Weng Xincun 翁心存

WÊNG Hsin-ts'un 翁心存 (T. 二銘, H. 邃庵), June 15, 1791–1862, Dec. 27, official, was a native of Ch'ang-shu, Kiangsu. His father, Wêng Hsien-fêng 翁咸封 (T. 子晉, H. 潛 虛, chü-jên of 1783), served as director of schools of the department of Hai-chou in northern Kiangsu for eleven or twelve years, beginning in 1798. While Wêng Hsin-ts'un was living with his father in Hai-chou he was taught prose composition by the department magistrate, T'ang Chung-mien (see under Fa-shih-shan). In 1822 he became a chin-shih, was selected a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy and a year later was made a compiler. During the next twenty-eight years he held various literary posts, serving meanwhile as commissioner of education of Kwangtung (1825–29), of Kiangsi (1832–34), and of Fengtien (1835–36), and as a tutor in the Palace School for Princes (1829–32, 1837–38, 1849–59). Early in 1850 he was made a vice-president of the Board of Works, and a few months later was transferred to the Board of Revenue. Early in 1852 he was promoted to be president of the Board of Works.

In 1853, as the Taiping Rebellion extended to Nanking and North China, and after the government had spent twenty-five million taels in three years to check it, Wêng memorialized the throne on measures to put a stop to corrupt practices of the generals, and to raise more funds. He also recommended Chiang Chung-yüan [q.v.] as competent to command the government troops. In the meantime Wêng was concurrently made governor of the Metropolitan Area of Peking to prepare the defenses of that region against the northern thrust of the Taipings. The government, lacking metal for coins, began to issue paper notes, but Wêng objected to the use of these notes for the payment of troops and in consequence was impeached. Meanwhile he was accused of shielding guilty subordinates, and early in 1854 was cashiered. Nevertheless, after a few months he was recalled to service and was named a vice-president, first of the Board of Civil Appointments and then of the Board of Revenue. Early in 1855 he became president of the Board of Civil Appointments. Late in 1856 he was transferred to the Board of Revenue, acting concurrently as an Associate Grand Secretary. In 1858, when he was raised to a Grand Secretary, he was still ordered to supervise the Board of Revenue. At this time the revenue had decreased considerably while the expense of suppressing the Taiping Rebellion rose sharply. Wêng was opposed to unorthodox measures for raising funds, such as taxing the illegal sale of opium or issuing coins of value below par. In fact, he was opposed to many of the policies of Su-shun [q.v.] and in 1859 was forced to resign. Several times his opponents, led by Tsai-yüan (see under Yin-hsiang) and Su-shun, sought to incriminate him by finding fault with his administration of the Board of Revenue, but their efforts failed.

