Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/475

Rh but knelt before him when they recognized that he was the Loyal Prince. For two days he was sequestered by them while they discussed how they could release him to the Taiping forces. As another group of villagers had seized the jewels, a quarrel ensued. This disturbance caught the attention of a general, Hsiao Fu-ssŭ 蕭孚泗 (posthumous name 壯肅, d. 1884), a native of Hsiang-hsiang, Hunan, who on the night of July 22 arrested Li and took him to Tsêng Kuo-ch'üan. Hsiao had served as an officer in the Hunan Army against the Taipings since 1853 and had been promoted to the post of provincial commander-in-chief of Fukien (1863). He was rewarded for his capture of Li by being given the hereditary rank of a first class baron.

In Nanking Li Hsiu-ch'êng was questioned by Tsêng Kuo-fan and ordered to put his answers into writing. From July 30 to August 7 he wrote the whole story of the Taiping Rebellion, particularly of his part in it. When he had completed the account he was executed on Tsêng Kuo-fan's order at Nanking at midnight August 7, 1864. According to Tsêng Kuo-fan's diary, Li Hsiu-ch'êng's sketch was abridged by Tsêng from some 40,000 words to 28,000. Tsêng's postface to Li's account states that the deleted portions related to the ten advantages of persuading the Taiping remnants to submit to the government, ten mistakes of Hung Hsiu-ch'üan which led to the downfall of the Taiping state, praise of the Hunan Army, and a plea for his own life. This abridged sketch was translated by Walter T. Lay under the title The Autobiography of the Chungwang (Shanghai, 1865). The original Chinese version usually has the title 李秀成供狀 Li Hsiu-ch'êng kung-chuang or Li Hsiu-ch'êng kung. It appears in an undated reprint in the 中國近百年史資料續編 Chung-kuo chin-pai-nien-shih tzŭ-liao hsü-pien under the title 太平天國始末 T'ai-p'ing T'ien-kuo shih-mo (1933). A photographic reproduction of an early block print, entitled Li Hsiu-ch'êng kung, has a preface by Professor Mêng Sên (see under ) dated 1936.

From Li Hsiu-ch'êng's own account of his life we know that he was unfailingly loyal to the Taiping régime, filial to his mother, friendly to his inferiors, and considerate of his enemies. After 1858 he was the pillar of the Taiping régime. His loyalty and persistence doubtless prolonged the rebellion for several years. Some of his mandates, letters and poems are collected in the T'ai-p'ing T'ien-kuo wên-shu, T'ai-p'ing T'ien-kuo chao-yü, and T'ai-p'ing T'ien-kuo shih-wên ch'ao (see under ).

[1/481/1a; 2/60/11b; T'ai-p'ing T'ien-kuo yeh-shih (see under ); Chung-kuo chin-pai-nien shih tzŭ-liao, first collection (1931);, Tsêng Wên-chêng kung nien-p'u and his diary; P'ing-Chê chi-lüeh (see under ); Lin-le, Ti-ping Tien-kwoh, London, 1866); Shanghai hsien-chih (1871); Maybon, Ch. B., et Fredet, Jean, Histoire de la Concession Française de Changhai (Paris, 1929); Morse, H. B., The International Relations of the Chinese Empire, vol. II (London, 1918); Allen, Bernard M., Gordon in China (London, 1933).]

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 LI Hsü-pin 李續賓 d. 1858, Nov. 15, age forty-one (sui), a native of Hsiang-hsiang, Hunan, was one of the leaders of the "Hunan Braves." Shy and reserved as a youth, he became a pupil of and a senior licentiate. When his teacher organized, in 1852, a militia to suppress the Taipings, Li Hsü-pin volunteered to assist him—bringing to his task skill in archery and a powerful physique. Soon afterwards he was made commander of a battalion to fight the enemy in Kiangsi, Hunan and Hupeh (1853–54). He and both possessed extraordinary bravery and usually fought at the front in places of greatest danger. Needless to say Li was repeatedly promoted. In 1855 he was stationed in Kiangsi and Hupeh. He recovered several cities in the latter province and participated in the attack on Wuchang which then, for the third time, was firmly in the grip of the rebels.

The untimely death of Lo Tsê-nan on April 12, 1856—eight months before Wuchang was taken—dealt a severe blow to the morale of the troops in the latter encounter. But Li Hsü-pin took over the command, and by his unselfishness, his capability, and his bravery soon revived the spirit of his soldiers. The aid which the Taiping leader,, attempted to bring to the rebels was frustrated after twenty-eight encounters. The resistance of the Taipings was further weakened by a long and deep trench filled with water which effectually cut off provisions and prevented communication. In due time these tactics proved effective and Wuchang was taken (December 19, 1856). The Taipings were driven to Kiukiang, and there Li resorted to the same method of digging a trench about ten miles long, at the same time repelling other in- 463