康熙的红票：全球化中的清朝

by Litian Swen, 孙立天

2019年北京春季艺术品拍卖会上，出现了一张康熙皇帝1716年发去欧洲的谕令，内容是寻找他派去罗马多年而杳无音讯的洋钦差。这份谕令呈朱红色，历史上又称“红票”。因正史中没有记载，红票的来历一直成谜。康熙为何会派西洋传教士做钦差？派他们到欧洲去所为何事？

本书以红票作为叙事切入点，抽丝剥茧，围绕清初皇室特别是康熙帝与汤若望、南怀仁为代表的北京传教士群体之间的互动，抉出了一段中国与西洋深度接触的往事。

进入中国的西洋传教士，与中国各阶层有着广泛的接触，上至皇帝高官、下至贩夫走卒，他们的交往交织着文化碰撞与私人恩怨，纠缠着国际竞争与内闱宫斗。

作者精读中西文献，细加论证，在诸如清初历狱、中西礼仪之争、雍正禁教等热点问题上均有原创性见解，并对流传已久的“闭关锁国”“朝贡体系”“文明冲突”等历史论调提出了质疑，是一本学术性与通俗性兼具的佳作。

Genres: History, China

400 pages, Hardcover

Published March 1, 2024

Reviews

[Eressea · Rating 4 out of 5]

這本剛出的時候有關注一下
但中國亞馬遜沒得買電子書，就想說算了
最近禁不住讀書群組的推坑
跟著網友團購一本來讀讀看

本書從明末清初寫起
描述天主教傳教士為了順利傳教
如何從交通士大夫轉變為結交滿人權貴
於是在康熙一朝策略大獲成功
一舉成了皇帝本人的包衣奴才
直到雍正繼位禁教為止

我本來就很喜歡海交史
清初曆獄，禮儀之爭和明清之際的天主教
多少都知道一點
於是看本書作者的提出之前沒讀過的新事證和新論點
讀起來很嗨，一邊吐嘈一邊看還有什麼是自己不知道的

譬如講到康熙爺優寵耶穌會，將傳教士置於內務府之下
皇帝心裡想的的是滿人主奴關係
至於對耶穌會乃至天主教士那麼喜歡
是因為七歲起耶穌會就給他洗腦，培養康熙的西學素養
講到禮儀之爭，一開始康熙認為是教內紛爭與他無關
就不大搭理，後來搞清楚教庭想要控制自己心愛的北京耶穌會士
就決定為耶穌會撐腰了
至於禁教與否只是談判策略
只要不影響在京傳教士在內庭供職
康熙也就不甚在乎傳不傳教了
這些以前讀的書都沒提到過

但整本書把耶穌會捧得老高
又讓人覺得有些狐疑
這些人真的對康熙的國政有那麼大影響嗎?
譬如講到尼布楚談判，大清這方由耶穌會士主導
兩個滿人欽差只是擺設，而耶穌會有多麼得忠於康熙爺的利益
俄羅斯人不太相信耶穌會的人
想盡辦法要接觸名義上的談判代表滿人權貴
總算找到蒙古通譯直接跟滿大人對談
滿大人卻還是以耶穌會意見為主
但在中國西征這本書裡，就沒那麼正面評價耶穌會在尼布楚
中國西征裡覺得耶穌會談判有自己的私心
不完全照顧中國利益

另外當看到教士們倚仗內務府的名號
中央到地方各級官員個個都要巴結
深受儒家荼毒的我不免想到這不就是標準昏君作為嗎
但本書只略微寫到康熙爺要教士們注意一點
外面對你們很吃味，朕也不能太過偏坦你們
這怎麼看都不符合本書說的康熙爺英明神武啊XD

