, the people will run out of money, and if the money is exhausted, the people will be eager to serve in the hills. If the power is lost, the wealth will be lost, and the Central Plains will lose money. The fee for the common people is reduced to seven out of ten; the expenses for the public are reduced to six out of ten, including broken chariots, arrows and crossbows, halberds and oars, and oxen and carts. "The Central Plains here does not refer to the Central Plains. Region, "中" means center, and originally means "wilderness". It generally refers to the central area where domestic agriculture is developed. "Lu's Spring and Autumn Period Meng Dong Ji An Sheng" says: "Collecting it with precious jade is like exposing the corpse to the Central Plains." It means that using precious jade to bury the deceased after death is like exposing the corpse to the wilderness. There is a line in "Chu Ci·Jiu Si·Mourning for Luan" that goes "Wandering around the Central Plains, looking up to the sky and sighing", which also refers to wandering in the wilderness.

It was during the Spring and Autumn Period that the word Zhongyuan began to mean the Central Plains region. "Zuo Zhuan: The Twenty-Third Year of Duke Xi" records that Chong'er, the prince of Jin, went into exile to Chu State and was treated favorably by King Chu Cheng. When asked how to repay Chu State, Chong'er replied: "If you use your spirit as a king, you can rebel against Jin." In the state of Jin and Chu, when they encounter the Central Plains, they will take charge of the three houses. If they are not ordered to do so, they will hold whips on the left and 櫜枸 on the right to deal with the king. "The Central Plains here has the meaning of region. . "Guoyu·Jinyu III" records that on the issue of whether to accept the king of Jin, some people advocated killing him. Gongsun Zhi said: "No. It shames the people of the great country in the Central Plains and kills their king to punish him. The son wants to avenge his father. , I want to report to you. Although Qin is a small country, who in the world is not in trouble? "The Central Plains here means the vassal states of the Central Plains." In 482 AD, after Wu King Fu Chai met with Jin, Lu and Zhou in Huangchi, King Wu gained the dominance of the vassal states. King Wu ordered "Wang Sun Gou to report to Zhou". There is a sentence in it that says "In the past, people from Chu were not allowed to do anything." Dao, I don't accept the king's affairs. My ancestors, who are far away, can't bear to stay in the house. Regardless of his intention, the Chu army was defeated, and the king left his country and ended up in Ying." The Central Plains mentioned in tracing the deeds of our ancestors is a geographical concept.

About the Han Dynasty, the term Zhongyuan mostly referred to the Central Plains region. Regarding the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion that occurred during the reign of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, Zhufuyan commented: "However, we cannot invade the vast territory in the west and live in the Central Plains." This is because "the virtues of the former emperor have not declined, and the people who are content with the land and customs have not declined, so the princes No help from outside the country.” ("Historical Records" Volume 112 "Biographies of the Lords and Fathers of the Marquis of Pingjin") The Central Plains here refers to the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Xu Le once mentioned the Central Plains when explaining the "disintegration" in a letter to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, "What is disintegration? This is the army of Wu, Chu, Qi, and Zhao.

The Seven Kingdoms planned a great rebellion, and they were all called the King of Ten Thousand Chariots. He was armed with hundreds of thousands of armors, his authority was enough to control his territory, and his wealth was enough to persuade his soldiers and people. However, he could not conquer the land of this size from the west, and he was a bird in the Central Plains. This What's the reason? It's not that his power is less than that of an ordinary man and his soldiers are weaker than Chen She's. At that time, the virtue of the late emperor had not declined, and the people were peaceful and happy, so the princes had no outside help. This is called disintegration. Therefore, it is said that the world's troubles do not lie in disintegration. "("Book of Han", Volume 64, "The Biography of Xu Le") Here it is said that the kings of Wu and Chu were captured in the Central Plains.

