| 摘要: | 孝定李太后與鄭貴妃在和明神宗的關係上，一位是生母，一位是寵妃，對於神宗而言，兩位均是十分重要的女性。雖然明代對於后妃的約束十分嚴格，不過就萬曆朝甚至整個明代來看，李太后與鄭貴妃的影響力，顯然並不只侷限於內廷，對於國家朝政均具有不可忽視的影響力。然而李太后與鄭貴妃，既是婆媳關係，也是皇太后與貴妃的關係，以兩人在當時的角色，雙方的互動對於政局，具有關鍵性的影響。
本文首先探討兩人的背景與生平，透過分析可發現兩人不論是出身背景，或是晉陞過程，均有十分雷同之處。其次，本文探討帝制下後宮權力之運作狀況，筆者將從宮廷禮制、宗教觀，以及處事態度等面向，來探討兩人的權力運作。最終，筆者將比較李太后與鄭貴妃，其行誼與政治觀點的異同，並藉此以反映兩人的互動關係。
筆者藉本文之研究，不僅著眼於宮闈內女性的互動，並希望能以更多元的角度，來分析後人對李太后與鄭貴妃的評價。整體而言，李太后以正面評價居多，鄭貴妃則以負面評價居多。而明代政治局勢的發展，亦正巧於此一時期，成為國勢由強轉弱的關鍵時期，因此不論孝定李太后或是鄭貴妃，對於明代之政局，均有既深且遠的影響。在男性主導的政治運作中，這兩位女性的角色和互動，是不容忽視之一視角。
;The relationship between Empress Dowager XiaodingLee and Imperial Honoured ConsortZheng in the relationship with Emperor Ming Shenzong is that one is a biological mother and the other is a favored concubine. For Shenzong, they both are very important women. Although in the Ming dynasty, the rules for the empress and imperial concubines were very strict. However, from the perspective of the Wanli Dynasty and even the entire Ming Dynasty, the influence of the Empress Dowager Lee and Imperial Honoured ConsortZheng is obviously not confined to the Inner Court. They have non-negligible influence on the national affairs. Nevertheless, the relationship between the Empress Dowager Lee and Imperial Honoured ConsortZheng is not only a relationship between mother-in-law and wife, but also the relationship between the Empress Dowager and the imperial concubines. With the roles of the two at that time, the interaction between the two parties has a crucial influence on the political situation.
This article first explores the background and life of the two people. Through analysis, they can find that both of them have similar backgrounds or progress in promotion. Secondly, this article discusses the operation of the harem power under the imperial system. The author will discuss the power operation of the two from the aspects of court etiquette, religion, and attitude. In the end, the author will compare the similarities and differences between Empress Dowager Lee and Imperial Honoured ConsortZheng on their behavior and political views, and use this to reflect the interactive relationship between the two.
The author′s study of this article is not only focuses on the interaction of women within the palace, but also hopes to analyze later generations′ evaluations of Empress Dowager Lee and Imperial Honoured ConsortZheng from multiple perspectives. On the whole, Empress Dowager Lee was mostly positively appraised, while Imperial Honoured ConsortZheng was mostly negatively appraised. The development of the political situation in the Ming Dynasty coincided with this period and became a critical period for the transformation of the national situation from strong to weak. Therefore, whether Empress Dowager Lee or Imperial Honoured ConsortZheng, they both had a profound and far-reaching influence on the political situation of the Ming Dynasty. In male-dominated political operations, the roles and interactions of the two women are one perspective that cannot be ignored. |
