Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 2.pdf/33

 both sides, Shang Chih-hsin decided to join them and accepted from Wu San-kuei the title of Prince Fu-tê (輔德親王). When, however, Wu began to make appointments to important positions in Kwangtung, Shang Chih-hsin regretted having joined the rebellion and reopened negotiations with the government forces in Kiangsi. His allegiance was accepted, his succession to the rank of prince was confirmed, and by the end of 1677 the province of Kwangtung had been recovered. Shang Chih-hsin refused thereafter to engage in further operations against the rebels, ignoring all the orders sent to him by the government. Not until after the death of Wu San-kuei, in 1678, did he agree to undertake a campaign into Kwangsi. Meanwhile the younger brother, Shang Chihhsiao, attempted to persuade the government to take from Shang Chih-hsin the title of prince. To this end he sent a number of reports to Peking, detailing the latter's wickedness and accusing him of plotting another rebellion. In the spring of 1680, just as Shang Chih-hsin had taken the city of Wu-hsüan in northern Kwangsi, orders arrived for his arrest and transportation to the capital for trial. He was taken as far as Canton where he tried to get revenge on one of the principal informers against him by causing his assassination. When this was reported to the Emperor an order was issued on September 20 for his immediate death. He was permitted to commit suicide.

Three of his brothers and several of his associates were executed. The princedom of P'ing-nan Wang 平南王, which had been held by Shang K'o-hsi before him, was abolished.

[1/480/13b; 2/80/25a; P'ing-nan Ching Ch'in-wang Shang K'o-hsi shih-shih ts'ê (see bibliography under ); Haenisch, E., T'oung Pao, 1913, p. 94.]

2em

 SHANG K'o-hsi 尚可喜, d. 1676, age 73 (sui), was a native of Liaotung. His father was killed in battle while serving as a major in the Ming armies. In 1630 Shang K'o-hsi was stationed on P'i-tao, an island off the mouth of the Yalu River to which large numbers of Ming soldiers had retired after being driven from Liaotung by the Manchus (see under ). During the revolt of Shang remained on the Ming side, but in 1633 he made overtures to the Manchus, and in the following year formally joined forces with them. He was made a brigade-general by the latter, and with his Chinese soldiers, now organized as the "Heaven Assisted Army" (天助兵), was sent to garrison Hai-chou, south of Liaoyang. After a few skirmishes with Ming troops, he was in 1636 given the title "Wisely-obedient Prince" (智順王), and for the next seven years his army played an important part in the Manchu advance into China. In 1644 he joined in the westward pursuit of, returning in the following year to his former post at Hai-chou. When the Manchu government in 1646 undertook the task of conquering the resisting Ming forces in the southwest, Shang K'o-hsi was sent with K'ung Yu-tê and others on the expedition. In 1647 he took part in the annihilation of one of the Ming armies near Hsiang-t'an and went to the relief of Kueiyang—both in Hunan.

After Hunan had been cleared of Ming troops, Shang returned to Peking where in 1649 he was given the title of "Prince who Pacifies the South" (平南王), and was sent to carry the war into Kwangtung. After his departure he became involved in the same scandal that resulted in the suicide of his associate,, but extricated himself by payment of a fine. He marched into Kwangtung, drove the Ming Prince of Kuei westward (see under ) and during the year 1650 succeeded in establishing himself at Canton whence he gradually extended his authority throughout the province. In 1652 a counter-attack by Ming forces overwhelmed his colleague, K'ung Yu-tê, who was in the neighboring province of Kwangsi, and by 1654 the threat of the Ming armies under became so strong that Shang K'o-hsi and his associate,, appealed to Peking for help. For the next few years there was heavy fighting, but in 1656 the Prince of Kuei and his supporters retreated westward to Yunnan, leaving Kwangtung free from danger of attack. In 1660, by the transfer of Kêng Chi-mao to Fukien, Shang Ko-hsi was left in full control of Kwangtung province. For several years he had difficulties with the Tanka 蜑家 or 蜑戶, a group of aborigines who lived on boats and, like farther north, carried on piratical expeditions under the guise of a movement to restore the Ming dynasty. But, apart from this, he held the province securely under his control. In 1671, on the plea 635