最後覺得本書過於唯心論了
譬如耶穌會靠的是滿人裙帶關係
康熙爺對西學造詣甚深，又需要西學來辦事
於是繞過正規朝庭系統，將西學相關的事交給內務府辦
當作自己的家事，於是康熙的主觀喜好造就了耶穌會的盛世
而雍正爺喜歡佛教，天生跟教士們不合
新皇登基，內務府人事搬風
耶穌會就倒楣了
所以作者說四爺禁教主因是個人喜好
跟禮儀之爭，跟九王奪嫡無甚關係

康熙爺從傳教士那邊學來的英明神武
學到的最新國際情勢
終究沒辦法改變朝堂
其實依本書的說法
朝堂根本不知道康熙爺透過傳教士幹了啥XD
康熙之後經過雍正禁教的傳教士們
總算捱到乾隆爺上台又開始對西洋有興趣
但這時耶穌會於歐陸失勢
再也沒辦法給乾隆更多新知了
於是作者惋惜歷史的如果
是不是能造就一個不一樣的中國
綜合下來就是很唯心的論點

但作者從滿文紀錄中
讀出耶穌會如何在清朝站穩
曆獄，禮儀之爭和雍正禁教
與滿人主奴觀念的關係
還有天主教士們帶給中國的各種學問
各種舊案新說，還是很值得一讀的
讓我在年末又快速讀完一本紙本書

[Donowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

现如今三缄其口，我们这些读者也只能在字里行间抠出与当下时局有关的部分。包括两年前的《翦商》，都是揭开和解读过去的秘闻，如小说般好读。落地生根中国多年、熟谙官场门道的传教士及时转换了身份，成了皇亲国戚的包衣奴才，应了那句“不看僧面看佛面”，不平等的主奴关系是虚，遥不可及的特权才是实。康熙雪中送炭，传教士投桃报李，恰逢国力强盛，才换来了中国历史上首个与西方国家签订的平等边界条约。传教士跟对了康熙，把宗教内部纠纷上升成国事，最后又以家事来收尾；却赌错了雍正，成了雍正个人集权的障碍。容教是“家天下”框架的有限开放，又可以从禁天主教以小窥大，与世界脱轨仅凭皇帝个人好恶，宗教本土化困难重重，但深究这不过是召之即来、挥之即去，服务于专制皇权的工具罢了。

[Annie Yang-Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

引人入胜，好久不曾体会手不释卷的快乐了。本书以详尽的史实材料为佐证丝丝入扣地还原了明末清初北京传教士所处社会环境的文化肌理，追溯了天主教在华发展的起落始末。即使是史学外行都能感受到这些史料翔实的精细梳理之下对当时文化环境的重新解读与事件发生的逻辑推演富有新意，意义重大。同时这里着眼具体个体的角度以及平视的姿态（无论是中西文化之间、古今评价之间还是对人物的解读手法上）令我动容。当年读《明朝那些事》意识到了历史是由一个个鲜活的生命组成的，对一个人物寥寥数笔只言片语的记述，却是人家花了一辈子度过的一生；也许时间线落在纸上只是几个字的跳转，但对于历史中的人物而言哪一段不是一秒秒、一分分、一日日、一月月、一年年走过的。本书作者则进一步让我看到了个人在历史洪流中摸索挣扎，但历史本身也是由不计其数的个体累积出的变量总和。而求得对人的一份平视的理解，是历史——或者任何一门人文学科——对我而言经久不衰的魅力所在，世间温暖之所存。在此摘录卷末作者对自己史观的表达：

“历史应该最少有两次评判。一是当时的人——历史参与者流露出的主观感觉，这可以算作一种评判。二是后来人综合历史上下文的评判。这两种评判可以不同，但是后来的历史评判不能无视当时人自身的感受。……后来人的历史评判，需要在当时人的行为和感受基础上来做评判。如果完全不考虑当时人的主观感受，而站在现代科学的立场，认为他的苦行没有价值和意义，那就跟当时历史没有了关系，这种评判严格讲也不属于历史研究。”

