legality or illegality of Emperor Shih-tsung's succession to the throne. And if there was irregularity in carrying out the last will of Shêng-tsu (see under Yin-chên and Lungkodo), it was necessary to reward Yin-lu liberally to insure his silence.
Yin-lu was useful to the Emperor in other ways also. Having studied some mathematics and music, he was ordered to head a commission to re-edit and print the La-li yüan-yüan (see under Ho Kuo-tsung) and perhaps also the Ku-chin t'u-shu chi-ch'êng (see under Ch'ên Mêng-lei). Both works had been compiled by scholars under the direction of Yin-chih [q. v.] scholars who perhaps had antagonized Emperor Shih-tsung by espousing the cause of one or another of the princes in their struggle for the throne. Yin-lu was therefore entrusted with the task of erasing their names and, if possible, all memory of their connection with these important works.
In 1736 Emperor Kao-tsung made Yin-lu one of four regents to direct national affairs during the period of mourning for the death of his father. Early in 1738 Yin-lu was rewarded with the additional hereditary rank of a prince of the fifth degree (鎭國公) which he gave, not to his own son, but to Ning-ho 寧赫, a descendant of Šose. And when Ning-ho was deprived of his rank for certain offenses (1739), Yin-lu bestowed upon him some land and houses. Hence by his generosity Yin-lu won a degree of popularity. However, he lost the favor of Emperor Kao-tsung for a time, when in 1739 it was discovered that he was associating with Hung-hsi (see under Yin-jêng), a likely pretender to the throne. In 1741 Yin-lu and Chang Chao [q. v.] were commissioned to revise the Lü-lü chêng-i (see under Chang Chao) and were also appointed supervisors of the Board of Music. After his death (1767) Yin-lu was canonized as K'o 恪.
Among descendants of Yin-lu may be mentioned I-mai 奕𧷏, the fifth Prince Chuang who in 1838 was deprived of his rank and was banished for smoking opium in a nunnery. I-kêng 奕賡 (H. 愛蓮居士, 墨香書屋主, 鶴侶主人), a brother of I-mai, was a historian who left a number of works important for a study of the Ch'ing Imperial House. His manuscripts were obtained by Yenching University, and printed in 1935 under the title 佳夢軒叢書 Chia-mêng hsüan ts'ung-shu. This work contains eleven items, among which are the following: 東華錄綴言 Tung-hua lu chui-yen; 寄都備談 Ch'i-tu pei-t'an; and 管見所及 Kuan-chien so-chi.
The ninth Prince Chuang, Tsai-hsün 載勛, who inherited the rank in 1875 was a prince who sponsored the Boxers in 1900, throwing open his house as their headquarters, and representing them to the Empress Dowager (see under Hsiao-ch'in) as formidable foes to foreigners (see under Jung-lu). His punishment consisted in being ordered to commit suicide, which he did by hanging, February 21, 1901.
[1/170/25b; 1/225/4b; Ch'ing Huang-shih ssŭ-p'u (see Fu-lung-an), 3/16b.]
YIN-ssŭ 胤禩, Mar. 29, 1681–1726, Sept. 30, was the eighth son of Emperor Shêng-tsu. His mother (née Wei 衛, title, Liang-fei 良妃, d. 1711), born of a plebian family, entered the Palace as a maid, but before the birth of Yin-ssŭ she was made an imperial consort. In 1698 Yin-ssŭ was made a prince of the third degree and began to assume a position of prominence among the Emperor's sons. When Yin-jêng [q. v.], the Heir Apparent, was deposed in 1708, several of his brothers began to assert their claims to the throne; among them was Yin-ssŭ who, as an active rival, had the support of several brothers and of certain high officials. For having dispatched agents to purchase books in Kiangsu he achieved the reputation of being a scholar. He is said to have held secret interviews with astrologists, physiognomists and other magicians, intending perhaps to solicit their help when necessary. His aggressiveness, however, displeased the Emperor who rebuked him severely for asserting his claims and accused him of being under the domination of his wife, a granddaughter of Yolo [q. v.]. The Emperor deprived Yin-ssŭ for a time of all rank. The latter, however, claimed the support of powerful officials who, when asked to express their opinion in the matter stood wholeheartedly for Yin-ssů. So great was their influence, especially that of Maci and K'uei-hsü [qq. v.], that their opinion prevailed over that of many other officials. The Emperor was displeased with the recommendation and ignored it on the ground that Yin-ssŭ's mother was descended from a family of low degree. But when Yin-jêng, the heir-presumptive, was released from confinement, Yin-ssŭ was restored to his rank of prince of the third degree. Those who had previously recommended Yin-ssŭ
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