Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/205

Rh CHU Yu-lang 朱由榔, Nov., 1623–1662, June, was a son of Chu Ch'ang-ying 朱常瀛 (d. Nov.–Dec., 1644) and a grandson of the Ming emperor, Shên-tsung, who ruled in the years 1573–1620 under the reign-title Wan-li 萬曆. In 1627 Chu Yu-lang left the capital with his father when the latter was granted an estate in Hêng-chou, Hunan. He was given the title Prince of Yung-ming (永明王) in 1636 and his elder brother, Chu Yu-ai 朱由楥 (d. 1646), became Prince of An-jên 安仁王. When Hêng-chou was taken (1643) by Chu fled with his father and brother southwest toward Ch'üan-chou, Kwangsi, but at Yung-chou, Hunan, they parted company. While on his way to Kwangsi, Chu Yu-lang was made prisoner at Tao-chou, Hunan, but escaped with the aid of Chiao Lien (see under ), then a subordinate to Yang Kuo-wei 楊國威 (d. 1646), a general in Kwangsi. He rejoined his father who by late in the summer of 1644 had moved from Ch'üan-chou to Wu-chou, Kwangsi, and there, in the autumn of that year, his father died. In the summer of 1645 Chu Yu-lang met Ch'ü Shih-ssŭ at Wu-chou when the latter was on his way to take office as governor of Kwangsi. After the Prince of T'ang (see under ) had proclaimed himself emperor (August 18, 1645), Chu Yu-lang was ordered to Chao-ch'ing, Kwangtung, but soon after returned to Wu-chou because the Manchu forces were pressing on toward Kan-chou, Kiangsi (June 1646). Distressed at the death of his elder brother at Wu-chou, he decided to proceed with Ch'ü Shih-ssŭ again to Chao-ch'ing (September–October).

Early in 1646 Chu Yu-lang had been given the title Prince of Kuei (桂王)—the one who conveyed this information to him being the eunuch, P'ang T'ien-shou (see below). After the Prince of T'ang was taken captive by the Manchus (October 6, 1646), Chu Yu-lang assumed the responsibility of continuing the Ming court at Chao-ch'ing and on November 20 took the title "administrator of the realm" (監國). When the news of the advance of Manchu troops toward Kan-chou reached Chao-ch'ing, Chu Yu-lang and his court fled to Wu-chou, arriving December 7. On December 11 Chu Yü-yüeh (see under ) was proclaimed emperor at Canton under the reign-title Shao-wu. Chu Yu-lang, finding the Manchu forces for the time being less pressing, returned to Chao-ch'ing (December 18) and six days later he also was proclaimed emperor with the reign-title Yung-li (永曆). He initiated a campaign against Chu Yü-yüeh, but was defeated on January 7, 1647 at San-shui, Kwangtung. On January 20 the Manchu troops, led by, took Canton, whereupon Chu Yü-yüeh committed suicide to avoid capture. A few days later Chu Yu-lang again fled westward to Wu-chou. On February 20 Chao-ch'ing fell to the Manchus, and he fled northward—first to P'ing-lo, Kwangsi, and at the end of the month to Kuei-lin in the same province. In this emergency all of his high officials, except Ch'ü Shih-ssŭ, left him. After the Manchus took P'ing-lo, he fled (March 20) northward to Ch'üan-chou. In the meantime Ch'ü Shih-ssŭ was placed in full charge of the defense of Kuei-lin where he stayed three years until the city was captured and he himself was made prisoner. The Manchus laid siege to Kuei-lin (April 18, 1647) whereupon Chu Yu-lang fled (May 8) yet farther north to Wu-kang, Hunan. Meanwhile they ordered, , and to attack the remaining Ming forces from three directions. On June 27 the three armies met at Kuei-lin and initiated a second attack on that city. With the aid of Western cannon Ch'ü Shih-ssŭ, together with Chiao Lien, was able to defend the city and finally (July 1) routed the Manchus whose withdrawal made it possible for the Ming troops to recover a number of lost cities. On September 21 the Manchus pressed on Wu-kang whereupon Chu Yu-lang sought safety in Ching-chou, Hunan, and later in Liu-chou and Hsiang-chou in Kwangsi. He intended to proceed from there still farther southwest to Nan-ning, Kwangsi, but at the urgent request of Ch'ü Shih-ssŭ once more returned to Kuei-lin (December 28), while his household retired to Nan-ning. At Kuei-lin he enjoyed a brief respite, until March 15, 1648, when the Ming troops were defeated in the nearby city of Ling-ch'uan, Kwangsi. Thereupon Chu Yu-lang renewed his-flight, joining his household at Nan-ning on April 2. For a third time Kuei-lin was besieged (April 14) by the Manchus, but the defection of and Li Ch'êng-tung from the Ch'ing cause made it necessary for the invaders to retire to Kiangsi and Kwangtung. In the ensuing six months the Ming troops recovered a large part of southwest China. At the request of Li Ch'êng-tung, Chu returned to Wu-chou (August 19) and a month later (September 17) to Chao-ch'ing where, until the end of the year (1648), he en- 193