Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 2.pdf/217

 1934, contains a detailed study of Wang's scholarship and a nien-p'u compiled by Wang Yung-hsiang 王永祥.

[1/486/5b; 3/403/27a; 4/130/13a; 7/27/14b; Nien-p'u (see above); Appendix to the Ch'uan-shan i-shu (see above).]

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 WANG Hsi 王熙, Aug. 7, 1628–1703, Mar. 14, official, eldest son of , was a native of Wan-p'ing (Peking). Taking his chin-shih in 1647 at the age of nineteen, he was made a bachelor of the Kuo-shih yüan 國史院 to where he was taught the Manchu language. Appointed a corrector two years later, he distinguished himself by mastering both spoken and written Manchu. After successive promotions he was appointed a sub-chancellor of the Hung-wên yüan 弘文院 at a time when his father was holding a similar sub-chancellorship in the Kuo-shih yüan. In 1658, when the Hanlin Academy was re-established along lines that prevailed in the Ming period, Wang Hsi was made its first chancellor. Thereafter he was much in Emperor Shih-tsu's councils, and in 1661 was summoned to draft his last will. The will was destroyed for political reasons (see under ) and Wang never revealed its contents. He rose successively to the presidencies of the Censorate in 1666, the Board of Works in 1668, and the Board of War in 1673. Holding the last post when rebelled in south China, he persuaded Emperor Shêng-tsu, in 1674, to order the execution of Wu Ying-hsiung, son of the rebel leader, despite the fact that this son was the husband of one of the Emperor's great-aunts (for details see ). This drastic action put an end to rumors of a threatened uprising in Peking, and stopped the exodus of many of the residents from the city gates. In the same year Wang Hsi was entrusted with the reading of confidential memorials on military matters.

During the latter part of this so-called San-fan Rebellion, which lasted from 1673 to 1681, he stayed at home to mourn the death of his father, which occurred in 1678. Four years later he became a Grand Secretary. After was stripped of his rank in 1688, Wang Hsi was recognized as the most influential official in the empire. Nevertheless, he was prudent and thoughtful and was liked by all. Only after four refusals was he permitted to retire, in 1701, with the added title of Junior Tutor. In the following year he was given an honorary tablet, or pien 扁, inscribed by the Emperor's own hand with the words, "Long Life and Abiding Virtue" (耆年舊德). He died in 1703 and was canonized as Wên-ching 文靖. His collected essays and poems in 24 chüan, entitled Wang Wên-ching kung wên-chi (also called 寶翰堂集 Pao-han-t'ang chi), were printed in 1707. In contemporary Jesuit accounts, Wang Hsi's name is spelled "Vam Hi".

[Wang Wên-ching kung tzŭ-chuan nien-p'u (自撰年譜); 1/256/5b; 3/4/1a; 4/12/1a; T'oung Pao, 1924, p. 365; Wang Wan, Tun-wêng lei-kao, 33/1a.]

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WANG Hsi-hou 王錫侯 , 1713–1777, Dec. 27, scholar whose work drew the wrath of Emperor Kao-tsung, was a native of Hsin-ch'ang, Kiangsi. He graduated as chü-jên in 1750 but failed to qualify for the chin-shih degree. He wrote, or compiled, a number of works, including poems of his own, comments on poems written in the Tang dynasty, collections of essays by fellow-provincials, etc., but a number of these were destroyed in the inquisition that resulted in his death. Among those that survive may be mentioned: an anthology of Ch'ing poetry in two series, entitled 國朝詩觀 Kuo-ch'ao shih-kuan; a local history, 望都縣志 Wang-tu hsien-chih, in 11 chüan, compiled in 1771 in collaboration with others; a work on calligraphy, entitled 書法精言 Shu-fa ching-yen; a work on history, entitled 經史鏡 Ching shih ching; and a dictionary, entitled 字貫 Tzŭ-kuan, which was printed in 1775 in 40 chüan.

The book which brought Wang Hsi-hou into imperial disfavor (November 20, 1777), was the dictionary, Tzŭ-kuan. In it he is said to have criticized the great imperial dictionary, the K'ang-hsi tzŭ-tien (see under ). The latter work, as the title shows, was sponsored by, and named for, Emperor Shêng-tsu, and therefore was morally beyond criticism. In the introduction to the dictionary, Wang used, for illustrative purposes, the personal names of Confucius and of the Ch'ing emperors, Shêng-tsu, Shih-tsung, and Kao-tsung, but failed to observe the taboos connected with those names. To write in full the prohibited characters of an Emperor's personal name was "treasonous". Whenever the use of such characters was unavoidable it was required that the last stroke of each character be omitted. Apparently Wang merely listed the characters to warn the users of the dic- 819