Linking 麟慶

LIN-ch'ing 麟慶 (T. 振祥, 伯餘, H. 見亭), Apr. 20, 1791–1846, Sept. 15, official and writer, was a member of the Wanyen or Wanggiyan 完顏 clan and a descendent in the twenty-fourth generation of Chin Shih-tsung 金世宗 (personal name Yung 雍, 1123–1189), fifth Emperor of the Chin dynasty (1115–1234). Lin-ch'ing's family belonged to the Pao-i 包衣 or Imperial Household Bond-servant Division of the Manchu Bordered Yellow Banner. He was a direct descendant of Asitan [q.v.] in the sixth generation, and of Hesu [q.v.] in the fifth. His father, T'ing-lu 廷鏴 (T. 衡伯, H. 曙墀, 1772–1820), was a prefect of T'ai-an fu, Shantung (1814–20), and his mother, Yün Chu 惲珠 (T. 珍浦, 星聯, H. 蓉湖, 1771–1833), was a poetess and a descendant of the painter, Yün Shou-p'ing [q.v.]. To her Lin-ch'ing owed much of his literary talents and artistic inclinations.

Made a chin-shih in 1809, he was appointed a secretary of the Grand Secretariat (1810). In 1814 he was made a secretary in the Board of War, but four years later he was appointed a secretary of the Supervisorate of Imperial Instruction, thus entering the Hanlin Academy. In 1821 he served as a compiler of the Hanlin Academy, later as one of the chief-compilers of the "veritable records" of Emperor Jên-tsung, and in the following year he was selected as qualified for the post of prefect. In 1823 he was appointed prefect of Hui-chou-fu, Anhwei, and was transferred a year later to Ying-chou-fu in the same province. He then served as intendant of the K'ai-Kuei-Ch'ên-Hsü Circuit, Honan (1825–29); provincial judge of Honan (1829–32); financial commissioner of Kweichow (1832–33); governor of Hupeh (1833); and director-general of River Conservancy in Huai-an, Kiangsu (1833–42). While filling this last post he was several times commended for his work, and in 1841–42, during the Anglo-Chinese War, helped to strengthen defenses along the northern bank of the Yangtze River. These merits saved him from disgrace when in 1842 part of the dyke along the Yellow River collapsed. Hence as punishment he was merely deprived of his ranks and titles. In 1843 he returned to Peking where two years previously he had purchased a house with a garden which he re-named Pan-mu Yüan 半畝園, or "Half Acre." The garden is said to have been planned by Li Yü [q.v.] for Chia Han-fu 賈漢復 (T. 膠侯, H. 靜庵, 1606–1677), governor of Shensi (1662–68). In the garden Lin-ch'ing had a library, styled Lang-hsüan Miao-ching 嫏嬛妙境, in which he kept his large collection of books, consisting of some 85,000 chüan. He remained there, however, for only three months when he was ordered to go to Chung-mou, Honan, to help repair a serious break in the dyke. Early in 1845 the work was completed and he was awarded the rank of an official of the fourth grade. Then he was made Imperial Resident at Urga, Mongolia, but owing to an affliction in his legs he was granted leave to retire temporarily (1845). By March 1846 he seems to have recovered from this illness, but died six months later.

Lin-ch'ing wrote an autobiography, entitled 鴻雪因緣圖記 Hung-hsüeh yin-yüan t'u-chi, in which he described 240 incidents in his life, each illustrated with a drawing by his artist secretaries. The work is divided into three series, each beginning with a portrait of the author, followed by 80 illustrations. The first series describing his life up to the age of forty (sui) and the second series depicting his life to fifty (sui), were first printed in the years 1839 to 1841, but comprised only the texts without the illustrations. The third series was completed in the year Lin-ch'ing died. His sons brought the whole work together and printed it in 1847–50, including the illustrations. The wood-cuts, carefully executed and rich in literary and historical allusions, are treasured by collectors. Most of the drawings were made by Ch'ên Chien 陳鑒 (T. 朗齋) who also sponsored the printing. The portrait introducing the third series was drawn by Ho Shih-k'uei 賀世魁 (T. 煥文, d. ca. 1844), who had painted a portrait of Emperor Hsüan-tsung in 1824. The latter also painted the likenesses of fifty-two officials and generals who put down the Mohammedan rebellion in 1822–28 (see under Ch'ang-ling) and prepared ten drawings of the same conflict, engraved on copper plates about the year 1830.

