Xu Qianxue 徐乾學

Hsü Ch'ien-hsüeh 徐乾學 (T. 原一 H. 健庵, 玉峰先生, Nov. 24, 1631-1694, Sept. 6, official, scholar and bibliophile, nephew of Ku Yen-wu [q.v.], was a native of K'un-shan, Kiangsu. In 1670 he passed the palace examination as t'an-hua 探花, or third ranking graduate. He and his two younger brothers, Hsü Ping-i 徐秉義 (T. 彥和 H. 果亭, 1633-1711), a t'an-hua of 1673 who later rose to high official positions, and Hsü Yüan-wên [q.v.], a chuang-yüan 狀元, or first ranking chin-shih, of 1659, were known as "The Three Hsüs" 三徐. In 1672 Hsü Ch'ien-hsüeh had charge of the Shun-t'ien provincial examinations. His mother died in 1676, and in the following year (during the period of mourning) he began, with the help of others, the compilation of the important work on mourning rites, known as 讀禮通考 Tu-li t'ung-k'ao, in 120 chüan. After various revisions it was printed by his sons in 1696, two years after his death. Some sources, it should be stated, attribute this compilation to Wan Ssŭ-t'ung [q.v.].

In 1682 Hsü was placed in charge of the compilation of the 明史 Ming-shih and in 1685 was promoted to the sub-chancellorship of the Grand Secretariat and later (1686) to the vice-presidency of the Board of Rites. Appointed in 1685 an instructor to the bachelors of the Hanlin Academy, he compiled for them a book of instructions and regulations which was printed in 1831 in the Hsüeh-hai lei-pien (see under Ts'ao Jung) under the title 教習堂條約 Chiao-hsi-t'ang t'iao-yüeh. In the same year (1685) there was completed, also under his direction, the annotated anthology of essays which had been selected by Emperor Shêng-tsu and published in 64 chüan under the title 古文淵鑑 Ku-wên yüan-chien. In 1687 he was made president of the Censorate and concurrently director-general of the commission appointed to compile the 大清一統志 Ta Ch'ing i-t'ung-chih, or "Comprehensive Geography of the Empire." A year later he was chief examiner of the metropolitan examination and then also became president of the Board of Punishments.

A prominent figure in the party struggles in the last half of the seventeenth century, Hsü Ch'ien-hsüeh first took sides with Mingju [q.v.] against the party of Songgotu [q.v.], and after splitting with the former, organized his own clique, sometimes known as the southern party (南黨) as contrasted with the northern party (北黨) led by Mingju. According to Li Kuang-ti [q.v.], Hsü was treacherous and dangerous in Court politics and, after Songgotu was overthrown, joined hands with him and with Hsiung Tz'ŭ-li [q.v.] to oppose Mingju. Accused of receiving bribes from Chang Ch'ien (see Ch'ên T'ing-ching) when the latter was governor of Hu-kuang, he resigned from official life but remained in the capital in charge of various literary projects. In 1689 he was again embarrassed by his opponents on account of the misdeeds of one of his sons who, among other offenses, had fraudulently obtained the chin-shih degree. His request to be relieved of his literary duties in the capital was granted, and in the spring of 1690 be went home to continue the compilation of the Ta Ch'ing i-t'ung-chih and a supplement to the Mirror of History, known as 資治通鑑後編 Tz'ŭ-chih t'ung-chien hou-pien. After his retirement repeated complaints were lodged against him on grounds of bribery, oppression of the common people, or the misdemeanors of his sons and servants. Owing to these accusations he was in 1691 deprived of his official honors and rank. In 1694 an imperial decree was issued summoning him to Peking to fill certain literary posts, but he had already died. When Hsü Ch'ien-hsüeh returned south to compile the Ta Ch'ing i-t'ung-chih, he invited to his villa at Tung-t'ing shan 泂庭山 on Lake T'ai-hu, southwest of Soochow, some of the most noted scholars of his day, among them Yen Jo-chü, Ku Tsu-yü, Hu Wei, and Huang Yü-chi [qq.v.]. Hsü and these scholars labored assiduously on the Ta Ch'ing i-t'ung-chih, drawing their information chiefly from Hsü's famous library, Ch'uan-shih lou 傳是樓. A catalogue of this library, entitled Ch'uan-shih lou shu-mu (書目), was first printed in 1915 -- appended to it being a catalogue of Hsü Ping-i's library, entitled P'ei-lin t'ang (培林堂) shu-mu. After Hsü Ch'ien-hsüeh died (1694) his valedictory memorial was sent to Peking, together with the draft copy of the Ta-Ch'ing i-t'ung chih and several other works. The manuscripts of the gazetteer were revised time and again until they were finally put into shape in 1743 and printed in 1744 in 356 chüan. A second edition in 424 chüan was printed in 1790 -- one feature being that it included the newly conquered area in Turkestan and elsewhere. A third edition was completed in 1842, and was reproduced in 560 chüan in 1934 (see under Yung-yen).

