← Back to 清史稿

卷292 列傳七十九 高其倬 杨宗仁 孔毓珣 斐幰度 唐执玉 杨永斌

Volume 292 Biographies 79: Gao Qizhuo, Yang Zongren, Kong Yuxun, Fei Xian Du, Tang Zhiyu, Yang Yongbin

Chapter 292 of 清史稿 · Draft History of Qing
← Previous Chapter
Chapter 292
Next Chapter →
1
Biographies 79
2
Gao Qizhuo, Jin Hong, Yang Zongren, Zi Wenqian, Kong Yuxun, Pei Xiandu, and Zi Zongxi
3
Tang Zhiyu and Yang Yongbin
4
忿
Gao Qizhuo, courtesy name Zhangzhi, belonged to the Han military Bordered Yellow Banner. His father held an inherited noble rank and served as Koubei Circuit commissioner. Qizhuo earned his jinshi degree in Kangxi 33, entered the Hanlin as a bachelor, and after completing his academy term was appointed reviser. He soon took an additional post as assistant banner commander. After five promotions he rose to Grand Secretariat academician. In year 58, Nanyang garrison troops in Henan, nursing a grievance, besieged and humiliated Prefect Shen Yuan. Qizhuo was ordered to investigate with Minister Zhang Tingshu, execute the ringleaders, and mete out differing punishments to Regional Commander Gao Cheng and others.
5
西 西 沿 使 西
In year 59 he was appointed governor of Guangxi. When the Dengheng Miao rose in revolt, Qizhuo went in person to pacify them and brought about their surrender. In year 61, upon the Yongzheng Emperor's accession, he was promoted to governor-general of Yunnan and Guizhou. He memorialized: "Succession among native chieftains has long been marred by corrupt practices, which I have already strictly forbidden and abolished. When the paperwork sent to the ministry is reviewed, if there are no serious errors, I ask that it be accepted without being sent back for revision." The throne responded with commendation. When the Qinghai taiji Lobzang Danjin rebelled and invaded Tibet, Qizhuo judged Zhongdian the key route into Tibet and ordered Generals Liu Zongkui, Liu Guohou, and others to prepare defenses in earnest. Following the emperor's instructions, he ordered Provincial Commander Hao Yulin to march two thousand men from Zhongdian to garrison Chamdo, and Vice Commander Sun Hongben to bring five hundred men to Zhongdian as support. In Yongzheng 2, after the army pacified Qinghai, Zhongdian lamas and tribal chiefs led thirty-five hundred households in surrendering their lands. The emperor praised Qizhuo's ability and granted him a hereditary rank as Baitalabuleha fan. Qizhuo drew up plans to pacify Zhongdian and memorialized: "I ask that officials be appointed down to subprefect. Besides the tribal chiefs' camp officers, there are also ranks such as shenweng and liebin, who answer to khenpos and lamas. I propose reappointing them with military commissions as garrison commanders, battalion officers, and platoon leaders under regular officers. Temple monks and lamas were capped at three hundred, and weapons were seized for the state. Along hundreds of li of riverbank and on vacant valley land, he recruited settlers to open new fields. Yunnan tea had long been traded there; following the Dajianlu precedent, he established transit permits to collect duties." Lukui Mountain had been a bandit stronghold since the dynasty's founding, with Yi and Luo peoples intermingled; the Yang, Fang, Pu, and Li clans were its recognized leaders. One Fang Jingming led Luo and Yi raiders against Yuanjiang. Qizhuo sent troops to rout them, captured Jingming, and killed several hundred Luo and Yi. He memorialized for a garrison there, named the Puwei Camp. A brigade commander was posted at Pu'er and garrison commanders at Weiyuan and Chashan; Weiyuan was brought under direct rule and officials were appointed down to subprefect. Native official Diao Guanghuan and his family were relocated to the provincial capital, and two newly opened salt wells were assigned to fund the new garrison. He set up charity schools to educate tribal youths. Two extra examination places were added at the Yuanjiang prefectural school for them to compete. He urged tribal people to open fields, with dry land taxed after ten years and paddy after six. In Guizhou the Zhongjia Miao chiefs Ajin and his brother Awo rose in revolt; Qizhuo sent agents to pacify neighboring Miao villages. Cut off from support, Ajin and his followers were captured and executed; Qizhuo also punished disobedient Miao chiefs in Dingfan, Guangshun, and other districts. He memorialized to reorganize the Dingguang Brigade and post garrisons to guard Dingfan, Guangshun, Ximeng, Qingteng, Duanshan shu, Changzhai, Zhegong, Yangcheng, and other sites. He moved the Duyun garrison commander to Dushan, converted the Huguang Wukai Guard into a county, and placed it under Liping. He also reported that Guizhou bordered Sichuan and Huguang, where criminals kidnapped and sold poor people's children. He asked that local officials be ordered to arrest them and that annual rescue counts be used in merit evaluations. A vicious Guizhou custom held that when someone was robbed and killed and the family lacked strength to retaliate, they would seize hostages from another household—people or livestock—and force them to take revenge; if they refused, ransom was demanded—a practice called "seizing the white and releasing the black." He asked that penalties be increased by one degree. Impoverished native chieftains often shifted land tax onto subordinate Miao; he asked for an investigation requiring those who actually farmed the land to pay. Deputies such as quanmu served under native chieftains; he asked that they be required to register with civil authorities and be punished when they committed crimes. An edict approved all his requests.
6
調 貿 便
In year 3 he was given Minister of War rank, named Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent, and transferred to governor-general of Fujian and Zhejiang. Before leaving office he memorialized: "The native militia service levy in Dengchuan, Songming, Tengyue, Taihe, Langqiong, and other districts dates from Ming Jiajing and Wanli, when civilians were sent to guard against tribes. The Taihe and Fengwu posts were established, with one tael levied per man. This is on top of the regular civilian tax already paid in their home districts; I ask that the military grain levy be remitted." The throne approved. In year 4 he memorialized: "The five prefectures of Fu, Xing, Zhang, Quan, and Ting are crowded and short of land; with no fields to farm, people are turning to banditry. Overseas trade lets the wealthy serve as ship owners and merchants and the poor as helmsmen and sailors; one vessel can support a hundred men and still leave profit to support their families. Prohibitions were imposed in the past: if the fear was grain smuggled overseas, foreign seas are themselves rice-producing regions; if the fear was intelligence leaks, Guangdong merchant ships are now allowed abroad—why should Fujian alone be treated more harshly? If the fear was illicit sale of ship timber, Chinese vessels are small and would be of little use to foreigners even if obtained. Your servant humbly asks that the prohibitions be lifted for the people's benefit." The memorial was referred to Prince Yi, the Grand Secretaries, and the Nine Ministers for deliberation. In year 5 the Taiwan Shuilian she tribes rebelled; Qizhuo sent troops to suppress them, captured ringleader Guzong and others, and all the communities surrendered. Soon Li Wei became governor of Zhejiang, and Qizhuo was ordered to oversee Fujian alone. In repeated memorials he called for salt reform, rebuilding of naval warships, and reorganization of garrison posts; these were sent to the ministries for action. On presenting himself at court he was named Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent.
