劉墉 (崇如 石庵)

Liu Yung 劉墉 (T. 崇如 H. 穆庵, 石庵), 1720-1805, Jan. 24, official and calligrapher, was a native of Chu-ch'êng, Shantung, and son of the Grand Secretary, Liu T'ung-hsün [q.v.]. A chin-shih of 1751, he was a year later appointed a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. In 1755 his father, then governor-general of Shênsi and Kansu, was imprisoned by the emperor for failure in military operations. As a result of his father's disgrace Liu Yung, who had received several promotions during 1755, was also arrested. A month later he was freed but reduced to the rank of a compiler. Thereafter, he served as commissioner of education in Anhwei (1756-59) and Kansu (1759-62); as prefect of Taiyuan, Shansi (1762-65); and as intendant of the Chi-Ning Circuit in the same province (1765-66). In 1766 the magistrate of a district in the Taiyuan prefecture was found to have embezzled official funds during Liu Yung's term of office. Since, as prefect, he was held responsible for the conduct of all officials within his jurisdiction, Liu was removed from office and condemned to death. His sentence, however, was commuted by the Emperor to exile in army service. In 1767 he was recalled to the capital and given work in the Wu-ying tien, or Palace Printing Office and Book Bindery. Two years later, as a favor to his aged father, the emperor appointed Liu Yung prefect of Chiang-ning-fu (Nanking). He was made intendant of salt and couriers for Kiangsi the following year, and in 1772 was promoted to the office of provincial judge of Shênsi. Upon the death of his father in 1773, he obtained leave of absence to return home and observe the customary period of mourning.

Returning to Peking in 1776, Liu Yung was made a sub-chancellor of the Grand Secretariat and one of the assistant librarians of the Imperial Library, Wên Yüan Ko (see under Chi Yün). A year later he was appointed commissioner of education of Kiangsu. While serving as commissioner he brought the writings of Hsü Shu-k'uei [q.v.] to the attention of the emperor and this resulted in a severe inquisition. Owing either to his alertness in this case or to his reputation as a just and efficient educational administrator, he was rapidly promoted, serving as governor of Hunan (1780) and, late in 1781, as president of the Censorate. In 1782 he was promoted to the presidency of the Board of Works, and during the same year was appointed chief tutor in the Imperial School for the Emperor's sons. In 1783 he was transferred to the presidency of the Board of Civil Offices and in 1785 was made an Assistant Grand Secretary.

One day in 1789 the Emperor visited the Imperial School, only to find it deserted. Upon learning that neither tutors nor students had been present for seven or eight days he became angry and issued several condemnatory edicts. Liu Yung, as head tutor, was held primarily responsible for this breach of discipline and was reduced to the rank of a junior vice-president of a Board and was deprived of all his honors and concurrent offices. The other tutors and the students were punished correspondingly. Soon thereafter, Liu Yung was again made subchancellor of the Grand Secretariat. He did not, however, remain long in disgrace, for after several promotions he was (early in 1791) again appointed president of the Censorate and within a month or two was made president of the Board of Ceremonies with his honors and concurrent posts restored. In 1792 he was transferred to the Board of Civil Offices. In 1797 he became a Grand Secretary, and in 1799 was honored with the title of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent. Despite his advanced age he continued to hold office, acting also as head librarian of the Wên Yüan Ko from 1803 until his sudden death in 1805. He was honored posthumously and canonized as Wên-ch'ing 文清. Although Liu Yung was in active service during the period of greatest extravagance of the Ch'ing dynasty he was renowned for the high standards of honesty, frugality and propriety which he himself maintained and required of the members of his family. He did not attack openly the malfeasance of Emperor Kao-tsung's favorite, Ho-shên [q.v.], but he dared to oppose him outright in many matters of governmental administration. As an example of the latter may be mentioned the case of corruption in Shantung in 1782 when he was sent, together with Ho-shên and the censor Ch'ien Fêng [q.v.], to investigate charges brought by Ch'ien against the governor and the finance commissioner of the province who were two of Ho-shên's henchmen. Liu made a careful and just investigation of the affair and proved an incontestable case of corruption against the officials, after which Ho-shên could do nothing but sign the testimonials which resulted in the execution of his favorites (see under Ch'ien Feng).

Liu Yung was a nationally renowned calligrapher. Many examples of his handwriting are extant, some of which, by order of Emperor Jên-tsung, were collected by his nephew, Liu Huan-chih (see under Liu T'ung-hsün), and were reproduced in facsimile, under the title 清愛堂石刻 Ch'ing-ai t'ang shih-k'o. Liu Yung's literary collection, entitled 劉文清公遺集 Liu Wên-ch'ing kung i-chi, 17 chüan, and a collection of his Court poems, entitled Liu Wên-ch'ing kung ying-chih shih (應制詩), were printed in 1826 by his grandnephew, Liu Hsi-hai [q.v.]. Liu Yung participated in the compilation of several works prepared under Imperial patronage, among them the Ssû-k'u ch'üan-shu (see under Chi Yün) and the Jih-hsia chiu-wên k'ao (see under Chu I-tsun). He also officiated frequently at civil service examinations.

[ 1/308/8a; 2/26/26a; 3/30/1a; 7/16/13b; 20/3/00; 26/2/4a; 29/5/6a; Chao-lien [q.v.], Hsiao-t'ing tsa-lu and Hsü-lu, passim; Chu-ch'êng hsien Hsü-chih (1834) 13/la; Portrait in 青鶴 Ch'ing-ho, vol. ü<> I, no. 24 (Nov. 1, 1935); Ku-tung so-chi (see under Lang T'ing-chi) 4/24b.]

KNIGHT BIGGERSTAFF

《清史稿》卷302

墉，字崇如，乾隆十六年進士，自編修再遷侍講。二十年，統勳得罪，並奪墉官下獄，事解，賞編修，督安徽學政。疏請州縣約束貢監，責令察優劣。督江蘇學政，疏言府縣吏自瞻顧，畏刁民，畏生監，兼畏吏胥，闒冘怠玩。上嘉其知政體，飭兩江總督尹繼善等淬厲除舊習。授山西太原知府，擢冀寧道。以官知府時失察僚屬侵帑，發軍臺效力。踰年釋還，命在修書處行走。旋推統勳恩，命仍以知府用，授江蘇江寧知府，有清名。再遷陝西按察使。丁父憂，服闋，授內閣學士，直南書房。遷戶部、吏部侍郎。授湖南巡撫，遷左都御史，仍直南書房。命偕尚書和珅如山東按巡撫國泰貪縱狀，得實，授工部尚書，充上書房總師傅。署直隸總督，授協辦大學士。五十四年，以諸皇子師傅久不入書房，降為侍郎銜。尋授內閣學士，三遷吏部尚書。嘉慶二年，授體仁閣大學士。命偕尚書慶桂如山東讞獄，並按行河決，疏請寬濬下游。四年，加太子少保。疏陳漕政，僉丁不慎，途中盜米，致有鑿舟自沉，或鬻及檣舵，舟存而不可用，請飭各行省僉丁宜求殷實，皆如所議行。九年，卒，年八十五，贈太子太保，祀賢良祠，諡文清。墉工書，有名於時。