Hong Chengchou 洪承疇

Hung Ch'êng-ch'ou 洪承疇 (T. 彥演 H. 亨九), Oct. 16, 1593-1665, Apr. 3, Ming-Ch'ing official, was a native of Nan-an, Fukien. A chin-shih of 1616, he first served under the Ming dynasty as an official in the Board of Punishments and later was promoted through various offices in the provinces of Chekiang, Kiangsi, and Shensi. Because of his success in suppressing bandits in Shensi, he was made governor-general of that province in 1631 and three years later governor-general of the five provinces of Honan, Shansi, Shensi, Szechwan and Hukuang, replacing Ch'ên Ch'i-yu [q.v.]. After several times defeating the bandit leader Li Tz'ŭ-ch'êng [q.v.], Hung succeeded early in 1638 in dealing him a crushing blow near T'ung-kuan, Shênsi. Li fled with a handful of men and stayed in the mountains for more than a year. Meanwhile the Manchus invaded Chihli and were threatening Peking. Hung was ordered to defend the capital and, early in 1639, was made governor-general of northeastern Chihli and Liaotung (薊遼總督). In 1641, when he attempted to assist Tsu Ta-shou [q.v.] who was besieged by the Manchus in the city of Chin-chou, Hung was himself besieged in the city of Sung-shan, and was captured by the Manchu when the city fell on March 19, 1642. He surrendered and was ordered to serve in the Chinese Bordered Yellow Banner. A false report of his death reached Peking, and the Ming Emperor I-tsung decreed that a temple should be built in Peking in honor of this supposedly loyal official. The temple, now standing immediately outside and east of the great gate, Chêng Yang Men 正陽門, popularly known as Ch'ien Men 前門, is said to be the one built for him, but it was dedicated instead to the Chinese God of War (Kuan Yü).

Hung Ch'êng-chou was well treated by the Manchu chief, Abahai [q.v.], later known as Emperor T'ai-tsung, and was ordered to join the Chinese Bordered Yellow Banner but was not given any power until the Manchu Court was set up in Peking in 1644 under Dorgon [q.v.]. He was then, at the age of fifty-two (sui), made a Grand Secretary. In 1645 he was sent to Nanking with the title of Pacificator of Kiangnan (招撫江南) but was actually entrusted with the task of raising funds and providing food for the armies under Lekedehun, Bolo [qq.v.] and other generals who were engaged in conquering South China. Hung was also responsible for the capture and execution, early in 1646, of Huang Tao-chou [q.v.], a Ming Grand Secretary under the Prince of T'ang and commander of troops in Anhwei. Many Ming officials and members of the Imperial Family who led the opposition in Kiangnan were suppressed by him. Nevertheless, he was constantly suspected by the Manchus, and was several times accused of having secret relations with the Ming side. During his three years at Nanking he lost the sight of his right eye, and in 1647 the left one also became dim. His father having meanwhile died at the ancestral home in Fukien, he asked for leave. This was granted, but before the period of mourning was concluded, he was ordered to continue at his post as Grand Secretary. Hence in 1648 he returned to Peking, taking his mother with him. For a few months, in 1651, he was concurrently in charge of the Censorate. With a view to reforming that office he held a secret meeting with Ch'ên Ming-hsia [q.v.] and Ch'ên Chih-lin (see under Ch'ên Shih-kuan), but all three were in consequence accused of conspiracy. Hung was blamed, in addition, for sending his mother back to Fukien without notifying the Emperor. He was allowed, however, to remain at his post.

