Li Zhifang (李之芳) | 24 Histories

Overview

Li Zhifang was an official and General.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Yeyuan	鄴園	Yèyuán
Posthumous name	Wenxiang	文襄	Wénxiāng

Life and dates

Death

AD 1694 三十三年
At at home 家
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 193

Age

old in years
Label aged 年老
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 282, passage 206

Attested activity

AD 1694 三十三年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 193
AD 1688 二十七年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 192
AD 1687 二十六年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 191
AD 1663 二年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 115
AD 1666 五年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 116
AD 1660 十七年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 112

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AD 1678 十七年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passages 175-176
AD 1674 十三年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 133
AD 1673 十二年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 132
AD 1676 十五年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 157
AD 1679 十八年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 178
AD 1677 十六年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 172
AD 1675 十四年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 153
AD 1674 十月
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 151
AD 1687 康熙二十六年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 282, passages 205-206
AD 1662 康熙元年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 114
AD 1647 順治四年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 108

Family

Kinship Role descendants · Quantity unknown count; his hereditary line (勳臣後)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 200

Key source chapters

Career and standing

grand councilor 綸輔
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 206
grand secretary of the Hall of Literary Glory 文華殿大學士
AD 1687 二十六年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 191
commander-in-chief of Zhejiang military affairs 總督浙江軍務
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 132
investigating censor for the Guangxi circuit 廣西道御史
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 110
left vice censor-in-chief 左副都御史
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 129
Minister of War 兵部尚書
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 190

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principal in the Ministry of Justice 刑部主事
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 109
reviewing official of Jinhua Prefecture 金華府推官
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 108
vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel 吏部侍郎
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 131
governor 總督
AD 1674 耿精忠叛 · Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 195
department director 郎中
Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 110
governor 督臣
Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 188
touring inspector of Shanxi 巡按山西
Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 112
Minister of Personnel 吏部
Transferred
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 190
Enjiwei 恩騎尉
AD 1736 to AD 1795 乾隆間 · Granted to line · hereditary in perpetuity
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 200
tosara hašan 拖沙喇哈番
Granted · inheritable once
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 189
Minister of War (additional title) 兵部尚書銜
Granted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 171
Ordered
AD 1688 二十七年 · Retirement · Authority Kangxi Emperor (聖祖)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 192

Places and affiliations

Qing 清
Relation Served
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 107
Polity Qing 清 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passages 190-191; Draft History of Qing 282, passage 206
At Wuding, Shandong 山東武定 · Relation Native of
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 107
At Hangzhou 杭州 · Relation Active at
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 184
At Zhejiang 浙 · Relation Governed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 187

Learning and skills

Earned
Credential Presented Scholar (jinshi) 進士
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 108
Skill strategy / deliberative judgment 沉幾善謀 · Level renowned
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 179

Works and attributed material

Memorial · Author · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passages 118-127
Speech · Speaker · With Jieshu (杰書) · Direct quotation · Mode quotation Speaker Li Zhifang (李之芳)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passages 181-182
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · With Jieshu (杰書)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 165
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passages 138-140, 144-145, 159-161

Events and relationships

Accepted surrender
AD 1677 十六年 · Military · Commander · With Lin Erzhan (林爾瞻)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 174
Bound Manchu soldier for punishment
Legal · Enforcer · With Tula (圖喇)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 186
Defeated rebels
Military · Commander · At Daxitan 大溪灘
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 189
Defeated rebels
Military · Commander · At Junkeng West 軍坑西
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passages 143, 147
Defeated
AD 1678 十七年 · Military · Commander · With Zheng Jing (鄭錦) · At Miaoling Lake and Wenzhou 廟嶺湖、溫州
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 176
Defended
Military · Commander · At Zhejiang 浙
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passages 134-136

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Executed
Legal · Authority · With Cheng Long (程龍)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 146
Frontal charge broke enemy
Military · Commander · With Geng Jingzhong (耿精忠)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 195
Held three Qu blocked Xianxia
Military · Defender · At three Qu / Xianxia 三衢、仙霞
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 203
Ordered beheading
AD 1679 十八年 · Military · Commander · With Mou Dayin (牟大寅)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 178
Pacified stockades
AD 1678 十七年 · Military · Commander · At Ziwukou, Baxian, Laoshu 子午口、八仙、老鼠
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 175
Recovered
Military · Commander · At Yushan 玉山
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 168
Remitted taxes settled displaced
Administrative · Memorialist · At Zhejiang 浙
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 187
Rose from prolonged kneeling at prince briefing and collapsed
AD 1687 康熙二十六年 · Ritual · Participant
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 282, passage 206
Sent to defeat
AD 1677 十六年 · Military · Commander · With Jiang Maoxun (蔣懋勳) · At Jiaoyan in Yushan 玉山椒岩
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 172
Share in conquest of Fujian
Military · Contributor · At Fujian 閩
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 204
Relation Sworn brother of · Person Tula (圖喇)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 184

