Peng Yunzhang 彭蘊章

P'êng Yün-chang 彭蘊章 (T. 琮達 H. 詠莪, 詒穀老人 Aug. 24, 1792-1862, Dec. 29, official, native of Ch'ang-chou, Kiangsu, was a descendant of P'êng Ting-ch'iu [q.v.] in the sixth generation, and a great-grandson of P'êng Ch'i-fêng (see under P'êng Ting-ch'iu). His father, P'êng Hsi-su 彭希涑 (H. 蘭臺, 1761-1793), was devoted to the study of Buddhism owing, it seems, to the influence of an uncle, P'êng Shao-shêng [q.v.]. The father died when P'êng Yün-chang was only two sui, and his mother (née Chiang 江, 1767-1799) died when he was eight sui. Early in 1810 P'êng Yün-chang married a younger sister of Hsü Tuan 徐端 (T. 肇之, H. 心如, d. 1812, age 62 sui), a high official in River Conservancy. He entered the Chêng-i 正誼 Academy in 1808 and the Tzŭ-yang 紫陽 Academy in 1812, both of them in Soochow. Shih Yün-yü [q.v.], who directed the latter Academy, ranked P'êng Yün-chang as a very promising student. For a time P'êng also studied under Wang Ch'i-sun (see under Shih Yün-yü). About the year 1814 he took up the art of landscape painting, but later abandoned it. In 1818 he obtained his chü-jên degree in the Kiangnan provincial examination. During the period 1820-33 he participated seven times in the metropolitan examinations, but failed. Finally, in 1835, when he was forty-four sui, he became a chin-shih. Owing to these repeated failures he had purchased, in 1827, a position as secretary in the Grand Secretariat and had been promoted (1833) to a secretaryship in the Council of State. When he became a chin-shih he remained for some time in the latter post. After various promotions he was made vice-governor of Peking (1843), deputy commissioner of the Office of Transmission (1844), and vice-director of the Imperial Clan Court (1845). In 1846 he was appointed commissioner of education of Fukien where he remained until late in 1848. As junior vice-president of the Board of Works he was ordered to serve in the Grand Council. He became president of the Board of Works in 1854, and then Associate Grand Secretary, and later Grand Secretary (1856).

During this period the Manchu government was harassed by calamities from within and without. In 1850 the Taiping Rebellion broke out (see under Hung Hsiu-ch'üan) and a year later the Nien Fei (see under Sêng-ko-lin-ch'in) began to ravage the northern provinces. In 1856 hostilities with Britain were resumed at Canton, ending in the Anglo-French Alliance, the Treaty of Tientsin (1858) and the destruction of the Old Summer Palace (1860). On these and other national issues P'êng Yün-chang disagreed with Su-shun [q.v.] who then had influence with the Emperor. Finally, owing to his repeated recommendations that Ho Kuei-ch'ing (see below) should continue as one of those in charge of the campaign against the Taipings, he was ordered, in the summer of 1860, to retire. At the same time he was handicapped by a foot ailment. Though reinstated in the following year to act, first as president of the Board of War, and then as president of the Censorate, he retired again in 1862 on account of illness, and died that same year. He was canonized as Wên-ching 文敬. His collective works, entitled P'êng Wên-ching kung ch'üan-chi (公全集) printed about 1867, include the following: 松風閣詩鈔 Sung fêng ko shih-ch'ao, 26 chüan of verse; 歸樸龕叢稿, 續稿 Kuei-p'u k'an ts'ung-kao, hsü-kao, 16 chüan of prose; 老學菴讀書記 Lao-hsüeh an tu-shu chi, 4 chüan of study notes; 鶴和樓制義 Ho-ho lou chih-i, 1 chüan of essays in the examination style; and 詒穀老人自訂年譜 I-ku lao-jên tzŭ-ting nien-p'u, a chronological autobiography.

P'êng Yün-chang had eight sons of whom the fourth, P'êng Tsu-hsien 彭祖賢 (H. 芍庭, 1819-1885, chü-jên of 1855), became governor of Hupeh (1880-85).