In 1652 Hung's mother died in Fukien but he was not permited to retire for mourning. In that year the defeat of the Manchu troops in the provinces of Kwangsi, Hunan, and Szechwan by the southern Ming generals, Li Ting-kuo and Sun Ko-wang [qq.v.], worried the Court at Peking. News of Kung Yu-tê's [q.v.] death prompted the young Emperor Shih-tsu to send a strong man as commander of the Ch'ing forces in the south. Hung was selected and appointed governor-general of the five provinces of Hukuang, Kwangtung, Kwangsi, Yunnan, and Kweichow, with command of all Chinese civil and military officials in those provinces. He was granted the title of Grand Guardian (raised in 1656 to Grand Tutor), and was given a special seal reading, Ching-lüeh Ta-hsüeh-shih 經略大學士, that is, Grand Secretary and Commander-in-chief. His real task, however, was again to provide for the armies. With Changsha as his headquarters, he and the generals were able to check the advance of the southern Ming troops. For a time in 1657 he was released from his military duty, but was soon ordered to resume it when a civil war broke out among the generals of the Prince of Kuei (i.e., Chu Yu-lang). Sun K'o-wang, defeated by Li Ting-kuo, surrendered to Hung late in 1657. This weakened the southern Ming forces, and in 1658 the Ch'ing armies marched on Kweichow along three routes: one under Wu San-kuei [q.v.] advanced from Szechwan; another under Jaobtai 趙布太 advanced from Kwangsi; and a third, composed of Chinese troops under Hung himself, advanced from Hunan, together with a Manchu force, commanded first by Loto (see under gurhaci) and later by Doni (see, under Dodo).

In a few months Kweichow was occupied by these armies which soon pushed on to Yunnan while Hung remained at Kweiyang to attend to military supplies. Early in 1659 the capital of Yunnan, where the Prince of Kuei had set up his Court, was also taken. The Ming prince fled to Burma (see under Chu Yu-lang). It seems that Hung did not have the heart to press the Ming prince further, as the Manchu Court ordered him to do, and asked permission to return to Peking on the ground that he was old and infirm and that he was nearly blind. Permission was granted, and the task of exterminating the last Ming prince was entrusted to Wu San-kuei.

Upon his arrival in Peking in 1660 Hung Ch'êng-ch'ou served one year more as Grand Secretary. In May 1661, three months after Emperor Shih-tsu died, he was allowed to retire. For all his services as one of the most useful tools in the Manchu conquest of China, he was awarded only the minor hereditary rank of a Ch'ing-ch'ê tu-yü of the third class. This slight recognition is attributed by some historians to the fact that he had declined to press the war in Yunnan, as just stated. He died in 1665 and was canonized as Wên-hsiang 文襄. In the official draft biographies, as revised by Emperor Kao-tsung, Hung's name was placed among the Er-ch'ên, the "officials who had served two dynasties" (see under Chou Liang-kung).

Hung Ch'êng-ch'ou was praised by Li Kuang-ti [q.v.] as prudent and deliberate. He concentrated on the routine tasks entrusted to him and so gave no occasion for officious Manchus to distrust him as they did other Grand Secretaries, such as Ch'ên Ming-hsia. His son, Hung Shih-ch'in 洪士欽, was a chin-shih of 1655 who inherited his father's rank. Hung's house in Peking, located east of the Drum Tower, was, in 1930, taken over for preservation by the municipal government of Peiping. In the same year an exhibition of documents, portraits, and objects bearing on his life was held by the Historical Museum of Peiping, with the assistance of one of Hung's descendants.

A work in 2 chüan, entitled 洪大經略奏對筆記 Hung Ta-ching-lüeh tsou-tui pi-chi, printed in the Hsi-yung hsüan ts'ung-shu (see under Ch'ên Hung-shou) in 1930, purports to be a record of Hung's conversations with Emperor Shih-tsu as recorded by Hung himself. But the references to India as a British colony, and other anachronisms, prove this to be a product of the nineteenth century. The only writings of Hung that seem to be extant are his official documents, mostly memorials to the throne. One such collection, preserved in the National Peking University, was printed in 1937 under the title, Hung Ch'êng-ch'ou chang-tsou wên-ts'ê hui-chi 章奏文冊彙輯, with a postscript by Meng Sen (see under Chao I-ch'ing). Among other publications which contain his documents may be mentioned: the 明清史料 Ming Ch'ing shih-liao (3 series, 10 volumes each, 1930-36), and the 掌故叢編 Chang-ku ts'ung-pien (no. 3, 1928).