7
輿 調西 西 調
Knowing Qizhuo was skilled in geomancy, the emperor ordered him to survey the Fuling Mausoleum. On his return Qizhuo reported: "The water formation to the left of the mausoleum, because overflow altered the old channel, makes the embracing-bow configuration seem slightly too open. The stream should be guided back into a proper course—that would be best." The Grand Secretaries and others carried out dredging and repairs as he proposed. In year 8 he was transferred to governor-general of Jiangnan and Jiangxi. He was recalled to the capital to join Prince Yi in selecting the auspicious burial site at Wannian in Taiping Valley, and his hereditary rank was advanced to third-class Asihaniha fan. He was appointed acting governor-general of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi. In year 11 the Simao native company commander Diao Guoxing of Pu'er stirred up the Kuchong tribes and Yuanjiang Yi in revolt, attacked Pu'er, and the Yi of Tongguan Dazhai again sided with the Kuchong, crossed the Amo River, and attacked Talang. Qizhuo ordered Provincial Commander Cai Chenggui and others to pursue them on separate routes, captured the chiefs and more than five hundred followers, and the rebellion was quelled. That spring he was ordered back to his post as governor-general of the Two Jiangs. In autumn he was ordered to serve as governor of Jiangsu while retaining governor-general rank. In year 12 he was censured for favoring Magistrate Zhao Kunyu over repayment of sea-dike funds; though the ministry recommended demotion, he was immediately appointed governor of Jiangsu.
8
調 調
In Qianlong 1 he was recalled to the capital, reappointed governor of Hubei, and transferred to Hunan. He suppressed Yao rebellions in Chengbu and Suining counties. In year 3 he was promoted to Minister of Works and transferred to the Ministry of Revenue. While traveling to the capital, Qizhuo fell ill at Baoying and died aboard his boat; the court granted funeral rites and the posthumous name Wenliang.
9
西西 西使使 西 使
Jin Hong, courtesy name Zhenfang, belonged to the Han military Bordered White Banner; his family had long lived in Dengzhou. His father Yanzuo followed the Shizu Emperor through the pass and rose to Vice Minister of Works. Hong first entered service as magistrate of Guangchang, Jiangxi, from the student registry, and was promoted in due course to prefect of Taiyuan, Shanxi. In Yongzheng 5 he was promoted to Guangxi provincial judge and soon became provincial treasurer. In year 6 he was promoted directly to governor. He suppressed the rebellious Miao of Badazhai stockade in Xilong Prefecture. With too few garrison troops and much Guangdong land lying fallow, he memorialized to open military colonies, provide oxen, recruit farmers, and train them in arms. Each colonist received ten mu of paddy, one mu reserved as public land; or twenty mu of dry land, two mu reserved as public land, with public-field rent stored in the community granary. After several years tens of thousands of mu had been opened and the granaries were full. He also asked that merchants be invited to open mines under Guilin and to gather Wuzhou gold sand for minting. In Qianlong 1 Provincial Commander Huo Sheng impeached Hong for rash, arrogant conduct unbecoming a frontier official; the Gaozong Emperor summoned him to the capital as Vice Minister of Justice. Before leaving office Hong had not settled his accounts and, by sealed warrant, asked Cangwu Circuit Intendant Huang Yuemu to borrow 1,200 taels from copper-service funds for public use. Governor Yang Chao impeached him, stripped his rank, and sent him to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation. The emperor ruled that this was not regular revenue: Hong had borrowed on sealed warrant and Yuemu had reported it properly—not embezzlement—and ordered him pardoned with no recovery of the silver. In year 5 he was appointed Henan provincial treasurer, but Hong had already died.
10
使 西使
Hong was talented and quick-witted. On presenting himself from Taiyuan, as officials debated returning surcharge silver to the public treasury, Hong argued: "Wealth is better kept below than above. Prefects and magistrates are the officials closest to the people; it is better to let them keep a surplus. Integrity allowances never fully suffice, and when public business arises they are driven to irregular expedients. Does not Your Majesty intend that all official business may be charged to regular revenue? But from provincial audit down to the Ministry of Revenue, barriers at every level make reimbursement very difficult, and prefects and magistrates will likely resort to sloppy shortcuts. Since Your Majesty's policy must be carried out, I ask that beyond integrity allowances additional public-expense funds be set aside at county or prefectural level so that affairs can be managed properly. The emperor then ordered every province to set public-expense allocations. As Guangxi provincial treasurer he proposed classifying prefectures and counties into four categories—critical, busy, worn, and difficult—and letting governors recommend appointments by talent; the emperor approved. The fourfold classification of prefectural and county posts dates from this proposal.
11
調 西 使 西使 使
Yang Zongren, courtesy name Tianjue, belonged to the Han military Plain White Banner. He entered service from the Imperial Academy student registry. In Kangxi 35 he was appointed magistrate of Cili in Huguang. A Miao chieftain oppressed his people; they fled into the county, and when the chieftain demanded their return, Zongren refused. Superiors ordered him to hand them over, but Zongren insisted he could not, and the matter was dropped. He was transferred to Lanshan. When the Bapai Miao rebelled, Governor Zhao Shenqiao sent troops to suppress them, but the generals neglected the men and a mutiny nearly broke out; Zongren rode out alone and pacified them. Rated outstanding in merit review, he was promoted four times to Gansu Xining Circuit intendant. In year 53 he was appointed Zhejiang provincial judge and returned home to mourn his father. In year 57 he was recalled as Guangxi provincial judge and served as acting governor. He was soon promoted to governor of Guangdong. Because revenue deficits were widespread across the provinces, the Kangxi Emperor ordered governors to clear them up. Zongren memorialized: "Guangdong's deficits are now being strictly pursued to completion. To prevent future deficits, governors, circuit officials, and prefectural staffs must hold one another accountable and must not extort under any pretext. Prefects should be required to inspect prefectural and county revenues regularly and permit no shortfalls. Anyone who shows favoritism shall be punished, and superiors dealt with more severely, so that all ranks learn vigilance. Unavoidable local expenses should be covered from governors' public funds. If that is insufficient, public contributions should supplement it, and revenue must never be left in deficit." The ministries deliberated and approved as he requested.
