Zhu Shi 朱軾

Chu Shih 朱軾 (T. 若膽, H. 可亭) Sept. 19, 1665–1736, Oct. 22, official and Confucian scholar, was a native of Kao-an, Kiangsi. He became a hsiu-ts'ai in 1687; a chü-jên in 1693, and a chin-shih in 1694. As a scholar in the Hanlin Academy he studied the Manchu language. Not permitted to remain in the Academy, he was, after three years (1700) made district magistrate of Ch'ien-chiang, Hupeh. He returned to the capital in 1706 and was made a second-class secretary to the Board of Punishments. In 1707 he became a department director on the same Board. In 1709 he was appointed commissioner of education for Shênsi where he emphasized the teachings of the Sung philosopher, Chang Tsai 張載 (T. 子厚, 1020–1077). His pupils were reared under the idea that knowledge of the rites would transform and perfect the natural disposition. Having again returned to the capital in 1714, he was elevated the following year to the position of governor of Fêng-t'ien-fu (Liao-ning province). In 1716 he was made a commissioner in the Office of Transmission. In 1717 he was appointed governor of Chekiang. While holding this office he was concerned with the strengthening of the sea walls at the mouth of the Ch'ien-t'ang River. Chu remained governor of Chekiang until late in 1720 when he was appointed to the presidency of the Censorate. In 1721 his father died. But such was Chu's serviceableness in an official capacity that Emperor Shêng-tsu ordered him to remain in office during the period of mourning. Chu begged that he at least be allowed to serve in some rigorous way, and asked to be permitted to follow the army into Mongolia. The emperor, instead, sent him in 1721 to Shansi to administer relief in a time of drought and famine. During this assignment, although suffering from a severe attack of dysentery, he memorialized the throne several times, outlining methods for the administration of relief and condemning certain corrupt practices of the officials in the stricken areas. He recommended that medical centers be established to prevent the danger of the spread of contagious diseases. After the death of Shêng-tsu in 1722 Chu was editor-in-chief for the compiling of the "Veritable Records" (實錄) of the reign of that emperor.

Under the new emperor, Shih-tsung, Chu continued in office as president of the Censorate and in 1723 was granted the honorary title of Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent. In 1725 he was promoted to the office of Grand Secretary. The same year Emperor Shih-tsung ordered him, to assist Yin-hsiang [q.v.], the first Prince I, in irrigation work in Chihli. When the prince died, in 1730, Chu was put in charge of this work. In 1726 Chu's mother died, and again he was not permitted to retire entirely from his duties to observe the customary period of mourning. The emperor advised him not to let his grief endanger his health as his strength was of great value to the Empire. In 1735 all the dikes along the sea-coast in Chekiang were damaged except those which had been built under Chu's supervision. Chu thereupon volunteered to rebuild the damaged sections, but soon after he left Peking (1735) Emperor Shih-tsung died. Chu was recalled to the capital and the new emperor, Kao-tsung, awarded him the minor hereditary rank of Ch'i tu-yü 騎都尉. The same year Chu memorialized advising that the custom of measuring the land of farmers, in order to determine the amount of taxation, be discontinued because it led to injustice. He also memorialized about the excessive severity in the new courts, and recommended that no instruments of punishment be used except those explicitly recognized by law. In 1736 he was appointed editor-in-chief of the "Veritable Records" of the reign of Shih-tsung. In October of that year he became seriously ill. Emperor Kao-tsung went personally to inquire after him, and Chu, determined to abide by the ritual, rose from his bed, put on his court robes and went out to meet the emperor. Chu died the next day. The emperor, whose tutor Chu had been when the former was a boy, was overcome with grief. He discontinued Court for a day, went personally to offer sacrifices to the deceased, granted an official funeral, and provided funds. Chu was given the posthumous name Wên-tuan 文端. In 1738 his tablet was placed in the Temple of Eminent Statesmen. One of his descendants who succeeded to the hereditary rank was Chu Han 朱瀚 (original name 時序, H. 寅庵, died 1857, age 5 sui), a military officer who attained to the post of colonel of Yüan-chou, Hunan, and served under Hsiang Jung [q.v.] against the Taiping rebels. Chu Han was also a poet.

Chu Shih belonged to the Kuan School of Philosophy (關學) which grew out of the teachings of Chang Tsai, but his principal interest was in the rites, or rules of propriety. He thus emphasized practice rather than theoretical concern with such concepts as "human nature" 性, or "the mandate"命. He reprinted Chang's collected works, 張氏全書 Chang-shih ch'üan-shu, 15 chüan. His 周易傳義合訂 Chou-i chuan-i ho-ting, 12 chüan, in part attempts to reconcile the interpretations by Ch'êng I and Chu Hsi (for both see under Hu Wei) of the Book of Changes. The explanations of other scholars are introduced, and when more reasonable than those of Ch'êng and Chu are given precedence over the latter. This work is commended for not being partisan. It was first printed in 1737, contains a preface by Emperor Kao-tsung, and has been copied into the Ssŭ-k'u ch'üan-shu (see under Chi Yün). His 史傳三編 Shih-chuan san-pien, 56 chüan, the printing of which was completed in 1729, contains biographies of celebrated literati, of eminent ministers, and of virtuous officials. At the time of the completion of the work, the official Ming history had not yet been published. The narrative thus stops with the Yüan dynasty.

