Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/155

Rh tsung (see under ) in 1723, Chiang T'ing-hsi became junior vice-president of the Board of Rites. In the same year he was made chief-editor of the great, officially-compiled encyclopaedia, Ku-chin t'u-shu chi-ch'êng (see under ) which was completed and presented to the throne three years later (1726). In the year 1724 he memorialized on the compilation of a revised and supplemented edition of the Ta-Ch'ing hui-tien (see under ). The request was granted and Chiang was appointed assistant editor. This work, completed in 1733, was the second edition of the Ta-Ch'ing hui-tien, the first being compiled in 1684–90 and printed in 1690. After serving as junior vice-president of the Board of Revenue in 1724, Chiang was promoted to senior vice-president of the same board in the following year. Early in 1726 he became president of the Board of Revenue. In this important post he gained a reputation for integrity and incorruptibility and received imperial commendation. In the same year, also, he served as chief-examiner of the Shun-t'ien provincial examination, and later acted concurrently as president of the Board of War. Upon the death of his mother (late in 1726 or early in 1727) the emperor, unwilling to grant him more than a few months' leave for mourning, ordered him to observe it while con-tinuing his duties. In 1728 he was made Grand Secretary, though retaining the presidency of the Board of Revenue. At the same time he served as one of the editors-in-chief of the "veritable records" of Emperor Shêng-tsu, 聖組仁皇帝實錄 Shêng-tsu Jên Huang-ti shih-lu. In 1729 he was given a mansion and also the honorary title of GrantGrand [sic] Tutor of the Heir Apparent. In the following year he was chief examiner of the metropolitan examination. In July 1729, when the Grand Council was established to direct the war against the Eleuths, Chiang T'ing-hsi was made one of the first three Grand Councilors, the other two being and. Late in 1730, in recognition of his diligence and efficiency as an official, he was awarded the hereditary title of Ch'ing-ch'ê tu-yü of the first class. He died about September 9, 1732, at the age of sixty-four (sui) and was canonized as Wên-su 文肅.

A number of paintings by Chiang T'ing-hsi are reproduced in the 故宮週刊 Ku-kung chou-k'an; and a collection of sixteen of them, depicting plant life, insects, and birds, were reproduced in facsimile (1911) by the Wên-ming Shu-chü 文明書局, under the title 蔣南沙花鳥草蟲册 Chiang Nan-sha hua-niao ts'ao-ch'ung ts'ê.

Chiang T'ing-hsi was also known as a poet—his collected verse, printed about 1702, appearing under the titles, 青桐集 Ch'ing-t'ung chi, 秋風集 Ch'iu-fêng chi, 片雲集 P'ien-yün chi, 坡仙集 P'o-hsien chi, and 西小爽氣集 Hsi-hsiao shuang-ch'i chi. His early poems are represented in the anthology known as Chiang-tso shih-wu tzŭ shih-hsüan (see under ).

Chiang T'ing-hsi had two sons: Chiang P'u 蔣溥 and Chiang Chou 蔣洲. The former, a chin-shih of 1730 and an accomplished painter, rose in 1759 to be a Grand Secretary and upon his death was given the posthumous name, Wên-k'o 文恪. The latter became governor of Shantung (1757) but was beheaded in 1760 for serious corruption. Chiang Ting 蔣檙, a son of Chiang P'u and chin-shih of 1751, carried on the family tradition as a painter of plant life. Chiang Chi-hsi 將季錫, a younger sister of Chiang T'ing-hsi, who married Wang T'u-wei 王圖煒, a son of , was another accomplished artist of the family. A painter of plant life, Chiang Chi-hsi was also a calligrapher and left a literary collection, under the title 清芬閣集 Ch'ing-fên ko chi.

[1/295/5a; 3/16/7a; 19/乙下/22b; 20/2/00 (portrait); 27/9/1a; 蘇州府志 Su-chou fu chih (1883) 100/25a; 常昭合志 Ch'ang-Chao ho-chih (1904);, T'ien-chên ko chi, 47/13b; , Ssŭ-shih-chai chi 18/1a; L.T.C.L.H.M. for a long list of his paintings.]

2em

 CHIANG Yüeh-kuang 姜曰廣, d. Mar. 1, 1649, Ming statesman, was a native of Hsin-chien, Kiangsi. A chin-shih of 1619, he was appointed to the Hanlin Academy and became a compiler. In 1626 he went on a mission to Korea and established a reputation for uncorrupted service. On his return he was removed from office by the party because of his affiliation with the Tung-lin party (see under ). Reinstated in 1628, he had risen to the post of junior vice-president in the Board of Civil Office (1636) when he was lowered in rank and sent to serve at Nanking. There he was placed in charge (1642) of the Hanlin Academy.

When the Ming court fled south he espoused the cause of the Prince of Fu (see under ). After the Court was established at 143