Ch'êng conquered T'ai-ts'ang (May 2), K'un-shan (May 31), and other strategic points and outworks in the vicinity of Soochow. At this juncture the Taiping commander-in-chief, Li Hsiu-ch'êng [q. v.], went to a place near Ch'ang-chou in the hope of persuading the Heavenly King, Hung Hsiu-ch'üan [q. v.], to consent to a general retreat from Nanking. During his absence from Soochow Li entrusted T'an Shao-kuang 譚紹洸, commonly known as Mu Wang 穆王, with the difficult task of holding the city. Eight other Taiping chiefs (wang) in Soochow were so harassed however by the onslaught of the government forces that they secretly communicated with the imperialists in regard to surrender. Ch'êng Hsüeh-ch'i, together with Colonel Chêng Kuo-k'uei 鄭國魁 and General Gordon, went to confer with the chiefs. As a result of this conference it was agreed that the capitulating chiefs would present the head of T'an Shao-kuang as a pledge of their loyalty to the Imperial Government, and that they in turn would receive from Ch'êng Hsueh-ch'i military commissions of the second class. The Taiping chiefs murdered T'an, in accordance with the agreement, and delivered his head (and by that token the city of Soochow) to the government forces (December 5, 1863).
When the surrendered chiefs met Ch'êng Hsüeh-ch'i in Soochow they asked him to convey their demands to Li Hung-chang that they be made brigade-generals or colonels, as stipulated, and that they be left in control of half the city of Soochow with a force of some 20,000 men at their command. Ch'êng pretended to adhere to the request but secretly informed Li Hung-chang that though the Long-haired Rebels had shaven their heads in token of submission, the heads of the eight chiefs remained unshaven. This he interpreted as perfidy. Since the Taipings in the city were far greater in number than the government forces Ch'êng feared that if these chiefs were not put to death the rebel forces under them could not be controlled. For this reason he urged Li to end their lives. Li at first demurred, but as Ch'êng insisted he finally acquiesced. The eight chiefs were told to visit Li at Ch'êng's headquarters; they were given the official robes of their respective ranks, entertained at a banquet, and after Li had departed, the hapless men were put to death. Since Chêng Kuo-k'uei and Gordon were witnesses to the terms of surrender they considered the execution of the capitulating chiefs an unjustifiable act of treachery. To show his intense disapproval of his superiors' act Chêng Kuo-k'uei refused to work or eat for three days. Gordon, too, was so infuriated with Li Hung-chang that he set out to arrest him, but fortunately Li had left the camp and could not be found. The storm of resentment blew over when Li paid his respects in formal services to the victims and when a degree of reconciliation was established through go-betweens. After some months of estrangement amicable relations between Gordon and Li Hung-chang were restored.
Later Ch'êng Hsüeh-ch'i took part in the advance on Kashing which was taken (March 25, 1864) after a difficult siege in which Ch'êng was wounded. He died at Soochow a little later. The title Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent was posthumously conferred upon him, and he was canonized as Chung-lieh 忠烈. In addition he was granted the hereditary rank of a baron of the third class. This title was inherited by his son.
[1/422/1a; 2/51/22b; 5/51/16a; 8/24上/1a; Fêng Kuei-fên [q. v.], Hsien-chih-t'ang kao 6/5a; Mossman, Samuel, General Gordon's Private Diary of his Exploits in China (London, 1885); Douglas, Robert K., Li Hung-chang (London, 1895); Allen, Barnard M., Gordon in China (London, 1933); Chien Yu-wên 簡又文, 嘉興訪碑記 in I-ching 逸經, no. 14, pp. 747–51 (September, 1936).]
CH'ÊNG Huang-ti, posthumous name of Min-ning [q. v.].
CH'ÊNG K'o-kung 成克鞏 (T. 子固, H. 青壇), 1608–1691, official and scholar, was a native of Ta-ming, Chihli, third son of Ch'êng Chi-ming 成基命 (T. 靖之, H. 毖予, posthumous name 文穆, d. 1635) a chin-shih of 1607 and Grand Secretary under the Ming dynasty. Ch'êng K'o-kung became a chin-shih in 1643 at the last examinations held under the Mings. While seeking to avoid unsettled conditions about the capital in the following year, he was delivered from bandits through the courage and devotion of his son, Ch'êng Liang 成亮 (T. 寅天, H. 伾嵐), a chin-shih of 1649. After remainig at home for a time he returned to Peking in 1645 as a corrector in the Kuo-shih yüian 國史院. Having served in various official capacities, including the vice-presidency of the Board of Civil Office, he was promoted about the middle of 1653 to be a Grand Secretary. In 1658 he was made concurrently president of the Board of Revenue.
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