劉統勳 (延清 爾鈍)

Liu T'ung-hsün 劉統勳 (T. 爾鈍, H 延清), Jan.-Feb., 1700-1773, Dec. 29?, Grand Secretary, was a native of Chu-ch'êng, Shantung. His father Liu Ch'i 劉棨 (T. 弢子, 1656-1717), was a chin-shih of 1685 who rose through various positions from a magistrate to financial commissioner of Szechwan (1713-17). He was one of the celebrated incorruptible officials of his day, enjoying a reputation similar to that of Ch'ên P'êng-nien [q.v.]. The Liu family of Chu-ch'êng produced many officials, but the most famous among them were Liu T'ung-hsün and his son, Liu Yung [q.v.]. Liu T'ung-hsün became a chin-shih in 1724, was selected a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, and later was made a compiler. In 1727 he began to serve in the Imperial Study and in 1735 in the Imperial School for the Emperor's sons. In the meantime he was several times promoted. In 1736 Emperor Kao-tsung made him a sub-chancellor of the Grand Secretariat and sent him to Chekiang to learn from Chi Tsêng-yün [q.v.] about the construction of dikes along the coast. While there Liu was made senior vice-president of the Board of Punishments (1737) and upon his return to Peking in 1738 was placed in charge of the Wu-ying tien, or Imperial Printing Press and Bindery. But in 1739 he retired to observe the period of mourning for the death of his mother.

Recalled to Peking in 1741, Liu T'ung-Hsün was made President of the Censorate, and early in 1742 astonished the court with a memorial in which he recommended that the power of the Emperor's favorite, No-ch'in (see under Chang Kuang-Ssû), be restricted, and that since so many Changs and Yaos from T'ung-ch'êng, Anhwei, were in government service, they should, for a period of three years, be debarred from promotion, in order that other officials might have a chance. It happened however that the Changs and Yaos who held official positions were relatives of Chang T'ing-yü [q.v.], a Grand Secretary who was also a favorite of the Emperor. Though such bluntness in memorials was surprising, Liu's act was warmly commended by Emperor Kao-tsung. That Liu dared to submit the memorial was proof to the Emperor that neither Chang nor No-ch'in was as powerful as Liu had supposed. Yet both were admonished to be more circumspect in the future. From early in 1743 to 1746 Liu was again in Chekiang to inspect the dikes. Early in 1750 he was made president of the Board of Works, was transferred, later in the same year, to the Board of Punishments, and in January 1753, became a Grand Councilor.

To facilitate preparations for the conquest of the Eleuths, Liu T'ung-Hsün was sent west (1754) as acting governor-general of Shênsi and Kansu. He established courier stations from Shên-mu, Shênsi, to Barkul, and also made plans to transport horses and supplies to the front. Though Ili had been conquered, the rebellion of Amursana [q.v.] in 1755 nullified all the gains that had been made (see under Chao-hui). When the Manchu general, Yung-ch'ang (see under Amursana), retreated towards Hami, Liu memorialized the throne that the region, west of Hami should be abandoned. This so displeased the Emperor, who had planned to reconquer the territory, that he immediately ordered the arrest and return of Yung-ch'ang and Liu on the charge of neglecting orders, and of failure in military operations. Liu's sons, including Liu Yung, were imprisoned. The Emperor, however, put most of the blame on Yung-ch'ang and released Liu and his sons, with the understanding that Liu be returned to the front to redeem himself by service in the quarter- master's corps. In 1756 Liu was pardoned and the family property that had been confiscated in the previous year was restored. Thereafter he served as president of the Board of Punishments (1756-58) and of the Board of Civil Office (1758-61), and as a Grand Councilor (1756-73). He was also an Assistant Grand Secretary (1759-61) and a Grand Secretary (1761-73), holding at times the supervisorship of several boards and bureaus, including chief tutorship of the Emperor's sons in the Imperial School.

