He Guiqing (何桂清) | 24 Histories

Overview

He Guiqing was an official.

PeriodQing

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Death

AD 1862 是冬
Public execution · Cause Executed after Zeng Guofan rejected his defense
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passage 194

Attested activity

AD 1862 同治元年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passages 189-194
AD 1860 十年春
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passages 157-186
AD 1857 七年春
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passages 148-156
AD 1862 同治元年 earlier case context
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 391, passages 96, 98
AD 1858 咸豐八年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 388, passages 45, 48-49; Draft History of Qing 394, passage 165
AD 1858 to AD 1860 桂清由侍從出任疆事
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passages 195-197

Show 2 more source-backed claims

AD 1852 to AD 1862 論曰
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passages 198-199, 201-202
AD 1860 車駕幸熱河
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 397, passages 187-188

Key source chapters

Career and standing

acting then full Liangjiang governor-general 署兩江總督，尋實授
AD 1857 七年春 · Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passage 152
Trade Commissioner 通商大臣
AD 1858 咸豐八年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 388, passage 49
Governor-General of Liangjiang 兩江總督
AD 1858 咸豐八年 · Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 388, passage 45
Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent 太子少保
AD 1857 是年冬 · Granted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passage 156
Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent 太子太保
AD 1860 十年春 · Promoted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passage 157
Arrested, tried, sentenced, and ultimately executed
Charge failures in office on the frontier
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 391, passages 96-98

Show 2 more source-backed claims

arrested, imprisoned, sentenced to death with reprieve then executed 就逮下獄，讞擬斬監候，遂棄市
AD 1862 同治元年 · Suffered
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passages 189, 194
stripped of rank and ordered to the capital for trial 詔褫職逮京治罪
AD 1860 十年春 · Suffered
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passage 186

Places and affiliations

Polity Qing 清 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passages 152, 195

Events and relationships

Abandoned changzhou
AD 1860 十年春 · Military · Commander · At Changzhou 常州
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passages 179-180
Cited subordinate petitions
AD 1862 同治元年 · Legal · Defendant · With Zeng Guofan (曾國籓)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passage 191
Debated tax schedules
AD 1858 to AD 1860 偕大學士桂良等議稅則 · Diplomatic · Negotiator · With Gui Liang (桂良)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passage 197
Fled to suzhou and shanghai
AD 1860 十年春 · Military · Commander · At Shanghai 上海
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passages 183, 185
Relation Patron of · Person Wang Youling (王有齡)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passages 148, 153

Assessments and attributes

Assessment clear sharp talent in frontier posts, but late career ruined the state and people · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passages 195, 198
Assessment confidence soared and he bore great public expectations · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passage 158
Assessment lacked foresight about the enemy and failed the duty of dying with his post · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passages 201-202

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 397, passages 148, 191

References in the histories

Search passages

History

29 passages

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 388Volume 388 Biographies 175: Gui Liang, Rui Lin Son: Huai Tabu, Guan Wen, Wen Yu · 3 passages

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五月，簽約退兵，遂命桂良偕花沙納赴上海，武備院卿明善、刑部員外郎段承實副之，會同兩江總督何桂清議稅則。 In the fifth month, after the treaty was signed and the armies withdrew, Gui Liang and Huashana were sent to Shanghai with Mingshan and Duan Chengshi as deputies to work with Governor-General He Guiqing on the tariff schedule.

桂清力言免稅之不可，改約之難成，桂良亦贊其議，上甚怒，必責其補救一二端，而各國因廣東民團仍與為難，且出示偽載諭旨，堅欲罷兩廣總督黃宗漢，停撤民團。 He Guiqing argued forcefully that duty waivers were impossible and treaty revision unrealistic; Gui Liang agreed. The emperor was furious and demanded some concession in return. Meanwhile the powers, citing clashes with Guangdong militia and even a forged imperial edict, insisted on removing Governor-General Huang Zonghan and keeping the militia intact.

桂良等疏聞，乃解宗漢通商大臣，改授桂清。 When Gui Liang reported this to court, Huang Zonghan was removed as trade commissioner and He Guiqing was appointed in his place.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 391Volume 391 Biographies 178: Wo Ren, Li Tangjie, Wu Tingdong · 3 passages

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先是兩江總督何桂清僨事逮治，部讞從重擬斬決，廷臣有右之者，言部臣有意畸重，仍從本律監候。 Earlier Liangjiang governor-general He Guiqing had been arrested for his failures in office. The ministries recommended aggravated decapitation, but some at court argued the penalty was skewed; the sentence was reduced to imprisonment awaiting execution under the standard law.

棠階疏謂桂清貽誤封疆罪大，不當輕比，非公論。 Tangjie memorialized that Guiqing's crime of ruining the frontier was too grave to be softened—that such leniency was not justice.

