李成梁 (汝器 銀城)

LI Ch'êng-liang 李成梁 (T. 汝器 or 汝契, H. 銀[ 寅 ]城), Aug. 21, 1526–1618, Ming general, was a native of T'ieh-ling, Liaotung. His ancestor in the fifth generation, Li Ying-ni 李膺尼, was a Korean who moved to T'ieh-ling in the early Ming period from a town on the south bank of the Yalu River. The latter's son, Li Ying 李英, was made hereditary secretary of the garrison at T'ieh-ling and became the recognized founder of the clan. Li Ying had five sons, each of whom founded his own branch of the clan. The eldest grandson, Li Ch'un-mei 李春美, succeeded to the hereditary secretaryship, and his descendants prospered in the Ming period. Another branch, founded by Li Ch'un-mao 李春茂, achieved fame in the Ch'ing period.

Li Ch'êng-liang was the eldest of four grandsons of Li Ch'un-mei. Owing to poverty he could not afford to pay the expenses attendant on the succession to the family rank, and so remained a hsiu-ts'ai until he was about forty sui. This, however, did not impede his official career, for he continued in service for more than thirty years. About 1565 he was helped financially by a censor who was inspecting his district, and finally he went to Peking to register his claims. After succeeding to the military rank he began to serve in the army, and in a few years became a lieutenant colonel in command of a fort in Liaotung. In 1567, for his help in warding off the invading Mongols at Yung-pʻing, he was advanced to an assistant brigade general in the garrison at Liaoyang; and in 1570 rose to be commander of that garrison. For taking the stronghold of Wang Kao of Chien-chou (see under Nurhaci) in 1573, he was given the title, Commander in Chief of the Left Army (左軍都督府左都督), and the rank of brigade general. When Wang Kao was captured, in 1575, Li was given the title of Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent and a minor hereditary rank. For repeatedly defeating the Tumet Mongols at Chin-chou and elsewhere, he was created an earl (1579), with the designation, Ning-yüan Po 寧遠伯. A year later, for defeating an invasion by the Chien-chou Ju-chên (Manchus, see under Nurhaci), the earldom was made hereditary.

In the following eleven years (1580–91) Li Ch'êng-liang defended Liaotung against repeated attacks by the Tumet Mongols on the north and west, and occasional raids by the Ju-chên tribes on the east. In 1582 he took the stronghold of Wang Kao's son, Atai (see under Nurhaci) and in the encounter killed a number of Chien-chou chiefs, including the father and grandfather of Nurhaci [q.v.]. In 1584 he killed two chiefs of the Yehe tribe (see under Yangginu), and in 1588 temporarily subdued the Yehe. For these and other exploits he was rewarded with increased stipends and with elevation of the ranks of his sons and nephews. In time he and his family became very powerful and his sons held high military posts in Peking and the provinces. But he himself is reported to have become gradually less energetic in suppressing the border tribes, and tried to appease them; he would make harmless raids into enemy territory, kill a few civilians on the way, and report victories. For this he was frequently denounced by censors, but was always cleared by high civil officials who protected him. To appease his adversaries he several times requested that his power be lessened or that he himself be removed, but without avail. Finally, in 1591, he was accused of falsifying military reports, but the accusation was dropped. He pleaded illness, and later in that year was allowed to retire to his house in Peking which the emperor had given him in 1582. There he lived quietly for ten years, during which time the defenses in Liaotung were weakened by frequent change of commanders, among them two of his five sons (see below). In 1601 he was recalled from retirement to resume, at seventy-six sui, his post as brigade general of Liaotung. He served there for seven years more and witnessed the gradual expansion of Chien-chou under Nurhaci whose life he had spared in 1583. According to some accounts, Nurhaci owed to Li not only his life but much of his early education in military affairs. At any rate, Li made possible Nurhaci's initiation into the rights and powers of a tribal chief of Chien-chou, and Li saw Nurhaci occupy territory which he himself had once controlled. He could not, however, foresee what great power Nurhaci would ultimately wield. After his rank was raised to Grand Tutor Li again retired to Peking where he lived until his death at the age of ninety-three (sui).