Assessments and attributes

Assessment achievement worthy of enshrinement · Mode ruler-judgment Speaker Yongzheng Emperor (世宗)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 199
Assessment brave / warrior who stakes life in service · Mode ruler-judgment Speaker Kangxi Emperor (聖祖)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passages 194-196, 198
Assessment great / 偉 · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 207
Assessment great respect and kindness (威惠) · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 187
Assessment held three Qu; share in Fujian conquest · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passages 203-204
Assessment miraculous foresight · Mode named-person-judgment Speaker Jieshu (杰書)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 183

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collapsed upon rising after prolonged kneeling because of old age
Physical event
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 282, passage 206
unskilled in riding and archery
Unskilled in · 不諳騎射
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 251, passage 195

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 282, passage 206

References in the histories

Search passages

History

33 passages

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 251Volume 251 Biographies 38: Tu Hai, Li Zhifang · 32 passages

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圖海李之芳圖海，字麟洲，馬佳氏，滿洲正黃旗人。 Tu Hai and Li Zhifang. Tu Hai, whose style was Linzhou, belonged to the Majia clan and was a Manchu of the Plain Yellow Banner.

李之芳，字鄴園，山東武定人。 Li Zhifang, whose style was Yeyuan, was a native of Wuding in Shandong.

大學士班布爾善坐鰲拜黨誅，之芳疏言：「昔大學士俱內直，諸司章奏，即日票擬。 Grand Secretary Banbu'ershan was executed as a member of Oboi's faction. Zhifang memorialized: "In former times all grand secretaries served on inner duty, and memorials from the ministries received draft responses the same day.

之芳數上封事，請嚴巡鹽考績，慎外官罰俸，皆關治體。 Zhifang repeatedly submitted sealed memorials calling for strict evaluation of salt patrols and careful use of salary fines against field officials—measures that all touched the foundations of good government.

之芳檄諸將扼仙霞關，調總兵李榮率副將王廷梅、牟大寅、陳世凱、鮑虎等分道禦寇。 Zhifang ordered his generals to hold Xianxia Pass and directed Regional Commander Li Rong, with deputy generals Wang Tingmei, Mou Dayin, Chen Shikai, Bao Hu, and others, to oppose the enemy on separate routes.

時上命都統賴塔率師入浙，五月，偕賴塔率滿洲兵千、綠旗兵二千、鄉勇五百，進駐衢州。 The emperor had ordered Banner Commander-in-Chief Laita to lead troops into Zhejiang. In the fifth month Zhifang joined him with a thousand Manchu troops, two thousand Green Standard troops, and five hundred militia, and advanced to garrison Quzhou.

之芳曰：「不然。 Zhifang said, "Not so.

七月，之芳與賴塔閱兵水亭門，率總兵官李榮、副都統瑚圖等薄賊壘，軍坑西。 In the seventh month Zhifang and Laita reviewed the troops at the Water Pavilion Gate, then led Regional Commander Li Rong, Vice Commander-in-Chief Hutu, and others to assault the rebel camp west of Junkeng.

之芳手執刀督陣，或請少避，之芳曰：「三軍司命在吾，退即為賊乘。 Zhifang took a blade in hand to direct the battle line. When someone urged him to withdraw a little, he said, "The fate of the whole army rests with me; if we fall back the enemy will seize the advantage.

詔嘉之芳調度有方。 An edict praised Zhifang for his skillful overall direction of the campaign.

之芳與賴塔議，出不意，遣廷梅與參領禪布夜趨溝溪，分隊進攻，又大破之，賊棄營遁。 Zhifang and Laita agreed on a surprise attack, sent Tingmei and Battalion Leader Chanbu by night to Xigouxi, divided into columns, and routed the enemy again; the rebels abandoned their camps and fled.

惟九玉踞江山、常山、開化，連寨數十，與之芳相持。 Only Jiuyu still held Jiangshan, Changshan, and Kaihua behind dozens of linked stockades, locked in stalemate with Zhifang.

上知閩中有變，命王撤溫州之圍取福建，之芳乃建議直搗仙霞關，曰：「進取之路，不在溫、處而在衢。 Learning of disorders in Fujian, the emperor ordered the prince to lift the siege of Wenzhou and take Fujian. Zhifang then proposed striking directly at Xianxia Pass, saying, "The road of advance lies not through Wen and Chu but through Qu.

王至衢州，從之芳議。 When the prince reached Quzhou he adopted Zhifang's plan.

