Cao Xibao (曹錫寶) | 24 Histories

Overview

Cao Xibao was an official and Censor.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Hongshu	鴻書	Hongshu

Life and dates

Death

AD 1792 五十七年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 132

Attested activity

AD 1766 三十一年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 112
AD 1736 to AD 1757 乾隆初
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 107
AD 1757 二十二年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 110
AD 1786 五十一年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 319, passage 40
AD 1792 五十七年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 132
AD 1786 to AD 1799 和珅柄政時獲譴
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 319, passage 84

Show 1 more source-backed claim

AD 1785 to AD 1786 居三年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 119

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Cao Yishi (曹一士)
nephew 從子 · paternal line · Through Father of Cao Xibao (曹錫寶父)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 138
Child of Father of Cao Xibao (曹錫寶父)
son 子 · paternal line
father 父 · paternal line
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 138
Child of Mother of Cao Xibao (曹錫寶母)
mother 母 · maternal line
Sources vary in certainty · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 111
Parent of Cao Jiang (曹江)
son 子
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 137

Key source chapters

Career and standing

principal clerk in the Ministry of Punishments 刑部主事
AD 1766 三十一年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 112
Grand Secretariat secretary 內閣中書
AD 1736 to AD 1757 乾隆初 · Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 107
investigating censor for the Shaanxi circuit 陝西道監察御史
AD 1785 to AD 1786 居三年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 119
grain intendant of Shandong 山東糧道
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 114
Hanlin bachelor 庶吉士
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 110
Grand Council clerk 軍機處章京
Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 107

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Censor 御史
Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 319, passage 40
Vice Censor-in-Chief 副都御史
AD 1799 仁宗親政 · Posthumously granted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 137
Vice Director of the Imperial College 國子監司業
Promoted for use
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 118
director 郎中
Promoted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 113
demotion recommended 左遷
Recommended demotion
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 127
posthumous reward for forthright speech 優獎以旌直言
AD 1799 仁宗親政 · Bestowed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passages 136-137
honored by clear edict 褒贈
Bestowed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 356, passage 78
received condemnation 獲譴
Punishment · Punished
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 319, passage 42
punishment waived; transferred and retained in office 姑寬其罰，改革職留任
Punishment waived
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 131
referred to the ministry for deliberation 下部議
Referred for deliberation
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 115
Suffered
Punished
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 319, passage 84

Places and affiliations

Qing 清
Relation Associated with
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 356, passage 77
Polity Qing 清 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 319, passages 40, 84; Draft History of Qing 322, passage 119
Polity Qing 清 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 107
At same native place as Wu Shengqin 同鄉里
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 121
At Shanghai in Jiangnan 江南上海
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 106
At Shandong 山東 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 114

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Organization censorate / terraces and ministries 台省 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 138

Learning and skills

Earned
AD 1757 二十二年 · Credential Presented Scholar 進士
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 110
Held
Credential provincial graduate 舉人
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 107

Works and attributed material

Complete Library of the Four Treasuries 四庫全書
Relation Served on project
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passages 117-118
Memorial · Author · With Emperor (上)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passages 122, 125
Speech · Speaker · With Emperor (上) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 125

Events and relationships

Admitted rashness
Legal · Subject
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 124
Asked for punishment
Legal · Subject
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 126
Could not substantiate charges
AD 1786 五十一年 · Legal · Accuser · With Heshen (和珅)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 319, passage 41
Declined promotion to reader
Personnel · Decliner
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 108
Impeached Heshen's servant Liu Quan
Legal · Accuser · With Liu Quan (劉全)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 356, passage 77
Impeached Liu Quan as pretext against He Shen
AD 1786 五十一年 · Legal · Accuser · With Liu Quan (劉全)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 319, passage 40

Show 12 more source-backed claims

Interrogated at traveling palace
Legal · Subject · With Emperor (上)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 125
Prepared impeachment
Legal · Impeacher · With Liu Quan (劉全)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 121
Questioned in capital
Legal · Subject
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 124
Re interrogated
Legal · Subject · With Liang Guozhi (梁國治)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 126
Referred homicide case to ministry
Legal · Referring official
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 115
Returned home for mother mourning
Mourning · Son
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 111
Searched residence
Legal · Inspector · With Liu Quan (劉全) · At Liu Quan's household 全家
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 124
Specially appointed censor
AD 1785 to AD 1786 居三年 · Appointment · Appointee
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 119
Audience · Summoned official · With Gaozong (高宗) · At Shandong 山東
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 116
Relation Recommended by · Person Agui (阿桂)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 117
Relation Fellow townsman of · Person Wu Shenglan (吳省蘭)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 356, passage 77
Relation Fellow townsman of · Person Wu Shengqin (吳省欽)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 121; Draft History of Qing 356, passage 77

Assessments and attributes

Assessment bookish and unverified in memorializing · Mode named-source-report Speaker Emperor (上)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 130
Assessment charges against Liu Quan were not false · Mode named-source-report Speaker Emperor Renzong (仁宗)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 136
Assessment known for daring speech across two generations · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 138
Assessment true remonstrating minister who alone dared impeach · Mode named-source-report Speaker Emperor Renzong (仁宗)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 134
stricken with ulcers and took several years to recover
Illness
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 111
Item urn for burning draft memorials 甕 · Relation Family possessed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 322, passage 139