“寻找历史规律主导了现当代历史研究，同时也支配了现当代的历史书写。这一影响最具体的表现就是史家热衷于讲抽象的‘大’历史，而忽视了历史中的个人和那些有血有肉的细节，以及个体生命轨迹中展现出的偶然性和不确定性。……但如果我们能够接受历史并不抽象，它就是由一个一个鲜活的个体共同演绎出来的，那么我们就应该重视历史中的个人，以及接受个人命运及其带有的偶然性和不可测部分都可能会影响到历史。……历史在一个个的个人选择中充满着不可预料的偶然，正如我们现在的世界在个人决策下充满着不可预测的偶然一样。现在的世事就是未来的历史，而历史就是以前的世事。……庙堂之上的变动，我们后来者似乎能带着‘后见之明’来评点一番；但变动发生前，谁也预料不到，哪有什么规律可总结？史家要做的，也许就是把发生过的故事和细节挖掘出来就好。”

最后以书末《致谢》中对朱维铮教授的缅怀作为此篇结尾。“另一位给我写推荐信的是朱维铮（1936-2012）教授。朱维铮教授是历史系的前辈，并没有给本科生上课。我选修了他的学生廖梅老师开的“中国史学史”。最后几堂课廖老师是请朱维铮教授来上的，他现场给我们写的文章打分。我当时得到了A-，这个成绩一直让我引以为傲，因为朱维铮老师从没有给出过A。后来经廖梅老师引荐，我找到朱维铮教授谈了出国读书的想法，正巧我要做的传教士选题和他对这段历史的理解有切合之处（这在本书第二章有呈现），朱维铮教授于是同意帮我出推荐信。还记得在签名前，他拿起笔，又放下，看着我说：‘认真做点东西，不要只是出去混个文凭。’殷殷叮嘱，言犹在耳。”

言犹在耳，感佩站在巨人肩膀上继续认真做事的作者，并以此为榜样自勉。

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

这本书价值之处通过微观史纠正了清初对于天主教，西学以及外交方面的传统观点. 传统观点认为，清朝对外关系以朝贡体系为核心，带有浓厚的封闭性和内向性。然而，书摘揭示，康熙时期清朝已经开始展现出早期全球化互动的特征，并萌发了公共外交的意识，“红票”事件是康熙时期公共外交意识萌芽的典型体现。康熙试图通过“红票”-这样一封公开信 直接向欧洲宣告他对礼仪之争的立场，并借助西方商船将信息传播到欧洲。这是一种绕过传统外交渠道，直接影响欧洲舆论的尝试，体现了早期公共外交的雏形。

对”礼仪之争”超越简化的“文明冲突论”范式，摘录揭示了康熙时期文化互动中更加细致入微和务实的现实。

内务府展现的清初政治的“家国同构”特性，以及康熙如何巧妙地利用内务府这一“家”的机构来处理“国”事，展现皇权运作的微观机制，而这种家天下即皇帝的“家事”与“国事”并非截然二分，内务府作为皇帝的私府，却能承担重要的政治功能，甚至参与到国家对外关系和宗教事务的管理中。

[Barack Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

559-Kangxi's Red Ticket-Sun Litian-2024-History

Barack
2025/03/02

"Kangxi's Red Tickets" was first published in 2024. It uses red tickets as a narrative entry point, unravels the interaction between the imperial family of the early Qing Dynasty, especially Emperor Kangxi, and the Beijing missionary group represented by Johann Adam Schall von Bell and Ferdinand Verbiest, and uncovers a period of in-depth contact and communication between China and the West.

Sun Litian, Bachelor of History from Fudan University, Master of History from Columbia University, and Ph.D. in History from the City University of New York . He is currently an independent scholar .

In 2019, at the Beijing Spring Art Auction, an edict sent to Europe during the reign of Emperor Kangxi attracted the attention of historians. This edict, also known as the "Red Ticket", was written in red, and described how Emperor Kangxi had sent Western missionaries to the West in 1706 and 1708, but never heard back. The existence of the Red Ticket was not mentioned in any official history book of the Qing Dynasty. In recent years, as 18 Red Tickets scattered around the world have been discovered, the historical information conveyed by these small letters has attracted more and more attention.