12
In year 61, upon the Yongzheng Emperor's accession, he was appointed governor-general of Huguang. In Yongzheng 1 he mourned his mother and was ordered to observe mourning while remaining in office. Zongren asked to suspend his own ennoblement to obtain imperial sacrifices for his parents; the request was granted and the ennoblement still conferred. He was soon granted a peacock feather. He memorialized: "In Huguang the old custom was for senior civil and military officials to accept gifts from subordinates, leading prefects and magistrates to levy arbitrary surcharges, officers to pad rolls and draw false pay, and soldiers and civilians to band together for private ends with impunity. I have now forbidden all of this, so that the entrenched habits of arrogant troops and negligent officials may fade away. Officials greedily took salt surcharges, driving up prices and stirring popular resentment; the governor-general's salt surcharge alone had gradually reached forty thousand taels. I have also abolished these practices and ordered merchants to sell at fair prices to benefit the poor. The emperor greatly commended him. He also memorialized: "Officials have salaries and clerks have wages—that is the court's system. In Huguang, for more than ten years prefectural and county salaries and clerks' wages have been reported as donations; officials and clerks go hungry—how can they be stopped from harassing the people? I ask that from Yongzheng 1 salaries and wages be budgeted at full amounts. Formerly public business was funded by levies on prefectures and counties, which in practice were all shifted onto the people. Let prefectures and counties save two fen from each tael of the ten-percent surcharge for the provincial treasury; beyond that not a fraction may be levied. The emperor replied: "All you say is correct. Press on!" He soon recommended Nanhai Magistrate Song Wei for promotion to Baqing prefect in Hunan and Guangzhou Left Guard Commander Fan Zongyao for transfer to Hanyang magistrate in Hubei; the emperor approved but ordered that such direct recommendations not be repeated.
13
使
When Zongren fell ill he asked that his son Yulin Circuit Intendant Wenqian attend him; the emperor gave Wenqian provincial judge rank, ordered him to travel post-haste, and sent an imperial physician. Despite illness Zongren forced himself to work, ordered prefectures and counties to organize baojia, established community granaries, and abolished 150 private checkpoints at Jingzhou Pass. In year 3 he was named Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent. He soon died and was posthumously named Junior Guardian, granted a hereditary Baitalabuleha fan rank, given funeral rites, and posthumously named Qingduan.
14
使
Zongren maintained his integrity throughout; the emperor composed an inscription for his portrait calling him "pure as ice in integrity, upright as stone in character." He once said: "A scholar should discern what he ought to do and be strict about what he must not do." In governing subordinates he was lenient and sincere, striving to secure the court above and the people below and to let each fulfill his duties and no more.
15
西 使 使
Wenqian, courtesy name Yuantong. As an Imperial Academy student he served on the Yongding River works. In Kangxi 53 he was appointed prefect of Caozhou, Shandong, and later transferred to Dongchang prefect. Rated outstanding, he was transferred to Shaanxi Yulin Circuit intendant. In Yongzheng 1 he was given provincial judge rank and ordered to attend Zongren at his post. In year 3, when Zongren's illness eased, he went to court to give thanks. The emperor asked about Huguang's four garrison towns; Wenqian answered in detail, and the emperor commended his thoroughness and promoted him to Henan provincial treasurer. Soon he was transferred to governor of Guangdong; on presenting himself at court he received a peacock feather, court dress, and saddle horse. When Zongren died he was ordered to observe mourning while remaining in office.
16
滿 西 滿 便 使 使
Guangdong's capital had many thieves; Wenqian organized baojia, had Manchu soldiers live among civilians, and jointly with the general conducted inspections; the emperor commended his memorial. When Guangdong suffered a poor harvest and rice prices soared, Wenqian sent clerks to Guangxi to buy grain and sell it at fair prices. Manchu soldiers led by Yan Shangyi gathered in bands to plunder grain; Wenqian ordered their arrest. General Li Mei shielded the soldiers; Wenqian asked that a high minister be sent to investigate. The emperor sent Vice Ministers Sailenge and Akedun to investigate; Li Mei, Yan Shangyi, and others were sentenced according to law. Wenqian administered with diligence and corrected many abuses. He memorialized: "Guangdong taxpayers mostly paid through old household registers; I ordered registration under actual names, stopping false registration and scattered assessment abuses, to the people's benefit. Only about fourteen or fifteen percent of poll tax was collected with grain tax; I order the provincial treasurer to verify the remainder and merge it entirely into land tax." The throne commended him. He also memorialized: "Guangdong is crowded and short of land; granaries now hold more than 1.6 million shi. For long-term food security an additional 2 million shi should be stored in new granaries." Court deliberation ordered an additional 340,000 shi stored in Haiyang, Chaoyang, Chengxiang, Raoping, Haifeng, and Qiongshan, and this was approved. He also memorialized: "Guangdong's public-service funds amount to sixty or seventy thousand taels a year, drawn from meltage. I have cut expenses to a little over forty thousand taels a year. I propose funding this from fees on property transfers and tax reassessments and from abolishing corrupt garrison-grain practices. Prefectural and county meltage, nominally ten percent per tael, actually comes to about one mace and three or four fen; five or six tenths fund local integrity allowances and seven or eight tenths fund allowances for governors and subordinates. The emperor instructed him: "Only seek the balanced course. The people must not be allowed to grow arrogant, but subordinates must not be left destitute either. In all affairs balance is what matters; plan thoroughly from start to finish and do not act rashly." (end of imperial instruction)
17
使
In year 5 he requested leave to bury his father. Fujian Governor Chang Gai impeached Wenqian for collecting Guangdong maritime customs duties through six exclusive agents and obtaining more than two hundred thousand taels; he also accused Wenqian of concealing more than fifty thousand taels of customs surplus, allowing silk to be exported for over ten thousand taels, taking an extra ten percent on foreign silver for over forty thousand, having agents pay for curios from foreign ships for another twenty thousand-plus, and lending silver to salt merchants for profit. The emperor sternly admonished Wenqian to repent and reform thoroughly. Soon, because Fujian's granaries were in deficit, Wenqian was ordered to investigate with Zhejiang Commissioner Xu Rong and others, while Chang Gai was transferred to act as Guangdong governor. Wenqian ordered separate investigations into official deficits and popular arrears, recovery by category, and where funds fell short held former Governor Mao Wenquan responsible to make up the difference. The emperor praised Wenqian for acting impartially without favoritism. Wenqian memorialized: "Fujian has eighty prefectural and county officials in all; more than fifty have been impeached and removed. The newly appointed officials can guard granaries but lack capacity for busy, difficult posts. I ask that officials well versed in civil affairs be selected and sent to Fujian for busy, important prefectural and county posts." The emperor ordered every governor to select careful, capable officials and recommend them to Fujian.