The above-mentioned Tz'ŭ-chih t'ung-chien hou-pien, 184 chüan, was printed in 1898 by Hsü Chên-wu (see under Pao-t'ing) who supplemented it with 15 chüan of collation notes. Hsü's collected literary works, entitled 憺園集 Tan-yüan chi, 36 chüan, were printed in 1694. The Ssŭ-k'u Catalogue (see under Chi Yün) gives notice of six works by Hsü of which three were copied into the Imperial Library. The collectanea of studies in the Classics, T'ung-chih t'ang ching-chieh (see under Singde) was compiled and printed by Hsü Ch'ien-hsüeh for his pupil, Singde, under whose name it is commonly listed.

Hsü Ch'ien-hsüeh had five sons, all of whom obtained the chin-shih degree. The eldest, Hsü Shu-ku 徐樹穀 (T. 藝初 H. 以約, chin-shih of 1685), was a censor. The second, Hsü Chiung 徐烱 (T. 章仲 H. 自強, 花谿, chin-shih of 1682), was intendant of the Tungchow Yung-p'ing Circuit in Chihli (1715-16). The third, Hsü Shu-min 徐樹敏 (T. 師魯 H. 玉山, chin-shih of 1703), served as magistrate of An-yang, Honan, from 1711 to 1719. The fourth, Hsü Shu-p'ing 徐樹屏 ( T. 敬思 H. 省庵, chin-shih of 1712), was commissioner of education of Kwangsi (1720-23). The fifth, Hsü Chün 徐駿 ( T. 觀卿 H. 堅蕉, chin-shih of 1713), one time a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, was discharged for carelessness. The names of many descendants of these five sons are recorded in local gazetteers as holders of official posts.

[ 1/277/la; 3/57 /l a 補錄 ; 4/20/19a; 20/1/00 (portrait );崑新兩縣續修合志 K'un Hsin liang-hsien Hsü-hsiu ho-chih (1880) 24/32a; Ss'ŭ-k'u 20/10a, 47/14a, 97/8a, 183/4a, 190/la, 194/6 a; 文獻叢編 Wên-hsien ts'ung pien (1930) 4, 5; Li Kuang-ti [q.v.], Jung-ts'un yü-lu, Hsü-pien.]

TU LIEN-CHÊ

《清史稿》卷271

徐乾學，字原一，江南崑山人。幼慧，八歲能文。康熙九年，一甲三名進士，授編修。十一年，副蔡啟僔主順天鄉試，拔韓菼於遺卷中，明年魁天下，文體一變。坐副榜未取漢軍卷，與啟僔並鐫秩調用。尋復故官，遷左贊善，充日講起居注官。丁母憂歸，乾學父先卒，哀毀三年，喪葬一以禮；及母卒，如之。為讀禮通考百二十卷，博采眾說，剖析其義。服闋，起故官。充明史總裁官，累遷侍講學士。

二十三年，乾學弟元文以左都御史降調，其子樹聲與乾學子樹屏並舉順天鄉試。上以是科取中南皿卷皆江、浙人，而湖廣、江西、福建無一與者，下九卿科道磨勘。樹屏等坐斥舉人。是年冬，乾學進詹事。二十四年，召試翰詹諸臣，擢乾學第一，與侍讀韓菼、編修孫岳頒、侍講歸允肅、編修喬萊等四人并降敕褒獎賞賚。尋直南書房，擢內閣學士，充大清會典、一統志副總裁，教習庶吉士。時戶部郎中色楞額往福建稽察鼓鑄，請禁用明代舊錢，尚書科爾坤、余國柱等議如所請。乾學言：「自古皆新舊兼行，以從民便。若設厲禁，恐滋紛擾。」因考自漢至明故事，為議以獻。上然之，事遂寢。

詔采購遺書，乾學以宋、元經解、李燾續通鑑長編及唐開元禮，或繕寫，或仍古本，綜其體要，條列奏進，上稱善。時乾學與學士張英日侍左右，凡著作之任，皆以屬之。學士例推巡撫，上以二人學問淹通，宜侍從，特諭吏部，遇巡撫缺勿預推。未幾，遷禮部侍郎，直講經筵。朝鮮使臣鄭載嵩訴其國王受枉，語悖妄。乾學謂恐長外藩跋扈，劾其使臣失辭不敬，宜責以大義。上見疏，獎，謂有關國體。已而王上疏謝罪。二十六年，遷左都御史，擢刑部尚書。二十七年，典會試。