Table of Contents
Part I Westerners Entering the Circle of Power in the Qing Dynasty
Chapter 1 Tong's servant
Chapter 2 Missionaries in the Manchu-Han Dispute
Chapter 3 From the elimination of Oboi to the negotiation of the Treaty of Nerchinsk
Part 2 Red Tickets and Sino-Western Exchanges
Chapter 5 The papal delegation and the foreign envoys sent by Emperor Kangxi
Chapter 6 The Legation of Peter the Great and the New Legation of the Pope
Part 3: Silence after Glory
Chapter 7: Yongzheng's Struggle for the Throne and His Ban on Religion

At the beginning, the author first introduces two lesser-known missionaries, Li Lisi and An Wensi. Compared with Tang Ruowang, these people are much less well-known in history. However, the reason why we often only focus on the most eye-catching big figures when looking back on history is not because others are not important, but because of the limited attention and energy of human beings themselves. In fact, everything that is happening now is the result of the accumulation of various events in the past. The impact of large historical events is obvious, but those seemingly small factors are also indispensable. Just like the lack of a drop of water in the sea does not seem to change its appearance immediately, but from another perspective, every drop of water may also be an indispensable part of the whole. The author also discusses the close connection between missionary work and the sale of Western cannons. On the surface, missionary work is an activity related to faith and spirituality, but in the specific historical field, it is closely related to the introduction and sale of cannons. The use of Western cannons by the Ming and Qing armies was actually a technological revolution that affected the course of the Ming and Qing wars. It also provides us with a typical case: even though religious or spiritual factors seem to be far removed from politics and the military on the surface, in reality, they are often intertwined with each other and ultimately have a profound impact on the development of history.

I have always had a deep respect for those who leave their homeland and go to other places to preach. After coming to the United States, I have a more intuitive understanding of the experiences of missionaries . We often only hear about a few missionaries like Johann Adam Schall von Bell who "are doing well", but in fact, most people are far from living comfortably in their own country. They left their homes and faced unfamiliar environments and cultural barriers, but they still insisted on spreading their faith. This is not only about preaching to people without faith, but also about converting believers of other religions, which is difficult to imagine. If you only rely on the temptation of economic benefits to change other people's attitudes towards faith, it is probably difficult to really work. After all, preaching requires a strong belief from the heart. However, while insisting on their faith, missionaries must also face practical problems. For example, in the era of transition from Ming to Qing, which side should they support? Should they participate in political or military actions? If some missionaries who sympathized with the Ming Dynasty at that time could persuade the Roman Catholic Church to send troops to aid the Southern Ming and expel the Qing Dynasty, would China's history be rewritten? If the Southern Ming Dynasty succeeded in restoring its independence, would it have established Christianity as the state religion? All of this makes people think about it. Looking at modern times, there are also many missionaries in the United States. I believe that many of them chose to convert, perhaps because of the strength of the United States.

In ancient China, there was a saying that "the emperor should be able to hear the emperor's words", which refers to those who can be by the emperor's side and have direct conversations with the emperor. When I was a child, I often regarded nepotism and interpersonal relationships as negative "nepotism", but as I grew older, I felt more and more that this was actually part of human nature. Just like a class teacher will favor his favorite students, the emperor who is in charge of national affairs has a similar mentality. The reason why Kangxi was willing to learn Western knowledge such as mathematics, geometry, astronomy, and geography from missionaries was obviously inseparable from the tacit understanding and goodwill he established with the missionaries in their interactions. In turn, the missionaries received courtesy from Kangxi that they had never enjoyed in their own country, so they would naturally "reciprocate" and stand more on the side of the Qing Dynasty in negotiations involving the Qing Dynasty and other countries (such as Russia). In this regard, whether it was the emperor who was high above or the missionaries whose mission was to serve God, they would eventually stand on the side they were more willing to trust and like. Looking back on my past narrow view of these interpersonal relationships, I can't help but sigh: Sometimes we work hard, but the results are not necessarily better than maintaining good interactions with the people around us. If you love the people around you, you will naturally get more feedback. Such mutual support may be a more pragmatic and effective way.