Despite the misfortune of 1755 in military matters, Liu T'ung-hsün was entrusted with many important affairs of state. He was sent several times to try officials accused of corruption, and usually his verdict won imperial approval, even though death sentences were meted out to several Manchus in high positions. He frequently conducted provincial examinations and four times supervised the metropolitan examination (1751, 1757, 1761, 1771). Three times he supervised the repair of broken dikes along the Yellow River (1753, 1756, 1761) and once the dredging of the Grand Canal (1769). For a time, in 1756, he was acting director-general of Yellow River Conservancy. He served twice as chancellor of the Hanlin Academy (1750, 1763-73) and as director-general of the State Historiographer's Office and of the Commission to compile the Ssû-ku ch'üan-shu (see under Chi Yün). When he died the Emperor personally visited his home to convey his condolences and was deeply impressed by the simplicity and frugality of the household. He was canonized as Wên-chêng 文正 (traditionally the highest posthumous rank), and his name was celebrated in the Temple of Eminent Statesmen. A set of the encyclopedia, Ku-chin t'u-shu chi-ch'êng (see under Ch'ên Mêng-lei), was presented to his son, Liu Yung, in token of the esteem in which his father was held. Liu Yung also became a Grand Secretary. A grandson of Liu T'ung-hsün and nephew of Liu Yung, Liu Huan-chih 劉鐶之 (T. 佩循 H. 信芳 posthumous name 文恭, d. Jan., 1822), was given the degree of chü-jên in 1779 and became a chin-shih in 1789 with appointment to the Hanlin Academy. He rose later to the presidency of the Board of Revenue (1814-17) and of the Board of Civil Office (1820-22). Liu Huan-chih's son, Liu Hsi-hai [q.v.], was a well-known student of epigraphy.

___ [ 1/308/5b;3/21/22a;7/16/9a;26/1/55b; Chu-ch'êng hsien-chih (1764) 33/8a and hsü-chih (1834) 13/1a.]

FANG CHAO-YING

《清史稿》卷302

劉統勳，字延清，山東諸城人。父棨，官四川布政使。統勳，雍正二年進士，選庶吉士，授編修。先後直南書房、上書房，四遷至詹事。乾隆元年，擢內閣學士。命從大學士嵇曾筠赴浙江學習海塘工程。二年，授刑部侍郎，留浙江。三年，還朝。四年，母憂歸。六年，授刑部侍郎。服闋，詣京師。擢左都御史。疏言：「大學士張廷玉歷事三朝，遭逢極盛，然晚節當慎，責備恆多。竊聞輿論，動云『張、姚二姓占半部縉紳』，張氏登仕版者，有張廷璐等十九人，姚氏與張氏世婚，仕宦者姚孔鋹等十人。二姓本桐城巨族，其得官或自科目薦舉，或起襲廕議敘，日增月益。今未能遽議裁汰，惟稍抑其遷除之路，使之戒滿引嫌，即所以保全而造就之也。請自今三年內，非特旨擢用，概停升轉。」又言：「尚書公訥親年未強仕，綜理吏、戶兩部。典宿衞，贊中樞，兼以出納王言，時蒙召對。屬官奔走恐後，同僚亦爭避其鋒。部中議覆事件，或輾轉駁詰，或過目不留，出一言而勢在必行，定一稿而限逾積日，殆非懷謙集益之道。請加訓示，俾知省改。其所司事，或量行裁減，免曠廢之虞。」兩疏入，上諭曰：「朕思張廷玉、訥親若果擅作威福，劉統勳必不敢為此奏。今既有此奏，則二臣並無聲勢能箝制僚寀可知，此國家之祥也。大臣任大責重，原不能免人指摘。聞過則喜，古人所尚。若有幾微芥蒂於胸臆間，則非大臣之度矣。大學士張廷玉親族甚眾，因而登仕籍者亦多。今一經察議，人知謹飭，轉於廷玉有益。訥親為尚書，固不當模棱推諉，但治事或有未協，朕時加教誨，誡令毋自滿足。今見此奏，益當自勉。至職掌太多，如有可減，侯朕裁定。」尋命以統勳疏宣示廷臣。

命勘海塘。十一年，署漕運總督。還京。十三年，命同大學士高斌按山東賑務，並勘河道。時運河盛漲，統勳請濬聊城引河，分運河水注海。德州哨馬營、東平戴村二壩，皆改令低，沂州江楓口二壩，俟秋後培高，俾水有所洩。遷工部尚書，兼翰林院掌院學士，改刑部尚書。十七年，命軍機處行走。十八年，以江南邵伯湖減水二閘及高郵車邏壩決，命偕署尚書策楞往按。合疏言河員虧帑誤工，詔奪河督高斌、協辦河務巡撫張師載職，窮治侵帑諸吏。九月，銅山小店汛河決，統勳疏論同知李焞、守備張賓呈報稽誤。上以焞、賓平日侵帑，聞且窮治，自知罪重，河漲任其衝決，立命誅之，並縶斌、師載令視行刑。統勳駐銅山督塞河，十二月，工成。統勳偕策楞疏陳稽察工料諸事，詔如所議行。大學士陳世倌疏言黃河入海，套櫃增多，致壅塞，命統勳往勘。統勳疏言：「海口舊在雲梯關，今海退河淤，增長百餘里，櫃套均在七曲港上，河流無所阻遏。」上又命清察江南河工未結諸案，統勳疏言未結款一百一十一萬有奇，請定限核報。又以河道總督顧琮請於祥符、滎澤諸縣建壩，並濬引河，命統勳往勘。統勳議擇地培隄壩，引河上無來源，中經沙地，易淤墊，當罷，上從之。