[ 1/243/1a; 2/78/20a; M.1/24/1a; Shun-T'ien-fu-chih (1886) 14/11b, 16/18a; 泉州府志 Ch'üan-chou fu-chih (1763) 56/10a; Academia Sinica, Fourth Annual Report (1931-32), pp. 290-95, with portraits; Ming-Ch'ing shih-liao, series I, 2/181a, 6/557a, 6/598a; Hauer, K'ai-kuo fang-lüeh, p. 537; T'oung Pao, 1913, p. 80; Bulletin of the Society for Research in Chinese Architecture, vol. 3, no. 3, p. 181, Sept. 1932.]

FANG CHAO-YING

《清史稿》卷237

洪承疇，字亨九，福建南安人。明萬曆四十四年進士。累遷陝西布政使參政。崇禎初，流賊大起，明莊烈帝以承疇能軍，遷延綏巡撫、陝西三邊總督，屢擊斬賊渠，加太子太保、兵部尚書，兼督河南、山、陝、川、湖軍務。時諸賊渠高迎祥最強，號闖王，李自成屬焉，承疇與戰，敗績。莊烈帝擢盧象昇總理河北、河南、山、陝、川、湖軍務，令承疇專督關中，復與自成戰臨潼，大破之，迎祥就俘。自成號闖王，分道入四川，承疇與屢戰輒勝。自成還走潼關，承疇使總兵曹變蛟設伏邀擊，自成大敗，以十八騎走商洛。關中賊略盡。是歲為崇德三年。

太宗伐明，師薄明都，莊烈帝徵承疇入衛。明年春，移承疇總督薊、遼軍務，帥秦兵以東，授變蛟東協總兵、王廷臣遼東總兵、白廣恩援剿總兵，與山海馬科、寧遠吳三桂二鎮合軍；復命宣府楊國柱、大同王樸、密雲唐通各以其兵至：凡八總兵，兵十三萬，馬四萬，咸隸承疇。太宗師下大凌河，祖大壽入錦州為明守，松山、杏山、塔山三城相與為犄角。承疇至軍，莊烈帝遣職方郎中張若麒趣戰，乃進次松山，國柱戰死，以山西總兵李輔明代。

六年八月，太宗自將禦之。上度松山、杏山間，自烏忻河南山至海，當大道立營。承疇及遼東巡撫邱民仰率諸將駐松山城北乳峯山，步兵分屯乳峯山至松山道中為七營，馬兵分屯松山東、西、北三方，戰敗，移步兵近松山城為營，復戰又敗。上誡諸將曰：「今夕明師其遁！」命諸軍當分地為汛以守，敵遁，視其眾寡，遣兵追擊，至塔山而止；分遣諸將截塔山、杏山道及桑噶爾寨堡，又自小凌河西直抵海濱，絕歸路。是夜三桂、樸、通、科、廣恩、輔明皆率所部循海引退，為我師掩殺，死者不可勝計。承疇、民仰率將吏入松山城守，上移軍松山，議合圍。變蛟夜棄乳峯山寨，悉引所部馬步兵犯鑲黃旗汛地者一，犯正黃旗汛地者四，直攻上營，殊死戰，變蛟中創，奔還松山。三桂、樸引餘兵入杏山。上遣諸將為伏於高橋及桑噶爾寨堡，明兵自杏山出奔寧遠，遇伏，殪強半。三桂、樸僅以身免。承疇師十三萬，死五萬有奇，諸將潰遁，惟變蛟、廷臣以殘兵萬餘從。