The three main reasons given by the government for Kangxi to allow Catholicism to spread in the Qing Dynasty were: first, to compile astronomical calendars; second, to manufacture firearms; and third, to negotiate the Treaty of Nerchinsk with Russia. The missionaries' contributions in these areas were indeed substantial, and they also received the support of Kangxi himself and powerful officials in the court, such as Soetu, to finally make this happen. It can be seen that although religious belief is more of a spiritual thing, in actual operation, it still needs to return to specific interests. In order to really get things done, first, there must be achievements that can be put on the table and convince others; second, the support of the "top leader" must be obtained. As the highest decision-maker, Kangxi often has to take into account the balance and will not frequently express his position in public, but his approval behind the scenes is crucial - without this support, it is almost impossible to get things done. Third, the help of powerful people is also needed. They can open up the joints and pass the emperor's hints to all parties, so that the actual operation can proceed smoothly. We can also get some inspiration from the experiences of missionaries in China: although they are foreigners and the content of their missionary work is also related to religion, their logic of getting things done is essentially the same as the "secular" way. Looking back at our student days, we often only focused on our own hard work, but tended to ignore those links that required the cooperation of others to complete. Understanding this point will also help us better handle interpersonal relationships and seize opportunities.

Dorro was an envoy sent by the Pope to Beijing, and the result of this trip was quite intriguing. First, from the emperor's perspective: whether it was Dorro, the Pope's envoy, or the Jesuit priests who were preaching in China, they had a fierce debate on the future development of Catholicism in China. However, Kangxi was unwilling to intervene in this internal disagreement. He was more like a hospitable host - he treated the Jesuit priests who had gained his trust with great courtesy, but did not want to be involved in the other party's religious disputes. From the perspective of an observer, Kangxi's approach was quite decent: he gave respect to the other party and avoided "exposing the family's shame" and causing more unnecessary trouble. Secondly, after Catholicism was introduced to China, it was bound to be adapted to localization. Whether it can be compatible with Confucianism directly determines the depth of its dissemination in China. If it cannot be properly integrated into the local culture, it will be difficult to be widely accepted. This is similar to many multinational companies: although the headquarters wants to unify the concept, if it does not give local branches enough autonomy, it will often fall into the dilemma of acclimatization and affect the overall layout. Finally, the human factor is also crucial. Duo Luo was quite decent when dealing with Kangxi, knowing how to avoid etiquette conflicts and showing a flexible attitude of "knowing the current situation". However, when Kangxi met Bishop Yan Yu, who was regarded as an "authority on Chinese etiquette issues" by the Western world, he found that this person could neither speak Chinese nor read Chinese characters, which made Kangxi extremely dissatisfied. It is like sending a representative with poor business ability to petition the top leader, which is not only useless, but may also cause resentment and get out of control. For this reason, it is crucial to select and appoint the right people when promoting major affairs.

[😼jiriguru · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

这本书从2019年北京春季艺术品拍卖会上拍出的一张清康熙年间发去欧洲的以满、汉、拉丁三文书写的谕令开始讲起。由于谕令以朱砂撰写，在康熙年间被称为「红票」。红票内容是康熙询问他之前派往欧洲的几位神父的下落。为什么康熙会向欧洲派神父？又为什么事情会大到需要发谕令询问下落的程度？