初，明珠當國，勢張甚，其黨布中外，乾學不能立異同。至是，明珠漸失帝眷，而乾學驟拜左都御史，即劾罷江西巡撫安世鼎，諷諸御史風聞言事，臺諫多所彈劾，不避權貴。明珠竟罷相，眾皆謂乾學主之。時有南、北黨之目，互相抨擊。尚書科爾坤、佛倫，明珠黨也，乾學遇會議會推，輒與齟齬。總河靳輔奏下河屯田，下九卿會議，乾學偕尚書張玉書言屯田所占民地應歸舊業，科爾坤、佛倫勿從。御史陸祖修因劾科爾坤等偏袒河臣，不顧公議，御史郭琇亦劾輔興屯累民，詔罷輔任。湖廣巡撫張汧亦明珠私人，先是命色楞額往讞上荊南道祖澤深婪贓各款，並察汧有無穢跡，色楞額悉為庇隱。御史陳紫芝劾汧貪黷，命副都御史開音布會巡撫于成龍、馬齊覆訊，汧、澤深事俱實，復得澤深交結大學士余國柱為囑色楞額徇庇及汧遣人赴京行賄狀，下法司嚴議。時國柱已為琇劾罷，法司請檄追質訊，並詰汧行賄何人，汧指乾學。上聞，命免國柱質訊，戒勿株連。於是但論汧、澤深、色楞額如律，事遂寢。乾學尋乞罷，疏言：「臣蒙特達之知，感激矢報，苞苴餽遺，一切禁絕。前任湖北巡撫張汧橫肆汙衊，緣臣為憲長，拒其幣問，是以銜憾誣攀。非聖明在上，是非幾至混淆。臣備位卿僚，乃為貪吏誣搆，皇上覆載之仁，不加譴責，臣復何顏出入禁廷，有玷清班？伏冀聖慈放歸田里。」詔許以原官解任，仍領修書總裁事。

二十八年，元文拜大學士，乾學子樹穀考選御史。副都御史許三禮劾乾學：「律身不嚴，為張汧所引。皇上寬仁，不加譴責，即宜引咎自退，乞命歸里。又復優柔繫戀，潛住長安。乘修史為名，出入禁廷，與高士奇相為表裡。物議沸騰，招搖納賄。其子樹穀不遵成例，朦朧考選御史，明有所恃。獨其弟秉義文行兼優，原任禮部尚書熊賜履理學醇儒，乞立即召用，以佐盛治。乾學當逐出史館，樹穀應調部屬，以遵成例。」詔乾學復奏，乾學疏辨，乞罷斥歸田，並免樹穀職。疏皆下部議，坐三禮所劾無實，應鐫秩調用。三禮益恚，復列疑訐乾學贓罪，帝嚴斥之，免降調，仍留任。

是年冬，乾學復上疏言：「臣年六十，精神衰耗，祗以受恩深重，依戀徘徊。三禮私怨逞忿，幸聖主洞燭幽隱。臣方寸靡寧，不能復事鉛槧。且恐因循居此，更有無端彈射。乞恩終始矜全，俾得保其衰病之身，歸省先臣丘隴，庶身心閒暇。願比古人書局自隨之義，屏跡編摩，少報萬一。」乃許給假回籍，降旨褒嘉，命攜書籍即家編輯。二十九年春，陛辭，賜御書「光燄萬丈」榜額。未幾，兩江總督傅臘塔疏劾乾學囑託蘇州府貢監等請建生祠，復縱其子姪交結巡撫洪之傑，倚勢競利，請敕部嚴議。語具元文傳。上置弗問，而予元文休致。

三十年，山東巡撫佛倫劾濰縣知縣朱敦厚加收火耗論死，并及乾學嘗致書前任巡撫錢珏庇敦厚。乾學與珏俱坐是奪職。自是齮齕者不已。嘉定知縣聞在上為縣民訐告私派，逮獄，閱二年未定讞。按察使高承爵窮詰，在上自承嘗餽乾學子樹敏金，至事發後追還，因坐樹敏罪論絞。會詔戒內外各官私怨報復，樹敏得贖罪。三十三年，諭大學士舉長於文章學問超卓者，王熙、張玉書等薦乾學與王鴻緒、高士奇，命來京修書。乾學已前卒，遺疏以所纂一統志進，詔下所司，復故官。