Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 2.pdf/146

 mended the doctrines of the Sung philosopher, Chu Hsi (see under ), Tsêng came to believe in those teachings of Lü which advocated revolt against Manchu rule in China. Since his school was situated beside a highway in the An-jên district, Hunan, he heard in the summer of 1727, according to his own testimony, that Emperor Shih-tsung had murdered his father, the late Emperor Shêng-tsu, and had put to death his own brothers. These and other stories caused Tsêng to regard the Emperor as a wicked man, and induced him to plot a revolution. He sent his loyal disciple, Chang Hsi 張熙 to the home of Lü Liu-liang in Shihmen, Chekiang, where he purchased some of Lü's books and met Lü's ninth son, Lü Yi-chung 呂毅中. Through the latter, Chang met one of Lu's disciples and some others interested in Lü's teachings. Returning to Hunan, Chang reported to Tsêng his adventures, and the latter recorded the names of the men whom Chang had met and regarded as possible assistants in a revolution.

When certain rivers in Hunan overflowed in 1728, Tsêng imagined that an opportune time for the revolt had come. Having no one to help him except his disciple, Chang Hsi, he hit upon the idea of persuading some general to start the revolution. His choice fell on, then governor-general of Shensi, perhaps the most famous military man of the time, who, according to rumors, had already condemned the Emperor in a memorial for his evil conduct. Tsêng wrote a letter to Yüeh urging him to lead his men in a revolution, and giving the impression that he himself had organized men in six provinces who were ready to take up arms at his bidding. He maintained also that Yüeh, as a descendant of the famous general of the Sung dynasty, Yüeh Fei (see under ), who fought bravely against the Ju-chên invaders (see under ), should in the nature of things be hostile to the Manchus. He stressed also the evil conduct of the Emperor and the popular feeling of unrest (due to floods and corrupt officialdom), in order to show that the time for action had come. He signed the letter with the fictitious name, Hsia Ching 夏靚. He styled himself "Masterless Vagabond of the South Seas" (南海無主游民). The bearer of the letter was Tsêng's sole co-plotter and disciple, Chang Hsi, who assumed the alias, Chang Cho 倬 and out of loyalty to his master mortgaged the farms of his family to finance the journey to Shensi. Tsêng himself had no resources except his imagination.

On October 28, 1728, Chang submitted the letter to Yüeh in Sian, Shensi. The governor-general was astonished to find himself addressed as "Heaven's Official and Generalissimo" (天吏元帥), an odd title which betrayed an indifferently educated writer. On reading it Yüeh was stirred by the treasonous plot and at once summoned a Manchu subordinate to witness the trial of the bearer. After two days of threatening, coaxing, and torturing, Chang Hsi still held his counsel. However, on October 31, Yüeh, on pretense of joining the rebellion, took an oath of loyalty, and only so obtained from Chang the names and addresses of Tsêng and his supposed confederates. At the same time Chang cited the works of Lü Liu-liang as the source of Tsêng's inspiration.

In December Tsêng was arrested at his school and he knew then that his doom was sealed. He stoutly asserted that he and Chang Hsi had themselves contrived the plans and that no other persons were involved. Nevertheless all those implicated in the case, mostly from Hunan and Chekiang, were delivered to Peking and tried, early in 1729. The Emperor was perhaps grateful to Tsêng for bringing to his attention the views of Lü Liu-liang about the Manchus, and for affording him an opportunity to proclaim to the entire country that he had not murdered his father nor his brothers. Whether or not the Emperor actually committed these crimes will probably never be known; but rumors to this effect, not only in Peking, but in such distant places as Kwangsi and Hunan had continually harassed him. He imposed on the long-deceased Lü Liu-liang and on his descendants the severest possible indignities, excusing his harshness on the ground that Lü had insulted his father (Emperor Shêng-tsu) and that he was bound by filial piety to act so. Tsêng Ching, on the other hand, was well-treated, and to obtain his freedom was required only to show proof of repentance and to answer the Emperor's inquiries. The rumors which he had heard were traced to a few eunuchs, who, as servants to and, both arch-enemies of the Emperor, had been exiled in 1727 to Kwangsi by way of Hunan. These eunuchs were brought back to Peking and made to confess that what they had said about the Emperor was groundless. Tsêng was finally "convinced" that the Emperor was benevolent, wise and tolerant; that the Manchus 748