Of Li Ch'êng-liang's five sons, all of whom held high military posts and owed their start in life to their father's fame, the eldest, Li Ju-sung 李如松 (T. 子茂, H. 仰城, 1549–1598), stood out as a brave soldier. In 1592 he was commander-in-chief of the armies in Shensi which subdued the rebellion of a Mongol chief at Ninghsia. After some hard fighting the rebellion was suppressed and Li Ju-sung was ordered to go immediately to Korea to resist the Japanese invaders. He reached there early in 1593 and helped gradually to liberate most of that country. Late in that year he made a truce with the Japanese who held the southern seacoast of Korea, and he withdrew most of his forces early in 1594. In 1598 he served as brigade general of Liaotung and was killed in action with the Tumet Mongols. He was canonized as Chung-lieh 忠烈 and was posthumously given the rank of Ning-yüan Po.

The post of brigade-general of Liaotung was then given to Li Ch'êng-liang's fifth son, Li Ju-mei 李如梅 (T. 子清, H. 方城), who held it until he was superseded in 1618 by Li Ch'êng-liang's second son, Li Ju-po 李如柏 (T. 子貞, H. 肖城, 1553–1621). The latter had fought in the war against the Japanese in Korea (1593), and had served for some time as brigade-general of Kweichow and later of Ninghsia. After a retirement of more than twenty years he was recalled to service. In 1619 he was in command of one of the four armies under Yang Hao [q.v.] in the disastrous invasion of the territory of Nurhaci. After his defeat he was put in prison awaiting trial, and there he committed suicide. His younger brother, Li Ju-chên 李如楨 (T. 景城, d. 1631), the third son of Li Ch'êng-liang, was appointed brigade-general in command of the forces in Liaotung. In 1619 Li Ju-chên was accused of cowardice for failure to rescue his ancestral home, T'ieh-ling, from the onslaught of Nurhaci, and was sentenced to imprisonment awaiting execution. Thus ended the continuous domination of the military power in Liaotung by Li Ch'êng-liang and his family, after a tenure of some fifty years. When the inheritor of the earldom, Li Tsun-tsu 李遵祖, a grandson of Li Ju-sung, was killed in 1644 at the fall of Peking, Li Ch'êng-liang's branch of the family was no longer powerful.

In the Ch'ing period the descendants of the above-mentioned Li Ch'un-mao gained prominence, but his branch of the family lost heavily in 1619 when T'ieh-ling fell to the Manchus. Ten men and six women lost their lives, some of the younger men being spared to serve under the Manchus. Contrary to custom, these men not only did not avenge the death of their forebears but served the Manchus vigorously and rose to be high officials. Li Ssŭ-chung 李思忠 (T. 葵陽, 1595–1657), a grandnephew of Li Ch'êng-liang, was captured by the Manchus in 1618. A year later his parents were killed by the Manchus, but he continued to serve them, and in 1621 brought many of his clansmen over to Nurhaci's side. He became a baron in 1631, and a member of the Chinese Plain Yellow Banner in 1642. In 1644 he followed Dodo [q.v.] to conquer China, and from 1646 to 1654 served as commander of the army in Shensi. His third son, Li Hsien-tsu 李顯祖 (T. 亢宗, 1633–1675, Manchu name 塞白理), served as provincial commander-in-chief of Kwangtung (1667–69) and of Chekiang (1669–75). The rank of baron was inherited by Li Hsien-tsu's branch of the family. Li Ssŭ-chung's second son, Li Yin-tsu 李蔭祖 (T. 繩武, 1629–1664), served from the age of twenty-six to thirty-two (sui) as governor-general of Chihli, Honan and Shantung (1654–58), and of Hupeh and Hunan (1658–60). He left a collection of memorials, entitled 總督奏議 Tsung-tu tsou-i, 6 chüan, printed in 1680 (a copy of this work is in the Library of Congress). His son, Li Ping 李鈵 (T. 長源, 1647–1704), helped to transport grain to Mongolia in 1696 (see under Yü Ch'êng-lung, 1638–1700) and served as governor of Shantung (1698–1700). Li Yin-tsu's cousin, Li Hui-tsu 李輝祖 (T. 元美, H. 蒲陽, 1631–1702), rose to be governor-general of Hupeh and Hunan (1698–99). Many other members of this branch of the Li family held high offices under the Manchus.

