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 of these reports his title of judicial commissioner was restored to him and in reward for further reports, likewise false, that he had retaken cities in Kiangsi he was granted the title of lieutenant-governor. When he arrived in Chekiang the provincial capital, Hangchow, had already been taken by the Taiping general, Li Shih-hsien (see under ), on December 29, 1861. However, in cooperation with, Li Yüan-tu managed to defeat the rebel chief at Chiang-shan in western Chekiang, and for this he was made salt controller, judicial commissioner, and concurrently acting lieutenant-governor of Chekiang (1862). But he was impeached by Tsêng Kuo-fan for disregard of the above-mentioned orders and for submitting untrue reports of military victories. He was once more stripped of his ranks and returned home for a few years of retirement.

In 1866 Li Yüan-tu was invited to Kweichow to suppress an uprising of so-called bandits, consisting of Muslims and aboriginal Miao tribes. With 2,000 Hunan soldiers he conquered more than 900 strongholds and cleared some 600 square miles of bandit rule. In 1868, for his success in subduing the bandits, his previous ranks were restored to him and he was appointed provincial judge of Yunnan. However, he did not accept that office on the plea that his mother, now advanced in age, needed him at home. His mother died in 1882 and three years later he was appointed provincial judge of Kweichow. In this capacity he punished many criminals, impeached corrupt officials, laid plans for mining operations, and erected ten shrines to loyal officers who lost their lives in bandit suppression. At the same time he submitted many memorials to the throne concerning state affairs—on methods of raising money, improvement of rice transport, defense and development of Formosa and establishment of new consular offices in foreign countries. In 1887 he was promoted to lieutenant-governor of Kweichow but he died in office that same year.

Li Yüan-tu was by nature a literary man and was very prolific as an essayist and a biographer, According to Tsêng Kuo-fan, he devoted much more time to these interests than to his official responsibilities as a military man. Tsêng was in duty bound to impeach Li for his failures, but at the same time he reminded the throne of Li's unusual talent as an expert, speedy calligrapher. Li's most famous published work is the 國朝先正事略 Kuo-ch'ao hsien-chêng shih-lüeh, 60 chüan (first printed in 1866), which contains 500 biographies of leading statesmen and men of letters of the Ch'ing period. He was also the compiler of two gazetteers: 平江縣志 P'ing-chiang hsien-chih (compiled in 1871), dealing with his native district, and 南嶽志 Nan-yüeh chih, 26 chüan (1883, revised edition 1923), concerning the famous mountain, Hêng-shan, in Hunan. A work entitled 天岳山館文鈔 T'ien-yüeh shan-kuan wên-ch'ao, 40 chüan, printed in 1880, contains his miscellaneous essays and short biographies. Four short accounts of his travels appear in the geographical collectanea, Hsiao-fang-hu-chai yü-ti ts'ung-ch'ao (see under ). Li is also said to have exhibited skill as a painter of landscapes and bamboo.

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 LI Yung 李顒 (also written 容 to avoid the personal name,, of Emperor Jên-tsung; T. 中孚 H. 二曲), Mar. 12, 1627–1705, May 7, philosopher and scholar, was a native of Chou-chih, Shensi. His father, Li K'o-ts'ung 李可從 (1599–1642), was killed in battle against insurgents at Hsiang-ch'êng, Honan, when the son was sixteen sui. The family was left poverty-stricken, and responsibility for the boy's education devolved largely on his mother who did not remarry. She died in 1665. Five years later he went on foot to Hsiang-ch'êng to find and inter his father's remains, and though his search was vain his piety so touched the magistrate and gentry of Hsiang-ch'êng that they erected a memorial near the scene of the father's death. Early in 1671, at the invitation of the prefect of Ch'ang-chou-fu (Kiangsu), who had been one of his students, he lectured in that city and soon after in the neighboring cities of Wusih, Kiangyin, Ching-chiang and I-hsing, after which he returned to Hsiang-ch'êng and then to Chou-chih. He persistently refused to accept official rank under the Manchu dynasty, declining also the honor of taking in 1679 the special examination known as po-hsüeh hung-tz'ŭ (see under ). Hence his name is listed among the fourteen candidates who, though especially urged to attend, declined on the plea of illness. In later years he denied himself to visitors who were attracted by his reputation, and consistently refused their gifts, preferring to devote himself to study, to teaching, and to self-examination after the manner of the Sung and Ming philosophers.

Li's collected works, 二曲集 Êr-ch'ü chi, in 24 chüan, including accounts of his travels and 498