Lin-ching was the compiler of another illustrated book about the tools and materials used in building dykes etc. for river conservancy. This work, entitled 河工器具圖說 Ho-kung ch'i-chü t'u-shuo, 4 chüan, was printed in 1836. An historical account of the topography at the junction of the Yellow River and the Grand Canal, entitled 黃運河口古今圖說 Huang Yün Ho-k'ou ku-chin t'u-shuo, and a literary collection, 凝香室集 Ning-hsiang shih chi are attributed to him.

Lin-ch'ing had two sons, Ch'ung-shih and Ch'ung-hou [qq.v.], both of whom achieved distinction as officials.

[1/132/16a; 1/389/8a; 3/203/7a; 4/110/11b; 4/149/11b; 5/33/18b; 21/7/5a; 26/4/49b.]

Fang Chao-ying

Wanyan Linqing 完顏麟慶 【參考資料: MQWW PoetID #299, HuWenKai #643.】 《清代人物生卒年表》定其生卒年為乾隆56年~道光26年。 【參考《清代人物生卒年表》#25119.】

號見亭 嘉慶戊辰恩科舉人 己巳聯捷進士 南河河道總督

《清史稿》卷383

麟慶，字見亭，完顏氏，滿洲鑲黃旗人。嘉慶十四年進士，授內閣中書，遷兵部主事，改中允。道光三年，出為安徽徽州知府，調潁州，擢河南開歸陳許道。歷河南按察使、貴州布政使，護理巡撫。十三年，擢湖北巡撫。尋授江南河道總督，丁母憂，改署理，服闋，乃實授。疏陳籌辦南河情形，略曰：「近年河湖交敝，欲復舊制，不外蓄清刷黃。古人引導清水，三分濟運，七分刷黃，得力在磨盤埽。自廢棄後，河務漸壞，擬規復磨盤埽舊制。洪澤湖水甚寬，高家堰工絕險，各壩多封柴土蓄水，盛漲啟放，輒壞壩底，糜費不貲。應仿滾水壩成法，抬高石底，至蓄水尺寸為度。山圩五壩暨下游楊河境內車邏等壩，一遵奏定丈尺啟放，水定即行堵合。至黃河各工，當體察平險，節可緩之埽段，辦緊要之土工。一切疏浚器具，祗備運河挑挖。若黃河底淤，非人力所能強刷，惟儲備料工，遇險即搶，以防為治，而其要全在得人。又以蘆葦為工程必需，右營蕩地荒廢，產蘆不足，請築圩蓄水以資灌溉。」疏入，詔嘉其言正當，勗慎勉從事。十四年，以洪澤湖老子山西北挑砌石壩，東西沙路加築碎石，高出湖面，以便水師巡哨及商民停泊，疏請淮海、常鎮等道另案用銀。詔以南河連歲安瀾，而工用日增，切責之。十九年，修惠濟正閘、福興越閘。會河湖並漲，險工疊生，請例外撥銀五十萬，詔允之，戒嗣後不得援例。署兩江總督。二十一年，河決祥符，黃水匯注洪澤湖，南河無事，詔嘉其化險為夷，予議敘。二十二年，英吉利兵艦入江，命籌淮、揚防務以保運道，請以鹽運使但明倫備防揚州，以清江為後路策應，捕內匪陳三虎等誅之。秋，河決桃北崔鎮汛，值漕船回空，改由中河灌塘，通行無誤，詔念防務及濟運勞，革職，免罪。二十三年，發東河中牟工效力，工竣，以四品京堂候補。尋予二等侍衛，充庫倫辦事大臣，乞病未行。病痊，仍改四品京堂。尋卒。著有黃運河口古今圖說、河工器具圖說。子崇實、崇厚，並自有傳。