後桂清卒伏法。 In the end Guiqing was executed.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 394Volume 394 Biographies 181: Xu Guangjin, Ye Mingchen, Huang Zonghan · 2 passages

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宗漢過江蘇，總督何桂清堅留在上海開議，宗漢不可，遽去； Zonghan passed through Jiangsu; Governor He Guiqing pressed him to stay in Shanghai for negotiations, but Zonghan refused and hurried on;

桂良等疏聞，詔責宗漢捕偽造諭旨之人，罷其通商大臣，改授何桂清。 Guiliang reported to the throne; an edict ordered Zonghan to arrest those who forged imperial edicts, stripped him of the trade superintendency, and gave the post to He Guiqing.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 397Volume 397 Biographies 184: Lu Jianying, Yang Wending, Qing Lin, Chong Lun, He Guiqing · 20 passages

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杭州知府王有齡最為桂清倚用，擢權運、臬兩篆，為通判徐徵訐控。 Hangzhou prefect Wang Youling was Guiqing's closest aide; he was promoted to act transport and judicial commissioner but was impeached by subprefect Xu Zheng.

桂清覆奏，辭悻悻，被詰責。 Guiqing's reply was bitter in tone and he was rebuked.

會兩江總督怡良解職，文宗以籌餉事重，難其人，大學士彭蘊章薦桂清餉徽軍無缺，可勝任。 When Liangjiang governor-general Yi Liang was dismissed, Emperor Wenzong found provisioning hard to replace; Grand Secretary Peng Yunzhang recommended Guiqing, who had kept Huizhou's army supplied without shortfall and could fill the post.

桂清屢疏陳方略稱旨，諭飭和春和衷商酌。 Guiqing's repeated strategy memorials pleased the throne; an edict urged He Chun to consult with him in good faith.

桂清意氣發舒，倚畀益重，甚負時望。 Guiqing's confidence soared; the court leaned on him ever more, and he bore great public expectations.

倉猝城陷，惟將軍瑞昌守駐防內城未下，詔促桂清、和春遣軍速援。 The city fell in sudden assault; only General Ruichang still held the inner garrison quarter; an edict urged Guiqing and He Chun to send troops at once.

詔嘉桂清功，予優敘。 An edict praised Guiqing's achievement and granted him preferential promotion.

賊乃合眾十餘萬出建平、東壩，一由東壩趨江寧，一由溧陽窺常州，桂清聞之，幾失所措。 The rebels then massed over a hundred thousand from Jianping and Dongba—one column from Dongba toward Nanjing, one from Liyang toward Changzhou—and Guiqing, hearing this, nearly lost his composure.

張玉良回軍抵常州，和春飛檄調援大營，桂清留勿遣，復調馬得昭，亦莫之應。 Zhang Yuliang returned to Changzhou; He Chun urgently ordered him to the main camp, but Guiqing kept him back; he also summoned Ma Dezhao, who likewise would not come.

王有齡已擢浙江巡撫，貽書桂清戒勿離常州一步，且曰：「事棘時危，身為大臣，萬目睽睽，視以動止。 Wang Youling had been made Zhejiang governor and wrote Guiqing warning him never to leave Changzhou, saying: "Affairs are desperate and peril extreme; as a senior minister every eye is on you—your movements set the measure.

桂清疏陳：「丹陽以上軍務，和春、張國樑主之； Guiqing wrote: "Military affairs from Danyang northward are He Chun's and Zhang Guoliang's;

部署稍定，即進規溧陽，而賊已迳犯丹陽，國樑死之，和春奔常州，桂清大驚。 Once his dispositions were set he moved on Liyang, but the rebels had already struck Danyang—Guoliang was killed, He Chun fled to Changzhou, and Guiqing was badly shaken.

桂清即疏陳軍事付和春，自駐蘇州籌餉。 Guiqing memorialized to hand military affairs to He Chun while he himself stayed at Suzhou to handle supplies.

桂清至蘇州，巡撫徐有壬拒勿納，疏劾其棄城喪師狀。 Guiqing reached Suzhou, but Governor Xu Youren refused him entry and memorialized impeaching him for abandoning the city and losing the army.

桂清託言借外兵，遂之上海。 Guiqing claimed he would borrow foreign troops and went to Shanghai.

蘇州亦陷，有壬殉之，遺疏再劾桂清，詔褫職逮京治罪。 Suzhou also fell; Youren died defending it and in a dying memorial again impeached Guiqing; an edict stripped his rank and ordered him brought to the capital for trial.

桂清援司道禀牘為詞，下曾國籓察奏。 Guiqing cited memorials from circuit and prefect officials in his defense; the case was referred to Zeng Guofan for investigation.

桂清由侍從出任疆事，才識明敏。 Guiqing rose from court service to frontier posts with clear, sharp talent.

論曰：陸建瀛、何桂清皆以才敏負一時之望，膺江表重寄。 Commentary: Lu Jianying and He Guiqing both won their age's hopes with quick talent and were given heavy charge on the lower Yangzi.

桂清無料敵之明，又失效死之節。 Guiqing lacked foresight about the enemy and failed the duty of dying with his post.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 441Volume 441 Biographies 228: Pan Zuyin, Li Wentian, Sun Yijing, Xia Tongshan, Zhang Jiaxiang, Zhang Yinglin, Zhang Renfu, Zhang Hengjia · 1 passage

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坐會議何桂清罪未列銜，絓吏議。 He was censured for failing to affix his name to the deliberation on He Guiqing's case.