先说我喜欢这本书的部分：

不同于以往读过的所有清史书籍，这本书呈现了完全不一样的清朝和康熙帝。以往说到康熙多注重「康雍乾盛世开启者」「少年擒鳌拜」「亲征噶尔丹」「尼布楚条约」「九子夺嫡」这些内政和与清边界问题请相关的话题，这本书呈现的是十八世纪欧洲迅速发展的大环境下，康熙如何与欧洲和世界交流、他本人与在华传教士的关系、他如何看待天主教在中国的传播和发展（「中国」是从康熙时期就开始用的词汇）、以及他本人对西方科学技术文化的兴趣。有几个有意思的细节，当教皇向中国派出精通代数的传教士时，康熙特派皇三子胤祉专门询问欧洲有没有研究出新的求解平方根和立方根的方法😳这就解释了为什么之前在《皇帝的家书》中看到，康熙即使在御驾亲征的路上也还顺便用望远镜看星星并测算角度和距离的情景。

书中的第二个观点是，主流学界多认为的「天主教后来在中国被禁是中西方文化冲突的原因」这个观点是不正确的。如果真是这样就无法解释为什么天主教从明朝开始就传入中国、连永历帝的太后都受洗、一直到康熙年间传教活动都受到皇帝本人鼓励、传教士也直接进入内务府可以随时与康熙见面，这些历史。康熙从小身边就有传教士，深受他们的影响，无论是在数学、技术、医学，还是在文化和宗教上，康熙都秉持开放的态度。他本人并没有以「中西」视角看待这些问题，而是从实用的角度出发，哪个有用、更能解决问题，就接受哪个。南美传来的树皮更能治腹痛，他就没用中医而用南美树皮；如果外来的宗教不在中国生事，他就不会勒令禁止。他甚至可以绕过礼部，直接让管理皇家内部事务的内务府来接待教皇的来华使团，把这样的访问看成家务事，让整个交流的气氛更放松。而后来雍正朝大力禁止天主教传播也根本没有什么明显和直接的大事件作为导火索，完全就是雍正本人更喜好佛教导致。作者认为，后人在评判历史时多以后见之明在已知后续发展结果之后以宏大的叙事手法来下定论，但这未必是身处历史时空中的当事人在做决定时的考量。所以要评断一段历史，更需要参考的是同一时期的人物和记录作出的评价。这点我非常认同，很多时候后人对历史的解读都是在自己已有结论的基础上去寻找支持自己结论的论点，只不过是自己的一厢情愿罢了。

我认为书中不足的部分：

资料的考证严谨度还可以再加强。比如，书中提到的永历帝皇太后王氏是永历帝生母，事实上是他嫡母并非生母。类似这样的小问题还不少，后来也看到其他人指出引用史料原文时抄错字的情况，不知是作者本人的问题还是编辑的问题。而全书以相当口语化的风格写作，可能是出于面向大众的考量，希望可读性更强。这应该是仁者见仁智者见智的问题。没有对错，只是我本人不太偏好用如此口语化的风格读历史类书籍，读书时总觉得时说书先生在眉飞色舞地说书😆

总的来说瑕不掩瑜，仍然强烈推荐这本书。就当扩充知识面的课外读物也可。内容精彩，适合不间断细读。

最后，喜欢书中附送的康熙御批「知道了」书签🔖出版社真懂！

[Dust007 · Rating 5 out of 5]

书评：《康熙的红票》——解读中西对话的可能性

孙立天的《康熙的红票》以康熙雍正与西方传教士的关系为切入点，深入探讨了中西文化交流在清朝前期的盛衰轨迹。书中以细致的史料与深刻的分析，揭示了康熙雍正时代中西互动的复杂性和关键性，尤其是其在历史进程中的局限与遗憾。

一、传教士的角色与传播方式

孙立天指出，传教士是西方文化进入中国的重要媒介，而他们的传播并非单纯依靠信仰的力量，而是得益于“火炮的威力”及科技的先进性。火炮打开了清朝统治者的眼界，成为传教士赢得皇帝青睐的关键。这一视角挑战了传统上对传教士单纯宗教角色的理解，更突出了技术优势对文化传播的影响。