When Emperor Mu-tsung ascended the throne in 1861, Su-shun's party fell. Wêng was recalled from retirement and was again named a Grand Secretary. In 1862 he became one of four tutors to the youthful emperor (see under Li Hung-tsao), but he died in that same year. He was posthumously given the title of Grand Guardian and the name Wên-tuan 文端. in His memory was celebrated in the Temple of Eminent Statesmen and five of his grandsons were raised in their official ranks. Wêng Hsin-ts'un had three sons, all of whom achieved distinction. Of these the youngest, Wêng T'ung-ho [q.v.], was for many years in charge of the Board of Revenue; and the eldest, Wêng Tung-shu 翁同書 (T. 祖庚 H. 藥房, posthumous name 文勤, d. 1865), was a chin-shih of 1840 and a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. In 1853 the latter was sent to Yangchow where he joined the army under Ch'i-shan [q.v.]. He soon distinguished himself by recovering from the Taipings a number of cities in Kiangsu and Anhwei and in 1858 was made governor of Anhwei with headquarters at Shou-chou. In 1860 he and the local gentry quarreled with an unruly commander, Miao P'ei-lin (see under Sêng-ko-lin-ch'in), who led an army to besiege Shou-chou. Called to Peking (1861) after the feud had ended, Wêng T'ung-shu was accused (1862) by Tsêng Kuo-fan [q.v.] of mismanagement, and was sentenced to imprisonment awaiting execution. In the following year, however, his sentence was commuted to exile in Ili. In 1864 he was ordered to serve with the army that was fighting Mohammedans in Shensi, and in 1865 shared in a spectacular victory for which he won fourth-rank decorations. He died of dysentery on December 14, 1865, and early in 1866 was posthumously given back his previous ranks. Wêng T'ung-shu's eldest son, Wêng Tsêng-yüan 翁曾源 (T. 仲淵), was the chuang-yüan, or highest chin-shih, of 1863, an honor which automatically entitled him to become a Hanlin compiler. A grandson of Wêng T'ung-shu, named Wêng Pin-sun 翁斌孫 (T. 弢甫, H. 人豪), was a chin-shih of 1877 and a Hanlin corrector. Thus for four generations—from Wêng Hsin-ts'un to Wêng Pin-sun—the family was represented in the Hanlin Academy. Two members of the family—Wêng T'ung-ho and Wêng Tsêng-yüan—obtained the highest honors (known as chuang-yüan). Wêng T'ung-chüeh 翁同爵 (T. 玉甫, d. 1877), second son of Wêng Hsin-ts'un, rose from a licentiate to the governorship of Hupeh (1874–77). He was the author of a work on military statistics of the empire, entitled 皇朝兵制考略 Huang-ch'ao ping-chih k'ao-lüeh, 6 chüan, which he compiled in 1861 and printed in 1875.

[1/391/4b; 1/433/5a; 2/45/42b; 2/49/41b; 2/54/46a; Ch'ang-Chao ho-chih (1904), chüan 27; Wêng Wên-tuan kung nien-p'u (not consulted); Wêng T'ung-ho [q.v.], Wêng Wên-kung kung jih-chi; Chin-shih jên-wu chih (see under Wêng T'ung-ho), p. 1.]

Fang Chao-ying

Weng Xincun 翁心存 《清代人物生卒年表》定其生卒年為乾隆56年~同治1年。 【參考《清代人物生卒年表》#19591.】

MQWW: 翁心存

字二銘 號邃重 諡文端 江蘇常熟人 道光壬午恩科進士

《清史稿》卷385

翁心存，字二銘，江蘇常熟人。父咸封，官海州學正。知州唐仲冕見心存有異才，奇之，授之學。道光二年，成進士，選庶吉士，授編修。大考擢中允，督廣東學政。任滿，入直上書房，授惠郡王讀。尋督江西學政，累遷大理寺少卿。十七年，復直上書房，授六阿哥讀。逾年，以母老乞養。家居十年，終母喪。會子同書督貴州學政，陛辭，宣宗命傳諭促之來。二十九年，至京，仍入直，授八阿哥讀。補祭酒。歷內閣學士、工部侍郎，調戶部。江蘇巡撫請蘇州、松江、太倉漕米改徵折色，心存謂：「三屬額徵米一百十四萬餘石，一旦改折，慮京倉不敷支放，州縣假折色抑勒倍徵，便民適以累民。」主駁議，事乃寢。

咸豐元年，擢工部尚書。三年，江寧陷，心存疏陳兵事，請乘賊勢未定，飭向榮渡江，陳金綬進屯浦口，以上海水師溯流衝其前，江忠源、鄧紹良之師掩其後，四路進攻；增重兵守江、淮杜北竄；急清兗、豫、鳳、潁捻匪，毋令與粵寇合勢；並覈軍需，恤災黎；籌京倉積貯，整飭紀綱，以維根本。疏上，多被採用。又薦湖北按察使江忠源，請畀統帥重任，尋即擢為巡撫。調刑部，再調工部，兼管順天府尹。