One member of this family became a famous poet and writer, namely Li K'ai 李鍇 (T. 鐵君, 眉山, H. 廌青山人, 焦明子, b. 1686), a son of Li Hui-tsu. He took the special examination of 1736 (see under Liu Lun) but failed to pass. He and his wife, a daughter of Songgotu [q.v.], led a quiet life in or near Peking, writing poems or entertaining friends. He left a work on ancient history, entitled 尚史 Shang-shih, 70 + 4 chüan, printed in 1814, and a collection of poems, entitled 含中集 Han-chung chi, 5 chüan, which was later re-edited and printed under the title, 睫巢集 Chieh-ch'ao chi, 6 + 1 chüan. In 1934 the Han-chung chi was printed (from an old manuscript) in the Liao-hai ts'ung-shu (see under Shêng-yü) together with a collection of the author's short works in prose, entitled 李鐵君文鈔 Li T'ieh-chün wên-ch'ao, 2 chüan.

[M.1/238/1a; T'ieh-ling hsien-chih (1917), p. 335; P'êng Sun-i [q.v.], Shan-chung wên-chien lu, 7/6a; Chuang T'ing-lung [q.v.], Ming-shih ch'ao-lüeh; Sonoda Ikki 園田一⿔, 李成梁と其の一族に就て in Tōyō Gakuhō, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 89–120; 3/152/31a; 3/266/3a; 6/45/14b; Li T'ieh-chün wên-ch'ao, 上/15b.]