18
宿 西
Wenqian was forceful and skilled at deciding cases. When he first served as Caozhou prefect, a woman reported that her husband had been murdered. Wenqian noticed her shoes were white and asked: "If your husband died, did you know beforehand? She said: "I only learned of it this morning." He said: "Then why did you prepare white mourning shoes so long ago?" The woman then confessed to adultery and murdering her husband. Five men lodged together; one lost gold and accused the other four. Wenqian had them sit in court, watched a long while, and said: "I have found the thief; those who did not steal may leave. One man started to rise; Wenqian seized him, and he proved to be the thief. A Caozhou man falsely called himself the Vermilion Sixth Prince and used sorcery to delude the people; the court ordered Vice Ministers Leshibu and Tang Youzeng to investigate. When the order arrived, Wenqian kept it secret, secretly captured the impostor, and sent him to the capital. At Dongchang he volunteered to transport grain to supply the army in Xining and arrived ahead of schedule, thereby winning the Yongzheng Emperor's notice.
19
使 使
Yet he had much friction with colleagues. On his way to Guangdong he impeached Provincial Treasurer Zhu Jiang, who relied on ties to Governor-General Kong Yuxun and had embezzled more than thirty thousand taels. Kong Yuxun's memorial arrived first; the emperor ordered Wenqian not to heed subordinates' attempts to sow division. After taking office he reported that theft cases had piled up and asked that they all be concluded quickly. The emperor replied: "Kong Yuxun has worked hard to arrest bandits. He captures them and you release them—I fear you cannot answer for that. To release a tiger back to the mountains—is that benevolent government? You should deliberate with extra care. In Fujian, when Kong Yuxun went to court, the emperor ordered Vice Minister Akedun to serve as acting governor-general of the Two Guangs. Wenqian reported that bandits had robbed military equipment from Longmen Camp and that Akedun had ordered the case closed leniently; The general's banner troops were harboring thieves; General Shi Liha shielded his men and claimed the accuser had falsely implicated the innocent. Shortly afterward, the emperor ordered Chang Gui back to Fujian and made Akedun acting governor of Guangdong. In the sixth year, Wenqian returned to Guangdong and impeached Akedun for extorting gifts from Siamese merchant ships and Provincial Treasurer Guan Da for letting his staff accept bribes; all were dismissed. The emperor ordered Wenqian and Kong Yuxun to investigate jointly, but Wenqian died before the inquiry could begin and was granted funeral rites and burial honors. His son Yingju has his own biography.
20
使 西 調
Kong Yuxun, styled Dongmei, was a native of Qufu in Shandong and a sixty-sixth-generation descendant of Confucius. His father Enhong had served as provincial surveillance commissioner of Fujian. In Kangxi 23, when the emperor visited Qufu for the sacrificial rites, Yuxun participated as a student and was granted the status of enriched gongshi. In the twenty-ninth year he was appointed sub-prefect of Wuchang in Huguang. After being rated outstanding, he was transferred to serve as prefect of Xuzhou in Jiangnan. The people of Xuzhou were worn down by poll taxes and corvée; Yuxun served seven years there, governing with many compassionate measures. In the thirty-ninth year, River Works Director-General Zhang Penghe recommended Yuxun for his expertise in river management, and he was appointed sub-prefect of Pi and Sui. In the forty-third year he was transferred to prefect of Pingyang in Shanxi, but before he could take up the post he was reassigned to Shunning in Yunnan. In the forty-sixth year he was transferred to Kaihua but resigned when his mother died. In the fiftieth year, after mourning ended, he was appointed to Long'an in Sichuan. Through successive frontier posts, Yuxun governed according to local custom, removing the worst abuses without going too far, and the border people lived in peace. He was again rated outstanding. In the fifty-fifth year he was transferred to Upper Jingnan Circuit in Huguang. He built dikes to hold back the river, and the people called them Prefect Kong's Dike.
21
西使 西 使 西 西 西 西 西 滿
In the fifty-sixth year he became provincial surveillance commissioner of Guangxi. Guangxi was poor and its people fierce; the Yao and Zhuang plagued the common folk. The Zhuang chieftain Liao San of Lingchuan repeatedly raided and plundered; Yuxun informed Governor Chen Yuanlong, sent troops to capture him and punish him by law, and the tribes submitted in awe. In the fifty-seventh year he was appointed provincial administration commissioner of Sichuan. While Tibet was at war, Yuxun transported supplies through Qamdo without overburdening the populace. He rebuilt the weir at Guanjiangkou, earning special gratitude from the people of Sichuan. In the sixty-first year he was promoted to governor of Guangxi. In Yongzheng 1 he was additionally made governor-general. Grain rations in Guangxi's provincial and garrison banner units had empty places on the rolls; Yuxun ordered recruitment to fill the gaps. He memorialized: "Official salaries are insufficient for self-support; I ask that household grain allowances beyond the fixed quota be modestly increased. The emperor ordered a moderate adjustment. Guangxi's prefectures and counties maintained permanent granaries; Yuxun proposed: "Lend to the people at spring plowing and return the grain at autumn harvest. Charge interest in good years, waive it in lean years, and in famine defer principal repayment to the following year. As grain accumulates over time, distribute it to storage sites in the countryside, establish community granaries, and appoint trustworthy village elders to manage receipts and disbursements." He also said: "Banditry is widespread, and with Yao and Zhuang living intermixed, the baojia system cannot be established everywhere. Many townships already have militia; let capable men serve as village braves, reward captures, and punish neglect." He also said: "Guangxi is remote; salt merchants often delay shipments, and the people worry about running out of salt. I request six hundred thousand taels from the provincial treasury for official transport and sale of salt. Any surplus would return the principal to the provincial treasury and could also be used to reduce salt prices. All were approved. The Zhuang leader Mo Guifeng raided Maping, Liucheng, Yongfu, and other counties; Yuxun sent troops to capture him, destroyed his stockade, and executed him. The Zhuang Tan Fucheng and others from Laibin had raided but harmed no one; Yuxun had them beaten and placed in the cangue, then after their term enrolled them in the governor's banner troops and dispersed their followers. When the memorial arrived, the emperor praised his balance of leniency and severity.
22
西 西
In the second year he was appointed governor-general of the Two Guangs. The emperor told him: "Guangdong's defenses are in disrepair, robbery is rampant, and impeachments of officials are rarely impartial—you must give the matter your full attention. Yuxun memorialized to reform salt administration, raise prices for salt workers and freight rates for boatmen by one tenth, and abolish surplus levies on port merchants; he also proposed establishing the posts of Chaozhou transport intendant and salt transport bureau registrar. Dajin and Jiaomu mountains produce ore sand; the eastern slopes lie in Kaijian and Lianshan, the western in Hexian and Huaiji. Under the old system the Huaiji garrison came under Xunzhou Command; Yuxun asked to transfer it to Wuzhou Command and add garrison troops and posts at Hexian, Kaijian, and Lianshan. For Western merchant vessels at Xiangshan Ao in Guangdong, Yuxun asked to cap their number at twenty-five. All were referred to the ministries for deliberation and implementation. Chaozhou has little farmland and expensive rice; the people depend on permanent granary grain for relief. Yuxun asked that each garrison camp store grain to lend to troops, to be repurchased when pay was issued, with all interest waived; the emperor approved this specially. In the third year he was granted the honorary rank of minister of war.
