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儀衛誌三 〈（符印）〉
Ceremonial Guards, Part Three (Seals and Imprints)〉
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傳國寶，秦始皇作，用藍玉，螭紐，六面，其正面文「受命於天，既壽永昌」，魚鳥篆，子嬰以上漢高祖。 王莽篡漢，平皇后投璽殿階，螭角微玷。 獻帝失之，孫堅得於井中，傳至孫權，以歸於魏。 魏文帝隸刻肩際曰「大魏受漢傳國之寶」。 唐更名「受命寶」。 晉亡歸遼。 自三國以來，僭偽諸國往往模擬私制，歷代府庫所藏不一，莫辨真偽。 聖宗開泰十年，馳驛取石晉所上玉璽於中京。 興宗重熙七年，以《有傳國寶者為正統賦》試進士。 天祚保大二年，遺傳國璽於桑乾河。
The imperial jade seal of dynastic transmission was fashioned by the First Emperor of Qin from blue jade, with a chilong knob and six faces. On its front was inscribed, "Having received the mandate from Heaven, may you enjoy long life and enduring prosperity," in fish-and-bird seal script. Ziying of Qin surrendered it to Emperor Gaozu of Han. When Wang Mang seized the Han throne, Empress Ping hurled the seal down the palace steps, chipping the chilong horn slightly. Emperor Xian lost possession of it; Sun Jian recovered it from a well. It passed down to Sun Quan, who in turn surrendered it to Wei. Emperor Wen of Wei had clerical script carved along the shoulder reading, "Great Wei receives the Han imperial transmission seal." The Tang renamed it the "Seal of Received Mandate." When Later Jin collapsed, the seal passed to the Liao. From the Three Kingdoms onward, rival regimes frequently forged their own imitations in private. What successive dynastic treasuries kept varied so widely that none could tell the genuine seal from the copies. In the tenth year of the Kaotai era (1021), during the reign of Emperor Shengzong, an express courier was sent to retrieve the jade seal that Later Jin had surrendered, which was kept at Zhongjing. In the seventh year of the Chongxi era (1038), during the reign of Emperor Xingzong, candidates for the presented-scholar degree were tested with the essay topic, "Whoever Holds the Imperial Transmission Seal Holds Legitimate Rule." In the second year of the Baoda era (1122), the last Liao emperor Tianzuo lost the imperial transmission seal in the Sanggan River.
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玉印，太宗破晉北歸，得於汴宮，藏隨駕庫。 穆宗應歷二年，詔用太宗舊寶。 御前寶，金鑄，文曰「御前之寶」，以印臣僚宣命。 詔書寶，文曰「書詔之寶」，凡書詔批答用之。
The jade seal: when Emperor Taizong defeated Later Jin and marched north, he took it from the palace at Bianjing and placed it in the traveling imperial vault. In the second year of the Yingli era (952), Emperor Muzong issued an edict directing that Taizong's former seal be used. The Before-the-Throne Seal was cast in gold and bore the inscription "Treasure Before the Throne." It was used to stamp edicts conveying the emperor's commands to officials. The Edict Document Seal bore the inscription "Treasure of Written Edicts" and was used for all written edicts and imperial replies.
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契丹寶，受契丹冊儀，符寶郎捧寶置御坐東。 金印三，晉帝所上，其文未詳。
The Khitan Treasure: during the ceremony of Khitan imperial investiture, the officer of seals and regalia bore the seal and set it to the east of the throne. Three gold seals, presented by the Later Jin emperor; the texts inscribed on them are not recorded.
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皇太后寶，制未詳。 天顯二年，應天皇太后稱制，群臣上璽綬。 冊承天皇太后儀，符寶郎奉寶置皇太后坐右。 皇后印，文曰「皇后教印」。
The Empress Dowager Seal; its specifications are not recorded. In the second year of the Tianxian era (927), Empress Dowager Yingtian assumed regency, and the assembled ministers presented her with the seal and investiture cord. In the ceremony investing Empress Dowager Chengtian, the officer of seals and regalia bore the seal and placed it to the right of the empress dowager's seat. The empress's seal bore the inscription "Empress's Instruction Seal."
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皇太子寶，未詳其制。 重熙九年冊皇太子儀，中書令授皇太子寶。 印吏部印，文曰「吏部之印」，銀鑄，以印文官制誥。 兵部印，文曰「兵部之印」，銀鑄，以印軍職制誥。
The crown prince's seal; its specifications are not recorded. In the ceremony investing the crown prince in the ninth year of the Chongxi era (1040), the director of the secretariat presented the crown prince's seal. The Ministry of Personnel seal bore the inscription "Seal of the Ministry of Personnel." Cast in silver, it was used to stamp appointment documents for civil officials. The Ministry of War seal bore the inscription "Seal of the Ministry of War." Cast in silver, it was used to stamp appointment documents for military officers.
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契丹樞密院、契丹諸行軍部署、漢人樞密院、中書省、漢人諸宮都部署印，並銀鑄。 文不過六字以上，以銀朱為色。
The seals of the Khitan Privy Council, the Khitan field army commands, the Han Privy Council, the Secretariat, and the Han palace command offices were all cast in silver. Their inscriptions ran no longer than six characters, and they were stamped in silver-vermilion paste.
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南北王以下內外百司印，並銅鑄，以黃丹為色，諸稅務以赤石為色。
Seals from the southern and northern princes down through every inner and outer government office were cast in bronze and stamped in yellow cinnabar paste; tax offices used red stone paste.
