霍光与盐铁会议之关系辨

学界历来认为霍光是参加盐铁会议的贤良、文学的幕后指使人,而盐铁会议则是霍光、桑弘羊矛盾斗争的具体展现。其实盐铁会议的召开并非霍光事先策划的;霍光是昭帝时期的实际执政者,以其权势、地位,不必借助无实权的贤良、文学等儒生的力量即可决定政策兴废;贤良、文学能够“直言极谏”,正是西汉选举制度所要求的,并非受霍光指使而为。

The Relationship between Huo Guang and the Meeting on Salt and Iron

The academic circle has insisted that Xian Liang and Wen Xue who had attended the meeting on salt and iron acted under Huo Guang's instigation, and that meeting was a concrete reflection of the contradiction between Huo Guang and Sang Hongyang. The essay refutes this argument and points out that the meeting on salt and iron was not schemed behind the scene by Huo Guang; Huo Guang was the person in power in Zhao-Di period. He had so great power and influence that he did not need to draw support from Xian Liang and Wen Xue who had no power and influence. That Xian Liang and Wen Xue could use blunt words to remonstrate was appropriate and requisite according to the electoral system of the Western Han Dynasty.