城圍既合，上以敕諭承疇降。九月，上還盛京，命貝勒多鐸等留護諸軍。承疇悉眾突圍，攻鑲黃旗擺牙喇阿禮哈超哈，戰敗，不能出。十月，命肅郡王豪格、公滿達海駐松山。十二月，承疇聞關內援師且至，復遣將以兵六千夜出攻正紅旗擺牙喇阿禮哈超哈及正黃旗蒙古營，戰敗，城閉不得入，強半降我師。餘眾潰走杏山，道遇伏，死。莊烈帝初以楊繩武督師援承疇，繩武卒，以范志完代，皆畏我師強，宿留不進。承疇被圍閱六月，食且盡。明年二月，松山城守副將夏成德使其弟景海通款，以子舒為質。我師夜就所守堞樹雲梯，阿山部卒班布里、何洛會部卒羅洛科先登，遂克其城，獲承疇、民仰、變蛟、廷臣及諸將吏，降殘卒三千有奇。時為崇德七年二月壬戌。上命殺民仰、變蛟、廷臣，而送承疇盛京。

上欲收承疇為用，命范文程諭降。承疇方科跣謾罵，文程徐與語，泛及今古事，梁間塵偶落，著承疇衣，承疇拂去之。文程遽歸，告上曰：「承疇必不死，惜其衣，況其身乎？」上自臨視，解所御貂裘衣之，曰：「先生得無寒乎？」承疇瞠視久，歎曰：「真命世之主也！」乃叩頭請降。上大悅，即日賞賚無算，置酒陳百戲，諸將或不悅，曰：「上何待承疇之重也！」上進諸將曰：「吾曹櫛風沐雨數十年，將欲何為？」諸將曰：「欲得中原耳。」上笑曰：「譬諸行道，吾等皆瞽。今獲一導者，吾安得不樂？」

居月餘，都察院參政張存仁上言：「承疇歡然倖生，宜令薙髮備任使。」五月，上御崇政殿，召承疇及諸降將祖大壽等入見。承疇跪大清門外，奏言：「臣為明將兵十三萬援錦州，上至而兵敗。臣入守松山，城破被獲，自分當死，上不殺而恩育焉。今令朝見，臣知罪，不敢遽入。」上使諭曰：「承疇言誠是。爾時與我交戰，各為其主，朕豈介意？且朕所以戰勝明兵，遂克松山、錦州諸城，皆天也。天道好生，故朕亦恩爾。爾知朕恩，當盡力以事朕。朕昔獲張春，亦嘗遇以恩，彼不能死明，又不能事朕，卒無所成而死，爾毋彼若也！」承疇等乃入朝見，命上殿坐，賜茶。上語承疇曰：「朕觀爾明主，宗室被俘，置若罔聞。將帥力戰見獲，或力屈而降，必誅其妻子，否亦沒為奴。此舊制乎，抑新制乎？」承疇對曰：「舊無此制。邇日諸朝臣各陳所見以聞於上，始若此爾。」上因歎謂：「君闇臣蔽，遂多枉殺。將帥以力戰沒敵，斥府庫財贖而還之可也，奈何罪其孥？其虐無辜亦甚矣！」承疇垂涕叩首曰：「上此諭真至仁之言也！」上還宮，命宴承疇等於殿上。宴畢，使大學士希福等諭曰：「朕方有元妃之喪，未躬賜宴。爾等勿以為意！」承疇等復叩首謝。莊烈帝初聞承疇死，予祭十六壇，建祠都城外，與邱民仰並列。莊烈帝將親臨奠，俄聞承疇降，乃止。承疇既降，隸鑲黃旗漢軍，太宗遇之厚。然終太宗世，未嘗命以官。

順治元年四月，睿親王多爾袞帥師伐明，承疇從。既定京師，命承疇仍以太子太保、兵部尚書兼右副都御史，同內院官佐理機務。旋與同官馮銓啟睿親王，復明內閣故事，題奏皆下內閣擬旨，分下六科，鈔發各部院。九月，上至京師，與銓及謝陞奏定郊廟樂章。

