| 摘要: | 本文以清代文人李海觀結合其仕宦經驗所創作的長篇白話小說《歧路燈》為研究對象，探討康雍乾時期河南地方衙門的官場運作與基層胥吏的真實處境。小說內容廣泛，涵蓋教育文化、地方風俗與官場生態，並細膩呈現胥吏在訴訟、刑名與日常行政中所扮演的角色，及其與百姓、官員之間的互動樣態，為清代基層行政研究提供了豐富補充。
研究方法採歷史文獻分析，結合《大清會典》、《清實錄》、《清朝通典》等官方文獻，交互比對文本與史實，探討小說中「過稅」、「打抽豐」等各種陋規的運作方式與社會作用。由於官吏與胥役薪俸有限，這些陋規成為維持行政運作的必要手段，卻也衍生出對百姓的壓榨與權力濫用，反映基層制度性資源不足的現實。小說中有書吏索賄、捕役訛詐的真實描寫，亦透過理想官員形象傳達對清廉政治的期望。
本研究認為，《歧路燈》所呈現的胥吏並非單純出於道德缺失，而是處於制度結構所造成的矛盾之中，其行為在維持國家治理基層運作的同時，也反映出清代政治與社會結構的局限。
;This study takes as its subject Qi Ludeng, a lengthy vernacular novel written by the Qing dynasty literatus Li Haiguan, who drew heavily upon his own bureaucratic experience. The novel offers a valuable lens into the operations of local government and the lived realities of low-ranking clerks (xuli) in yamen offices during the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong reigns, with a particular focus on Henan province. Covering a wide range of themes—including education, local customs, and official culture—it provides a detailed portrayal of the roles played by clerks and runners in litigation, criminal administration, and routine bureaucratic affairs, as well as their complex interactions with magistrates and commoners alike.
The research adopts a historical-documentary approach, analyzing the novel in conjunction with official records such as the Collected Statutes of the Great Qing (Da Qing Hui Dian), the Veritable Records (Qing Shilu), and the Comprehensive Institutions of the Qing Dynasty (Qingchao Tongdian). Through cross-referencing fiction and historical sources, the study examines how informal practices such as gou shui and da choufeng functioned within the administrative system and shaped social relations. As the official salaries of both magistrates and clerical staff were insufficient, these extralegal customs emerged as necessary mechanisms to sustain day-to-day governance. However, they also opened space for exploitation and abuse of power, reflecting the chronic scarcity of state resources at the local level. The novel includes vivid depictions of bribery by clerks and extortion by constables, while simultaneously presenting upright, idealized magistrates to articulate an aspiration for moral governance.
This study argues that the clerks depicted in Qi Ludeng should not be seen simply as morally deficient individuals, but as products of a structural contradiction: their actions were indispensable to the functioning of local administration, yet they also expose the institutional and social limitations of the Qing state. |