Fang Chao-ying

《明史》卷238

李成梁字汝契。高祖英自朝鮮內附，授世鐵嶺衞指揮僉事，遂家焉。成梁英毅驍健，有大將才。家貧，不能襲職，年四十猶為諸生。巡按御史器之，資入京，乃得襲。積功為遼東險山參將。隆慶元年，土蠻大入永平。成梁赴援有功，進副總兵，仍守險山。尋協守遼陽。三年四月，張擺失等屯塞下，成梁迎擊斬之，殲其卒百六十有奇。餘眾遠徙，遂空其地。錄功，進秩一等。四年九月，辛愛大入遼東。總兵官王治道戰死，擢成梁署都督僉事代之。當是時，俺答雖款塞，而插漢部長土蠻與從父黑石炭，弟委正、大委正，從弟煖兔、拱兔，子卜言台周，從子黃台吉勢方強。泰寧部長速把亥、炒花，朵顏部長董狐狸、長昂佐之。東則王杲、王兀堂、清佳砮、楊吉砮之屬，亦時窺塞下。十年之間，殷尚質、楊照、王治道三大將皆戰死。成梁乃大修戎備，甄拔將校，收召四方健兒，給以厚餼，用為選鋒。軍聲始振。明年五月，敵犯盤山驛，指揮蘇成勛擊走之。無何，土蠻大入。成梁遇於卓山，麾副將趙完等夾擊，斷其首尾。乘勝抵巢，馘部長二人，斬首五百八十餘級。進署都督同知，世廕千戶。又明年十月，土蠻六百騎營舊遼陽北河，去邊二百餘里，俟眾集大舉。成梁擊走之。萬曆元年，又擊走之前屯。已，又破走之鐵嶺鎮西諸堡。增秩二等。朵顏兀魯思罕以四千騎毀牆入，成梁禦卻之。建州都指揮王杲故與撫順通馬市。及是，誘殺備禦裴承祖，成梁謀討之。明年十月，杲復大舉入。成梁檄副將楊騰、遊擊王惟屏分屯要害，而令參將曹簠挑戰。諸軍四面起，敵大奔，盡聚杲寨。寨地高，杲深溝堅壘以自固。成梁用火器攻之，破數柵，矢石雨下。把總于志文、秦得倚先登，諸將繼之。杲走高臺，射殺志文。會大風起，縱火焚之，先後斬馘千一百餘級，毀其營壘而還。進左都督，世廕都指揮同知。杲大創，不能軍，走匿阿哈納寨。曹簠勒精騎往，杲走南關。都督王台執以獻，斬之。三年春，土蠻犯長勇堡，擊敗之。其冬，炒花大會黑石炭、黃台吉、卜言台周、以兒鄧、煖、洪兔、堵剌兒等二萬餘騎，從平虜堡南掠。副將曹簠馳擊，遂轉掠瀋陽。見城外列營。乃據西北高墩。成梁邀戰，發火器。敵大潰，棄輜重走。追至河溝，乘勝渡河，擊斬以千計。加太子太保，世廕錦衣千戶。明年，黑石炭、大委正營大清堡邊外，謀錦、義。成梁率選鋒馳二百里，逼其營，攻破之。殺部長四人，獲級六十有奇。五年五月，土蠻復入，聯營河東，而遣零騎西掠。成梁掩其巢，得利而還。明年正月，速把亥糾土蠻大入，營劈山。成梁馳至丁字泊，敵方分騎繞牆入。成梁夜出塞二百里，搗破劈山營，獲級四百三十，馘其長五人。加太保，世廕本衞指揮使。三月，遊擊陶承嚳擊敵長定堡，獻馘四百七十有奇。帝已告謝郊廟，大行賞賚，廕成梁世指揮僉事。有言所殺乃土蠻部曲，因盜牛羊事覺，懼罪來歸，承嚳掩殺之。給事中光懋因請治承嚳殺降罪，御史勘如懋言。兵部尚書方逢時，督撫梁夢龍、周詠先與承嚳同敍功，力為解。卒如御史奏，盡奪諸臣恩命。六月，敵犯鎮靜堡，復擊退之。十二月，速把亥、炒花、煖兔、拱兔會土蠻黃台吉，大、小委正，卜兒亥，慌忽太等三萬餘騎壁遼河攻東昌堡，深入至耀州。成梁遣諸將分屯要害以遏之，而親提銳卒，出塞二百餘里，直搗圜山。斬首八百四十，及其長九人，獲馬千二百匹。敵聞之，皆倉皇走出塞。論功，封寧遠伯，歲祿八百石。是時，土蠻數求貢市，關吏不許，大恨。七年十月復以四萬騎自前屯錦川營深入。成梁命諸將堅壁，自督參將楊粟等遏其衝。會戚繼光亦來援，敵遂退。俄又與速把亥合壁紅土城，聲言入海州，而分兵入錦、義。成梁踰塞二百餘里，直抵紅土城，擊敗之，獲首功四百七十有奇。