coastal defense. It was because of his fear that Chêng Chih-lung [q. v.] would rejoin the Fukien rebels that the latter was not exiled to Ninguta.
In 1657 Li was raised to a baron of the first class. When the jurisdiction of Chekiang and Fukien was divided in 1658, he continued as governor-general of Fukien. The next year he was recommended to be discharged for losing territory to the insurgents, but the emperor commuted his punishment to a fine of one year's salary and continued him in office. At the same time his hereditary rank was taken from him. In the ensuing years he recovered most of Fukien, including the islands of Chushan, Amoy, and Chin-mên (Quemoy) and in 1664 forced Chêng Ching [q. v.] to withdraw to Taiwan. Although the glory of the final spectacular victory against the Chêng insurgents went to Shih Lang [q. v.], much credit is due Li Shuai-t'ai for preparing the ground for their extermination. After repeated requests to be retired on account of illness, he died in office and was given the posthumous rank of president of the Board of War and the name of Chung-hsiang 忠襄. In 1667 he was posthumously given the hereditary rank of a baron of the first class.
[1/279/1a; 2/5/26a; 3/1/25a; 4/5/5b; 7/4/3a; 9/1/12a; 11/3/51b; Shêng-ching (盛京) t'ung-chih (1736) 34/14b; T'ieh-ling-hsien chih (1915) 4/346b; 34/206/7a; Tung-hua lu, Shun-chih 8:3.]
LI T'ang-chieh 李棠階 (T. 樹南, H. 文園, 強齋), Apr. 2, 1798–1865, Dec. 26, official, was a native of Pao-fêng ts'un 保封村 in the district of Ho-nei, Honan. His ancestors were farmers and came originally from Hung-tung, Shansi. As a child he was quiet and reserved, and did not take part in the normal activities of other children. In his youth he studied hard and acquired an extensive knowledge of the Classics. A chin-shih of 1822, he became a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy and was later made a compiler. From 1825 to 1835 he held various posts such as provincial director of education of Yunnan, tutor in the Imperial Academy, and junior secretary of the Supervisorate of Imperial Instruction. From 1836 to 1839 he retired to mourn the death of his parents. When the mourning period was over he was called to the capital and was re-instated in his previous post. In 1840 he became sub-expositor and then sub-reader and chief examiner for Shansi. Because of some mistakes in the distribution of the examination questions, he was deprived of his rank but was ordered to perform the duties of his post. In 1841 he was made a diarist and in 1842 provincial director of education of Kwangtung. In 1843 he was appointed sub-director of the Court of Sacrificial Worship, retaining at the same time his post as provincial director of education of Kwangtung. While acting in this capacity he was lowered three grades in rank because he had permitted over-aged licentiates to take the military examination. In 1845, on the death of his grandmother, he once more retired. During his sojourn at home he devoted his time to teaching and to the welfare of his clansmen. Once when the Yellow River at Chung-mou was flooded he contributed 500 taels silver for relief; and in times of famine, which in his day was almost an annual occurrence, he donated large quantities of rice for distribution to the poor. While he was lecturing in the Academy, Ho-shuo Shu-yüan 河朔書院, students came from long distances to study under him.
In 1850 Li T'ang-chieh was ordered to come to Peking to serve as an expositor, after being highly recommended by Tsêng Kuo-fan [q. v.] as a man of sound and orthodox learning. This appointment he declined on account of ill health. In 1853, a contingent of the Taiping forces crossed the Yellow River and marched into Honan. Local bandits quickly joined them and soon the place was in great turmoil. He was asked to organize a volunteer force to extirpate the bandits and to defend that area against the invaders. This he did, though not without many difficulties. The advance of the Taipings was checked, and he was rewarded with the title of a fourth grade official and the peacock feather.
When Emperor Mu-tsung ascended the throne in 1862, Li was again called to the capital. Realizing that the country needed him, he responded, and his first act was to present a memorial to the throne in which he outlined the principles that should govern the child emperor's education, and suggested measures to increase efficiency in government. In the same year he was made director of the Court of Judicature and Revision, then a vice-president of the Board of Ceremonies, and finally president of the Censor ate and concurrently a Grand Councilor. Owing to his superior knowledge and understanding of existing conditions, his words carried great weight at Court. Once he openly deplored the state of affairs in Honan and other provinces.
485