諸將受之芳密檄，急據關夾擊，其將金應虎等窮蹙降。 The generals received Zhifang's secret orders, rushed to hold the pass, and caught the enemy in a pincer; Jin Yinghu and other rebel commanders, cornered, surrendered.

王師下福建，臨行，之芳啟曰：「王但飭諸軍勿虜掠，即長驅入，兵可不血刃也。」 As the imperial army marched into Fujian, Zhifang submitted on the eve of departure: "Your Highness need only forbid looting, and you may advance at full speed without drawing a sword."

精忠所署置總兵馬鵬、汪文生、陳山，將軍程鳳等猶踞玉山、鉛山、弋陽、德興，之芳請會剿。 Regional commanders Ma Peng, Wang Wensheng, and Chen Shan and General Cheng Feng, whom Jingzhong had appointed, still held Yushan, Qianshan, Yiyang, and Dexing. Zhifang requested a joint campaign against them.

時吳三桂兵寇吉安、袁州，江西兵不能東，乃獨遣兵复玉山，文生遁； At the time Wu Sangui's troops threatened Ji'an and Yuanzhou, and Jiangxi's forces could not move east. Zhifang therefore sent troops on his own to recover Yushan, and Wensheng fled;

上嘉之芳勦賊鄰省有功，加兵部尚書銜。 The emperor praised Zhifang's meritorious suppression of rebels in a neighboring province and granted him the title of Minister of War.

之芳令懋勳等扼要隘，自以數十騎入寨，往撫慰之，爾瞻乃降。 Zhifang ordered Maoxun and others to block the key passes, then entered the stockade himself with several dozen horsemen to reassure them, and Erzhan surrendered.

鄭錦寇瀕海，遣將嚴守禦，敗之於廟嶺湖，又敗之於溫州。 Zheng Jing raided the coast. Zhifang sent generals to guard the approaches strictly, defeating him at Miaoling Lake and again at Wenzhou.

之芳練世故，沉幾善謀。 Zhifang was seasoned in worldly affairs, deliberate in judgment, and skilled in strategy.

康親王師將行，問之芳：「所策固萬全乎？」 When Prince Kang's army was about to march, he asked Zhifang, "Is your plan completely secure?"

之芳曰：「軍已發，猶豫則士氣沮。」 Zhifang replied, "The army has already set out; hesitation will sap morale."

有滿兵犯法，之芳縛詣圖喇，以軍法治之，一軍肅然。 When a Manchu soldier broke the law, Zhifang bound him and brought him before Tula for punishment under military law, and the whole army fell into strict discipline.

所拔偏裨，皆累功至方鎮，而之芳以督臣不敘。 The subordinate officers he promoted all rose through repeated merit to regional commands, yet Zhifang himself, as governor, received no credit in the merit rolls.

二十七年，御史郭琇疏劾大學士明珠，謂內閣票擬，皆聽明珠指揮，上既罷明珠，並命之芳休致。 In the twenty-seventh year Censor Guo Xiu memorialized to impeach Grand Secretary Mingzhu, charging that all draft responses in the Grand Secretariat followed Mingzhu's orders. The emperor had already dismissed Mingzhu and also ordered Zhifang to retire.

三十三年，卒於家，諡文襄。 In the thirty-third year he died at home and was posthumously titled Wenxiang.

之芳既卒，聖祖思其功，嘗諭群臣曰：「人能效命，即為勇士。 After Zhifang's death the Kangxi Emperor recalled his achievements and once told his ministers, "A man who stakes his life in service is a true warrior.

耿精忠叛，時之芳為總督，雖不諳騎射，執刀立船首，率眾突前破敵。 When Geng Jingzhong rebelled, Zhifang was governor. Though unskilled in riding and archery, he stood at the bow with a blade in hand and led his men in a frontal charge that broke the enemy.

世宗命立賢良祠，諭曰：「德若湯斌、功若之芳者，祀之。」 The Yongzheng Emperor ordered the Hall of Worthy Officials built and instructed, "Enshrine those whose virtue is like Tang Bin's and whose achievement is like Zhifang's."

之芳力扼三衢，敵雖東略，終不能得志仙霞。 Zhifang strove to hold the three Qu prefectures; though the enemy thrust eastward, they never gained their aim at Xianxia Pass.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 282Volume 282 Biographies 69: Jiang Xizhe, Yu Jin, De Ge Lei, Chen Zizhi, Ren Hongjia, Gao Cengyun, Shen Kaiceng, Gong Xianglin, Gao Xiachang · 1 passage

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大學士王熙等向諸王白所議，跪移時，李之芳年老，起而踣。 Grand Secretary Wang Xi and others knelt for a long while as they briefed the princes on the matters under discussion; the aged Li Zhifang stood up only to collapse.