迤東都督王兀堂故通市寬奠，後參將徐國輔弟國臣強抑市價，兀堂乃與趙鎖羅骨數遣零騎侵邊。明年三月以六百騎犯靉陽及黃岡嶺，指揮王宗義戰死。復以千餘騎從永奠入，成梁擊走之，追出塞二百里。敵以騎卒拒，而步卒登山鼓譟。成梁大敗之，斬首七百五十，盡毀其營壘。捷聞，幷錄紅土城功，予成梁世襲。其秋，兀堂復犯寬奠，副將姚大節擊破之。兀堂由是不振。土蠻數侵邊不得志，忿甚，益徵諸部兵分犯錦、義及右屯、大凌河。以城堡堅，不可克，而成梁及薊鎮兵亦集，乃引去。無何，復以二萬餘騎從大鎮堡入攻錦州。參將熊朝臣固守，而遣部將周之望、王應榮出戰，頗有斬獲。矢盡，皆戰死。敵乃分掠小凌河、松山、杏山。成梁馳援，始出境。九年正月，土蠻復與黑石炭，大、小委正，卜言台周，腦毛大，黃台吉，以兒鄧，煖兔，拱兔，炒戶兒聚兵塞下，謀入廣寧。成梁帥輕騎從大寧堡出。去塞四百餘里，至襖郎兔大戰。自辰迄未，敵不支敗走。官軍將還，敵來追。成梁逆擊，且戰且行。先後斬首三百四十，及其長八人。錄功，增歲祿百石，世廕一等。四月，黑石炭、以兒鄧、小歹青、卜言兔入遼陽。副將曹簠追至長安堡，遇伏，失千總陳鵬以下三百十七人，馬死者四百六十匹，遂大掠人畜而去。簠等下吏，成梁不問。十月，土蠻復連速把亥等十餘萬騎攻圍廣寧，不克，轉掠團山堡、盤山驛及十三山驛，攻義州。成梁禦卻之。十年三月，速把亥率弟炒花、子卜言兔入犯義州。成梁禦之鎮夷堡，設伏待之。速把亥入，參將李平胡射中其脅，墜馬，蒼頭李有名前斬之。寇大奔，追馘百餘級。炒花等慟哭去。速把亥為遼左患二十年，至是死。帝大喜，詔賜甲第京師，世廕錦衣指揮使。初，王杲死，其子阿台走依王台長子虎兒罕。以王台獻其父，嘗欲報之。王台死，虎兒罕勢衰，阿台遂附北關合攻虎兒罕。又數犯孤山、汛河。成梁出塞，遇於曹子谷，斬首一千有奇，獲馬五百。阿台復糾阿海連兵入，抵瀋陽城南渾河，大掠去。成梁從撫順出塞百餘里，火攻古勒塞，射死阿台。連破阿海寨，擊殺之，獻馘二千三百。杲部遂滅。錄功，增歲祿百石，世廕指揮僉事。北關清佳砮、楊吉砮素讐南關。王台沒，屢侵台季子猛骨孛羅，且藉土蠻、煖兔、慌忽太兵侵邊境。其年十二月，巡撫李松使備禦霍九皐許之貢市。清佳砮、楊吉砮率二千餘騎詣鎮北關謁。松、九皐見其兵盛，譙讓之，則以三百騎入。松先伏甲於旁，約二人不受撫則礮舉甲起。頃之，二人抵關，據鞍不遜，松叱之，九皐麾使下，其徒遽拔刀擊九皐，幷殺侍卒十餘人。於是軍中礮鳴，伏盡起，擊斬二人幷其從騎，與清佳砮子兀孫孛羅、楊吉砮子哈兒哈麻盡殲焉。成梁聞礮，急出塞，擊其留騎，斬首千五百有奇。餘眾刑白馬，攢刀，誓永受約束，乃旋師。錄功，增歲祿二百石，改前廕指揮僉事為錦衣衞指揮使。方成梁之出塞也，炒花等以數萬騎入蒲河及大寧堡。將士防禦六日，始出塞。十三年二月，把兔兒欲報父速把亥之怨，偕從父炒花、姑壻花大糾西部以兒鄧等以數萬騎入掠瀋陽。既退，駐牧遼河，聲犯開原、鐵嶺。成梁與巡撫李松潛為浮橋濟師，踰塞百五十里，疾掩其帳。寇已先覺，整眾逆戰。成梁為疊陣，親督前陣擊，而松以後陣繼之，斬首八百有奇。捷聞，增歲祿百石，改廕錦衣指揮使為都指揮使。其年五月，敵犯瀋陽，伏精騎塞下，誘官軍。游擊韓元功追襲之，敗死。閏九月，諸部長復犯蒲河，殺裨將數人，大剽掠，而西部銀燈亦窺遼、瀋。成梁令部將李平胡出塞三百五十里，搗破銀燈營，斬首一百八級。諸部長聞之，始引去。十四年二月，土蠻部長一克灰正糾把兔兒、炒花、花大等三萬騎，約土蠻諸子共馳遼陽挾賞。成梁偵得之，率副將楊燮，參將李寧、李興、孫守廉以輕騎出鎮邊堡。晝伏夜行二百餘里，至可可毋林。大風雷，敵不覺。既至，風日晴朗，敵大驚，發矢如雨。