International Social Science Journal (Chinese Edition)

No.3, 2025

 

 

Lin Yin-Hsiang

 

This paper attempts to glean insights into Chen Shou’s reception and use of the Zuo Zhuan in his Sanguozhi, aiming to outline Chen Shou’s possible intellectual lineage in Chun Qiu studies through internal textual analysis, Focusing on Chen Shou’s Sanguozhi as the primary object of study and adopting an intertextual perspective centered on classical citation and allusion, this study closely examines Chen Shou’s possible reception and adaptation of the Zuo Zhuan. Ultimately, it identifies 29 types and 56 instances of vocabulary and references adapted or drawn from the Zuo Zhuan in the narrative of the Sanguozhi. Among these, military terms are particularly prominent—11 of the 29 types and 27 of the 56 instances are military-related. Proportionally, this accounts for approximately one-third to one-half of the total examples. Chen Shou’s adaptation and use of the Zuo Zhuan in the Sanguozhi clearly show a marked emphasis on military language. These findings support the view that Chen Shou’s historiography in the Sanguozhi was deeply influenced and enriched by his classical studies, particularly of the Chun Qiu tradition as represented by the Zuo Zhuan. Through such analysis, we may catch a glimpse of Chen Shou’s engagement with Chun Qiu scholarship.