Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/101

Rh Ch'ien-lung period the works of Ch'ên Kung-yin were banned, owing to the anti-Manchu sentiments in his poems. Nevertheless the Tu-lu t'ang chi was reprinted in 1825 with a supplement in 1 chüan containing his miscellaneous writings. In 1919 another supplement, a chronological biography of Ch'ên, entitled Ch'ên Tu-lu Hsien-shêng nien-p'u (先生年譜), was added to the collection.

Another son of Ch'ên Kung-yin, named Ch'ên Li 陳勵, was a chü-jên of 1699.

[1/489/10b; 3/423/42a; 6/35/18a; 29/1/35a; M.1/278; Shun-tê hsien chih (1853) 24/56a, 25/3a; Goodrich, L. C., The Literary Inquisition of Ch'ien-lung, pp. 113, 115, 117; Ch'ên Po-t'ao 陳伯陶, 勝朝粵東遺民傳 Shêng-ch'ao Yüeh-tung i-min chuan, 2/1a, 1/37b, 附錄 ; Hsü Shih-ch'ang 徐世昌, 晚晴簃詩匯 Wan-ch'ing i shih-hui 18/8a;, Wêng-shan wên-wai, 2/41b.]

2em

 CH'ÊN Kuo-jui 陳國瑞, 1837-1883, Feb. 7, general, was a native of Ying-ch'êng, Hupeh. He was about eight sui when his father died. During the years 1852–54 the Taiping forces, then in Ying-ch'êng, detained him but he managed to escape, either by his own efforts or by the help of government troops. Before long he became a soldier in the camp of General Huang K'ai-pang 黃開榜 who was then a minor officer under Shêng-pao (see under ) and later under. Huang liked him and adopted him as his son. In a few years he became a second captain and was raised to first captain in 1859 when he shared in the recovery of Fêng-yang, Anhwei. For special bravery in a battle south of Fêng-yang in 1860, he was given the title, Chi-yung baturu 技勇巴圖魯. In the same year he was raised to major. From 1860 to 1862 he fought mostly in northern Kiangsu to stem the southward advance of the Nien bandits (see under ). He won a number of battles and was made first a colonel and then a brigade-general. Late in 1862, on the recommendation of Wu T'ang (see under ), who was then director-general of grain transport, he was detached from Huang K'ai-pang's camp and was put under Wu's command. A few months later he was transferred to Shantung where he won several spectacular victories. In 1863 he was rewarded with a yellow jacket and with the decorations of a first grade general. At the same time he was permitted to resume his own surname, Ch'ên, in place of Huang, by which he had been known up to this time. His bravery and his military talents were highly appreciated by the prince,.

In the autumn of 1863 he was sent to retake Mêng-ch'êng, Anhwei, from the rebel, Miao Pei-lin (see under ). He was made commander of an army composed of his own men, numbering 4,000, and also of troops from another command. Late in 1863 Meng-ch'êng was recovered and Miao was killed. In 1864 Ch'ên was appointed a brigade-general in Chekiang, but was detained in Honan to fight the rebels. For his failure to obey Sêng-ko-lin-ch'in's order to advance on Hupeh, he was degraded and was deprived of his command. When reported as plotting to rebel, he proved his loyalty by going to Sêng-ko-lin-ch'in in person to offer his services. He was given a small detachment with which he won a battle late in 1864, and so regained his former ranks. After retiring for a few months, owing to illness, he was specially recommended by and was recalled to service. In 1865 he pursued the Nien bandits from Honan to Shantung, then to northern Kiangsu, and then back to Shantung where Sêng-ko-lin-ch'in was killed in battle. Ch'ên was severely wounded, but he managed to lead a remnant of his men for the recovery of the prince's body. In consequence he was not punished for the defeat.

About the middle of 1865 Ch'ên Kuo-jui was placed under the command of Tsêng Kuo-fan and was sent to Honan to fight bandits. Becoming envious, we are told, of troops because they were supplied with new rifles, he secretly led five hundred men to attack Liu's camp in order to seize the rifles, but in the affray all his men were killed. Unwilling to acknowledge his error, he continued to argue with Tsêng Kuo-fan. The latter finally reported Ch'ên's faults in a memorial, with the result that Ch'ên was deprived of his titles and decorations. While living in retirement at Huai-an, Kiangsu, he became so unruly that he threatened to execute his adopted son. When his former benefactor, Wu T'ang, gave refuge to that son Ch'ên was so angered that he led his servants to attack Wu's office. For these offenses he was reduced to a commoner.

In 1867, again on the recommendation of Chang Chih-wan, Ch'ên Kuo-jui was recalled to service. Early in 1868 he was made an 89