粵匪北犯，心存疏言賊氛逼近，請扼河而守，畿南宜駐重兵，河南、山西、陝西各要隘併力堵截，速調駐熱河、綏遠之蒙古馬隊進口內衛京畿；京師九門嚴緝奸宄，運通倉存糧入城；並敕琦善、鄧紹良規復揚州、鎮江，為會剿江寧之計。又疏陳順天防務，畫分汛地，舉行團練；府屬各營舊隸總督管轄，請旨暫歸調遣。未幾，賊犯天津，僧格林沁率師進剿，命順天府設糧臺。心存請發內帑三十二萬兩、京倉米二千六百石以給軍食，添製軍需火藥。又偕團防大臣會議京城防守事宜，舉光祿寺卿宋晉、太僕寺卿王茂蔭綜理其事，並詔允行。時議行鈔幣，心存疏言：「軍營搭放票鈔，諸多窒礙。鈔幣之法，施行當有次第，此時甫經頒發，並未試用，勢難驟用之軍營。」詔斥為阻撓，即責籌次等施行之法，俾無阻滯。會言官論通州捕役勾結土匪行劫，命刑部侍郎文瑞鞫得實，心存以徇庇革職。

四年，起授吏部侍郎，調戶部，擢兵部尚書，調吏部。六年，疏陳江南軍事，略曰：「蘇、松、常、太三府一州，及浙之杭、嘉、湖三府，久為賊所窺伺。今寧國先陷，逼近宜興，向榮近守丹陽，溧水、句容相繼失守，宜責向榮嚴扼丹陽，令張國樑率精兵駐宜興扼東壩，別簡水師駐太湖，庶蘇、常兩郡可保無事。又近有按畝捐輸，失政體，竭民財，請查明停止。」是年冬，兼翰林院掌院學士，以吏部尚書協辦大學士，尋調戶部。

八年，充上書房總師傅。英法聯軍北犯，天津戒嚴。心存疏請聖駕還宮，以定眾志，力言京師重地，不可駐外國領事；長江形勢不可失；綏芬邊地不可捐；兵費不可再償；傳教不可推廣；和議難成，宜速進剿。湖北巡撫胡林翼奏除漕務中飽之弊，請改徵折色。心存力贊其議；由部定章程五事，滿、漢兵糧折價支給，上下衙門一切陋規概行裁革焉。拜體仁閣大學士，管理戶部。與肅順同官不相能，屢乞病，不許。九年，復固請，乃予告去職。

十年，戶部迭興大獄，肅順主之，多所羅織。怡親王載垣等會鞫，謂司員忠麟、王熙震以短號鈔兌換長號，曾面啟心存，心存回奏部院事非一二人所能專政，斷無立談數語改舊章之理。載垣等遂請褫頂帶歸案訊質，文宗鑒其誣，僅以失察議處，免傳訊，議降五級，改俟補官，革職留任。復以五「宇」商號添支經費，心存駁令議減，未陳奏，司員即列入奏銷，下嚴議，革職留任。是年秋，車駕將幸熱河，心存上疏切諫。

十一年，文宗崩於行在，梓宮還京，心存偕諸臣迎謁，特詔起用，以大學士銜管理工部。疏舉人材，詔嘉其不失以人事君之義。又疏言：「東南之民嚮義甚堅，各郡縣陷後，流亡渡江者，日夜思招練義勇，克復鄉里。請敕曾國藩擇能辦賊者馳赴通州東臺，收拾將散之人心，激勵方興之義旅，進擣蘇、常，退保下河。上海一隅賦稅所出，宜取江海關無窮之利，以供曾國藩有用之兵。」疏上，被嘉納。同治元年，入直弘德殿，偕祁寯藻等授穆宗讀。兩宮皇太后慎重師傅之選，倚畀彌篤。是年冬，寢疾，子安徽巡撫同書方緣事繫獄，詔暫釋侍疾。尋卒，優詔賜卹，稱其「品端學粹，守正不阿」，贈太保，入祀賢良祠，諡文端。賜其孫曾源進士，曾榮舉人，曾純、曾桂並以原官即用，曾翰賜內閣中書。逾年，文宗實錄告成，以心存曾充監修總裁，賜祭一壇。子同書、同龢自有傳，同爵官湖北巡撫。