Historical Records and Notes from the Qing Dynasty - Notes from Yong Yue Zhai

Author: Chen Qiyuan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-03-01
Features: A few characteristics of the notes in "Yongxian Qi Ji":
1. Extensive historical materials. Due to the author's erudition and broad knowledge, living in a renowned family and traveling extensively, his records are remarkable. He begins by describing his family's history and prosperity, which serves as a microcosm of the rise and fall of the Qing Dynasty. There are accounts of the prosperous era during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, when the emperor stayed at Chen's Anlan Garden and inscribed the "Bohai Zhenzhen" scroll, as well as the romantic affairs. There are also descriptions of the devastation after the Taiping Rebellion, where the Chen family members "dug into ditches, scattered in all directions, their homes burned down, and the elders faded away," along with the lament of "thorns and copper camels." In his observations from his official travels, he records the pros and cons of local governance, such as the incident of "killing white ducks": in Zhangzhou and Quanzhou prefectures, "wealthy households killed people and paid gold to the poor to take their place in court," known as "killing white ducks." Even if the superior officials investigated and overturned the verdict, the local officials would still impose severe punishments due to false confessions, while the parents of the "white ducks," fearing that clearing the case would lead to the death of their entire family, dared not appeal. As a result, hundreds of innocent deaths occurred each year. The Qing scholar Huang Jiqing also recorded the incident of "killing white ducks" in Chaozhou in his "Chaozhou Collection," which was quoted by Yang Zhongxi in his "Xueqiao Shihua, Volume 10." This shows the extreme authenticity of his records. The entry "The mistake of relying solely on eye-witnesses in capturing bandits" records that in the eleventh year of the Tongzhi reign, Qing troops suffered a major defeat while capturing bandits in Yangzhou, as "eye-witnesses mistakenly pointed ordinary people as bandits, nearly leading to the wrongful execution of many." Chen Qiyuan was born in a turbulent era, and some of his records are related to the Taiping Army, the Tianli Army, the Tianli Sect, and the White Lotus Sect. For example, he records that the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, Ji Zhichang, feared that the White Lotus Sect case would involve innocent civilians, so he burned the "names of the sect members" to save thousands of households and prevent trouble in the region, but himself was exiled to Xinjiang and died. These incidents reveal the darkness of the officialdom and the suffering of the people. Among his observations, there are also accounts involving Sino-foreign relations, such as the "Diplomatic Diary of the Russian Envoy" in Volume 5, which details the Russian envoy's journey to the capital after the signing of the Treaty of Nerchinsk, showing the respect foreign countries had for China. He also recorded the "Robbery Case of Foreigners in Shanhai Lake," describing how British ruffians robbed grain ships and killed over a dozen soldiers and civilians. Chen Qiyuan ordered the capture of three foreign bandits, but due to "extraterritoriality," they were released by the British consul, leaving Chen "filled with indignation to this day!" The book also includes "A Compilation of Recent Events in the West," selecting news from foreign newspapers that were relevant to major Sino-foreign issues. Chen advocated for "paying attention to worldly affairs," and by comparing and referencing historical materials from both China and the West, he gained a comprehensive understanding of history. In terms of science and technology, the entry "Lixian's Star Fortune Theory" uses the scientific perspective of the solar system to analyze the absurdity of "star fortune theory," pointing out that neither nobles nor commoners are destined. He was a believer in Western science, such as in the "Western Measurement Method," where he wrote that there are black spots on the sun, and "the appearance of black spots is not a sign of disaster," his arguments were very persuasive. Regarding "the ingenuity of Western manufacturing," he recorded how German ironclad warships arrived in Wusong, and Feng Zhuru of the machine bureau bought a piece of ship's iron for 1,500 taels of silver. He also recorded Western medical dissections, balloon battles in Germany and France, etc. He praised the establishment of the book bureau by Zuo Zongtang, the opening of the shipbuilding bureau by Li Hongzhang, and the founding of the steamship hiring bureau by Li Hongzhang. Regarding reading and scholarship, entries such as "The difficulty of being erudite," "The difficulty of verifying sources," "The futility of valuing Song Dynasty edition books," and "Differences in the interpretation of classical texts" all reflect his thoughts on reading and scholarship methods. Entries such as "The differences and similarities in the names and systems of officials throughout history," "The evolution of official uniforms," and "The grand ceremony of plowing and sowing" involve the verification of national and court rituals, which are beneficial to historical records.
2. Valuable historical materials. Some are not recorded in other books or are cited by later authors. For example, in the entry "Changes in Surnames" in Volume 8, he records that Qian Chenqun and Qian Zeshi's original surnames were not Qian; few people knew that Li Hongzhang's original surname was Xu. As for the original surname of the Chen family, where Chen Qiyuan belonged, it was Gao, which is recorded in Volume 1 in the case where Guo Jie impeached Gao Shiqi: Guo also accused Chen Yuanlong of associating with Gao Shiqi, calling them "uncle and nephew." As a result, both were dismissed. Chen Yuanlong defended himself, saying, "The Chen family originally came from Gao. If I had associated with Gao Shiqi, why would Gao Shiqi call me 'uncle'?" The matter was eventually clarified. Later, Tang Rong quoted this entry in his "Accounts from the Qing Court," along with comments. Chen Qiyuan had interactions with many famous officials and scholars, such as Zuo Zongtang, Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang, Ding Richang, and Yu Yue, benefiting greatly from their advice on both literature and politics. The anecdotes he recorded about famous figures are also rarely found in other books. For example, when Lin Zexu was exiled to Xinjiang, he temporarily stayed at the home of Wen Lanqiao in Hangzhou, who was Chen Qiyuan's mother-in-law. At the time, Chen Qiyuan was in his thirties and was deeply committed to learning and governance, writing essays such as "Strategies for Strengthening the Frontier" and "Proposals for Land Reclamation" to present to Lin Zexu, with whom he shared the same ideas, praising him for having the talent of "Jia Sheng." Lin also detailed the importance of land reclamation and frontier strategies, as well as the development of maritime transport. Later, when Lin Zexu became the Governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, he indeed implemented the land reclamation method. These historical records can supplement the shortcomings of official history.
3. More impartial arguments on historical facts. For example, in Volume 4, he directly criticizes corrupt officials through the character Dai Xiongzhao: "Farmers toil in the fields, covered in sweat and dust, working diligently all year round, accumulating only a small profit. Yet scholars and officials live in luxurious mansions, travel in carriages and horses, wear fine clothes and eat delicacies, their lives and those of the common people are as different as heaven and earth. Even if they dedicate themselves to the people's affairs and dare not slacken, they may still suffer misfortune. How can they indulge in extravagance, lust, and greed, amassing wealth and saying it can be passed on to their descendants? It is clear to everyone that this is not possible!" In the entry "Reporting on Relief Corruption" in Volume 5, Chen Qiyuan harshly criticizes the corrupt relief official in Shanyang: "In years of famine, the common people suffer and turn to the brink of death, calling for help. When they receive relief, it is truly like being given life. Those in charge should be how to dedicate themselves to comforting the people. Instead, they embezzle the funds, what is the difference between them and wolves?" When Chen Qiyuan was handling the Fengbei Granary in Qingpu, the clerks wanted to profit from it. Chen said, "This little money is the food of the poor in times of famine. How can you, who are well-fed and clothed today, bear to take away the food of the hungry tomorrow?" The clerks were moved to see each other after hearing this.