now all in their sixties and seventies, and a fourth, Cha chin 查謹 (T. 信虔), the youngest of the family who was born about 1665 and lived to the age of 93 (sui), had a happy reunion. But unfortunately two years later (1726) Cha Ssŭ-t'ing was tried for covertly attacking Emperor Shih-tsung in his writings, with the result that all male members of the family were placed under arrest, escorted to Peking and imprisoned. Possibly the real cause of their calamity was the intimate association of the Cha brothers with K'uei-hsü, and their connection with the thorny problem of Emperor Shih-tsung's succession to the throne (see under Yin-t'ang and Lungkodo). In 1727 Cha Ssŭ-t'ing died in prison and Cha Ssŭ-li was exiled. But Cha Shên-hsing was released, possibly for his ability as a poet, or for the great loyalty to the preceding emperor which his writings showed. He died at home about three months later. As a poet Cha Shên-hsing was highly praised by the compilers of the Imperial Catalogue (see under Chi Yün) and was compared with such famous poets of the Sung dynasty as Su Shih (see under Sung Lao) and Lu Yu (see under Chao I). His collected verse in 50 chüan, entitled 敬業堂詩集, Ching-yeh-t'ang shih-chi, was edited chronologically and printed in 1719—a supplement in 6 chüan was printed after his death. This, together with a work on the Changes, 周易玩辭集解 Chou-i wan-tz'ŭ chi-chieh, in 10 chüan and a commentary on the poems of Su Shih, 補註東坡編年詩 Pu-chu Tung-p'o pien-nien shih, completed in 1702 and printed in 1761, was copied into the Imperial Library (Ssŭ-k'u ch'üan-shu, see under Chi Yün). He also had several titles of miscellaneous notes among which the 得樹樓雜鈔 Tê-shu-lou tsa-ch'ao, in 15 chüan, and the 人海記 Jên-hai chi arranged about 1713, are well known. He wrote a drama, entitled 陰陽判 Yin-yang p'an.
[Ch'ên Ching-chang 陳敬璋, 查他山先生年譜 Cha T'a-shan hsien-shêng nien-p'u occurs in Chia-yeh-t'ang ts'ung-shu (see under Cha Chi-tso); Hai-ning-chou chih kao (1922) chüan 13, 27, 29; 1/489/29b; 2/71/23b; 3/122/38a; 4/47/6b; 20/2/00 portrait; 26/1/42a; Ssŭ-k'u 6/8a, 154/2a, 173/10a; Ching-yeh-t'ang chi.]
CHA Ssŭ-t'ing 查嗣庭 (T. 潤木, H. 橫浦), 1664–1727, April 12?, Ch'ing official, was a native of Hai-ning, Chekiang, and a chin-shih of 1706. After a period of study as a Hanlin bachelor he became a compiler in the Academy; and after several promotions, a vice-president of the Board of Ceremonies (1725). In 1726 he was sent to Nanchang, Kiangsi, to conduct the examinations for the chü-jên degree. As one of the subjects for composition he set a phrase from the Great Learning (Chapter III, 1), reading "where the people rest" (維民所止). These words were, by some, interpreted as a covert thrust at Emperor Shih-tsung because the first and last characters of the quotation looked suspiciously like the characters of his reign-title, Yung-chêng 雍正, but with the top parts cut off. The choice of the phrase was taken as indicating a hope that the emperor would be "decapitated." When the emperor heard of the incident he took it as a personal affront and on October 21 of the same year informed the Court that the house of the culprit had been searched and found to contain two journals of a seditious nature. At the same time he accused Cha of having intrigued with Lungkodo [q. v.] and this may have been the real reason for the emperor's hostility. At any rate, Cha died in prison and his body was ordered to be dismembered. His elder brothers, Cha Shên-hsing [q. v.] and Cha Ssŭ-li (see under former), were also cast into prison, the former being later released through imperial clemency, the latter dying in exile in Shensi. Cha Ssŭ-t'ing's wife was exiled to the frontier, but nevertheless achieved some distinction as a poetess.
As a result of this and similar cases involving natives of Chekiang (see under Wang Ching-ch'i and Lü Liu-liang), a decree was issued suspending examinations for the chü-jên degree in that province for a time. Actually, however, the triennial examination was resumed according to schedule in 1729 after the commissioner who was especially appointed to "examine and rectify social abuses" (觀風整俗使) reported that he could detect no signs of rebellion in the province.
[Tung-hua lu, Yung-chêng, 4:9, 10; 皇朝掌故彙編 Huang-ch'ao chang-ku hui-pien 35, 科舉 1/10; 國朝貢舉考略 Kuo-chao kung-chü k'ao-lüeh 2/4b; 清代徵獻類編 Ch'ing-tai chêng-hsien lei-pien 4/19a; 清代閨閣詩人徵略補遺 Ch'ing-tai kuei-ko shih-jên chêng-lüeh pu-i, 8a for biographical note concerning his wife; Cha Shên-hsing [q. v.], Ching-yeh-t'ang chi 41/16a and hsü-chi 3/18b, 5/11b (for dates); Hai-ning-chou chih (1922) 29/52b; Goodrich, L. C., The Literary Inquisition of Ch'ien-lung.]
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