Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/536

 memorial to the throne begging that steps be taken to suppress the Boxers in order to avert a serious international conflict. Chang examined Liu's draft and after making a few modifications in the wording the memorial was sent jointly by telegraph on June 15. Later both Liu and Chang repeatedly warned the Empress Dowager of the danger of the policy she was pursuing in North China—but without effect. On June 21 the Imperial Government issued an edict ordering the extermination of all foreigners, and government troops were brought in to assist the Boxers in besieging and attacking the Legation Quarter. At the same time high officials of all provinces were ordered to send troops to Peking and to kill all foreigners in their jurisdictions. Fortunately most of the provincial governors disapproved of the order and of the tactics of the Boxers—among them Liu K'un-i. Early in June Liu issued stringent orders to arrest all members of the Boxer Society within his jurisdiction and to execute them promptly without further reference to him. On June 20 two Boxers were executed at Nanking. Since the catastrophe which Liu and Chang had foreseen thus took place, these two powerful officials jointly decided to take a neutral attitude with regard to affairs in the North, though they still remained loyal to the Imperial Court. Y'uan Shih-k'ai (see under ), then governor of Shantung, and other high officials of Central and South China followed them in this step. On June 27 Liu ordered Yü Lien-yüan 余聯沅 (chin-shih of 1877, d. 1901), the intendant of Shanghai, to deliver to the consular body at that port a detailed statement in which Liu and Chang undertook to protect foreign life and property in the Yangtze area. The foreign authorities at Shanghai agreed to protect the concessions with their own forces and to refrain from sending warships up the Yangtze without consultation with the governors-general. A week later (July 3) Liu and Chang expressed their will more precisely in a joint telegram to the Chinese ministers at the various foreign capitals announcing their willingness to assume responsibility for the security of foreign life and property within their respective jurisdictions as well as in the province of Chekiang, so long as the treaty powers refrained from landing troops in the designated area. The example set by Liu and Chang in this matter was followed by the provincial authorities of the other maritime provinces. Thus the Boxer uprising was confined principally to the siege of the Legations and to the two provinces of Chihli and Shansi. Liu's stand greatly simplified the situation. After the signing of the protocol at Peking on September 7, 1901 he urged the Court, which had fled to Sian, to return to Peking. Soon after the Court returned (January 7, 1902) he was rewarded for his services to the country with the designation of Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent.

On July 12, 19, and 20, 1902, Liu K'un-i and Chang Chih-tung submitted to the throne three joint memorials advocating a reform movement which would introduce Western sciences into China and would greatly improve the Chinese educational, administrative and military systems (see under ). Not long after this Liu died. He was given the honorary title of Grand Tutor and the posthumous name, Chung-ch'êng 忠誠. The hereditary rank of first-class baron (inherited by his son, Liu Nengchi 劉能紀) was also conferred upon him.

For forty years Liu Kun-i was a notably capable official. According to his contemporaries he was honest, far-sighted, and dependable when faced with difficult situations. His memorials, letters, poems, essays and other writings were collected under the title Liu Chung-ch'êng kung i-chi (遺集) 68 chüan, including nine different works written by him (1911, not consulted).

[1/419/6b; 2/59/27a, 62/43b; 5/31/1a;, Chang Wên-hsiang kung ch'üan-chi; Wang Yen-wei 王彥威, 西巡大事記 Hsi-hsün ta-shih chi (1933); Ch'ên Kung-fu 陳功甫, 義和團運動與辛丑和約 I-ho-t'uan yün-tung yü hsin-ch'ou ho-yüeh (1930); Chung-kuo chin-pai-nien shih tzŭ-liao (second collection, see under ); Paul H. Clements, The Boxer Rebellion (New York, 1915); Steiger, George Nye, China and the Occident (New Haven, 1927); Morse, H. B., The International Relations of the Chinese Empire, vol. III (London, 1918); Chin-shih jên-wu chih (see under , 1934) p. 167; Mason, C. W., The Chinese Confessions of Charles Welsh Mason (1924); , Chang Wên-hsiang kung tsou-i 59/5a; , Ch'ing-chi wai-chiao shih-liao 85/9a; 青鶴 Ch'ing-ho, vol. V, no. 17.]

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 LIU Liang-tso 劉良佐, d. 1667, renegade Ming general, was a native of Tatung, Shansi. He was associated first with under the rebel,, and later with the Ming brigade general, , against. After the dynasty fell and the Prince of Fu (see under ) had set up his court in 524