二、康熙的全球视野与中西对话

康熙对西方科技的兴趣不仅反映了其开明的态度，也在客观上推动了天主教在中国的传播。传教士因其科技专长，被康熙纳为“奴才”，由内务府直接管理，这种特殊关系不仅显示康熙的务实主义，也让传教士成为朝廷内一个独特的存在。这种制度在康熙时期是高效的，却为后来的政策不连续性埋下隐患。

康熙积极参与“中国礼仪之争”，不仅为了维护传教士利益，也是为了保持中西文化的对话，而对话是政治可能性的来源。通过红票，康熙不仅展现了高超的政治智慧，也在实践中推进了中西文化的对话。然而，这一可能性在雍正时期戛然而止。

三、雍正禁教与政策转向

雍正禁教，是清朝中西文化交流的转折点。孙立天剖析了其中三大原因：雍正的佛教信仰、天主教的排他性、以及传教士在九子夺嫡中的“押错宝”。这种变化不仅出于个人意志，也折射出西方传教士“得君行道”策略的短视性。康熙以开放与科技为导向的对话模式，因后继者的兴趣寥寥而被终止，显示了依赖君主兴趣而非制度化建设的脆弱性。

四、开明专制的遗憾

康熙的全球视野与开明政策，使他在莱布尼茨等欧洲思想家眼中成为“开明专制君主”的典范。但与彼得大帝或腓特烈大帝不同，康熙未能将中国带入现代化轨道。作者指出，和平时期火炮的重要性下降，传教士不再被视为国家的关键资源，加之雍正、乾隆对西方科技文化的冷漠，中西文化的大门迅速关闭，留下了历史的遗憾。

五、总结

《康熙的红票》通过康熙时代的中西文化互动，展现了政治的可能性与局限性。康熙以务实和开明的态度推动了科技引进和文化对话，但其管理方式的短视与依赖君主兴趣的特点，也为后续政策的断裂埋下伏笔。孙立天的分析不仅还原了康熙时代的中西对话，也为我们思考现代化的道路与文化交流的持久性提供了深刻启示。

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

作者从一张被拍卖的红票说起，梳理了众多西方史料，把这段17-18世纪康熙年间耶稣会传教士在宫中与康熙交往的种种事迹呈现在读者眼前，可以说是抽丝剥茧，视角独特，行文流畅，非常好看。我从书中还读出了这些新的启发：第一，清朝初期满人统治政权与黄仁宇笔下的明朝汉人皇帝-官僚政治制度有很大的区别，着重体现在内务府的设置和包衣奴才这一游牧民族legacy上，让满人皇帝得以在权力的制约中投机取巧达到自己的目的，把国事名正言顺地转化成“家事”处理；第二，耶稣会传教士虽在康熙的宫中长袖善舞，的确用他们的人格、学识、修养征服了最高统治者，但皇帝个人的喜好改变不了天主教和西方科学及思想在中国社会传播的困难，一旦失去圣宠，当年最受偏爱的神父们便瞬间跌落神坛沦为丧家之犬；第三，康熙是与牛顿、卢梭、莱布尼茨同时代的人，在我过去的认知里，康熙是离近代很远的人物，读完书里他与传教士的交往，尤其是他在面对俄罗斯使团和教皇使团的表现和心理活动，我发现他是如此“现代”，他的政治逻辑和谈判能力，在我这个21世纪的人看来与我们没有区别。最后，作者提到过去的研究者一直把清朝禁止传教的政策归咎于“文明之间的冲突”，事实真的是这样吗？就像我们长期以来低估了青铜时代各大文明之间的交流一样，我们可能也一直低估了文明之间互相吸收和包容的能力吧。

[Jia · Rating 5 out of 5]

