A brief introduction to Chen Pengnian, an official and scholar in the Qing Dynasty, who rose to the rank of Suzhou magistrate and river governor

Life story

Chen Pengnian, a native of Xiangtan, Hunan, was a Jinshi in the 30th year of Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1691). From the 35th to the 37th year of the Qing Dynasty, he served as the magistrate of Xi'an (Qu County). He served as an official for three years and did many good things for the people of Qu County. His political achievements are recorded in "Yi Tong Zhi", "Zhejiang General Chronicle" of the Qing Dynasty, and "Qu County Chronicle" of the Republic of China.

When Chen Pengnian was appointed as the county magistrate, it was not long after the "San Francisco Rebellion" was put down in the early Qing Dynasty. The population was in a state of sharp decline, the fields were deserted, and the water conservancy was in disrepair. Although the previous magistrates tried their best to deal with it, the vitality was still not there. recover. At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, Qu County had a population of about 150,000. After the "Rebellion of the Three Feudatories", only more than 40,000 people remained. After his arrival, he continued to recruit part of the expatriate population and resettle immigrants who came to reclaim wasteland. For those who have land but no owners and whose land tax does not match, there will be two judges for each land. Each map is divided into 10 districts and two district chiefs will be appointed to comprehensively measure the land, insert labels and numbers, and prepare an inventory. By measuring the land and excluding imaginary numbers, the landowners will pay taxes as usual, thus avoiding the disadvantages of having land without an owner and inconsistent land taxes. Unowned land was leased to immigrants for cultivation, allowing the previously barren land to be reclaimed.

Chen Pengnian attaches great importance to water conservancy construction and is good at resolving water conservancy disputes. The Shishi Weir channel in Qiantangfan was in disrepair. He investigated along the way and classified the farmers who benefited from the irrigation canal into 10 A, with four weir directors in each A to manage them in turn. He surveyed the weir once a year and abolished the old rule that the weir director provided wine and food to the officers. He dredged the city and built a water diversion gate outside the Xiaonan Gate so that the Shishi Weir could enter the city when it was level and open the gate to release water during droughts to irrigate the farmland outside the east gate. People called this gate "Chen Gong Gate". There is a Wushu Weir in Duze, which has always irrigated the farmland of Duze and Baishui. Later, the Duze people tried to block the flowing water and took over it. The Baishui people often quarreled with the Duze people because of the water shortage. Chen Pengnian went deep into the weir to investigate and severely punished the leading planners. The two places each elected weir chiefs, and the leaders jointly managed and the leaders shared.

During his tenure, Chen Pengnian was highly praised by the people of the county for his justice for the people. Zheng Rongzu, a county man, and his father both died in an unjust case. The former county magistrate neglected to conduct a detailed investigation. Zheng's wife repeatedly complained about the injustice and appealed, but it was never settled. For this reason, Zheng's wife hit the monument and died, and the spiritual shu was parked under the west iron tower of the city for 7 years. After Chen Pengnian learned about it, he re-examined it and finally obtained the approval. He built a tomb and a temple for him and personally inscribed the words "Xiao Lie" on the monument. This incident of justice for the people was compiled into "Legend of the Iron Tower" by later generations and was staged in the county.

When Chen Pengnian took office, he searched all the original local chronicles, but the county chronicles compiled in the Ming Dynasty have long been lost. He was very sorry and determined to build a new one during his term of office. In less than three years, a county chronicle was completed as scheduled, leaving valuable historical materials for future generations. Not only that, Chen Pengnian also left many poems and essays during his stay in Qu. He wrote an "Essay on Praying for Rain", titled "Praying for Rain", which was actually an analysis of the county's situation. He listed the culprits for political failure and complained bitterly about the suffering of the people. His poems are not about singing about the wind and moonlight, but are related to the people, enjoying their happiness and worrying about their worries. For example, "Revisiting the Mountain Home": "I revisited the old farmhouse every other year, and I dared to compete in the autumn field. After the drought, only the waves of wheat remained, and before the frost, the tallow forest flowers were visible. The tea melons, the father's house, and the pines were very different, and the arrow trees and the bird paths were slanted. "I lament that my first clothes are too late, and the brim of my hat is in disarray and covered with soft dust." The poem reveals his joy in visiting the countryside, and also contains the uneasiness caused by the drought.