Of course, in the Han Dynasty and after, the term "Central Plains" still refers to the wilderness people in history books. Existence, as Sima Xiangru once said when he was sent to the southwestern barbarians: In order to pass down the land to his descendants and make his name famous in future generations, "it is a wise man who spreads his liver and brain on the Central Plains and moistens the weeds with ointment without hesitation" (Volume 1 of "Historical Records"). 117 "The Biography of Sima Xiangru") Before Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty attacked South Vietnam, Yan assisted and persuaded: "There are no barking dogs in this area, which will cause the death of your Majesty's soldiers, expose the Central Plains, stain the valleys, and stain the people on the borders. For this reason, we should close it early and open it early. Chao will not be able to wait until the evening. Your majesty attaches great importance to the security of the minister. "("Hanshu" Volume 64, "The Biography of Yan Zhu") In the last years of Xin Mang, Wang Mang ordered Lian Dan to attack the Red Eyebrow Army in Shandong. When Lian Dan asked Feng Yan for his opinion, Feng Yan asked him to wait and see the changes, and Persuasion: "How can you overwhelm your army in the Central Plains, leave your body in the grassland, lose your fame and glory, and be ashamed of your ancestors? "(Book of the Later Han Dynasty, Volume 28 "Feng Yan Biography") The Central Plains mentioned in the "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" Volume 60 "Biography of Ma Rong", "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" Volume 65 "Biography of Huangfu Gui" and other volumes It still retains its original meaning.

Zhuge Liang said in "The Departure of the Army": "Now the south has been settled, and the soldiers and armor are sufficient. It is time to lead the three armies, and the central plains will be settled in the north. The common people will be exhausted, and the thieves will be driven out." , revived the Han Dynasty and returned to the old capital. "The Central Plains here refers to the Central Plains area. When Sun Quan informed the Shu Han of the title of honor, some people thought that they should sever ties with them. Zhuge Liang thought, "If we add Xian Jue now, we will be deeply entangled, so we should move our troops to the east to fight with them, and we must join forces with them. Earth is about discussing the Central Plains." ("Han, Jin, Spring and Autumn Annals") Chen Shou commented on Zhuge Liang and said: "Liang's ambition is as follows: when he advances, the dragon and the tiger look at him, and when he retreats, he desires to cross the borders of the mausoleum, shaking the whole world. And when he thought he had no body, no one could cross the Central Plains and compete with the superior country. Therefore, he used his troops without restraint and repeatedly showed off his military power. "(Volume 35 of "Three Kingdoms", "Book of Shu: Biography of Zhuge Liang") In the summer of the second year of Baoding, Sun Hao built a palace and "abandoned both farming and guarding". Huahe Shangshu advised: "Now we must fight for the Central Plains, and use Determining the strength and weakness according to the situation, one will benefit and one will lose, and it will cause hardship and hardship. This is the reason why heroes and wise men are deeply worried. " (Volume 65 of "Three Kingdoms" "Wu Shu·Hua He Biography") By the Jin Dynasty, especially the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Central Plains region began to be widely accepted as a geographical concept. According to incomplete statistics, "Jin Shu" involves " The word "Zhongyuan" appears in 55 volumes and appears 92 times, including 2 times in "Ji", 12 times in "Zhi", 30 times in "Ziji", and 48 times in "Biography". The highest frequency, and most of them are related to the ambition of the Jin Dynasty monarchs and ministers to regain the Central Plains. Here are a few examples. In the "Book of Jin", the words "Central Plains fell", "Central Plains were in chaos", "Central Plains fell", "death is everywhere". "Central Plains", "Central Plains in chaos", "Central Plains great chaos", "Conquer the Central Plains", "Central Plains is transformed", "Central Plains has no request for orders", etc. These words not only reveal the Central Plains complex of the Eastern Jin people, but also reflect the Central Plains sentiment during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. It has been regarded as a relatively fixed geographical unit. Later, the Song, Qi, Liang, Chen and other dynasties living in the Jiangnan region all followed the geographical concept of the Central Plains since the Eastern Jin Dynasty, which naturally included a strong Central Plains complex.

