Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/505

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486 A Chinese Biographical Dictiotiary

until in 1887 he became Viceroy of Hu-Euang. His stern repression of the opium traffic, because it drained the country of money, led to his appointment in 1888 as Imperial Commissioner to Euangtung, the Government having finally decided to attempt to crush the trade. In 1889 he became Viceroy of the Two Enang, but was recalled and disgraced on the declaration of war by Great Britain which followed upon his energetic though unjustifiable action in seizing and destroying foreign-owned opium to the value of some ten million dollars. He nevertheless remained in the province until the capture of the Bogue Forts by the British forces extinguished the last hopes of successful resistance in that quarter. He was then transferred in a subordinate capacity to the province of Chehkiang, being subsequently still further degraded and in 1848 sentenced to banishment to Ili. There he remained two years, employed in the reclamation of waste land at Euchd, Aksu, Dsh, Ehoten, E[ashgar, and Yarkand. At the end of 1845 he was appointed acting Viceroy of Shensi and Eansuh , and put down much disaffection which prevailed in those provinces. In 1846 he was Governor of Shensi, and in 1847 Viceroy of Yiiunan and Eueichon, two provinces which had been disturbed for years past by feuds between the Chinese and Mahomedan inhabitants. His justice and mercy secured peace in that part of the empire, but sickness compelled him to give up his post. Appointed to be acting Governor of Euangsi and Imperial Commissioner with supreme command over the troops operating against the T^ai-p4ng rebels, he died at Ch*ao-chou Fa while on his way. A bitter enemy of foreigners and uncompromisingly hostile to the extension of commercial facilities, he was a true patriot actuated only by a desire for his country's welfare. He even went so far as to indite a letter to the Queen of England, appealing to her on grounds of morality and justice to aid in putting a stop to the hated trade in opium. Canonised as ^ J^ .