In 1962, "People's Daily" once published Chen Pengnian's bibliography and poems. Guo Moruo praised: "The righteousness spreads like ghosts, and the virtue of the blue sky lies in people. For a moment, the world can look up, but for eternity, it will be hanging on the ground." "Jin." After Chen Pengnian's term in Qu was completed, he was promoted to the prefect of Jiangning. During his tenure as prefect, he was demoted and imprisoned because he could not bear the additional land tax in Jiangning. During Kangxi's southern tour, he was promoted to governor of the river. In the first year of Yongzheng (1723), he died of illness at the river defense construction site. Qing History Documents

Jinshi in the 30th year of Kangxi. He was granted the title of magistrate of Xi'an County, Zhejiang Province. After serving in the army, his household registration went into exile, and the powerful men occupied land and colonized their own land. Pengnian completed the land inspection and restored thousands of households. The martyr Xu died unjustly for ten years. Peng Nian avenged her unjust death and offended others. It is forbidden to drown women, which is popular among the people. Women who want to abandon their children and have children all take the surname Chen. Zhang Penghie, the governor of the river channel, recommended that he be transferred to Jiangnan River Engineering, and be granted the title of magistrate of Shanyang County in Jiangnan, and moved to Haizhou as magistrate. In the forty-second year, the Holy Ancestor patrolled the river south and found out that there was a famine in Shandong. He issued an order to cut off 40,000 stones, and ordered Peng He to select talented officials to transport relief to Yanzhou. He appointed Peng Nian as director, and tens of thousands of people survived. Last time I returned to Luan, I summoned Jining Zhouci, wrote a poem about the imperial edict, and gave him a royal letter. Looking for promotion to the prefect of Jiangning. In the forty-fourth year, the southern tour was resumed. Governor Ashan summoned his officials to discuss increasing the land and Ding Huaxian contributed 100 million yuan to the patrol. Peng Nian could not hold on to it, so he had to give up. Ah Shancuo was ordered to host the Longtan Palace and serve as attendants to collect the deceased's remains. Do not respond. Those who are taboo will gossip. Zhang Ying, a great scholar who became an official, came to the meeting. He asked the honest officials in the south of the Yangtze River about the years of Ju Peng. He asked again about his official status and said in English: "Officials fear power but don't complain; people are virtuous but don't play; scholars teach in style but don't bully. Lian Qi Mo Ye." The best intention is to explain. Fortunately, when we visited the water division at Jingkou, the day before, Ashan asked Peng Nian to pile stones on the river bank to make steps. The river flow was fast and the construction was difficult. Xu Tu was in panic. Pengnian led the soldiers and people to transport the earth and rocks personally, and the Jiedan project was completed. Gu Ashan was deeply regretful. He impeached Peng Nian to accept the salt and Dian business rules, eroded Longjiang's customs tax, and shackles the customs officials for no reason. He was deprived of his position and was imprisoned in Jiangning. Sang'e, Zhang Penghie and Ashan were ordered to meet with each other. The people of Jiangning called for a strike and more than a thousand people built banners and knocked on the altar. Peng Nian tried to build a township lecture hall on the former site of Nanshi Tower. He preached the holy edict on the first day of the lunar month and named it "Tianyu Dingning". Those in the Nanshi Tower are therefore in a narrow and evil place, and because they are disrespectful by sitting there, they talk about making great changes. I discussed Ashan's position as an official with Li Guangdi, a great scholar. Guangdi said that Ashan was honest and honest in his work. He alone accused Chen Pengnian of violating the Qing Dynasty discussion and gave him a nod.

On the day of the war, Pengnian seized the official position to avoid death, and was conscripted into Wuying Hall to compile books.

In the forty-seventh year, he came back as the prefect of Suzhou. Ban the extravagance and customs, clear the stagnant prison, and listen to the call of God. At the time of year's famine and severe epidemic, I went to the village market in Zhouli to inquire about the people's sufferings and ask for relief goods, and there were many people alive. In the forty-eighth year, he was appointed as the chief envoy. Governor Zhang Boxing was an elegant man who was in his prime years. He relied on his decision-making to deal with matters of great importance and detail. Governor Galli and Bo Xing were disobedient, and they were jealous of Pengnian. Already, the chief envoys Yi Sigong and Liangdao Jia Pu were impeached. Because the annual report of Zuopeng was untrue, the officials proposed to seize the officials and sent them to Heilongjiang. They were ordered to come to Beijing to compile the book. Garli Fumi wrote a poem about Pengnian Huqiu, thinking that he was resentful and wanted to write it, which would lead to his sin, so he refused to retaliate. In Russia, Garli and Bo Xing were at loggerheads with each other. They repeatedly sent ministers to govern and discussed taking away Bo Xing's position. The emperor thought that his uncle was an honest man, so he ordered Jiuqing to change his opinion, and said: "Gali once played Chen Pengnian's poem, which is absurd, and Xiao people's tricks are so common. How can I be deceived by others?" Because of his poem, it was sent to the cabinet ministers. ***read. In the fifty-sixth year, he went to Ba Changdao and returned to Beijing to write books.