二年，豫親王多鐸師下江南。閏六月，命承疇以原官總督軍務，招撫江南各省，鑄「招撫南方總督軍務大學士」印，賜敕便宜行事。是時明唐王聿鍵稱號福建，其大學士黃道周率師道廣信、衢州向徽州，左僉都御史金聲家休寧，募鄉兵十餘萬屯績溪；諸宗姓高安王常淇保徽州，蘄水王術車豈子常川水自號樊山王屯潛山、太湖間，由木钫產號金華王據饒州，誼石號樂安王、誼泐號瑞安王分屯溧陽、金壇、興化諸縣；荊本徹以舟師駐太湖，敗，復入崇明：皆為明守。承疇至官，招撫江南寧國、徽州，江西南昌、南康、九江、瑞州、撫州、饒州、臨江、吉安、廣信、建昌、袁州諸府。十月，遣提督張天祿，總兵卜從善、李仲興、劉澤泳等攻破績溪。十二月，進破道周於婺源，聲、道周見獲，皆不屈，送江寧殺之；總兵李成棟破崇明，本徹走入海，殺其將李守庫、徐君美。三年二月，遣總兵馬得功、卜從善等擊破司空寨，斬守寨石應璉、應璧等五人，獲常{^8B74^}熷水。

既，誼石、誼泐合兵二萬犯江寧。承疇先事誅內應西溝池萬德華、郭世彥、尤琚等八十餘人。誼石等攻神策門，我分兵出朝陽、太平二門，截誼石等後，乃啟神策門出城兵奮擊，破之，追及攝山，斬馘無算。承疇疏請還京，以江南未大定，不允，賜其妻白金百、貂皮二百。八月，征南大將軍貝勒博洛克金華，獲誼石。九月，誼泐復犯江寧，承疇出禦，追獲誼泐及所置經略韋爾韜、總兵楊三貫、夏含章。十二月，天祿搜婺源嚴杭山，獲常淇及所置監軍道江于東、職方司許文玠等。四年二月，從善及總兵黃鼎攻宿松，獲誼泐弟瑞昌王誼貴及所置軍師趙正；下饒州，獲由木钫產及其族人常洊、常沘、常涫：並請命斬之。江南眾郡縣以次定。

明魯王以海轉徙浙、閩海中，號監國，明諸遺臣猶密與相聞。是年四月，明給事中陳子龍家華亭，陰受魯王官，謀集太湖潰兵舉事。承疇遣章京索布圖往捕，子龍投水死。是月，柘林游擊陳可獲諜者謝堯文，得魯王敕封承疇國公，江寧巡撫土國寶為侯；又得魯王將黃斌卿與承疇、國寶書；鎮守江寧昂邦章京巴山、張大猷以聞。上獎巴山等嚴察亂萌，命與承疇會鞫諜者，別敕慰諭承疇。

粵僧函可者，為故明尚書韓日纘子，日纘於承疇為師生。函可將還里，乞承疇畀以印牌護行出城，守者譏察笥中，得文字觸忌諱。巴山、張大猷以聞，承疇疏引咎，部議當奪職，上命貰之。

承疇聞父喪，請解任守制，上許承疇請急歸，命治喪畢入內院治事。五年四月，還京師。六年，加少傅兼太子太傅，疏請定會推督、撫、提、鎮行保舉連坐法。得旨：「自後用督、撫、提、鎮，內院九卿咸舉所知。得人者賞，誤舉者連坐。」

八年閏二月，命管都察院左都御史。尋甄別諸御史為六等，魏琯等二十二人差用，陳昌言等二人內陞，張煊等十一人外轉，王世功等十七人外調，降黜有差。煊疏劾吏部尚書陳名夏，因及承疇嘗與名夏及尚書陳之遴集火神廟，屏左右密議逃叛；承疇又嘗私送其母歸里。疏入，上方狩塞外，巽親王滿達海居守，集諸王大臣會鞫。承疇言：「火神廟集議，即議甄別諸御史定等差，非有他也。」並以送母未請旨引罪。名夏亦列辨，因坐煊誣奏，論死。未幾，上雪煊冤，黜名夏。因諭：「承疇火神廟集議，事雖可疑，難以懸擬；送母歸原籍未奏聞，為親甘罪，情尚可原。留任責後效。」九年五月，承疇聞母喪，命入直如故，私居持服，賜其母祭葬。九月，達賴喇嘛來朝，上將幸代噶，待喇嘛至入覲。承疇及大學士陳之遴疏諫，上為罷行，並遣內大臣索尼傳諭曰：「卿等以賢能贊密勿，有所見聞，當以時入告。朕生長深宮，無自洞悉民隱。凡有所奏，可行即行；縱不可行，朕亦不爾責也。」

