Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/455

Rh hunting deer, to spy in the Amur region. They returned early in 1683 and memorialized the emperor on the situation, stating that 3,000 soldiers with twenty cannon would be sufficient to take the fort at Albazin. They advised that the troops should advance by land and that provisions should be transported by boat from Aigun on the slower route up the Amur River. They recommended the construction of about fifty boats to reinforce forty larger and twenty-six smaller vessels already in service. Their recommendations received imperial sanction and, then military-governor of Ninguta, was entrusted with the task of building the boats, transporting cannon and stationing troops at strategic points. In 1683 Langtan was promoted to the rank of a commandant of the vanguard division and was sent to Heilungkiang city (west of Aigun) to help, then military-governor of that region. Before long a sifting of the numerous officers resulted in the dismissal of Langtan, but he was ordered to continue to serve without office or title.

In 1685 Pengcun was in command of the first expedition to attack Albazin, Langtan serving as a staff officer. After the Russians were allowed to retreat, and the fort was destroyed, Langtan and others returned to Mergen. Early in 1686, however, the Russians were found to have returned to Albazin and to be building a yet stronger fort. A new expedition was sent under Sabsu, with Langtan second in command. In July the fort was surrounded, but the Russians resisted stubbornly. Three months later when the news reached Peking that a Russian envoy was on his way for a peace conference, the besieging forces were ordered to be withdrawn. Langtan returned to Ninguta, and in 1688 was promoted to be lieutenant-general of the Mongolian Plain White Banner. In 1689 he was present at the Peace Conference of Nerchinsk and was one of the signers of the first treaty between Russia and China (see under ). Soon thereafter he was again transferred to command the Manchu Plain White Banner.

In 1690 outlaws made their appearance in Jehol, north of the Great Wall. Langtan was sent to quell them and succeeded in bringing back order to that region. In anticipation of a possible invasion by, Langtan was in 1691 designated An-pei Chiang-chün (安北將軍) and placed in command of a detachment at Tatung, Shansi. Later in the year he was sent to Kweihwa to review the troops that were guarding the Mongolian border. In 1692, after his return to Peking, he was promoted to be a chamberlain of the Imperial Bodyguard, commandant of the division of fire-arms, and a member of the Council of State. In the next year, with the title Chao-wu (昭武) chiang-chün, he commanded a detachment at Kanchow, Kansu, and in 1694 was transferred to Ninghsia in preparation for the offensive against Galdan. Later in 1694 he was sent to the Tula River in Outer Mongolia where Galdan was reported to have been seen. He returned to Peking without encountering Galdan but in 1695 was again sent out, this time to inspect the defense works along the Mukden borders. He fell ill near the Great Wall and died shortly thereafter.

[1/286/1a; 2/10/37b; 3/275/43a; 34/159/2b; see also bibliography under and .]

2em

LAO-sa. See under.

 LEKEDEHUN 勒克德渾, d. Apr. 19, 1652, age thirty-four sui (the Tung-hua lu gives his age as twenty-four sui), the first Prince Shun-ch'êng (順承), was a great-grandson of, a grandson of , and the second son of. His elder brother, Adali 阿達禮, who succeeded to the second-class princedom in 1636, was executed in 1643 for attempting to dethrone his cousin,, and make emperor. For this offense Lekedehun was punished by being excluded from the Imperial Family, but was pardoned late in 1644 (after the government was established in Peking) on the ground that he was too young to share in the plot. He was at the same time given the rank of a prince of the third degree. In 1645 Lekedehun was appointed commander-in-chief of the armies in Kiangnan to relieve his uncle,. Invested with the title, P'ing-nan Ta Chiang-chün 平南大將軍, Lekedehun went to Nanking and with the help of conquered the province of Chekiang. Late in 1645 he was ordered to proceed to Wuchang, Hupeh, and in the following year succeeded in defeating the armies under the Ming general, at Ching-chou and Hsiang-yang. He returned to Peking late in 1646. In 1648 he was raised to the rank of prince of the second degree with the title Shun-ch'êng Chün-wang 順承郡王. Late in the same year he was ordered to assist against the Southern Ming troops under Ho Têng-chiao in Hunan. In 443