Shi Yizhi 史貽直

SHIH I-chih 史貽直 (T. 儆弦, H. 鐵崖), Feb. 26, 1682–1763, June 23, official, was a native of Li-yang, Kiangsu. His grandfather and father were chin-shih and members of the Hanlin Academy. Shih I-chih himself became a chin-shih in 1700 and was selected a bachelor in the Hanlin Academy. He served as commissioner of education for Kwangtung (1712–13) but held no other important official post until 1723 when he became acting junior vice-president of the Board of Civil Offices. It is said that he obtained this position through the influence of his classmate, Nien Kêng-yao [q.v.], who at that time enjoyed the favor of Emperor Shih-tsung. In 1725 Shih was ordered to Shansi to investigate charges of corruption against Nien, and his testimony was instrumental in condemning that official. Whether Shih turned against his friend in an effort to save himself, or honestly believed in Nien's guilt is not clear, but certainly from this time on his promotion was more rapid. He held the following offices: senior vice-president of the Board of Civil Offices (1724–26, and 1728–30); junior vice-president of the Board of Works (1726); senior vice-president of the Board of Works (1726–27); senior vice-president of the Board of Revenue (1727–28); senior president of the Censorate (1730–31); president of the Board of War (1731–34, and 1740–42); president of the Board of Revenue (1734–38); president of the Board of Punishment (1738–40); president of the Board of Civil Offices (1742–44); associate Grand Secretary (1744); Grand Secretary (1744–63); acting governor-general of Fukien (1729–30), of Liang-kiang (i.e., Anhwei, Kiangsu and Kiangsi, 1730), of Hu-kuang (i.e., Hupeh and Hunan, 1735–37), and of Chihli (1742–45). Shih I-chih's appointment to the governor-generalship of Liang-kiang was unusual in that it was not the custom to give an official a high position in his own province. He served as special examiner at the provincial examination in Yunnan (1711), was assistant examiner at the metropolitan military examination (1723), served in the Imperial Study (1723), and was assistant director and special examiner at the metropolitan examinations of 1724 and 1746 respectively.

During his long term of office Shih I-chih took an interest in stocking the prefectural granaries with good grain, and developed a method for applying just fines against officials who were negligent of the granaries under their supervision. He was instrumental in securing immunity for those who, for economic reasons, bought salt at places not designated by the government, and he also worked for flood prevention and river conservancy. Some of his memorials to the throne are of special interest. In 1729 he recommended that responsible officials accompany soldiers and petty officers when they returned from Formosa at the expiration of their military terms—in order to prevent extortion of food, wine, cattle and fuel from the aborigines. In 1733 he memorialized concerning the private manufacture of alcoholic drinks, and advised the government to prohibit the manufacture of the "barm," or yeast, rather than the wine itself. At the same time he suggested that where sufficient grain had been stored for the sustenance of the people some of the surplus be used for the manufacture and sale of alcoholic drinks. In 1735 he also memorialized upon the importance of strict adherance to the examination method in filling secondary governmental posts—in order to avoid undue competition and over-rapid promotions.

Shih I-chih was also capable in military matters. In 1731 he was given command of an army of archers, called the Yung-chien chün 勇健軍, stationed at Barkul; and in 1737 he was in charge of a military expedition against the Miao in Hunan. Shih held the Emperor's favor until 1755 when he was ordered to retire on grounds of age. Other factors were operative, however, particularly Shih's refusal, when questioned by Emperor Kao-tsung during the "literary inquisition" of Hu Chung-tsao, to explain a letter to O-ch'ang (for both see under O-êr-t'ai) in which Shih had requested a post for one of his own sons. Two years later (1757), when Emperor Kao-tsung toured the South, he met Shih and ordered him to return to the capital. On the sixtieth anniversary of his receiving the chin-shih degree the Emperor conferred special honors upon Shih, and in the following year Shih participated in the banquet of the Nine Elderly Men (九老會) at the celebration of the Empress Dowager's seventieth birthday.

Upon the death of Shih I-chih in 1763 Emperor Kao-tsung sent his sixth son to pour libations. Shih's name was entered in the Temple of Eminent Statesmen and he was given the posthumous name Wên-ching 文靖. The second of his three sons, Shih I-ang 史弈昴 (T. 頡甫, 1712–1791), was for a few months in 1766 junior vice-president of the Board of War, but was discharged for impertinence.

A younger brother of Shih I-chih, named Shih I-mu 史貽謨 (T. 賡載, chin-shih of 1745, d. 1772), was the examiner of the great historian Ts'ui Shu [q.v.] for the chü-jên degree in 1762, and foresaw in Ts'ui a man of unusual promise.

[3/15/1a, 85/35; Li-yang hsien-chih (1896) 11/38b, 48a; Chu-p'i yü-chih (see under Yin-chên), t'ao 16, vol. 3.]

