Controversy over the Rite of Princes' Audience With Emperor in the Study of Spring and Autumn Annals in the Han Dynasty

Controversy over rites has been a very important issue in the arguments between the contemporary scripture school and the ancient scripture school in the Han Dynasty. The different interpretations of Spring and Autumn Annals in Commentary of Gongyang and The Tradition of Zuo are actually resulted from the different understanding of the ancient ritual system. In the case of princes' audience with emperor, Commentary of Gongyang and The Tradition of Zuo differ in the interpretaions of such issues as fief, manor estate, etc. Thus, a good understanding of the ritual studies in the Han Dynasty benefits the interpretation of Spring and Autumn Annals, while an acquaintance with the study of Spring and Autumn Annals in the Han Dynasty enhances the understanding of the ancient rite system. The inter-relationship of the two proves that a characteristic feature of classics study in the Han Dynasty is mutual corroboration.