While in Chekiang in 1718–19, Chu reprinted several of the classics and some other works, sometimes in abridged editions. Among these are: 春秋鈔 Ch'un-ch'iu ch'ao, 10 chüan; 孝經 Hsiao ching, with a discourse about its different editions; 儀禮節略 I-li chieh-lüeh, 20 chüan; 大戴禮記 Ta-Tai Li-chi, 13 chüan; and 禮記纂言 Li-chi tsuan-yen, 36 chüan. Other works he reprinted were: 呂氏四禮翼 Lü-shih Ssŭ-li i; 顏氏家訓 Yen-shih chia-hsün, 2 chüan; and 溫公家範 Wên-kung chia fan, 10 chüan. The printing blocks for the thirteen works listed above were destroyed during the Taiping rebellion in 1855. The works were reprinted in 1897 under the title, 朱文端藏書 Chu Wên-tuan ts'ang-shu shih-san chung. His collected short prose writings, entitled Chu Wên-tuan wên-chi 文集, 4 chüan, were first printed in 1737, expanded to 8 chüan, and reprinted in 1871.

[Chu Wên-tuan kung nien-p'u (年譜), originally compiled by Chu Han and revised by Chu Ling 朱舲; 3/13/la; Ssŭ-k'u, 6/7b, 26/6b, 5S/6b; Catalogue of the Kuo-hsüeh Library 30/30 a–b; 敕修兩浙海塘通志 Chi hsiu Liang-Chê hai-t'ang t'ung-chih (1751), 4/5b; Kao-an hsien-chih (1871) 15/17b.j

RUFUS O. SUTER

《清史稿》卷289

朱軾，字若瞻，江西高安人。康熙三十二年，舉鄉試第一。三十三年，成進士，改庶吉士，散館授湖北潛江知縣。潛江俗敝賦繁，軾令免耗羨，用法必持平。有?毆殺人獄，上官改故殺，軾力爭之，卒莫能奪。四十四年，行取，授刑部主事，累遷郎中。四十八年，出督陝西學政。修橫渠張子之教，以知禮成性、變化氣質訓士。故事，試冊報部科，當有公使錢。軾獨無，坐遲誤被劾，士論為不平。會有以其事聞上者，上命軾畢試事。五十二年，擢光祿寺少卿。歷奉天府尹、通政使。

五十六年，授浙江巡撫。五十七年，疏請修築海塘：北岸海寧老鹽倉千三百四十丈，南岸上虞夏蓋山千七百九十丈；並議開中亹淤沙，復江海故道。又疏言：「海寧沿塘皆浮沙，雖長樁巨石，難期保固。當用水櫃法，以松、杉木為櫃，實碎石，用為塘根，上施巨石為塘身。附塘為坦坡，亦用水櫃，外砌巨石二三重，高及塘之半，用護塘址。塘內為河，名曰備塘河。居民築壩積淤，應去壩濬河，即以其土培岸。」俱下部議行。杭州南、北兩關稅，例由巡撫監收。軾以稅口五十餘，稽察匪易，請委員兼理。部議以杭州捕盜同知監收，仍令巡撫統轄。五十八年，疏劾巡鹽御史哈爾金索商人賄，上命尚書張廷樞、學士德音按治，論如律。五十九年，擢左都御史。六十年，遭父喪，命在任守制，疏辭，上不許，請從軍自效。

上以山、陝旱災，發帑五十萬，命軾與光祿寺卿盧詢分往勸糶治賑。軾往山西，疏請令被劾司道以下出資贍饑民，富民與商人出資於南省糴米，暫停淮安、鳳陽等關米稅；饑民流徙，令所在地方官安置，能出資以贍者得題薦；饑民群聚，易生癘疫，設廠醫治。又疏言：「倉庾積貯，有司平日侵蝕，遇災復假平糶、借貸、煮粥為名，以少報多，有名無實。請敕詳察虧空，少則勒限補還，多則嚴究治罪。至因賑動倉穀，輒稱捐俸抵補，俸銀有限，倉穀甚多。借非實借，還非實還，宜併清覈。」皆從所議行。別疏請令山西各縣建社倉，引泉溉田。上謂：「社倉始於朱子，僅可行於小縣鄉村。若奏為定例，官吏奉行，久之，與民無益。山、陝山多水少，間有泉源，亦不能暢引溉田。軾既以為請，即令久駐山西，鼓勵試行。」軾自承冒昧，乞寢其議，上不許。未幾，川陝總督年羹堯劾西安知府徐容、鳳翔知府甘文煊虧帑，請特簡親信大臣會鞫。上命軾往勘，得實，論如律。六十一年，乞假葬父，歸。

