Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/18

Rh the following: junior and senior vice-president both of the Board of Works (1738–40) and of the Board of Punishments (1740); senior vice-presi­dent of the Board of Civil Office (1740–46), serving concurrently as lieutenant-general of the Chinese Plain White Banner (1742) and of the Manchu Bordered Blue Banner (1743); chancel­lor of the Hanlin Academy (1745–48); and presi­dent of the Censorate (1746). He was also president of the Board of Punishments (1746–48), and Associate Grand Secretary (1748). In 1748 an error was made in the Manchu translation of an edict conferring a posthumous title upon Empress Hsiao-hsien (see under ). Since the edict was framed by the Hanlin Academy of which A-k'o-tun was in charge, A-k'o-tun was deprived of his post, but remained to serve as sub-chancel­lor of the Grand Secretariat. Soon after, he was re-appointed president of the Board of Punish­ments, serving concurrently as lieutenant-general of the Chinese Bordered White Banner, and later as chancellor of the Hanlin Academy. Early in 1749 he was reinstated as Associate Grand Secretary. Thereafter he served the government without interruption until his retirement in 1755 owing to trouble with his eyes. During his last years of service, when the emperor was journey­ing to Jehol, Honan, and Fengtien, he was three times (1749, 1750, and 1754) entrusted with the conduct of affairs at the capital. He died early in 1756 and was canonized as Wên-ch'in 文勤.

A-k'o-tun was forthright in character, aligning himself with no political party. Though he and were friends and fellow members of the Hanlin Academy, he declined to join Nien when the latter was in power. He achieved high literary distinction and on many occasions was in charge of examinations. He served as vice-director for the compilation of the second edition of the Ta-Ch'ing hui-tien (see under ), commissioned in 1724 and completed in 1733; of the first edition of the Pa-ch'i t'ung-chih (see under ); and of the first edition of the Ta-Ch'ing i-t'ung chih (see under ). His collected works, entitled 德蔭堂集 Tê-yin-t'ang chi, 16 chüan, were published in 1778 by his son, A-kuei, and later (1816) were reprinted, together with his nien-p'u, 1 chüan, compiled by his great-grand­ son,.

[1/309/4b; 2/16/3b; 3/17/1a; 4/26/10a; 9/20/3a; 11/35/53b.]

2em 2em

 A-kuei 阿桂, Sept. 7, 1717–1797, Oct. 10, official and general, was a member of the Chang-chia 章佳 clan and of the Manchu Plain Blue Banner. He was the only son of and for a time (1736) studied under. Owing to his father's merits, he was awarded an honorary licentiate and was appointed (1736) a secretary of the Court of Judicature and Revision. But he was not satisfied with the appointment. In 1738 he passed the examination for chü-jên, and a year later was made a second class secretary in the Board of War. In 1743 he rose to a department directorship in the Board of Revenue, but was degraded three years later to an assistant department directorship in the Board of Civil Office. In 1748 he was given his first border assignment, as a secretary in the army sent to pacify the aborigines of Chin-ch'uan in Szechwan. Unfortunately he reached his post just when the commanders, and No-ch'in (see under ) were impeached for imputing to each other the blame for failure to conquer the aborigines. A-kuei, accused of taking the part of Chang Kuang-ssŭ, and of deceiving No-ch'in, was forthwith ordered to Peking for trial. Although Chang and No-ch'in were executed, A-kuei was pardoned (1749) in consideration of his lack of experience, and as a favor to his aged father. In 1750 he was reinstated as assistant department director in the Board of Civil Office. Elevated to the post of a department director in 1752, he was sent to Kiangsi as provincial judge, but was recalled in 1753 and made a reader in the Grand Secretariat. As a sub-chancellor in the latter office he was sent in 1755 to Uliasutai as quartermaster for the armies under which were then in the newly conquered Ili valley. For a time in 1756 A-kuei was in Peking to mourn the death of his father, but in the middle of that year was again sent to Uliasutai where he became assistant military governor. He arrived in time to take part in the subjugation of a Mongolian prince who, after had rebelled in Ili (see under ), attempted to revolt in Mongolia. In 1757 after the rebellion of Amursana was suppressed, A-kuei was given the rank of junior vice-president of the Board of Works and sent to Khobdo to stabilize western Mongolia and prevent the Eleuths from escaping to Siberia.

In 1758 A-kuei was recalled to the capital because of Imperial dissatisfaction at his failure to prevent the escape of an Eleuth chief. During this time a rebellion of Mohammedans broke out 6