Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/62

Rh corruption involving a number of officials of that province. Upon his return to Peking in 1700 he submitted his report and was highly praised by the emperor for his impartiality.

On April 28, 1700 Chang P'êng-ko was appointed to succeed as director-general of Yellow River Conservancy. During the ensuing eight years (1700-08) he devoted his entire attention to the problems of river control and distinguished himself as one of the experts on that subject in the Ch'ing period. Realizing the need for administrative reorganization and centralized authority, Chang immediately after his appointment memorialized the throne, recommending (1) the dismissal of Hsü T'ing-hsi 徐廷璽, who had been appointed to assist in 1692 and who had previously held the post of assistant to the director-general of River Conservancy; (2) a wholesale dismissal of the incompetent, and (3) better co-operation between the Board of Works and the Office of River Conservancy. In his methods Chang followed in general the plan laid down by his predecessors, Chin Fu and Yü Ch'êng-lung. He recommended (1) deepening and widening of the lower reaches of the Yellow River by removing the dike, Lan-huang-pa 攔黃壩, in order to accelerate the flow of the current and so facilitate disposal of the silt; (2) construction of a new canal near Chang-fu-k'ou to take the water from Lake Hung-tsê 洪澤湖 and so keep the Yellow River from flowing into the lake; and (3) numerous other proposals, such as building dikes, repairing water gates, or deepening riverbeds. He was lauded by the Emperor for his diligence and was considered a model for officials. During a fourth tour to South China (1703) Emperor Shêng-tsu praised Chang's work in one of his poems. In the same year Chang was given the honorary title, Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent. Relying on the proposal of a subordinate, Chang recommended (1706) the opening of a canal to relieve the floods in Lake Hung-tsê. He and A-shan 阿山 (clan name 伊拉哩氏 d. 1714), who was then governor-general of Kiangnan and Kiangsi, memorialized the throne inviting the Emperor to inspect the projected route. When on a sixth tour of South China (1707) the Emperor examined the route, he found that the canal as planned would occupy a large area of fertile land and destroy many tombs of the people. Consequently he ordered A-shan dismissed and Chang deprived of his honorary title. Chang was, however, reinstated in the following year (1708) when both the Yellow River and the Grand Canal were reported in excellent condition.

Late in 1708 Chang P'êng-ko was recalled to Peking where he served successively as president of the Board of Punishments (1708–09), of the Board of Finance (1709–13), and of the Board of Civil Office (1713–14). In the meantime he served as chief examiner of the Shun-t'ien provincial examination (1713) and was commissioned to investigate several cases (1712), one involving accusations between and. Upon the death, late in 1714, of his father, Chang Lang 張烺, Chang was given leave to observe the mourning period in Peking. In 1718 he resumed his duties as president of the Board of Civil Office—a post he held until his death. Meanwhile he served twice (1718, 1721) as chief examiner of the metropolitan examination, and was twice in 1721 commissioned to inspect river conservancy work in Shantung and southern Chihli. When Emperor Shih-tsung was enthroned, Chang P'êng-ko was given (January 30, 1723) the honorary title, Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent, and soon after (March 8, 1723) was made a Grand Secretary. When he died, early in 1725, he was given the posthumous honorary title, Junior Guardian, and was canonized as Wên-tuan 文端. In 1730 his name was entered into the Temple of Eminent Statesmen at Peking.

During his administration as director-general of Yellow River Conservancy, Chang P'êng-ko was authorized by the Emperor on April 18, 1701 to compile an official work on river conservancy. On June 8, 1703 he submitted to the throne his manuscript contribution consisting of 2 chüan of imperial edicts and 22 chüan of memorials and studies on river conservancy covering the period 1684–1703. This manuscript was later re-edited by a contemporary, Chang Hsi-liang 張希良 and published in 1725 under the title 河防志 Ho fang chih, 12 chüan. A similar work, entitled 張公奏議 Chang-kung tsou-i, 24 chüan, is also attributed to Chang, but it was not printed until 1800. Chang's collected works were compiled by Chang Chih-chüan 張知銓, a descendant in the fifth generation, and printed in 1882 under the title, 張文端公全集 Chang Wên-tuan kung ch'üan-chi, 1 + 6 chüan, including his 年譜 nien-p'u. He was considered the first compiler of his native gazetteer, entitled 遂寧縣志 Sui-ning hsien-chih, 6 chüan, printed in 1690. He compiled the complete works of Chu-ko Liang (see under ) under the title 忠武誌 50