In the 60th year, he was ordered to follow Zhang Penghui, the minister, to survey the Shandong and Henan canals. When the river broke through Mayingkou in Wuzhi County, it was directed from Changyuan to Zhang Qiu, and the river governor Zhao Shixian was ordered to block it. After debating for a long time, Pengnian commented: "The old embankment of the Yellow River has breached for eighty-nine miles, and the big slip has gone straight to the overflow. It is suitable to open a diversion river on the other side of the river at the foot of Guangwu Mountain, and also open a diversion river slightly east of the breach, and the diversion can still return. Only when the river is in the right direction can it be blocked and built." After Shi Xian finished, he ordered Pengnian to be the governor of the river. In the 61st year, Mayingkou was blocked and the battle was resumed. Peng Nian said: "The terrain is low, and although there is a diversion river, the flow cannot be smooth. We can only divide it up and down to kill its rage. Please open a diversion river in Wangjiagou on the other side of the intersection of Qin and Huang. Let the water flow southeast and enter the Yingze River, and then the embankment can be completed. "The edict is carried out as planned. First, the Maying breach was difficult to construct due to the strong peach floods. Niu Niu, the deputy censor of the capital, was ordered to read the river and reported to Qinjiachang on the upper stream to block the construction. The work was completed, and the tail of the south dam was breached for more than 120 feet. , enter the horse camp and go east. Pengnian conspired with the governor Yang Zongyi. Then, the end of the north dam collapsed by more than a hundred feet, so Peng Nian suggested this idea.

When Shizong ascended the throne, his fate was really eliminated. At that time, four of the north and south dams merged and collapsed again, and now they have merged with the dragon, but Mayingkou has not yet been blocked. In the year of Peng, he stopped sleeping in the river and was exhausted from sleeping and eating. In the first year of Yongzheng's reign, he was seriously ill and sent an imperial doctor to examine him. When I was looking for a soldier, I heard from the emperor that he was told: "Peng Nian became ill due to overwork and died in the public office. I heard that his family has an eighty-year-old mother, and the house seems to be exhausted. This is a minister who dedicated himself to death and died." He even praised Xi. He was given two thousand gold coins, and his mother was given a royal edict. He was regarded as a good example of Yinzi, and his posthumous title was Keqin. Consecrated to famous officials in Henan and Jiangning.

When Zishuzhi and Shuxuan were the Holy Ancestors, they summoned all the students and ordered Suipengnian to compile the books for the inner court. Shu Zhiguan was promoted to the prefect of Pingyue, and Shuxuan was promoted to the Minister of Household Affairs. Chen Pengnian's Tomb

After Chen Pengnian's death, the Qing government issued an edict to give him a generous burial. The tomb is solemn and grand in scale, 50 meters long from east to west and 15 meters wide from north to south. From east to west, stone lions, stone tigers, stone horses, stone oxen, stone sheep, stone wengzhong, etc. are arranged in pairs. There is a granite archway, a Chinese watch, and an imperial stele underneath, which was written by Fang Bao, the minister of the Ministry of Rites. There are also two tombs. The main inscription on the tomb reads "Tomb of Chen Keqin Gong". On the right side of the tomb is the imperial concubine Shi Shi. It is said that the Dongcen Zen Monastery built at the western foot of Dongwu Mountain and the Shiquan Jingshe on the top of the mountain were both places where Chen Peng studied when he was young. To the east and west of the tomb are landscapes such as Shilong Mountain and Penghe Temple. Shilong Mountain is the place where Li Bancun, a scholar in the late Song Dynasty, lived in seclusion. In the past, there was Shilong Temple, which was later renamed Cihang Temple. There are landscapes such as Dongkou Reservoir in the west. In the south there are green peaks, white sand wells and stone crops. The former residence of Chen Biyou, the commander-in-chief of the Qing Dynasty, is located here.

Calligraphy Works Collection of Chen Pengnian’s Calligraphy Works