Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/319

Rh attacking the administration. Hsieh remained a prisoner at the military camp for more than half a year awaiting execution, but was released early in 1730. Late in 1735 he was pardoned by Emperor Kao-tsung and was re-instated in his post as censor.

Soon after resuming office, early in 1736, Hsieh submitted a memorial criticizing the manner of conducting the palace examinations for the chin-shih degree. He advocated freer expression of thought, and attacked the method of rating on the basis of standard rules of composition, and on the style of handwriting. He also submitted to the Emperor his annotated texts of the Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean (omitting those parts that nearly cost his life in 1729), but these works were rejected as worthless. In 1737 he submitted to the throne a treatise on the Classic of Changes which was accepted. But realizing that he was not really welcome at Peking, he pleaded (1738) for a provincial post on the ground that the increased income would enable him to support his aged mother. He was then appointed grain intendant of Hunan, a post he held for four years (1738–42). There he had certain of his works on the classics published (about 1739–41), but in 1741 someone disclosed this fact to the emperor who ordered, then governor-general at Wuchang, to investigate. Again unorthodox views were found in his writings on the classics, with the result that 154 volumes by him and 237 finished printing blocks were destroyed, early in 1742. The Emperor explained that he had never punished any man for his utterances or writings, hence the case was closed when Sun reported that Hsieh had repented. [In later years Emperor Kao-tsung altered his policy and meted out the most severe punishments for literary offences.]

Meanwhile (1742) Hsieh discovered by dramatically disguising himself as a commoner, that certain magistrates were exacting from farmers double the required taxes. It happened that the governor, Hsü Jung (see under ), was friendly to the accused magistrates, and, rather than report their misdeeds, had Hsieh reprimanded for corrupt and immoral conduct (1743). A conspiracy of high officials at Changsha tried to destroy the evidence against the offenders, and Hsieh's successor, Ts'ang-tê 倉德 was ordered to do so. But the latter, declining to comply with the wishes of his superiors, had the conspiracy exposed. An official investigation in 1743, based on the testimony of Ts'ang-tê, not only cleared Hsieh of all charges, but condemned Sun Chia-kan, Hsü Jung, the guilty magistrates, and several other officials. Hsieh had his rank restored, and late in 1743 was appointed intendant of Salt and Post Stations in Hunan. But he soon discovered that he was disliked, by the new governor as well, and in 1744 resigned. He returned to his native place and led a tranquil life for twelve years, until his death. During his last years he edited remnants of his works that had not been confiscated or burned, and published them under the title 梅莊雜著 Mei-chuang tsa-chu. This collection includes his memorials, philosophical discourses, poems and short articles in prose. It was reprinted several times—the 1825 edition having 4 chüan and the 1884 edition, 12 chüan. The fifth chüan of the 1884 edition is known independently as 西北域記 Hsi-pei-yü chi, being miscellaneous notes on his experiences in Mongolia.

It is interesting to note that Hsieh Chi-shih, even when an exiled convict in Mongolia (1729), was greatly revered by some generals and officers, chiefly Manchus, who sat under him as students of the classics.

[1/299/4b; 2/75/3b; 3/210/1a; Ch'üan-chou chih (1799) 8/46a; 虞城縣志 Yu-ch'êng (Honan) hsien-chih (1895) 6下/1a; Goodrich, L. C., Literary Inquisition of Ch'ien-lung (1935) pp. 88-93.]

2em

 HSIEH Shêng 謝陞, d. 1645, Ming-Ch'ing official, was a native of Tê-chou, Shantung. His father, Hsieh T'ing-ts'ê 謝廷策, was a censor under the Ming. Hsieh Shêng became a chin-shih in 1607 and served successively as magistrate in three districts of Chihli (San-ho, Tsun-hua and Hsiung-hsien) and in one of Honan (Hua-hsien). After service as a second class secretary of the Board of Ceremonies, during the T'ien-ch'i reign period he was transferred to the Board of Civil Office and made director of a Department. Following several promotions, including a transfer to Nanking, he was in 1640 made president of the Board of Civil Office and Grand Secretary with titles of Junior Tutor, and Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent. After the taking of Chin-chou and neighboring cities outside the Great Wall by the Manchus in 1642 he was discredited along with officials in the Board of War, and retired. 307