十年正月，調內翰林弘文院大學士。明桂王由榔稱號肇慶，頻年轉戰，兵熸地蹙，至是居安隆所，雲南、貴州二省尚為明守。諸將李定國、孫可望等四出侵略，南攻湖南南境諸州縣，東陷桂林，西據成都，兵連不得息。五月，上授承疇太保兼太子太師、內翰林國史院大學士、兵部尚書兼都察院右副都御史，經略湖廣、廣東、廣西、雲南、貴州等處地方，總督軍務兼理糧餉。敕諭撫鎮以下咸聽節制，攻守便宜行事。滿兵當留當撤，即行具奏。命內院以特假便宜條款詳列敕書，宣示中外；並允承疇疏薦，起原任大學士李率泰督兩廣。以江西寇未盡，命承疇兼領，鑄「經略大學士」印授之。臨發，賜蟒朝衣、冠帶、靴襪、松石嵌撒袋、弓矢、馬五、鞍轡二，諸將李本深等八十七人朝衣、冠帶、撒袋、弓矢、刀馬、鞍轡有差。

承疇至軍，疏言：「湖南駐重兵足備防剿，而各郡窵遠，兵力所不及。郝搖旗、一隻虎等竊伏湖北荊、襄諸郡，倘南窺澧、岳，則我軍腹背受敵。臣與督臣、議臣宜往來長沙四應調度。督臣率提標兵駐荊州，別遣兵增武昌城守，以壯聲援。」又疏言：「桂林雖復，李定國軍距桂林僅二百里，滿洲援剿官兵豈能定留？克復州縣，何以分守？又使孫可望詗我兵出援，潛自靖、沅截粵西險道，則我首尾難顧。置孤軍於徼外，其危易見。臣已分兵馳赴，俾佐戰守，且當親歷衡、永，察機宜以聞。」十二月，上授固山額真陳泰為寧南靖寇大將軍，及固山額真藍拜、濟席哈，擺牙喇纛章京蘇克薩哈等率師鎮湖南；十一年二月，命靖南王耿繼茂率所部自廣州移鎮桂林：皆承疇疏發之也。

是歲孫可望劫桂王，殺大學士吳貞毓等，方內訌。十二年六月，可望遣劉文秀攻常德，分兵使盧明臣、馮雙禮攻武昌、岳州。承疇、陳泰遣蘇克薩哈迎擊，破之。明臣墮水死。文秀、雙禮皆走貴州。陳泰旋卒於軍，以固山額真阿爾津為寧南靖寇大將軍，率固山額真卓羅、祖澤潤等分駐荊州、長沙。十三年，考滿，加太傅，仍兼太子太師。李定國奉明桂王入雲南，湖廣無兵事。阿爾津議以重兵駐辰州，謀自沅、靖入滇、黔，承疇與異議。上召阿爾津還京師，以宗室羅託代。十四年，可望叛其主，舉兵攻雲南，與定國戰而敗；十一月，詣長沙降。時上已允承疇解任還京師養疴，至是命承疇留任，督所部與羅託等規取貴州，並命平西大將軍吳三桂自四川、征南將軍卓布泰自廣西分道入。