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 319, passage 84; Draft History of Qing 322, passage 119

References in the histories

Search passages

History

22 passages

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 319Volume 319 Biographies 106: Yu Minzhong, He Shen Son: Feng Shenyinde, Younger Brother: He Lin, Su Linga · 5 passages

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五十一年，御史曹錫寶劾和珅家奴劉全奢僭，造屋踰制，帝察其欲劾和珅，不敢明言，故以家人為由。 In the fifty-first year Censor Cao Xibao impeached He Shen's household slave Liu Quan for arrogating prerogatives and building houses in violation of regulations. The emperor saw that Cao really wished to impeach He Shen himself but dared not say so openly, and so used the household member as his pretext.

命王大臣會同都察院傳問錫寶，使直陳和珅私弊，卒不能指實。 Imperial princes and ministers together with the Censorate were ordered to summon Cao Xibao and have him speak directly of He Shen's private abuses, but he ultimately could not substantiate any charge.

和珅亦預使劉全毀屋更造，察勘不得直，錫寶因獲譴。 He Shen had also beforehand had Liu Quan demolish and rebuild the house. Inspection could not verify the charge, and Cao Xibao was punished.

詔以其管崇文門監督已閱八年，大學士不宜兼榷務，且錫寶劾其家人，未必不因此，遂罷其監督。 An edict stated that he had managed the Chongwen Gate superintendency for eight years, that a grand secretary should not also hold revenue-collection duties, and that Cao Xibao's impeachment of his household member may not have been unrelated to the matter. His superintendency was therefore removed.

曹錫寶、尹壯圖皆獲譴，無敢昌言其罪者。 Cao Xibao and Yin Zhuangtu were all punished, and none dared speak openly of his crimes.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 322Volume 322 Biographies 109: Dou Guangnai, Li Shufang, Fan Yibin, Cao Xibao, Xie Zhending, Qian Feng, Yin Zhuangtu · 15 passages

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曹錫寶，字鴻書，一字劍亭，江南上海人。 Cao Xibao, whose courtesy names were Hongshu and Jianting, came from Shanghai in Jiangnan.

資深當擢侍讀，錫寶辭。 When seniority made him eligible for promotion to reader, Xibao declined.

衛千總寧廷言子惠以索逋殺千總張繼渠，錫寶下部議。 Ning Hui, son of garrison corporal Ning Tingyan, killed corporal Zhang Jiqu while pressing for repayment of a debt; Xibao referred the case to the ministry.

居三年，上以錫寶補司業無期，特授陝西道監察御史。 After three years, with no opening for him as vice director, the Emperor specially appointed him investigating censor for the Shaanxi circuit.

錫寶將論劾，侍郎南匯吳省欽與錫寶同鄉里，聞其事，和珅方從上熱河行在，馳以告和珅，令全毀其室，衣服、車馬有踰制，皆匿無跡。 Xibao prepared to impeach Liu Quan; Vice Minister Wu Shengqin of Nanhui, a fellow townsman, learned of it. Heshen was with the Emperor at Rehe; Shengqin rode posthaste to warn him, and Heshen had Quan tear down his house and hide every item that exceeded regulations.

錫寶疏至，上詰和珅。 When Xibao's memorial arrived the Emperor questioned Heshen.

乃命留京辦事王大臣召錫寶問狀，又令步軍統領遣官從錫寶至全家察視，無跡，錫寶自承冒昧。 The Emperor ordered the princes and ministers left in charge at the capital to summon Xibao and question him, and also ordered the metropolitan commandant to send officials with Xibao to inspect Quan's household; no trace was found, and Xibao confessed he had been rash.

上召錫寶詣行在面詰，錫寶奏全倚勢營私，未有實跡，第為和珅「杜漸防微」，乃有此奏。 Summoned to the traveling palace, Xibao said Quan had certainly abused power though no proof remained, and that his memorial had been meant to help Heshen "nip evil in the bud."

复諭軍機大臣、大學士梁國治等覆詢，錫寶又承「杜漸防微」語失當，請治罪。 Questioned again by Grand Secretary Liang Guozhi and other Grand Councilors, Xibao admitted the "nip evil in the bud" formula was improper and asked for punishment.

錫寶未察虛實，以書生拘迂之見，託為正言陳奏。 Xibao had not verified his facts; in bookish narrowness he had dressed rash speech as loyal remonstrance.

仁宗親政，誅和珅，並籍全家，乃追思錫寶直言，諭曰：「故御史曹錫寶，嘗劾和珅奴劉全倚勢營私，家貲豐厚。 When Emperor Renzong personally assumed rule he executed Heshen and confiscated his household; recalling Xibao's bold memorial, he said: "The late Censor Cao Xibao once impeached Heshen's bondservant Liu Quan for abusing power and amassing great wealth.