23
宿西 便 宿
In the fourth year Yuxun requested an audience; recognizing his expertise in river affairs, the emperor ordered him to inspect the Yellow and Grand Canal rivers in detail and confer with Qi Sule. Yuxun reported: "West of Suqian County the Yellow River and Middle River run close together; there was once a sluice to drain Yellow River water. When canal water ran high, clear water was diverted to scour the Yellow River channel; when the Yellow River ran high, its water was diverted to supply the canal. Previously only a tenth or two of Yellow River water entered the Middle River; now sand has built up on the Henan south bank, forcing the water northward and making the current very swift. Qi Sule proposed narrowing the sluice mouth to constrain the water's force. After inspecting the sand buildup along the south bank's bends, I believe a diversion channel should be dredged to avoid this hazard. I await Qi Sule's on-site survey before a final decision." He also addressed Jiangnan water works: "The sluices at Wusong, Liu River, Qipu, and Baimao should be opened and closed with the tides by the officials in charge. Jiangsu's terrain is high on four sides and low in the center; officials should vigorously encourage polder construction. Where people along the rivers have encroached to farm and build, cases of little harm may be tolerated for the people's convenience; the rest should be strictly prohibited. Branch rivers and small channels should be deeply dredged during farming slack, using the excavated earth to raise the dikes. All were referred to the ministries for deliberation and implementation. He also said: "Passing through Su Prefecture and Lingbi, I saw blocked drains and rains pooling into floods; I ask that the Anhui governor be ordered to dredge them. The emperor praised Yuxun for reporting candidly.
24
使使 調 宿
In the fifth year, on returning to Guangdong, Governor Yang Wenqian impeached acting Governor Akedun and Provincial Treasurer Guan Da; the emperor dispatched Privy Council Secretary Liu Bao and others to investigate. Yuxun was liable for failure to detect the wrongdoing and should have faced disciplinary proceedings; the emperor ordered leniency. Soon afterward he was transferred to director-general of Jiangnan river works. Concerned that the Tianran Dam's discharge would flood farmland, the emperor ordered Yuxun to survey the site and build dikes to channel the water back into the lake. Yuxun reported: "The Tianran south and north dams divide and release water pressure; they are opened yearly, and the embankment mouths are worn and breached. As the emperor directed, dikes should be built to channel the water; I propose a new dike from Wangjia'an to Zhaojiazhuang on the south bank. The old dike still ends more than twenty li from the lake; I propose new dikes from Majiawei to Yingjiaji on the south bank and from Zhoujiawei to Ligeng Bridge on the north bank, plus raising and widening the old north and south dikes, so the pair will channel the turbulent flow and prevent spillover. The emperor also saw the Gaojia Weir as crucial for storing clear water against the Yellow River, allocated a million taels, and ordered Yuxun to plan the project. Yuxun reported: "The stone dike at Gaojia Weir from Wujiadun to Huangzhuang sits on high ground and is solid; only the four sluices including Hou'ermen and the eastern sluice from Xiaohuangzhuang to the ancient trench at Shanxu need uniform raising." He also said: "Raising and widening the various dikes should depend on terrain urgency and old dike thickness, with phased repairs over three years. Afterward annual strengthening should continue in sequence. He also requested repairs to the river dike before the Suqian toll station and at Shenjiazhuang in Taoyuan, dredging a bypass channel upstream of the Guazhou sluice, and building grass weirs to channel the water. All the memorials were approved. Worn down by years of labor, Yuxun fell ill; the emperor sent medicine and ordered his son Fu Xi, a director in the Ministry of Punishments, to accompany an imperial physician post-haste to his bedside. Before they arrived Yuxun died; he was granted funeral rites and burial honors with the posthumous title Wenxi.
25
西 調 使 使 使
Pei Xiandu, styled Jinwu, was a native of Quwo in Shanxi. As a young man he was a student, skilled in poetry and adept at calligraphy and painting. He purchased office and became a director. In Kangxi 35 he was appointed a director in the Ministry of Punishments. He rose repeatedly to director in the Ministry of Revenue. In the forty-ninth year he was appointed prefect of Chengjiang in Yunnan and transferred to Guangnan. At the triennial assessment he came to court; the Kangxi Emperor, hearing of his poetry, set a topic for an impromptu poem, which pleased him. In the fifty-fifth year he was transferred to salt transport commissioner of Hedong, then soon to the Two Zhe. When sea dikes were being built at Haining, Governor Xu Yuandu ordered Xiandu to supervise the work. A great tide shook the dike until it nearly broke; Xiandu sat on the ground directing the laborers and held the line until, after a long time, it held. From then on he suffered chronic dampness at the waist, severe edema afflicting him for the rest of his life. In the fifty-ninth year he was transferred to provincial surveillance commissioner of Hubei. In the sixtieth year he became provincial administration commissioner of Guizhou.
26
西 沿
In Yongzheng 1 he was promoted to governor of Jiangxi. Jiujiang once had a customs station for tax collection; it was later moved to Hukou. Hukou lies where river and lake meet; the current is fierce and merchant vessels often capsize. Xiandu reported: "The old Jiujiang customs station lay upstream of Longkai River and Guanpai Gorge and downstream of Old Crane Pond and Baishui Harbor, where the terrain is broad and mooring is safe. Forty li from the lake lies Dagutang, which all merchant vessels must pass; when water is high, Nü'er Harbor and Zhangjia Bay both offer moorings; when water is low only a narrow flat channel remains, with sand and mud banks but none of the hazards of wind, waves, or reefs. He asked that the customs station be restored to Jiujiang and a branch collection point established at Dagutang. The Emperor ordered Governor-General Zhabina to take charge of the matter jointly. The tax quotas for Nanchang, Yuanzhou, and Ruizhou had been set in the Ming along Chen Youliang's old schedule and weighed more heavily than those of other prefectures. Under Shunzhi the quotas for Yuanzhou and Ruizhou were cut, but Nanchang's had not yet been adjusted. Xiandu reported: "Regular land tax cannot be revised again and again, and within a single province it is hard to treat counties differently. He asked that Nanchang's quota be audited and reduced to match Yuanzhou and Ruizhou. The ministry approved a reduction of Nanchang's excess quota by more than 75,500 taels of silver.