十五年正月，復命信郡王多尼為安遠靖寇大將軍，帥師南征，於是承疇與羅託會師常德，道沅州、靖州入貴州境，克鎮遠。卓布泰招南丹、那地、撫寧諸土司，下獨山州，會克貴陽。三桂亦自重慶取遵義進攻開州、桐梓，以其師來會。承疇上疏籌軍食，言：「貴州諸府、州、縣、衛、所僅留空城，即有餘糧，兵過輒罄。惟省倉存米七千餘石、穀四千餘石，足支一月糧。臣所部兵，令分駐鎮遠、偏橋、興隆、清平、平越諸處。降兵暫駐三五日，改屯天柱、會同、黔陽諸縣及湖南沅州。四川兵駐遵義，廣西兵駐獨山，使分地就糧。聞信郡王大兵自六月初發荊州，需糧多且倍蓰。貴州山深地寒，收穫皆在九月。臣方遣吏勸諭軍民須納今歲秋糧之半，並檄下沅州運糧儲鎮遠，又令常德道府具布囊、椶套、木架、繩索，思南、石阡諸府、州、縣、衛、所及諸土司募夫役，具工糈，以赴軍興。」九月，授武英殿大學士。

信郡王多尼師至，駐平越楊老堡，承疇、三桂、卓布泰皆會，議多尼軍出中路，經關嶺鐵索橋至雲南省城，行一千餘里；三桂軍自遵義經七星關，凡一千五百餘里，先中路十日行；卓布泰以南寧方有寇，自貴州、廣西邊境平浪、永順壩、威透山，出安隆所、黃草壩、羅平州，凡一千八百餘里，先四川兵十五日行。既定議，承疇還貴陽，與羅託駐守，遣提督張勇等從多尼軍。明將李定國等拒戰皆敗，明桂王奔永昌。十六年正月乙未，三路師會，克雲南省城，明桂王奔緬甸。承疇如雲南，疏言：「雲南險遠，請如元、明故事，以王公坐鎮。」上以命三桂。

三月，承疇至雲南，疏言：「信郡王令貝子尚善及三桂等追剿至永昌、騰越。明將賀九義、李成爵、李如碧、廖魚、鄒自貴、馬得鳴輩收集潰兵，分遁元江、順寧、雲龍、瀾滄、麗江，處處窺伺。民間遭兵火，重以饑饉，近永昌諸處被禍更烈，周數百里杳無人煙，省城米價石至十三兩有奇。諸軍就糧宜良、富民、羅次、姚安、賓川、臨安、新興、澂江、陸涼諸處。上明察萬里，自有宸斷，俾邊臣得以遵奉。」疏入，上命戶部發帑三十萬，以十五萬賑兩省貧民，十五萬命承疇收貯，備軍餉不給。

八月，承疇疏言：「兵部密咨令速攻緬甸。臣受任經略，目擊民生彫敝，及土司降卒尚懷觀望，以為須先安內，乃可剿外。李定國等竄伏孟艮諸處，山川險阻，兼瘴毒為害，必待霜降始消，明年二月青草將生，瘴即復起，其間可以用師不過四月，慮未能窮追。定國等覬自景東、元江復入廣西，要結諸土司，私授劄印，歃血為盟。若聞我師西進，必且避實就虛，合力內犯。我軍相隔已遠，不能回顧；省城留兵，亦未遑堵禦：致定國等縱逸，所關非細。臣審度時勢，權其輕重，謂今歲秋冬宜暫停進兵，俾雲南迤西殘黎，稍藉秋收以延餘喘；明年盡力春耕，漸圖生聚。我軍亦得養銳蓄威，居中制外，俾定國等不能窺動靜以潛逃，諸土司不能伺間隙以思逞。絕殘兵之勾結，斷降卒之反側，則飢飽勞逸皆在於我。定國等潛藏邊界，無居無食，瘴癘相侵，內變易生，機有可俟。是時芻糧輳備，苗、蠻輯服，調發將卒，次第齊集，然後進兵，庶為一勞永逸、安內剿外長計。」疏下議政王、貝勒、大臣會議，如所請暫停進兵。

十月，以目疾乞解任，命回京調理。明年，三桂進兵攻緬甸，獲明桂王以歸。語見三桂傳。聖祖即位，承疇乞致仕，予三等阿達哈哈番世職。康熙四年二月，卒，諡文襄。子士欽，順治十二年進士，官至太常寺少卿。