Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/24

Rh due to some determination of Mingju to transfer the right to another merchant. On the other hand, it is possible that Chang Lin himself considered it better for his official career if he abandoned his status as a merchant. But in 1701 he was cashiered and he retired to Tientsin where he tried to resume his former trade. He borrowed through the manager of one of the imperial farms a large sum of money (some 700,000 taels) with which he purchased the right to sell salt in eastern Chihli, in central Honan and in a part of Shansi. Because his capital came from the emperor's own purse, he was able to exclude other merchants—even more ruthlessly than An Shang-i whose capital came only from a minister.

About 1703 An Ch'i entered his father's business in Tientsin, probably after some financial arrangement had been made with Mingju. But in 1709 the An family became involved in a lawsuit. The family desired to expand the business southwest of Peking, but the agent who supplied that region, declining to be forced out of business, appealed to the governor, Chao Hung-hsieh (see under ), for justice. He pointed out that An Shang-i and An Ch'i had purchased from Chang Lin, for about 169,000 taels, the privilege of retailing salt in eastern Honan but that, being bannermen, they had no legal right to do so, even under aliases; for such privileges could be granted only by the government. Chang Lin had himself been involved in a law-suit and now testified against the Ans. After much delay An Shang-jên was brought before the bench early in 1710. Despite his denials, the charges were proven true. Governor Chao terminated the case by fining An Shang-jên about 169,000 taels and then released him. In the course of the trial he repeatedly informed the emperor that pressing the case might evoke reprisals owing to the fact that too many former officials of Chihli were involved. Thus An Shang-jên and An Ch'i continued to reside at Tientsin as salt merchants.

An Ch'i used part of his means to make an excellent collection of paintings and calligraphy, and in time became a connoisseur in these fields. Many of his items are said to have come from the collections of Hsiang Yüan-pien 項元汴, , Liang Ch'ing-piao 梁清標 , and other famous collectors. The studio in which he housed his collection he called Ku-hsiang shu-wu 古香書屋. He was hospitable to men of letters who were always welcome in his country villa known as Ku-shui Ts'ao-t'ang 沽水草堂. Among those whom he befriended was who was at least twice (1715 and 1719) his guest. Ch'ien eulogized An on the latter's fiftieth birthday (about 1732).

In 1725, when Tientsin was raised from a garrison post (衛) to a department seat (州城), An Ch'i and his father volunteered to rebuild the city wall from their own funds. The salt censor at Tientsin, Mang-ku-li 莽鵠立, reported the offer to Emperor Shih-tsung who promptly accepted it. The wall had a height of thirty feet (Chinese) and a circumference of about five li. It took six years to build, and during that time An Ch'i and his father not only financed it but made regular inspections of the progress of the work. It seems that An Ch'i spent his entire fortune on this public enterprise, and finally had to sell his collection of paintings to complete it. He recorded that during the construction he had to refrain from buying certain paintings which later haunted him in his dreams. Though the An family was celebrated for its philanthropic activities, it is difficult to believe that An Ch'i undertook the wall-building enterprise voluntarily. The intrigues that resulted finally in the succession of to the throne in 1722 may afford a clue. The An family had contributed much to the wealth of Mingju whose son was not only related to the emperor's opponent,, but supported the claims of another of the emperor's antagonists,. Though K'uei-hsü had been dead five years when Yin-chên ascended the throne the emperor bore such hatred toward him that he insisted an opprobrious inscription be carved on his tombstone (see under ). As former servants of K'uei-hsü, the An family may well have been under threat or suspicion, in which case An Ch'i engaged in the enterprise to satisfy old grievances.

An Ch'i left an annotated catalogue of the paintings or examples of calligraphy he had seen or possessed, entitled 墨緣彙觀 Mo-yüan hui-kuan, 4 chüan. It was completed in 1742 and was probably printed at the same time. It was reprinted by in 1900 and in 1909. This catalogue is highly prized by collectors for its detailed description of the items enumerated. At least one of the paintings formerly in An Ch'i's possession, entitled "Plums", and painted by Tsou Fu-lei 鄒復雷 of the 12