Even the Northern Wei Dynasty, which emerged from the northern desert region at that time, still inherited the concept of the Central Plains region and called the middle reaches of the Yellow River the Central Plains. This was frequently recorded in the "Book of Wei", Volume 1 of the "Book of Wei" "Preface to Chronicles of Emperor Pingwen" records that when Emperor Pingwen heard that Liu Yao had killed Emperor Min of Jin, he said to his subordinates: "There is no owner in the Central Plains. How can God support me?" "Emperor Daowu widely absorbed Han people into the ruling group. It is said in history that "when the emperor first expanded the Central Plains, he paid close attention to comfort and comfort. All the scholars and officials, no matter how young or old, were introduced to the military, and they all introduced them and gave them advice. They asked all the people and they were all incompetent. "Xianmengxuyong". (Book of Wei, Volume 2 "Taizu Ji") In December of the seventh year of Taihe, Emperor Xiaowen issued an edict prohibiting marriages between people with the same surname. When summarizing the reasons why previous emperors did not prohibit this phenomenon, he said : "The emperor's fortune was first established, the Central Plains was not in chaos, the economy was in chaos, and the day was busy. The ancient customs were simple and simple, but they were not changed. Later, they followed the rules and never changed. "When the salary system was implemented in Ban in June of the eighth year of Taihe, he concluded that the social situation in the Northern Wei Dynasty at that time was "Since the Central Plains was in chaos, the current system has been eliminated. The previous dynasties followed the rules and did not change them."

(Book of Wei, Volume 7, "Gao Zu Ji 1") Emperor Xiaoming issued an edict in the leap month of November of the second year of Xiaochang: "The old capital of Qing Dynasty fell, the Central Plains was in chaos, and the children of the clan were registered in the seven temples. Those who are detained and humiliated by miscellaneous households will be ignored." (Book of Wei, Volume 8, "Su Zong Ji") These materials show that the rulers of the Northern Wei Dynasty had a very clear understanding of the Central Plains as a region. In the biography of "Book of Wei", "the Central Plains collapses", "the Central Plains is in chaos", "the Central Plains is still in chaos", "the Central Plains is in ruins", "the Central Plains is the scene of battle", "the Central Plains has no owner" and "the Central Plains is peaceful". ", "Dingzhongyuan", "Zhongyuan", "Zhongyuan is at peace", "Zhongyuan is slightly settled", "Guangzhai Zhongyuan", "Moving Zhongyuan", "Guanghua Zhongyuan", "Managing Zhongyuan", "Zhongyuan" Terms such as "Ping", "Crossing the Central Plains", "Zhongyuan Zhaojian" and "Central Plains Crown Belt" have all proved that in the minds of the Northern Wei people, the Central Plains was already a region. The Central Plains are also treated as a region in "Book of Zhou" and "Book of Northern Qi".

The above argument shows that since the Eastern Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Central Plains region has appeared in people's vision as a relatively complete geographical concept, and every subsequent dynasty has followed the geographical category of the Central Plains region. For example, Lu You of the Song Dynasty wrote "Wang Shibei sets the day for the Central Plains. Don't forget to inform Naiweng of family sacrifices." As a famous saying that has been passed down through the ages, it contains the Southern Song Dynasty people's obsession with the Central Plains and can be compared with the people of the Six Dynasties. The 1936 edition of "Cihai" copied by Zhonghua Book Company explained the word "Central Plains" as follows: "In ancient times, Henan and its surrounding areas were called the Central Plains. In the Eastern Jin and Southern Song Dynasties, some people also referred to the lower reaches of the Yellow River as the Central Plains." (P84) It may be based on the above history. derived from facts. "Ciyuan" explains "Central Plains": "The Central Plains in the narrow sense refers to the area around present-day Henan. The Central Plains in the broad sense refers to the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River or the entire Yellow River Basin."

Based on what has been discussed above, we believe that, As a geographical concept, the Central Plains region has gone through a long historical stage since it was proposed and finally recognized and accepted by people. Around the Spring and Autumn Period, the Central Plains region began to appear as a geographical concept, but it was not accepted by people. After the development of the Han Dynasty, the term "Zhongyuan" still refers to the concept of wilderness and geography. This is why the term "Zhongyuan" cannot completely refer to the Central Plains region in the history books of the Han Dynasty. During the Six Dynasties, due to the fall of the Western Jin Dynasty, the Yellow River Basin was occupied by ethnic minorities, and a large number of residents moved south. Although these people who left their hometowns wandered in foreign lands, they still never forgot their homeland. Therefore, the "Central Plains" was not mentioned or valued by people in the past. " began to appear frequently in people's mouth as a region.