Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/476

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Li
Li

surgents who came from Anhwei to relieve the situation (1857). After prolonged fighting Kiukiang was taken on May 19, 1858. Li Hsü-pin was rewarded with the title of governor and after a brief interval was ordered to proceed to Anhwei where, in a short time, he gained possession of four cities. While marching an army of some 5,000 men to the provincial capital, Lu-chou (present Ho-fei), Li encountered strong resistance at San-ho-chên, a strategic town about eighty li south of his destination. Though he destroyed many of his opponents' barracks, his detachment was hemmed in by the rebel leader, Ch'ên Yü-ch'êng [q. v.], and after desperate fighting Li Hsü-pin, the majority of his officers and many of the Hunan Braves lost their lives. The Emperor, moved by the loss of so valorous a general, granted to Li the posthumous rank of governor-general, the name Chung-wu 忠武, and the hereditary ranks of Ch'i-tu-yü and Yün-ch'i-yü. In 1864 the hereditary rank was raised to a baron of the second class which was inherited by his son, Li Kuang-chiu 李光久. The latter was also awarded the degree of chü-jên (1858) and later served as provincial judge of Chekiang.

Li Hsü-pin left a collection of memorials to the throne, entitled 李忠武公奏 Li Chung-wu kung tsou-i, 1 chüan; and literary remains, entitled, Li Chung-wu kung i-shu ( 遺書), 4 chüan. Though Lo Tsê-nan is celebrated as the organizer of the Hunan Braves, Li Hsü-pin was regarded by Tsêng Kuo-fan [q. v.] as the one who led the army to fame. Command of the troops passed into the hands of Li's brother, Li Hsü-i 李續宜 (T. 克讓, H. 希菴, d. 1863, age 41 sui), who was also a famous general. Though less popular, he was less hasty and more circumspect than his brother. In 1859 he led the re-organized Hunan Braves in repelling the invasion of Shih Ta-k'ai at Pao-ch'ing, Hunan, and in 1860 he took part in the campaign in Anhwei, a province in which he served as governor, in 1861 and again in 1862–63. In the meantime he was governor of Hupeh for a few months. He was canonized as Yung-i 勇毅.


[1/414/1a, 4b; 2/43/6a, 49/17b; 5/56/14a, 26/2b; 7/26/13b; 8/9/1a, 14下/1a; Hu Lin-i [q. v.], Hu Wên-chung kung i-chi, chüan 32 (1875); Huang P'êng-nien [q. v.], T'ao-lou wên-ch'ao 4/3b.]

Têng Ssŭ-yü


LI Hung-chang 李鴻章 (T. 子黻, 漸甫, H. 少荃, 儀叟), Feb. 15, 1823–1901, Nov. 7, statesman and diplomat, was a native of Ho-fei (Lu-chou), Anhwei. An ancestor eight generations before him was born into a family named Hsü 許 but changed his surname when he was adopted into the Li family. His father, Li Wên-an 李文安 (T. 式和, H. 五[愚]泉, original ming 文玕, 1801–1855), was a chin-shih of 1838 and therefore a classmate (同年) of Tsêng Kuo-fan [q. v.]. After Li Hung-chang became a chü-jên (1844), he went to Peking where he studied intensively under the direction of Tsêng who became thereafter after his patron and close friend. He became a chin-shih in 1847, was selected a bachelor in the Hanlin Academy and three years later was made a compiler.

When the Taiping rebels reached Anhwei in 1853 Li Hung-chang and his father returned to their native place to organize the militia to combat them. In the meantime Tsêng Kuo-fên recommended Li Hung-chang to Chiang Chung-yüan [q. v.], then governor of Anhwei. Under Chiang's direction, Li led his local recruits and won a battle at Yü-hsi k'ou in the department of Ho-chou, thus gaining the decorations of a sixth grade official. However, Chiang died with the capture of Lu-chou and Li's force was dispersed after serious reverses. Early in 1854 Li joined the staff of the new governor of Anhwei, Fu-chi 福濟 (T. 汝舟, H. 春瀛, 元修, d. 1875), and a year later, when Han-shan, Anhwei, was recovered, he won the rank of prefect. On July 6, 1855 his father, Li Wên-an, died, but the exigencies of war made it necessary for Li to remain in camp (unofficially) instead of retiring to observe the period of mourning. In the years 1855-57, the army of Fu-chi recaptured Ho-fei and was successful in other operations around Lake Ch'ao. As a member of the staff Li received due rewards. He was given the rank of a provincial judge (1856) and was registered as prepared for the office of an intendant (1857).

Discontented with Fu-chi's policies, Li left Anhwei in 1858 to join his patron, Tsêng Kuo-fan, who was then encamped at Nanchang. There he had a share in the recapture of Ching-tê-chên (May, 1858) and the rest of Kiangsi province. Tsêng was appointed governor-general of Kiangnan and Kiangsi in 1860, but Li, disagreeing with his policy of operating from Ch'i-mên as being too cautious, and on other matters as well, left his service early in 1861. After Tsêng Kuo-ch'üan [q. v.] captured Anking (September 5, 1861) Li sent Tsêng Kuo-fan a letter of congratulation and in return was invited to rejoin him.

When the Chung-wang (see under Li Hsiu-

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