Ho Kuei-ch'ing (何桂清, 叢山, 根雲 1816-1862), on whose account P'êng was forced to retire in 1860, became a chin-shih in 1835 and thus was P'êng's classmate. A native of Yunnan, he entered the Hanlin Academy and rose rapidly in rank. As governor of Chekiang (1854-57) and as governor-general of Kiangnan and Kiangsi (1857-60), he took part in the war against the Taiping Rebels at Nanking and elsewhere, and was considered an able official. He also helped Kuei-liang [q.v.] to negotiate with foreign representatives at Shanghai about the tariff and other questions (1858-59). In 1860, anticipating an overwhelming attack by the Taiping army, he was seen leaving the threatened city of Changchow 常州 to its fate. When the people tried to stop him -- begging him to help defend that city -- his guards shot their way out of the town and killed several citizens. He was tried and executed in 1862, despite the efforts of many to save him.

[ l/391/6b; 2/49/lla; 5/4/23b; I-ku lao-jên tzŭ-ting nien-p'u; 吳縣志 Wu hsien chih (1933) 68 hang 30b; 5/28/lla; 會試同年齒錄, Hui-shih t'ung-nien ch'ih-lu of 1835.]

TU LIEN-CHÊ

嘉慶戊寅科舉人 道光乙未科進士 武英殿大學士 管理工部戶部三庫事務 上書房總師傅 軍機大臣 諡文敬

《清史稿》卷385

彭蘊章 ，字詠莪，江蘇長洲人，尚書啟豐曾孫。由舉人入貲為內閣中書，充軍機章京。道光十五年，成進士，授工部主事，仍留直軍機處。累遷郎中，歷鴻臚寺少卿、光祿寺少卿、順天府丞、通政司副使、宗人府丞。督福建學政，遷左副都御史。二十八年，疏言：「漕船衛官需索旗丁日益增多，沿途委員及漕運衙門、倉場花戶皆有費，欲減旗丁幫費，宜探本窮源。又州縣辦漕，應令督撫察其潔己愛民者，每歲酌保一二員；辦理不善者，劾一二員。運漕官及坐糧廳如能潔己剔弊，准漕督、倉場保奏，不稱職者劾罷。」下部議行。擢工部侍郎，仍留學政任。咸豐元年，命在軍機大臣上行走。四年，調禮部，尋擢工部尚書。五年，協辦大學士。六年，拜文淵閣大學士，管理工部及戶部三庫事務，充上書房總師傅。八年，京師旱，糧價踴貴，旗民生計益艱，蘊章奏請撥款採米，允之。復疏言：「自改用大錢，城中米貴，疊荷加恩賑濟，又加米折，然民生疾苦未見轉機。臣聞兵丁所領止有實米二成，其餘折色定價，每石京錢四千至三千不等，大米一石市價京錢三十千。持此折價買米，不過升斗。民生之蹙，不獨在無銀，並在無米。本年海運多於上年，可將兵米酌量加增。又各營養育兵及鰥寡孤獨小口米不過四萬餘名，每名歲支一石六斗，擬請此項酌給米，毋庸折色。自前年以來，有提存部庫採買銀，又存四川、山東、山西、河南、陝西解京米價銀，共有四十七萬餘兩，堪以採買米石，加放兵米。又有河南停運節省運腳銀二萬兩，堪為轉運之用。伏乞飭部採買，以資搭放，實於旗兵生計大有裨益。」疏入，下部議行。蘊章久直樞廷，廉謹小心，每與會議，必持詳慎。鈔票、科場諸大獄，婉辭調護，與肅順等意忤。兩江總督何桂清素以才敏自負，蘊章誤信之，數於上前稱薦。十年，江寧大營潰，蘊章猶言桂清可恃。未幾，蘇、常相繼陷，桂清逮治。文宗以蘊章無知人鑒，眷注寖衰。適有足疾，扶掖入直，命毋庸在軍機大臣上行走，以示體恤。尋奏乞罷職，出都就醫。詔曰：「卿久任樞垣，備悉時事。現在軍務如有見及，並採訪輿論民情，隨時具疏交地方官大吏代遞。」蘊章密陳時務六則，報聞。十一年，病痊，署兵部尚書，尋兼署左都御史。同治元年，復以病乞休。未幾，卒，依大學士例賜卹，諡文敬。子祖賢，官至湖北巡撫。