Li Hongzao 李鴻藻

LI Hung-tsao 李鴻藻 (T. 寄雲, H. 石孫, 蘭孫), 1820–1897, July 31, official, was a native of Kao-yang, Chihli. He became a chü-jên in 1844 and a chin-shih in 1852, followed by appointment as bachelor in the Hanlin Academy. A year later he was made a compiler, and in 1855 began to serve in the Palace School for Princes. After a term of three years (1857–60) as commissioner of education of Honan he was reappointed a teacher in the Palace School. He was ordered by Emperor Wên-tsung to Jehol where in 1861 he was made exclusively responsible for the education of the emperor's only son, Tsai-ch'un [q.v.], who was then five sui. In 1861 this child ascended the throne, and a year later the dowager empresses appointed Li Hung-tsao one of four tutors, the others being Ch'i Chün-tsao, Wêng Hsin-ts'un, and Wo-jên [qq.v.]. Li was rapidly promoted, becoming, early in 1863, libationer of the Imperial Academy. In 1864 he was made a sub-chancellor of the Grand Secretariat and concurrently a Probationary Grand Councilor. Two years later—soon after he was made a vice-president of the Board of Revenue and a Grand Councilor—his foster mother died, but he was not at once given permission to return home to observe the mourning owing to the fact that the young emperor would not concentrate on his studies except under the tutelage of Li. Li, however, insisted on going and remained at home for two years.

In 1868 Li returned to his post as a Grand Councilor, and a year later once more became a vice-president of the Board of Revenue. In 1872 he was made president of the Board of Works. In the meantime he continued as tutor to Tsai-ch'un (Emperor Mu-tsung) until the latter died in January 1875. In 1876 he became a member of the Tsungli Yamen, but from 1877 to 1880 he remained in retirement owing to the death of his own mother. In 1880, when he again served on the Grand Council and in the Tsungli Yamen, he led a group of officials who condemned Ch'ung-hou [q.v.] for concluding the treaty which ceded Ili to Russia. In the same year Li Hung-tsao and Pao-yün (see under Wên-hsiang) negotiated at Peking with three commissioners from the United States—J. B. Angell (1829–1916), J. F. Swift (1829–1891), and W. H. Trescot (1822–1898)—concerning the limitation of Chinese immigrants to America (see under Chang Yin-huan). On November 17, 1880 they signed two treaties, one conceding the right of the United States Government to "regulate, limit, or suspend the coming of Chinese laborers to the United States, but not absolutely prohibit it"; the other concerning commercial and judicial matters. The following year (1881) Li was made president of the Board of War and concurrently an Associate Grand Secretary. In 1882 he became president of the Board of Civil Appointments, but two years later—when the Grand Councilors were blamed for mismanagement of matters relating to France and Annam—he and all the Councilors were dismissed. The real cause of this sweeping change was a conflict between I-hsin [q.v.] and the Grand Council on the one hand, and Empress Hsiao-ch'in, I-huan [qq.v.], and a group of conservatives on the other. I-hsin was removed, and so were all those closely associated with him, including Li who was lowered in rank three grades.

In 1885 Li Hung-tsao was again made a sub-chancellor of the Grand Secretariat and later in the same year became junior vice-president of the Board of Civil Appointments. In 1887 he was appointed president of the Board of Ceremonies, a post he held until 1896. Early in 1888 he was sent to Honan to repair the dike at Chengchow. But he was several times reprimanded for failure to complete the work speedily, and so was recalled to Peking eight months later. From 1884 onward he was deprived of his powers as Grand Councilor, but he gradually won the favor of Empress Hsiao-ch'in. In 1894, after the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, he was made an adviser on military affairs, and before long was re-instated as Grand Councilor. He and I-hsin thus returned to power, but both were then too old for vigorous service. In 1895 Li was again ordered to serve in the Tsungli Yamen, and in the following year once more became an Associate Grand Secretary and president of the Board of Civil Appointments, but died a year later. He was canonized as Wên-chêng 文正 and his name was entered in the Temple of Eminent Statesmen.

From 1864 to 1884 Li Hung-tsao was a potent factor in the government, being sometimes referred to as the leader of a group of officials who were natives of northern provinces—among them Chang Chih-tung, Shêng-yü, Chang P'ei-lun, and Pao-t'ing [qq.v.]. As these same men were also members of the party known as Ch'ing-liu-tang (see under Pao-t'ing) which made attacks on Li Hung-chang [q.v.] and other high officials, Li Hung-tsao was branded as the leader of that party also.

A son of Li Hung-tsao, named Li Yü-ying 李煜瀛 (b. 1882), popularly known by his tzŭ as Li Shih-tsêng (石曾), was made in 1897 a department director of a Board, but went in 1902 to France as attaché in the Chinese Legation. While there he made a study of biology, Since 1928 he has been president of the National Academy of Peiping, and a member of the Supervisory Committee of the Kuomintang.