十九年，加太子太傅。五月，命協辦陝甘總督，賜孔雀翎。時方用兵準噶爾，統勳請自神木至巴里坤設站一百二十五，並裁度易馬、運糧諸事，命如所議速行。二十年，廷議駐兵巴里坤、哈密，命察勘。統勳至巴里坤，阿睦爾撒納叛，攻伊犁，伊犁將軍班第死事，未得報。定西將軍永常自木壘引師退，統勳疏請還守哈密。上責其附和永常，置班第於不問，命並永常奪職，逮治。其子墉亦奪職，與在京諸子皆下刑部獄，籍其家。旋上怒解，諭：「統勛所司者糧餉馬駝，軍行進止，將軍責也。設令模棱之人緘默不言，轉可不至獲罪。是其言雖謬，心尚可原。永常尚不知死綏，何怪於統勳？統勳在漢大臣中尚奮往任事，從寬免罪，發往軍營交班第等令治軍需贖罪。」釋其諸子。

二十一年六月，授刑部尚書。尋命勘銅山縣孫家集漫工，解總河富勒赫任，即命統勳暫攝。是冬，工竟。二十二年，命赴徐州督修近城石壩，加太子太保。二十三年，調吏部尚書。二十四年，命協辦大學士。二十六年，拜東閣大學士，兼管禮部、兵部。八月，偕協辦大學士兆惠查勘河南楊橋漫工。十二月，工竟。二十七年，上南巡，復命偕兆惠勘高、寶河湖入江路，疏請開引河，擇地築閘壩。上諭謂：「所議甚合朕意。」又以直隸景州被水，命勘德州運河，疏請移吏董理四女寺、哨馬營兩引河，毋使淤閼。二十八年，充上書房總師傅，兼管刑部，教習庶吉士。三十三年，命往江南酌定清口疏濬事宜。三十四年，復勘疏運河。

三十八年十一月，卒。是日夜漏盡，入朝，至東華門外，輿微側，啟帷則已瞑。上聞，遣尚書福隆安齎藥馳視，已無及。贈太傅，祀賢良祠，諡文正。上臨其喪，見其儉素，為之慟。回蹕至乾清門，流涕謂諸臣曰：「朕失一股肱！」既而曰：「如統勳乃不愧真宰相。」

統勳歲出按事，如廣東按糧驛道明福違禁折收，如雲南按總督恆文、巡撫郭一裕假上貢抑屬吏賤值巿金，如山西按布政使蔣洲抑屬吏補虧帑，如陝西按西安將軍都賚侵餉，如歸化城按將軍保德等侵帑，如蘇州按布政使蘇崇阿誤論書吏侵帑，如江西按巡撫阿思哈受賕，皆論如律。其視楊橋漫工也，河吏以芻茭不給為辭，月餘事未集。統勳微行，見大小車載芻茭凡數百輛，皆弛裝困臥。有泣者，問之，則主者索賄未遂，置而不收也。即令縛主者至，數其罪，將斬之。巡撫以下為固請，乃杖而荷校以徇，薪芻一夕收立盡。逾月工遂竟。方金川用兵，統勳屢議撤兵，及木果木軍覆，上方駐熱河，統勳留京治事，天暑甚，以兼上書房總師傅，檢視諸皇子日課。廷寄急召，比入對，上曰：「昨軍報至，木果木軍覆，溫福死綏。朕煩懣無計，用兵乎，抑撤兵乎？」統勳對曰：「日前兵可撤，今則斷不可撤。」復問誰可任者，統勳頓首曰：「臣料阿桂必能了此事。」上曰：「朕正欲專任阿桂，特召卿決之。卿意與合，事必濟矣。」即日令還京師。戶部疏論諸行省州縣倉庫多空缺，上欲盡罷州縣吏不職者，而以筆帖式等官代之。召統勳諭意，且曰：「朕思之三日矣，汝意云何？」統勳默不言。上詰責，統勳徐曰：「聖聰思至三日，臣昏耄，誠不敢遽對，容退而熟審之。」翌日入對，頓首言曰：「州縣治百姓者也，當使身為百姓者為之。」語未竟，上曰：「然。」事遂寢。上為懷舊詩，列五閣臣中，稱其「神敏剛勁，終身不失其正」云。子二：墉、堪。