27
西 西 便
Migrants from Fujian and Guangdong settled in Jiangxi's hills in shed villages, growing indigo and tobacco. Known as "shed folk," many turned to banditry. Wen Shanggui of Wanzai and Liu Yungong of Ningzhou led shed-folk rebellions; Xiandu captured them and punished them by law. The Emperor ordered baojia registration; Xiandu reported: "Shed folk mixed the law-abiding with the unruly, moving without fixed abode—some scattered in mountain ravines, others hired out to local farmers to clear land. He ordered strict inspections; more than 15,000 households were registered in baojia rolls and enrolled annually. The Emperor commended and encouraged him. Learning that Jiangxi village heads' tax collection was oppressing the people and that heterodox cults had wide following, the Emperor instructed Xiandu to ban and reform the practice. Xiandu reported: "I found village heads were burdening the people, had a stele carved to forbid it permanently, and ordered grain households to seal and pay their taxes directly at the collection chest. Scattered small households far from town who had paid by rotation might continue as before, but officials were strictly forbidden to impose extra burdens on them. Heterodox cults should be arrested and punished; physicians, diviners, and astrologers often used their arts to mislead the people, and though not cults themselves, they too should be punished when the occasion warranted. The Emperor warmly commended him.
28
便
Governor-General Zhabina proposed opening Guangfeng's Fengjin Mountain; the Emperor told Xiandu to weigh the matter and decide. Xiandu reported: "Fengjin Mountain was once called Tongtang Mountain; legend held it produced copper, but the name had no basis in fact, and it had been closed since the Ming. Under Shunzhi timber harvesting had been proposed; prefecture and county officials argued strongly against it and had a stele carved to forbid it forever. He inferred that Zhabina's aim was to destroy the shed folk's hideouts in the hills—a plan to "break the nest and smash the den." The mountain was choked with thorn and bramble where mischief festered; no stubborn, unreformed people were actually encamped inside. He concluded that opening the mountain would bring trouble while keeping it closed preserved peace; precedents on both sides were on record and well founded. The Emperor replied: "When something should be opened, do not delay; when it should be forbidden, do not waver. But put aside thoughts of grabbing credit; if you earnestly seek the region's good and remove its ills, what cannot be done? It is for you to weigh the circumstances impartially and settle the matter. The mountain remained closed as before.
29
西 使
In the fourth year he became vice minister of Revenue and was promoted to left censor-in-chief. The Emperor sent Vice Minister Maizhu to audit granary grain in Jiangxi's prefectures and counties and ordered Xiandu to stay in office. Maizhu reported: "Granary stocks were badly depleted; by regulation one shi of grain was reckoned at two mace of silver, and at handover prefectures and counties were to receive grain at that rate and buy grain to make up shortfalls. The Emperor stripped Xiandu and former provincial commissioners Zhang Kai and Chen Ance of rank and ordered them to use their saved salary to buy grain and refill the granaries. In the tenth year, when the matter was settled, he was released and sent home. He died in Qianlong 5.
30
使 調 使 使
His son Zong Xi bought office and became an assistant prefect. In the fifteenth year he was appointed assistant prefect of Jinan in Shandong and moved through several posts. In the twenty-eighth year he was appointed Baxing Circuit intendant of Zhili and then provincial surveillance commissioner of Zhili. He reported: "Beyond Gubeikou the hills grow boluo trees—that is, oaks whose leaves can feed silkworms. When I served in eastern Shandong I ordered widespread planting with considerable success. He asked that Shandong's silkworm-rearing methods be applied, with wide planting and trial cultivation. The court ordered Governor-General Fang Guancheng to try the scheme. In the thirty-second year he left office to mourn his mother. While still in office Zong Xi had mistakenly furnished post horses and carts; the ministry recommended demotion and transfer. Governor-General Yang Tingzhang consulted the ministry, arguing that Zong Xi should have reported himself. The Emperor said: "I know Zong Xi's character; he shows real promise. A surveillance commissioner oversees post stations; an occasional mistake in furnishing horses is an ordinary official lapse. He is in mourning now—how can he report himself? Tingzhang's evasive maneuver only harmed the man he meant to protect. In the thirty-fifth year, as his mourning was nearing its end, Zong Xi was again appointed provincial surveillance commissioner of Zhili.
31
使
He was soon promoted to provincial administration commissioner of Anhui and immediately made governor. He reported: "Anqing once had Zhangjia Harbor on the river, linking upstream to Qianshan, Taihu, and Wangjiang and downstream to the Yangtze, where grain boats and merchant ships had moored until long siltation turned it to dry land. Former governor Zhang Kai had cut a new canal upstream, but the ground was high and the current fierce; heavily laden boats going upstream often risked capsizing in wind. He asked that Zhangjia Harbor's old channel be dredged again. The Emperor ordered Governor-General Gao Jin to inspect on site and carry out Zong Xi's plan. He also urged that in the Fengyang and Sizhou region high ground should get more ponds and low ground stronger dikes and embankments, for irrigation and flood defense. Fengyang's high hills and open wastes were poor for grain; he ordered trees planted wherever the soil suited them. The Emperor praised his attention to the fundamentals of governance.
32
調
In the fortieth year he was transferred to Yunnan. He was soon ordered to serve as acting governor of Guizhou. He asked that the ministry allocate 300,000 taels of silver to the provincial treasury, citing Guizhou's frontier position. The request was approved. He also asked to add a tax station at Zhenyuan; the Emperor sharply refused. He also reported that Guizhou owed more than seven million jin of white lead yearly to the capital and Huguang, but only three lead works remained and long operation had depleted their output. He had found lead at Baba Mountain in Songtao and Xinzai in Zunyi, both near waterways; new works there each yielded more than a million jin a year. Supplying the capital and Huguang from these sites saved more than 43,000 taels in transport costs each year. The Emperor approved and commended the plan. He also proposed that in Guzhou's Niupi Great Ravine, which ran for hundreds of li and was lined with military colonies, the level land inside should be opened to fields so colonies could both garrison and feed the troops. At Leigongyuan in Danjiang four or five hundred mu of level ground could be cleared; scattered plots at Oushou and Yonghuang Gaojing could yield three or four hundred mu more. He proposed assigning nearby Zhenweibao colonists to trial cultivation and moving one company commander and fifty soldiers from the Danjiang garrison into the ravine to man checkpoints. By then the Emperor had already recalled Zong Xi to Yunnan and ordered his successor Tusi De to carry out the plan. In the forty-fourth year he asked to resign because of illness. He died soon after and was granted state funeral honors.