將士冒死陷陣，獲首功九百，斬其長二十四人。其年十月，敵七八萬騎犯鎮夷諸堡，閱五日始去。十五年春，東西部連營入犯。其秋八月，復以七八萬騎犯鎮夷堡。十月，把漢大成糾土蠻十萬騎由鎮夷、大清二堡入，數日始出。北關既被創，後清佳砮子卜寨與楊吉砮子那林孛羅漸強盛，數與南關虎兒罕子歹商搆兵。成梁以南關勢弱，謀討北關以輔翊之。明年五月率師直搗其巢。卜寨走，與那林孛羅合，憑城守。城四重，攻之不下。用巨礮擊之，碎其外郛，遂拔二城，斬馘五百餘級。卜寨等請降，設誓不復叛，乃班師。十七年三月，敵犯義州，復入太平堡，把總朱永壽等一軍盡沒。九月，腦毛大合白洪大、長昂三萬騎復犯平虜堡，備禦李有年、把總馮文昇皆戰死，成梁選鋒沒者數百人。敵大掠瀋陽蒲河、榆林，八日始去。明年二月，卜言台周，黃台吉，大、小委正結西部叉漢塔塔兒五萬餘騎復深入遼、瀋、海、蓋。成梁潛遣兵出塞襲之，遇伏，死者千人。成梁乃報首功二百八十，得增祿廕。土蠻族弟土墨台猪借西部青把都、恰不慎及長昂、滾兔十萬騎深入海州。成梁不敢擊，縱掠數日而去。十九年閏三月，成梁乘給事侯先春閱視，謀邀搗巢功，使副將李寧等出鎮夷堡潛襲板升，殺二百八十人。師還遇敵，死者數千人。成梁及總督蹇達不以聞。巡按御史胡克儉盡發其先後欺罔狀，語多侵政府。疏雖不行，成梁由是不安於位。及先春還朝，詆尤力，帝意頗動。成梁再疏辭疾，言者亦踵至。其年十一月，帝竟從御史張鶴鳴言，解成梁任，以寧遠伯奉朝請。明年，哱拜反寧夏，御史梅國楨請用成梁，給事中王德完持不可，乃寢。成梁鎮遼二十二年，先後奏大捷者十，帝輒祭告郊廟，受廷臣賀，蟒衣金繒歲賜稠疊。邊帥武功之盛，二百年來未有也。其始銳意封拜，師出必捷，威振絕域。已而位望益隆，子弟盡列崇階，僕隸無不榮顯。貴極而驕，奢侈無度。軍貲、馬價、鹽課、市賞，歲乾沒不貲，全遼商民之利盡籠入己。以是灌輸權門，結納朝士，中外要人無不飽其重賕，為之左右。每一奏捷，內自閣部，外自督撫而下，大者進官廕子，小亦增俸賚金。恩施優渥，震耀當世。而其戰功率在塞外，易為緣飾。若敵入內地，則以堅壁清野為詞，擁兵觀望；甚或掩敗為功，殺良民冒級。閣部共為蒙蔽，督撫、監司稍忤意，輒排去之，不得舉其法。先後巡按陳登雲、許守恩廉得其殺降冒功狀，擬論奏之，為巡撫李松、顧養謙所沮止。既而物議沸騰，御史朱應轂、給事中任應徵、僉事李琯交章抨擊。事頗有跡，卒賴奧援，反詰責言者。及申時行、許國、王錫爵相繼謝政，成梁失內主，遂以去位。成梁諸戰功率藉健兒。其後健兒李平胡、李寧、李興、秦得倚、孫守廉輩皆富貴，擁專城。暮氣難振，又轉相掊克，士馬蕭耗。迨成梁去遼，十年之間更易八帥，邊備益弛。二十九年八月，馬林獲罪。大學士沈一貫言成梁雖老，尚堪將兵。乃命再鎮遼東，年已七十有六矣。是時，土蠻、長昂及把兔兒已死，寇鈔漸稀。而開原、廣寧之前復開馬、木二市。諸部耽市賞利，爭就款。以故成梁復鎮八年，遼左少事。以閱視敍勞，加至太傅。當萬曆初元時，兵部侍郎汪道昆閱邊，成梁獻議移建孤山堡於張其哈剌佃，險山堡於寬佃，沿江新安四堡於長佃、長嶺諸處，仍以孤山、險山二參將戍之，可拓地七八百里，益收耕牧之利。道昆上於朝，報可。自是生聚日繁，至六萬四千餘戶。及三十四年，成梁以地孤懸難守，與督、撫蹇達、趙楫建議棄之，盡徙居民於內地。居民戀家室，則以大軍驅迫之，死者狼籍。成梁等反以招復逃人功，增秩受賞。兵科給事中宋一韓力言棄地非策。巡按御史熊廷弼勘奏如一韓言，一韓復連章極論。帝素眷成梁，悉留中不下。久之卒，年九十。弟成材，參將。子如松、如柏、如楨、如樟、如梅皆總兵官；如梓、如梧、如桂、如楠亦皆至參將。