世宗即位，召詣京師，充聖祖實錄總裁，賜第。雍正元年，命直南書房。予其母冷氏封。加吏部尚書銜，尋復加太子太保。充順天鄉試考官，嘉其公慎，進太子太傅。二年，兼吏部尚書。命勘江、浙海塘。三年，還，奏：「浙江餘姚滸山鎮西至臨山衞，舊土塘三道，本為民灶修築。今民灶無力，應動帑興修。自臨山衞經上虞烏盆村至會稽瀝海所，土塘七千丈，應以石為基，就石累土。又海寧陳文港至尖山，土塘七百六十六丈，應就塘加寬，覆條石於巔，塘外以亂石為子塘，護塘址當修砌完固。至子塘處，依式興築。海鹽秦駐山至演武場石塘，圮八十丈，潰七十丈，均補築。都計工需十五萬有奇。江南金山衞城北至上海華家角，土塘六千二百餘丈，內三千八百丈當改為石塘。上海汛頭墩至嘉定二千四百丈，水勢稍緩，土塘加築高厚，足資捍禦。都計工需十九萬有奇。」下部議行。拜文華殿大學士，兼吏部尚書。

上命怡親王胤祥總理畿輔水利營田，以軾副之。四年，請分設四局，各以道員領其事。二月，軾遭母喪，命馳驛回籍，諭曰：「軾事母至孝，但母年八十餘，祿養顯揚，俱無餘憾。當節哀抑慟，護惜此身，為國家出力。」賜內帑治喪，敕江西巡撫俟軾至家賜祭。軾奏謝，乞終制，上允解任，仍領水利營田，期八月詣京師。九月，軾將至，遣學士何國宗、副都統永福迎勞，許素服終喪。上以浙江風俗澆漓，特設觀風整俗使，軾疏言：「風俗澆漓，莫甚於爭訟。臣巡撫浙江，知杭、嘉、湖、紹四府民最好訟。請增設杭嘉湖巡道，而以紹興屬寧台道。民間詞訟冤抑，准巡道申理。」上從其請。六年，以病乞解任，上手詔留之。八年，怡親王薨，命軾總理水利營田。尋兼兵部尚書，署翰林院掌院學士。十三年，議築浙江海塘，軾請往董其役，上俞之，敕督撫及管理塘工諸大臣咸聽節制。

高宗即位，召還，命協同總理事務，予拜他喇布勒哈番世職。時治獄尚刻深，各省爭言開墾為民累，軾疏言：「四川丈量，多就熟田增加錢糧；廣西報部墾田數萬畝，其實多係虛無。因請通行丈量，冀求熟田弓口之餘，以補報墾無著之數。大行皇帝洞燭其弊，飭停止丈量；而前此虛報升科，入冊輸糧，小民不免苦累。河南報墾亦多不實。州縣田地間有未能耕種之處，或因山區磽确，旋墾旋荒；或因江岸河濱，東坍西漲。是以荒者未盡開墾，墾者未盡升科。至已熟之田，或糧額甚輕，亦由土壤磽瘠，數畝不敵腴田一畝，非欺隱者比。不但丈量不可行，即令據實首報，小民惟恐察出治罪，勉強報升，將來完納不前，仍歸荒廢。請停止丈量，飭禁首報，詳察現在報墾之田，有不實者，題請開除。」又疏言：「法吏以嚴刻為能，不問是非曲直，刻意株連，惟逞鍛鍊之長，希著明察之號。請敕督撫諭有司，讞獄務虛公詳慎，原情酌理，協於中正。刑具悉遵定制，不得擅用夾棍、大枷。」上深嘉納之。

乾隆元年，充世宗實錄總裁。九月，病篤，上親臨視疾。軾力疾服朝服，令其子扶掖，迎拜戶外。翌日，卒。遺疏略言：「萬事根本君心，用人理財，尤宜慎重。君子小人，公私邪正，判在幾微，當審察其心跡而進退之。至國家經費，本自有餘，異日倘有言利之臣，倡加賦之稅，伏祈聖心乾斷，永斥浮言，實四海蒼生之福。」上震悼輟朝，復親臨致奠，發帑治喪。贈太傅，賜祭葬，諡文端。

軾樸誠事主，純修清德，負一時重望。高宗初典學，世宗命為師傅，設席懋勤殿，行拜師禮。軾以經訓進講，亟稱賈、董、宋五子之學。高宗深重之，懷舊詩稱可亭朱先生，可亭，軾號也。子必堦，以廕生官至大理寺卿；璂，進士，官至左庶子；必坦，舉人，襲騎都尉。