Rufus O. Suter

《清史稿》卷303

史貽直，字儆弦，江蘇溧陽人。父夔，康熙二十一年進士，官至詹事。貽直少嫺掌故。三十九年，成進士，年十九。自檢討五遷侍讀學士。雍正初，命在南書房行走，再遷吏部侍郎，歷工部、戶部。命如河南按總督田文鏡劾信陽知州黃振國等，定讞入告。上蔡知縣張球，文鏡所嘗薦，貽直等發其諱盜。下吏議，文鏡疏自劾。復命如山西按前總督年羹堯領河東鹽政，私其子撓鹽法。七年，復命如福建按巡撫朱綱劾按察使喬學尹等，並論如律。上獎其公當，命署福建總督。福建水師巡海，挾巿易物蝕關稅，貽直為申禁。福州、興化、泉州、漳州四府以米少，倉穀不如例糶易，貽直請以臺灣應輸兵米易穀運四府，以次糶舊存新；內地兵戍臺灣，往還擾番社，貽直請下臺灣總兵，戍兵往還，遣裨將檢押：皆如所議行。

八年，調署兩江總督，以本籍疏辭，勿許。授左都御史，仍留兩江。九年，召還。時師征準噶爾，陝西、甘肅當師行道，任餽餉。命偕侍郎杭奕祿等宣諭化導，旋命協理陝西巡撫，擢兵部尚書，仍留陝西。十年，署巡撫。廷議禁燒鍋，下諸行省。貽直疏言：「年豐糧羨；燒鍋亦民間謀生之一事。當視年事豐歉，審民力盈虛，加以董勸。」上許為得因時制宜之意。湖廣總督邁柱請疏湖廣荊子關至陝西龍駒寨水道，便轉餉。貽直疏言：「荊子關至龍駒寨，舊有丹河，行兩山間，紆折三百七十里。夏秋間民引以溉田，築堰蓄流，涓滴必爭。雨後山水驟至，縴路輒斷，實不宜於輓運。臣察湖廣轉餉艱難，當於河南府陝州傍河諸州縣積穀，行轉搬之策。浚治丹河，宜若可緩。」上韙貽直言，格邁柱議不行。旋授戶部尚書，總理陝西巡撫。

十三年七月，召還。八月，世宗崩，高宗即位，貽直入對，高宗出世宗遺念衣賜貽直，勖以始終一致。貽直泣，上亦泣不止。貽直疏言：「科道及吏、禮二部宜循舊制用科目；官吏遷擢，捐棄階資，倖進者不以為公，沉滯者不勝其怨，宜亦循舊制存階級；河南各州縣報墾砂礫山岡，按畝升科，小民鬻兒女以應輸將，州縣官勸捐，有損國體。請簡廉明公正大臣撫綏其地，則情弊立見。」事下總理事務王大臣議行。

尋命署湖廣總督。乾隆元年，疏言：「舊制州縣虧倉穀，議罪：穀一石當銀一兩，時值實不及。諸雜糧皆視穀，尤失平。」部議米一石當銀一兩，穀及諸雜糧皆當銀五錢，著為令。武昌城西南當江、漢合流處，舊有長隄。貽直令所司履勘重築，自王惠橋至土城磯，隄千三百餘丈，期三歲而畢。湖廣為兩淮行鹽地，而地錯入川、粵，凡巴東、歸州、道州、寧遠等九州縣民私食川、粵鹽，兩淮鹽政尹會一以為言。貽直言湖廣行兩淮鹽歲七十餘萬引，諸州縣僻遠，兩淮鹽不至，強而行之，官商且交困。部議如貽直奏。湖南城步等縣苗酋蒲寅山、鳳老一等為亂，貽直與巡撫高其倬等討平之，上嘉其勞。召還，歷工、刑、兵、吏諸部尚書。七年，命署直隸總督。復召還，協辦大學士。九年，授文淵閣大學士。十一年，加太子太保。

貽直子奕昂，官山東運河道，以巡撫鄂昌薦，命署甘肅布政使。二十年，鄂昌坐事籍沒，得貽直請託狀，上念貽直勤慎，不深罪，令致仕回籍，召奕昂還京。二十二年，上南巡，貽直迎駕沂州，令在家食俸。尋召還，仍授大學士。途中病作，遣御醫就視。至京，命領工部，加太子太傅。二十五年，上以貽直成進士已六十年，賜詩獎為「人瑞」。尋命遇祀典不必隨班行禮，以肩輿入直。二十七年，貽直乞致仕，命不必兼攝工部，歲加俸五百金。二十八年，卒，年八十二，贈太保，祀賢良祠，諡文靖。

貽直為政持大體，不苟為異同。性強記，飭舉止，善為辭令。年羹堯既誅，世宗問貽直：「汝亦羹堯薦耶？」貽直免冠對曰：「薦臣者羹堯，用臣者皇上。」及事高宗，耄矣，嘗奏事，拜起舒遲。高宗問：「卿老憊乎？」貽直對曰：「皇上到臣年，當自知之。」高宗為霽顏。