Zhao Yi 趙翼

Chao I 趙翼 (T. 崧耘, H. 松甌, 甌北) Dec. 4, 1727-1814, June 5, historian and poet, was a native of Yang-hu, Kiangsu. His father, Chao Wei-k'uan 趙惟寬 (T. 子容, d. 1741), taught in private schools for a living. After the age of six (sui) Chao I studied with his father and accompanied him to various teaching positions. In 1741 his father died while teaching in the home of a family named Hang 杭. This left the son destitute, with younger brothers and a sister to support. The Hang family took pity on him and asked him to take over his father's duties. Chao I was then only fifteen (sui) and his pupils were all his former schoolmates. For eight years, until 1749, he was thus engaged, like his father, as a teacher in various localities. In 1749 he went to Peking, and before long his literary abilities became known and appreciated in the capital. Liu T'ung-hsün [q.v.], who was then Grand Secretary, asked him to his residence to assist in the compilation of the 宮史, Kung shih, or "History of the Palace", which was completed in 1770 in 36 chüan. In the following year (1750) Chao I became a chü-jên. Upon passing a special examination (1754) he was made a secretary of the Grand Secretariat and two years later (1756) was appointed a secretary in the Grand Council. During this time the conquest of Turkestan was in progress (see under Chao-hui), and most of the numerous official communications that were issued from the Council of State (in Chinese), for transmission to the northwest, were drafted by Chao I. In 1751 he became a chin-shih which he originally passed with the rank of optimus, or chuang-yüan 狀元. But when Emperor Kao-tsung observed the list of candidates and discovered that the third ranking graduate, Wang Chieh (see under Chiang Fan), was from the province of Shênsi, which had never before produced an optimus), he ordered the names to be interchanged, with the result that Chao I was ranked third.

Chao I was assistant examiner of the Shun-t'ien provincial examination in 1762, chief examiner of the military examination of the same area in 1765, and associate examiner of the metropolitan examination in 1763 and in 1766. Late in 1766 he was appointed prefect of Chên-an in Kwangsi province. Chên-an was a prefecture southwest Kwangsi, bordering Annam on the south, and Yunnan on the west. It comprised an area of about 800 square li. After assuming office Chao I visited all parts of his prefecture, and initiated various reforms designed to improve the lot of the people. But in 1768 he incurred the displeasure of his superior for disagreeing with a decision in a criminal case. He was about to be denounced when an imperial edict arrived ordering him to work temporarily with the military staff in Yunnan which was then operating against Burma (see under Fu-hêng). In the summer of 1769 he resumed his post in Chên-an, and in the following year was transferred to the prefecture of Kuang-chou (Canton). In 1771 he was made tao-t'ai or intendant of the Circuit of Kuei-hsi, Kweichow. Two years later (1773) he was allowed to retire in order to look after his aged mother.

During these years at home he completed and published a collection of miscellaneous notes in 43 chüan, entitled 陔餘叢考 Kai-yü ts'ung-k'ao, and other works of a similar nature. His mother died in 1777. At the conclusion of the period of mourning (1780) he proceeded to the capital to report for duty, but on the way was stricken by paralysis and returned home. From 1784 to 1786 he was head of the An-ting Academy 安定書院 in Yangchow, Kiangsu. When in 1787 a rebellion broke out in Formosa under the leadership of Lin Shuang-wên (see under Ch'ai Ta-chi), Li Shih-yao [q.v.], governor-general of Fukien and Chekiang, who was then in charge of military supplies, requested Chao to assist him. When Chao returned from Fukien in 1788, he was again in charge of the An-ting Academy, a post he held until 1792. In 1809, at the age of 83 (sui), he gave himself the nickname, San-pan Lao-jên 三半老人 "The Old Man with Three Halves," that is to say, with eyes that could only half see, with ears that could only half hear, and with a voice that could only be half heard. He died in 1814 at the age of 88 (sui).