33
'' 西
Tang Zhiyu, styled Yigong, was a native of Wujin in Jiangnan. A jinshi of Kangxi 42, he was appointed magistrate of Deqing in Zhejiang. Deqing produced many degree holders and wealthy families, yet Zhiyu enforced the law without yielding. Before a cadastral review a clerk offered the customary bribe; Zhiyu refused it and punished the man. He summoned the people to survey the land in person: holders of untaxed land were told to confess, tax entries without land were struck off, the rich could not hide grain dues, and the poor were spared wrongful burdens. Selected for the Ministry of Works as a director, he was then chosen by examination as a supervising censor in the Revenue Bureau. In the fifty-eighth year he reported: "Revenue accounts are easiest to falsify; the first step is to remove those who falsify them. So-called 'post masters' monopolized whole bureaus or whole provinces as hereditary trades, colluding with clerks inside and out to twist documents and bend the law; this had to be rigorously suppressed. He impeached Shen Tiansheng, post master of the Shanxi bureau, for monopolizing the donated-horse quota; the case went to the Nine Ministers and Shen was arrested. In the sixtieth year he became chief minister of the Court of State Ceremonial. He served successively as vice prefect of Fengtian Prefecture and vice minister of the Court of Judicial Review. In Yongzheng 2 he was promoted three times within a single year to vice minister of Rites. In the fifth year he was promoted to left censor-in-chief.
34
便
In the seventh year he was ordered to serve as acting governor-general of Zhili. Zhiyu was a tireless administrator; whenever any prefecture or county reported even a modest harvest shortfall, he organized relief. Longping reported thirty-three stalks of auspicious grain; Zhiyu attached the report to his autumn harvest memorial and the Emperor commended him. Tribute lychees had just arrived; the Emperor ordered them sent to Zhiyu, who though ill continued governing as usual. Ji Dong of the Imperial Clan Court had entered as physician; the Emperor sent him to treat Zhiyu, bestowed ginseng, and told him: "Conserve your strength and govern only as much as you can bear. If you want Dong to prescribe again, Baoding is close—he can be summoned back. When Rehe land tax was being collected, officials proposed raising the annual quota and adding collection points at Bangshiying and elsewhere. The proposal was referred to Zhiyu, who said: "Merchant tax yields depend on harvests, so one can only set a balanced fixed quota. Bangshiying lay more than 180 li away; land tax had already been collected there, and an added transit levy would discourage merchants and reduce regular revenue. He asked that the old arrangement stand. The proposal was dropped. Changlu salt censor Zheng Chanbao, citing merchant losses against the treasury, asked to raise the salt price; the Emperor consulted Zhiyu. Zhiyu said: "Your Majesty treats merchants and common people alike. The merchants failed to restrain themselves and put public funds before private gain until the treasury was drained. Raising the salt price to burden the people would be wrong, in my view. That proposal too was rejected.
35
西 使 使 使
In the spring of the eighth year he came to court. In Luan, Lulong, Qian'an, Funing, Changli, and Laoting, grain stored at Xifengkou granary was short by more than 2,500 shi; Zhiyu asked that recovery be waived as it had been for Tongzhou's middle and west granaries. The ministry opposed the request, but the emperor approved it himself. Miyun city lay on the Bai River; its old earthen and timber dikes had all fallen into ruin, leaving only a stone embankment standing. Upstream, a mound of silt jutted into the channel and drove the current into a fury; locally it was called an "earth snout." Zhiyu memorialized asking that the obstruction be cleared so the river could run freely again; He further proposed building a sturdy earthen levee on a foundation of stone-filled elm cribs to buttress the stone dike and shield the county seat. The emperor commended his prudent plan and ordered the work completed before the summer rise. He was promoted to Minister of War while continuing to serve as acting governor-general. That autumn, prolonged rains sent the Yongding, Hutuo, and other rivers into full flood. Zhiyu reported the flooding, and the emperor dispatched Vice Minister Mu Kedeng, Vice Lieutenant General Aru, and others to oversee relief in the affected areas. Zhiyu wrote: "Among the counties affected by floodwaters, conditions differ widely. Some places named in the imperial edict have already seen the water subside without serious damage; Others not mentioned in the edict have suffered severe flooding, with fields and dwellings under water and relief urgently needed: I ask that the relief commissioners be instructed to verify conditions on the ground. The emperor approved the request at once.
36
滿 西 使
In the dynasty's early years, Han-held land was allotted to Manchu banner officers and soldiers in what was known as "land enclosure." When land was enclosed, neighboring counties would supply replacement plots while grain quotas stayed tied to the original registrations, creating what were called "attached grain quotas." Tenants relocated to new plots as well, giving rise to "attached estates." Over the years, abuses multiplied without number. The emperor directed Zhiyu to investigate and reform the system, using Huai'an, Xuanhua, Wanquan, Baodi, Fengrun, Sanhe, and other counties as illustrative cases. Zhiyu reported: "Cases of this sort are found throughout the province—for example, grain tax from Wuqiu Village and Kongmu Estate in Jizhou, and from Mazquan Village in Zhaozhou, is registered in Zanhuang; In Yu County, taxes from Jiadougou and Xixian Estate are owed in Xuanhua; And grain from Jingtou Estate in Xuanhua is collected in Xining—officials struggle to enforce payment, while peasants exhaust themselves in travel. Wherever land lay in one place but tax remained registered elsewhere, he ordered taxes to follow the land; assessments would be added here and removed there, eliminating confusion and proxy collection, with boundaries and land dues set straight. Each relay horse in Zhili had been costing roughly ten taels a year in miscellaneous expenses. Zhiyu fixed annual overhead at three taels six qian per horse. Busy stations at Changping, Yanqing, and Xuanhua borrowed horses from quieter posts, yet the home stations still bore the cost of upkeep. Zhiyu asked that horses on loan be placed under the care of the counties that used them. All these proposals were referred to the ministry for approval and enactment.
37
Since Yongzheng 3, surplus grain-shipping fees in Zhili had been remitted to the public treasury. The ministry ruled that surpluses from the first two years, paid in during the third and already spent by local governments, must nevertheless be recovered. In Ba, Wen'an, and five other counties, peasants who had borrowed state grain still owed more than 21,000 shi of rice and 16,000 shi of millet; the ministry ordered local officials to collect the debts. Zhiyu argued: "Surpluses from the first two years were spent locally before the policy requiring remittance took effect; the previous governor-general had expressly allowed that use. To demand repayment now would be penny-wise and faithless. He added: "These granary debts are decades old; the debtors and their estates are utterly ruined. To pursue payment now would mean hounding the descendants of perhaps a hundred former magistrates—a cruelty that warrants compassion. The emperor accepted Zhiyu's recommendations and waived the debts.
38
In the ninth year he petitioned to resign on account of grave illness, and the request was granted. In the tenth year, somewhat recovered, he was appointed Minister of Punishments. In the spring of the eleventh year he was again ordered to serve as acting governor-general of Zhili; though he pleaded illness, the emperor pressed him to accept. He died in office that third month and was granted state funeral rites.
