Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/596

 father,, had been killed by Chinese forces assisting the Hada tribe (see under ). After a period of peace Narimbulu and his cousin, Bujai (see under ), took up the feud with the Hada again, thereby exposing themselves to punitive measures on the part of the Chinese. In 1588 besieged the Yehe towns and brought their leaders to terms. Later in the year Narimbulu took his younger sister, Munggu (Empress Hsiao-tz'ŭ, see under ), to to whom she had previously been promised as wife. Taking advantage of this connection, he made overtures to Nurhaci in 1591, offering an alliance in return for a gift of land. When this had been scornfully declined Narimbulu assembled the four Halun tribes and with the assistance of a large force of Mongols led a campaign against Nurhaci in 1593. This coalition, said to include 30,000 fighting men, was disastrously defeated at Mt. Gure, and Narimbulu's cousin, Bujai, was killed. In 1597 a treaty of peace was signed by which two of Narimbulu's nieces were promised to Nurhaci and to his second son,. The truce lasted only two years, until Nurhaci conquered the Hada tribe and threatened to extend his operations into Yehe territory.

In 1603 Narimbulu's sister, who had borne Nurhaci's eighth son, Abahai (later Emperor Tai-tsung), fell ill and requested to see her mother. Narimbulu refused to let his mother go to her, sending instead a menial to inquire after his sister's health. Enraged at this action, Nurhaci determined to conquer the Yehe tribe and began his campaign in 1604.

Narimbulu died some years later and was succeeded by his younger brother,, who was beile when in 1619 Nurhaci finally annihilated the Yehe tribe.

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NA-yen-ch'êng 那彥成, Dec. 8, 1764–1833, Apr. 6, official, was a Manchu of the Janggiya 章佳 clan and a member of the Plain White Banner. He was a grandson of, the Grand Secretary and holder of a Dukedom. His father, A-ssŭ-ta 阿思達 (1743–1766), second son of A-kuei, died when Na-yen-ch'êng was only three sui. Na-yen-ch'êng was brought up by his mother and was given an excellent education. He became a hsiu-ts'ai in 1779, a chü-jên in 1788, and a chin-shih in 1789. He was selected a bachelor to study in the Hanlin Academy where his grandfather was then serving as chancellor. In 1790 he was made a compiler, and two years later was selected to serve in the Imperial Study. After several promotions he became in 1794 a sub-chancellor of the Grand Secretariat and four years later began to serve on the Grand Council. Early in 1799, after the removal of, he was made president of the Board of Works and was given several concurrent posts. Emperor Jên-tsung also honored his mother by bestowing on her a tablet in praise of her achievement in rearing so illustrious a son.

At this time the war against the Pai-lien-chiao rebels (see under ) had been raging for four years without abatement. One of the new assistant commanders,, was accused by two subordinates of incompetency. In September 1799 Na-yen-ch'êng was sent to Sian to command all the troops in Shensi province and also to investigate the charges against Ming-liang. He and conducted the trial which resulted in the condemnation of Ming-liang and his two subordinates. As commander of the troops in Shensi, Na-yen-ch'êng fought against the Pai-lien-chiao rebels along the Shensi and Szechwan border. In February 1800 he was given the title of assistant commander under the direction of Ê-lê-têng-pao. Although he won several victories he was recalled to Peking in June for failing to stop the movement of the rebels from Shensi to Szechwan and to annihilate one of their bands in Kansu. Before he reached the capital he was discharged from the Grand Council and from the Imperial Study. At several audiences in July his pessimistic replies about the military situation angered the Emperor, especially in view of recent optimistic reports. He was degraded to a sub-expositor in the Hanlin Academy, and was told that it was only out of respect for his deceased grandfather that he was not punished more severely.

After several promotions Na-yen-ch'êng again became, in March 1802, a sub-chancellor of the Grand Secretariat. Eight months later he was sent to Kiangsi to conduct a trial, but before it was ended he was ordered to proceed to Canton to investigate the conduct of Governor-general Chi-ch'ing 吉慶 (of the Gioro clan, d. 1802) in suppressing an uprising east of Canton. He reached Canton on December 18, four days after Chi-ch'ing had committed suicide. The latter 584