[2/57/43a; 6/1/6b; 詞林輯略 Tz'ŭ-lin chi-lüeh; Chin-shih jên-wu chih (see under Wêng T'ung-ho); Tung-hua lu, T'ung-chih 11: 8; Portrait, and examples of his calligraphy, in Kao-yang hsien chih (1933); 清朝野史大觀 Ch'ing-ch'ao yeh-shih ta-kuan, 4/91.]

Fang Chao-ying

直隸高陽人 壬子科進士 翰林 太子少保 協辦大學士 軍機大臣 吏部尚書

《清史稿》卷436

李鴻藻，字蘭孫，直隸高陽人。咸豐二年進士，選庶吉士，授編修。典山西鄉試，督河南學政。十年，上擇儒臣為皇子師，大學士彭蘊章以鴻藻應。召來京，明年，特詔授大阿哥讀。穆宗登極，皇太后懿旨命直弘德殿。同治元年，擢侍講。累遷內閣學士。署戶部左侍郎。四年，命直軍機。五年，授禮部右侍郎。遭母憂，皇太后懿旨，援雍正、乾隆年大臣孫嘉淦等故事，命鴻藻 開缺守孝，百日後仍授讀，兼參機務。並諭：「移孝作忠，勿以守禮固辭。」鴻藻懇終制，不允。倭仁等亦代為陳請，仍命恭親王傳諭慰勉。鴻藻連疏稱疾，遂得賜告，卒終制始出。七年，捻擾畿疆，鴻藻方里居，以各路統兵大員事權不一，疏請特派親王為大將軍，坐鎮京師，以固北路；左宗棠 、李鴻章 為參贊大臣，分紮保定、河間東西兩路，各率所部兵勇相機剿辦；陳國瑞為幫辦軍務，專統一軍為游擊之師；直隸總督官文專顧省城，籌備諸軍餉需，以資接濟；丁寶楨駐紮直、東交界，防賊東竄；李鶴年駐紮直、豫交界，防賊南竄；直、晉交界，由左宗棠等分撥勁旅扼要駐紮；並請敕下各該大臣和衷商辦，迅奏膚功。奏入，上遂命各路統兵大臣均歸恭親王節制。旋起禮部左侍郎，仍直弘德殿及軍機如故。十年，擢都察院左都御史，加太子少保。時有修葺圓明園之旨，朝臣同起力爭。鴻藻 亦言：「粵、捻初平，回氛方熾，宜培養元氣，以固根本。不應虛糜帑糈，為此不急之務。」乃止。十三年，上有疾，命代批答章奏；旋崩，自劾輔導無狀，罷弘德殿行走。光緒二年，命兼總理各國事務衙門。尋丁本生母憂，服闋，起故官，以兵部尚書協辦大學士，調吏部。時崇厚與俄擅定伊犂約，鴻藻堅持不可，爭於廷。卒治崇厚罪，議改約。及法越啟釁，言路愈奮發，劾罷樞臣。鴻藻謫遷內閣學士。後復累遷禮部尚書。十三年，河決鄭州，上命鴻藻馳往督辦。先是河道總督李鶴年、河南巡撫倪文蔚議於西壩興工，鴻藻至，仍之。又續興東壩工。疊遇奇險，皆力為固守。會伏秋汛至，西壩失事，請暫停工。上以鴻藻 督率無方，革職留任；並奪李鶴年河道總督，命鴻藻 暫行署理。尋回京，復以禮部具奏典禮漏繕籤改日期，再議革職，上特寬免。大婚禮成，復原官。二十年，日韓事棘，命鴻藻商辦軍務，再授軍機大臣。與翁同龢皆主戰，並爭和約，卒不能阻。旋以禮部尚書協辦大學士，調吏部。歷蒙頒賞書畫及諸上方珍物。充鄉試、會試、殿試等閱卷大臣。二十三年，以病乞假，疾篤，賞給藥餌，命御醫往視。卒，年七十有八。遺疏入，上震悼，予諡文正，贈太子太傅。子焜瀛、煜瀛，均賞給郎中。鴻藻性至孝，為學守程朱，務實踐，持躬儉約。傅穆宗十餘年，盡心啟沃。一日，穆宗學書，故為戲筆。鴻藻立前捧上手曰：「皇上心不靜，請少息。」穆宗改容謝之。其在樞府，獨守正持大體。御史王鵬運諫止修頤和園，幾獲重譴，鴻藻力解之，得免。德宗間日一往頤和園侍起居，時留駐蹕。言官有言其不便者，太后大怒，欲黜之，鴻藻謂如此必失天下臣民之望，乃止。所薦引多端士。朝列有清望者，率倚以為重，然亦不免被劫持云。