Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/591

 elder sister of. Though Ching-shou was once a favorite of Emperor Wên-tsung he was one of the eight joint regents who were punished in 1861 (see under ). Three of the regents lost their lives, but he retained his dukedom and continued to hold various high posts until his death.

[1/333/3b; 3/351/22a; 7/19/12b; 1/533/1a;, Hsi-ch'ao ya-sung chi, 101/1a.]

2em

 MING-liang 明亮, 1735–1822, Aug., general, Grand Secretary, and first Marquis Hsiang-yung (襄勇侯), was a Manchu of the Fuca Clan and a member of the Bordered Yellow Banner. He belonged to the most illustrious family of the dynasty which held one princedom, three dukedoms, and many other hereditary ranks (see under ). His grandfather, Li-jung-pao (see under ), had ten or more sons (the most illustrious being, q.v.), and a daughter who became the first wife of Emperor Kao-tsung. One of the least known of these sons, Kuang-ch'êng 廣成, was the father of Ming-liang. He served as lieutenant general of a Banner.

Ming-liang became a licentiate and in 1753 married a granddaughter of Yin-t'ao, twelfth son of Emperor Shêng-tsu (for both see under ). From 1754 to 1765 he served in the Imperial Equipage Department and meanwhile competed in the provincial examination at Peking. But in 1765 Emperor Kao-tsung debarred him from taking more examinations and sent him to Ili as commandant of the forces under the military-governor,, who was his cousin. In 1766 he returned to Peking and soon was made assistant military lieutenant-governor at Kirin City. Two years later he was transferred to Ninguta. The following year he took part in the Burmese War (see under ) and from 1772 to 1776 fought under against the Chin-ch'uan rebels of western Szechwan. In this campaign he commanded (1773–76) the southern route army which advanced northward while A-kuei attacked from the east—the plan being to converge on the rebel capital (see under ). For his distinguished services Ming-liang was created a first class earl with the designation, Hsiang-yung, and his portrait was placed in the Tzŭ-kuang ko (see under ).

In April 1776, after the Chin-ch'uan War was over, the new office of Tartar General of Shêngtu was established to take charge of the affairs of the Tanguts living in Chin-ch'uan and other areas on the western border of Szechwan. This new office, of which Ming-liang was the first appointee, was unlike that of other Tartar Generals in that it controlled not only the Manchu garrison, but the Chinese army and the civil officials as well. Early in 1777 Ming-liang took to Peking twenty-nine loyal Tangut chiefs for an audience. They were well received and richly rewarded. While at the capital, Ming-liang was appointed a member of the Grand Council, but only for a few days since he was soon sent back to Szechwan as Tartar General. In 1778 he was appointed provincial commander-in-chief of the same province. In 1781 he took part in suppressing the Muslim rebellion in Kansu (see under ) and was made military lieutenant-governor at Urumchi. But two years later he was discharged, arrested, and escorted to Peking for trial on the charge of giving undue freedom to a prisoner destined for torture, with the result that that prisoner found a way to commit suicide. When Ming-liang reached Peking he was sentenced to imprisonment awaiting execution by hanging. All his ranks and offices were taken from him.

After about half a year in prison Ming-liang was freed, was given the rank of a junior Imperial Bodyguard, and was sent to Kansu to redeem himself by serving in the army then combatting a second rebellion of Mohammedans (see under ). His superiors commended him for his bravery and he was raised to a senior Imperial Bodyguard. In 1785 he became a captain general of the Guard Division. Thereafter he served as assistant military-governor at Ili (1785–86), at Ush (1786–87), and at Kashgar (1787–92). Early in 1792 he was promoted to military-governor of Heilungkiang, and early in 1795 was transferred to Ili. But in October 1795 he was again cashiered, this time on the charge of compelling his subordinates at Heilungkiang to sell to him goods at reduced prices. He was ordered to redeem himself by serving as a commoner in Urumchi.

In 1796 Ming-liang was ordered to serve the armies in Hunan then fighting Miao tribesmen (see under ), but while passing through Shensi he was retained by the governor-general, I-mien (see under ), who was then leading Shensi troops to attack the Pai-lien-chiao rebels in northwestern Hupeh (see 579