Chao I's well-known critical work on the Twenty-two Dynastic Histories, entitled 廿二史劄記 Nien-êr shih cha-chi in 36 chüan, was completed in 1796 and was first printed in 1799. The 1877 reprint of his complete works, entitled 甌北全集 Ou-pei ch'üan-chi consists of seven titles. In addition to the afore-mentioned Kai-yü ts'ung k'ao and Nien-êr shih cha-chi, it contains 53 chüan of poems, 甌北集 Ou-pei chi; 10 chüan of discourses on poetry (甌北詩話, Ou-pei shih-hua), including a chronological biography of the Sung poet, Lu Yu 陸游 (T. 務觀, 放翁 1125-1210) entitled 放翁年譜 Fang-wêng nien-p'u; a collection of miscellaneous notes, entitled 簷曝雜記 Yen-p'u tsa-chi; a selection of his poems, entitled 甌北詩鈔 Ou-pei shih-ch'ao; and the 皇朝武功紀盛 Huang-ch'ao wu-kung chi-shêng in 4 chüan, a record of the military achievements (seven campaigns) of the Ch'ing Dynasty. Chao I's accounts of the campaigns against Burma and Formosa are particularly noteworthy in view of the fact that he himself took part in them. As a poet he was one of the foremost of his time, being classed with Yüan Mei and Chiang Shih-ch'üan [qq.v.].

[l,/490/lla; 3/212j9a; 甌北先生年譜 Ou-pei hsien-shêng nien-p'u. in Ou-pei ch'üan-chi; 武進陽湖合志 Wu-chin Yang-hu ho-chih (1886) 26/43a.

TU LIEN-CHÊ

字雲崧 號甌北 江蘇常州府陽湖縣人 乾隆庚午科舉人 甲戌會試明通榜 考授內閣中書 軍機章京 辛巳恩科一甲三名進士 翰林院編修 廣西鎮安府 廣東廣州府知府 貴州貴西兵備道 壬午科順天鄉試同考官 癸未丙戌會試同考官 乙酉科順天武鄉試副考官 嘉慶庚午科重赴鹿鳴筵宴 賞加三品頂戴

著有

• 《皇朝武功紀盛》
• 《廿二史劄記》
• 《陔餘叢考》
• 《甌北詩集》《詩鈔》《詩話》
• 《簷曝雜記》

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《清史稿》卷485

趙翼，字耘松，陽湖人。生三歲能識字，年十二，為文一日成七篇，人奇其才。乾隆十九年，由舉人中明通榜，用內閣中書，入直軍機，大學士傅恆尤重之。二十六年，復成進士，殿試擬一甲第一，王杰第三。高宗謂陝西自國朝以來未有以一甲一名及第者，遂拔杰而移翼第三，授編修。後出知鎮安府。粵民輸穀常社倉，用竹筐，以權代概。有司因購馬濟滇軍，別置大筐斂穀，後遂不革，民苦之。翼聽民用舊筐，自權，持羨去，民由是感激，每出行，爭肩輿過其村。先是鎮民付奉入雲南土富州為姦，捕獲百餘人，付奉顧逸去，前守以是罷官。已而付奉死，驗其尸良是。總督李侍堯疑其為前守道地，翼申辨，總督怒，劾之。適朝廷用兵緬甸，命翼赴軍贊畫，乃追劾疏還。傅恆既至滇，經略兵事，議以大兵渡戛鳩江，別遣偏師從普洱進。翼謂普洱距戛鳩江四千餘里，不如由江東岸近地取猛密，如其策入告。其後戛鳩兵遭瘴多疾病，而阿桂所統江東岸一軍獨完，卒以蕆事。尋調守廣州，擢貴西兵備道。以廣州讞獄舊案降級，遂乞歸，不復出。五十二年，林爽文反臺灣，侍堯赴閩治軍，邀翼與俱。時總兵柴大紀城守半載，以易子析骸入告。帝意動，諭大紀以兵護民內渡。侍堯以詢翼，翼曰：「總兵欲內渡久矣，憚國法故不敢。今一棄城，則鹿耳門為賊有，全臺休矣！即大兵至，無路可入。宜封還此旨。」侍堯悟，從之，明日接追還前旨之諭，侍堯膺殊賞；而大將軍福康安續至，遂得由鹿耳門進兵破賊，皆翼計也。事平，辭歸，以著述自娛。尤邃史學，著廿二史劄記、皇朝武功紀盛、陔餘叢考、簷曝雜記、甌北詩集。嘉慶十五年，重宴鹿鳴，賜三品銜。卒，年八十六。同時袁枚、蔣士銓與翼齊名，而翼有經世之略，未盡其用。所為詩無不如人意所欲為，亦其才優也。其同里學人後於翼而知名者，有洪亮吉、孫星衍、趙懷玉、黃景仁、楊倫、呂星垣、徐書受，號為「毘陵七子」。亮吉、星衍、懷玉自有傳。