作者说，史学家按观点出发，然后找史实作为论据，或多或少，本书也是如此，但这并不妨碍这是一本充满细节的好书。丰富的满族权力结构，汉族朝廷和内务府的区别，尽管读着依然有很多不明确的地方，但大体上对当时康熙，耶稣教神父，朝廷官员，满族权力的沿袭，西洋文化等复杂关系给勾勒出来了。最后令我印象深刻的是雍正和他的禁教，他在位很短，作用却不可以说不小。他的政策是否阻碍了清朝进一步融入科学进步的潮流也不能一概而论，但如果果真他有如此佛教领悟的话，对西洋的态度倒也不那么难以理解了，即使是现在，手机是好东西，还是蛊惑心智的设备，我们应该花多少心思在禅修也好，冥想也好等人性修为，不也是一样的道理吗？

[Will Hunting]

康熙作为一个封建君主，在对待西方宗教和科学的复合型人才时的开明让人印象深刻。他从小接触并终生学习西方高等数学，这种学习意识和能力让我这个现代人觉得羞愧。

作为管理者，他把传教士纳入内务府管理，作为庇主，替他们出头，对于比较陌生的西方教廷，他派人去沟通，获取消息，耐心惊人，用红票的方式实现了自己的目的，手段很高。

我以前高中学的历史，在鸦片战争的时候，清朝对外界的了解简直少的可怜，面对西方的坚船利炮，所秉持的道德观念和技术手段也令人发笑。现在看来，这可能就是，纵使一时有优秀人才创造了成果，如果在体制系统无法让它发扬光大，让更多人了解并受惠，最后也会湮灭在历史里面。

[Tongren (Ellen) Zhao · Rating 5 out of 5]

或许在“西升东落”的宇宙规划中，康熙、雍正、乾隆、和其他几百名传教士一样，不过扮演的是工具人的角色罢了。读微观史再一次让我理解所有人做事的动机无非是趋利避害。凡种种历史中的“异象”，像是突然的所谓“锁国”，背后一定有可以让所有人共鸣的出发点和动机。若不理解，且先深究。

[Yvette · Rating 4 out of 5]

很有意思的历史解读。写的很易读，有些地方稍许啰嗦了点。看的电子书竟然把尾注附图和书末一部分附录都给省略了，手上也没有实体书可以对照，有点不爽。。

[Yuke Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

做到了学术性和趣味性兼具的好书。在重新讲述了天主教在中国这段中西交流的故事的同时把满清的政治系统中包衣奴才的部分又拎出来，对比康熙和雍正两代的神父待遇则是皇权体系下的「风云突变」，不仅仅是王公大臣们下注「九龙夺嫡」，连这些洋人也要加入在内。读下来体验非常好，作者最后的跋也让人看到了一个当代文史研究者的风骨，佩服。

[Tao Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

好看。之前看国家地理的专题，天主教的传播无疑是西方社会的一个重大命题。然而中国部分确实相当的缺失。如其所言，这本书填补了历史上一处相当巨大的空白。

作者以其博士论文作为此书蓝本以及其海外背景，在略读后是可以预想到的。但其对所描述历史中每个个体所展现的关切之心，不能不令人动容。就连康熙千古一帝，在书中也是那样鲜明而可亲可敬的形象。没有十足的情感，想是很难做到的。

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

康熙时代的传教士带着西方科学踏足东方大地，受到康熙的优容。他对西方文化的喜欢和求知欲溢于言表，喜欢吃巧克力，热爱数学，狩猎的时候还随身携带数学书，真的学霸也让人觉得很穿越；雍正在各方面确实不如他爹。这本书很有意思的一点在于清朝官方部份史料的缺失，可以在欧洲史料中找到对应的记录。历史里充满了鲜活的个人，蝴蝶效应一般，传教士的繁荣到没落可能源自于统治者的个人偏好；而这个偏好可能导致清朝错过了工业化革命的浪潮，最终影响整个国家的命运。

[Xinyu Wu · Rating 5 out of 5]

一本拿起就放不下的书。作者把康熙年间传教士的故事和影响写的极其生动有趣，并且史料翔实，让我们看到了历史书中少见的康熙的一面。