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杓窊印，杓窊，鷙鳥之總名，以為印紐，取疾速之義。 行軍詔賜將帥用之。 道宗賜耶律仁先鷹紐印，即此。 符契
The diaowa seal took its knob from the diaowa, a general term for birds of prey, signifying speed and urgency. It was used when edicts on campaign were bestowed upon generals. When Emperor Daozong granted Yelü Renxian a seal with an eagle knob, it was of this kind. Tally Tokens
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自大賀氏八部用兵，則合契而動，不過刻木為牉合。 太祖受命，易以金魚。
From the days of the Greater He clan's eight divisions, armies moved only when the tally halves were joined—nothing more elaborate than carved wooden pieces made to fit together. After Emperor Taizu received Heaven's mandate, wooden tallies gave way to golden fish tokens.
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金魚符七枚，黃金鑄，長六寸，各有字號，每魚左右判合之。 有事，以左半先授守將，使者執右半，大小、長短、字號合同，然後發兵。 事訖，歸於內府。
There were seven golden fish tallies, cast in pure gold and six inches long. Each bore its own serial number and was split into left and right halves that fit together. When troops were to be mobilized, the left half was first delivered to the defending commander while the envoy carried the right half. Only when size, length, and serial number matched would the army be sent out. When the mission was complete, the tallies were returned to the inner treasury.
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銀牌二百面，長尺，刻以國字，文曰「宜速」，又曰「敕走馬牌」。 國有重事，皇帝以牌親授使者，手劄給驛馬若干。 驛馬闕，取它馬代。 法，晝夜馳七百里，其次五百里。 所至如天子親臨，須索更易，無敢違者。 使回，皇帝親受之，手封牌印郎君收掌。
There were two hundred silver plaques, each a foot long, inscribed in the Khitan script with the words "Make haste." They were also known as "imperial edict galloping-horse plaques." When the state faced urgent business, the emperor personally handed the plaque to the envoy and by his own hand specified how many relay horses were to be provided. If relay horses were unavailable, other horses were commandeered in their place. By regulation, couriers rode seven hundred li between dawn and dusk; the secondary standard was five hundred li. Wherever they arrived, it was as though the Son of Heaven were present in person. Relay stations had to furnish fresh mounts on demand, and none dared refuse. When the envoy returned, the emperor received the plaque in person and sealed it by hand for the officer charged with keeping plaques and seals.
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木契，正面為陽，背面為陰，閣門喚仗則用之。 朝賀之禮，宣徽使請陽面木契下殿，至於殿門，以契授西上閣門使云：「授契行勘。」 勘契官聲喏，跪受契，舉手勘契同，俯、興，鞠躬，奏「內外勘契同。」 閣門使云：「準敕勘契，行勘。」 勘契官執陰面木契聲喏，平身立，少退近後，引聲云「軍將門仗官」，齊聲喏。 勘契官云：「內出喚仗木契一隻，準敕付左右金吾仗行勘。」 勘契官云「合不合」，門仗官云「合」，凡再。 勘契官云「同不同」，門仗官云「同」，亦再。 勘契官近前鞠躬，奏：「勘官左金吾引駕仗、勾畫都知某官某，對禦勘同。」 平身，少退近後，右手舉契云：「其契謹付閣門使進入。」 閣門使引聲喏，門仗官下聲喏。 勘契官跪以契授，閣門使上殿納契，宣徽使受契。 閣門使下殿，奉敕喚仗。
The wooden tally had a yang face on the front and a yin face on the back. It was used when the Gate Office summoned the guard detachment. During the congratulatory audience ceremony, the commissioner of the palace secretariat requested that the yang-face wooden tally be brought down from the hall. At the hall gate he handed it to the western upper gate commissioner, saying, "Present the tally and proceed with verification. The tally-verification officer shouted his acknowledgment, knelt to receive the tally, and held it up to confirm the halves matched. He bowed low, straightened, and reported, "The inner and outer tallies agree." The gate commissioner said, "By imperial edict, verify the tally and proceed with inspection." The tally-verification officer took up the yin-face wooden tally, shouted his acknowledgment, stood erect, and stepped slightly back. In a carrying voice he called, "Officers of the gate guard detachment," and all shouted acknowledgment together. The tally-verification officer announced, "One inner wooden tally for summoning the guard has been issued. By imperial edict it is handed to the left and right Golden Crow guard officers for verification. The tally-verification officer asked, "Do they match?" The gate-guard officer answered, "They match"—this exchange was repeated twice. The tally-verification officer asked, "Are they identical?" The gate-guard officer answered, "They are identical"—again, twice. The tally-verification officer stepped forward, bowed, and reported, "Verification officer of the left Golden Crow escort guard and the supervising arrangements director, [official's name], have verified before the throne and found the tallies in agreement. He straightened, stepped slightly back, raised the tally in his right hand, and said, "This tally is respectfully handed to the gate commissioner for presentation within." The gate commissioner shouted his acknowledgment in a carrying voice; the gate-guard officer answered in a lower voice. The tally-verification officer knelt and handed over the tally. The gate commissioner ascended the hall to deposit it, and the palace secretariat commissioner received it. The gate commissioner descended the hall and, by imperial command, called out the guard.
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木箭，內箭為雄，外箭為雌，皇帝行幸則用之。 還宮，勘箭官執雌箭，東上閣門使執雄箭，如勘契之儀，詳具《禮儀志》。
Wooden arrows: the inner arrow was the male half, the outer the female half. They were used when the emperor went on progress. On returning to the palace, the arrow-verification officer held the female arrow while the eastern upper gate commissioner held the male arrow, following the same ceremony as tally verification. The full procedure is recorded in the Treatise on Ritual Protocol.