39
Zhiyu cared deeply for the welfare of the people; his pleas for leniency were almost always granted. Zhiyu once remarked: "I am no gifted administrator; others surpass me in statecraft—diligence is all I can offer. And diligence, he held, must begin with thrift. He spent only thirteen or fourteen taels of his annual integrity stipend and returned the rest to the provincial treasury.
40
西 調 涿
Yang Yongbin, styled Shouting, hailed from Kunming in Yunnan. He earned his juren degree in Kangxi 38. Assigned to Guangxi as a county magistrate, he served at Lingui and won a reputation for probity and ability. After mourning his parents he was posted to Fuping in Zhili, served acting posts at Pingshan and Dacheng, and earned praise for humane governance at each. He lost his post when he failed to capture the eunuch Chen Yongzhong promptly enough. The people of Dacheng petitioned the governor to keep him in office; when the Yongzheng Emperor came to the throne, recognizing Yongbin's merit, he was restored to rank. He was promoted to prefect of Zhuozhou.
41
使 祿 使
In Yongzheng 3 the emperor singled out Yongbin for both talent and integrity and appointed him prefect of Weining in Guizhou. Weining lay on the borders of Yunnan and Sichuan, where native chiefs oppressed their subjects and often raided neighboring territory. Lu Wanchong of Wumeng and Long Qinghou of Zhenxiong were particularly formidable. Ordered to fix the frontier, Yongbin rode alone to parley with the chieftains while secretly dispatching agents disguised as merchants to survey the terrain. When Ortai became governor-general of Yunnan and Guizhou, Yongbin submitted his maps with a warning: "Unless these two chiefs are brought to heel, they will remain a perpetual threat on the frontier. Wanchong is still young, and the other chiefs have not yet rallied to him. The governor-general of Sichuan has already impeached Wanchong for misrule and proposes massing troops on the border and summoning him to account. If he refuses, march in with force. Once Wumeng falls, isolated Zhenxiong will likely capitulate as well. Ortai agreed; when Wanchong ignored the summons, he ordered Ranger Ha Yuansheng and Yongbin to lead the invasion. Wanchong fled toward Zhenyuan and, with Qinghou, surrendered in Sichuan. The campaign was concluded in thirty-three days. When Lady Lu of Mitie rebelled, Ortai sent troops against her; Yongbin advised Yuansheng: "The rebels rely on Mianshan and Babu as an escape route and will flee across the Jinsha River when hard pressed. Block them with a main force while sending a flanking column across the river to cut them off—they can be destroyed. Yuansheng adopted the plan and took Mitie.
42
調使 使
Ortai recommended Yongbin for higher office; he was promoted to Guizhou East Circuit intendant, then grain-and-relay intendant, and appointed acting provincial judge. When the court proposed adding five qian per mu on military colony land, Yongbin objected: "Military fields are already taxed at several times the civilian rate under the garrison-rent system. Moreover, these plots now change hands like ordinary farmland. Though called military colonies, they are effectively private property; an additional per-mu levy would be oppressive and invite resistance. In troubled times, piling new burdens on the people would only drive them to revolt. Ortai relayed the objection, and the proposal was dropped. In the seventh year he became treasurer of Hunan. Hunan was considering the same per-mu levy on military land; Yongbin invoked his Guizhou precedent and secured exemption there too.
43
調
In the ninth year he was transferred to Guangdong. In the spring of the tenth year he was made acting governor; he received formal appointment that autumn. Guangdong was densely populated yet its people farmed little, keeping rice prices high. Yongbin ordered local officials to promote reclamation, planting beans and wheat on uplands unsuited to rice and orchards on hillsides and slopes. In Huizhou and Chaozhou, where the populace was especially unruly, he opened official land for settlement, dedicating rent to the Yuexiu Academy. The emperor praised the initiative and ordered a survey of reclaimed acreage. He soon reported: "Some 6,800 qing can be reclaimed outright, but much else is steep, remote, sandy, or saline; peasants fear poor yields will leave them unable to pay tax. Yet even marginal land adds up: reclaiming hundreds of thousands of mu could yield hundreds of thousands of shi in good years and something even in bad—a clear benefit to the people. In Xining, saline wasteland is lightly taxed at slightly over four li of silver and four he of grain per mu. I propose applying that rate to all reclaimed poor land, with taxes due only after ten years. The ministry approved, and eventually more than 1.18 million mu were brought under cultivation.
44
西 調
In the first year of Qianlong he served concurrently as acting governor-general of the Two Guang. When the emperor abolished the landing tax, Yongbin also asked to lift fishing and wharf duties and purge remaining corrupt surcharges at the Guangdong customs—and the emperor agreed to all of it. During his years in Guangdong, Yongbin governed with openness and humility while hardening his officers and staff. He broke up bands led by the outlaw Yu Ni and Chen Meilun, putting dozens to justice, and brought Yao communities in Qujiang and Ruyuan back under the fold. Western trading vessels were required to anchor at Macau rather than the capital's harbor. The people of Guangdong sang his praises. In the second year he was transferred to Hubei, also serving as acting governor-general of Huguang. He tightened household registration, repaired fortifications, promoted sericulture, stocked community granaries, and revived schools—implementing reforms across the board.
45
調 使
He was soon transferred to Jiangsu. Inspecting sea walls in Fengxian, Nanhui, Shanghai, and Baoshan, he found that quarrying soil for repairs had undercut the embankments; he proposed digging an interior canal linking the Huating canal in the south to Gaoshan in Baoshan in the north. At critical points such as Jinshan Mouth and Niijia Road in Huating and Yangjia Mouth in Baoshan, he recommended stone groins, thickened embankments, or new stone seawalls as terrain required. He also proposed a Sea God temple at Baoshan. All were approved. In the third year he retired on grounds of age and illness, was recalled to the capital, and appointed acting vice minister of Rites. He was soon made vice minister of Personnel. In the fourth year he retired from office. In year 5 he died. His grandson entered service by privilege as a department director and rose to Jiangsu provincial judge.
46
谿
The commentator writes: Qizhuo, Zongren, and Yuxun were all raised up by the Kangxi Emperor and won great distinction in office; the Yongzheng Emperor entrusted them with broad jurisdictions; their loyalty never slackened and imperial favor endured to the end—as was only fitting! Xiandu governed without harassing the people; Zhiyu and Yongbin were especially diligent in bringing benefits, and Wenqian and Zongxi helped complete their good work. Yongzheng's reign prized clarity and severity; these officials were quick, perceptive, and diligent in meeting his intent and held to the larger principles of government—quite unlike those who chased quick fame, slid into harsh pettiness, and drew heavy censure from their own age.
← Previous Chapter
Back to Chapters
Next Chapter →