Li Shih-yao 李侍堯 (T. 欽齋), d. 1788, Nov., official, was a descendant of Li Yung-fang [q.v.], the first Ming officer to surrender to the Manchus and the recipient of the hereditary rank of viscount of the third class. Li Yung-fang's fifth son, Bayan 巴顏 or 霸彥 (1620-1652), was made (1642) the first lieutenant general of the Chinese Plain Blue Banner to which his family thereafter belonged. For his own merits Bayan was elevated to an earl of the first class. In remembrance of the services of Li Yung-fang, Emperor Kao-tsung ordered in 1749 that Li's earldom be given the designation, Chao-hsin 昭信伯—an earldom that for some time seems to have been reduced to the second class.

Li Shih-yao was a great-great-grandson of Bayan. An honorary licentiate of 1736, he became an adjutant in 1743, a lieutenant colonel in 1744, and an adjutant general in 1748. In 1749 he was made a deputy lieutenant general of his own Banner, and early in 1753 was appointed military governor of Jehôl. In 1755 he was made a vice-president, first of the Board of Works and then of the Board of Revenue. Late in 1755 he was appointed acting Tartar general at Canton, a post he held until 1759. Concurrently he was twice (1757, 1758) acting governor-general of Kwangtung and Kwangsi, but early in 1759 received full appointment as governor-general. Recalled to Peking in 1761, he was promoted to the post of president of the Board of Revenue, succeeding his father, Li Yüan-liang 李元亮 (posthumous name 勤恪), who retired after holding that office for two years. In 1763 Li Shih-yao was made governor-general of Hupeh and Hunan, and a year later was transferred to Canton. In July 1765 he retired to observe the period of mourning, but three months later was recalled to serve as acting president of the Board of Works. Beginning in 1766, he acted for more than a year as president of the Board of Punishments. In 1767 he was sent to Canton for the third time as governor-general, remaining at that post for ten years. During these ten years he inherited the earldom, Chao-hsin (early in 1768), was made concurrently a Grand Secretary (1773). and was honored by having the company to which his family belonged raised to the higher Chinese Bordered Yellow Banner (1774).

In 1777 Li was made governor-general cf Yunnan and Kweichow to supervise the yet unsettled Burmese affairs (see under A-kuei). In 1780 Emperor Kao-tsung heard that Li was false to his trust, and sought evidence from Hai-ning 海寧 (d. 1790, posthumous name 勤毅), who had been grain intendant of Yunnan in 1777-78. According to the Emperor, Haining at first hesitated to incriminate Li, but when pressed dilated on Li's alleged malpractices. The emperor sent his favorite, Ho-shên [q.v.], to conduct the trial in Yunnan-a trial which resulted, as was expected, in Li's conviction. Li was escorted to Peking, was deprived of all ranks, and sentenced to immediate death by a tribunal headed by Ho-shên. But the sentence was commuted by the Emperor to imprisonment awaiting execution. Li's earldom was given to his brother, Li Fêng-yao 李奉堯 (d. 1789, posthumous name 簡恪), then provincial commander-in-chief of Kiangnan. This was the first case in which Ho-shên, then rising in the Emperor's favor, tested his power to intimidate high provincial officials with a view to bringing them into submission. The case smacks of collusion, for Hai-ning, upon whose testimony Li was convicted, at first declined to give evidence against Li but laid stress on Li's ability as an administrator. Yet when subjected by imperial command to "severe questioning" (嚴詢), he finally testified that Li had accepted gifts from his subordinates and had sold them some pearls. It was not difficult for Ho-shên to prove the truth of these allegations since most officials of that day received-even demanded, as in the case of Ho-shên himself-gifts from subordinates. It is significant that Li's successor as governor-general of Yunnan and Kweichow was Fu-k'ang-an [q.v.], nephew of the Emperor and a close friend of Ho-shên.

In 1781, after a year in prison, Li Shih-yao was released. He was given the rank of a third grade official and was sent to Lan-chou, Kansu, to take charge of the suppression of a Mohammedan rebellion (see under A-kuei). Soon he was appointed acting governor-general of Shênsi and Kansu. The rebellion was put down in a few months and he remained at his post. In the same year he and A-kuei reported on the corrupt practices of some seventy officials in Kansu and their report resulted in the immediate execution of twenty-three of the accused and the confiscation of all their property. In 1782 Li's rank was raised to the first grade and he was given the title of Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent. But two years later, when remnants of the rebels of 1781 staged another uprising, he was discharged for failure to overpower them. Fu-k'ang-an, again Li's successor, accused him of negligence and failure to strike quickly. For the second time Li was tried and sentenced to death, but the sentence was again commuted to imprisonment awaiting execution. Apparently Fu-k'ang-an made the most of the charge in order to advance his own interests. Having now at his command a large force he moved against the Mohammedans and suppressed them. Consequently he was raised from a baron to a marquis. Ho-shên, for his part, was created a baron. Such honors would not have come to either of them had Li been successful in the first instance.

However, in 1785, after another year in prison, Li Shih-yao was released. Early in 1786 he acted, first as lieutenant-general of the Chinese Plain Yellow Banner, and then as president of the Board of Revenue. Late in the same year he was made governor-general of Hunan and Hupeh. Early in 1787, owing to a rebellion in the Island of Taiwan (see under Ch'ai Ta-chi), he was transferred to Foochow to supply the troops under Ch'ang-ch'ing 常青 (d. 1793, posthumous name 恭簡) who were then fighting on the Island. In September 1787 Fu-k'ang-an was made commander-in-chief of this campaign also, and Ch'ang-ch'ing was ordered to withdraw his entire force to the mainland. If the order had been strictly carried out the rebels on the island might well have had time to consolidate. Aware that the wording of the decree was too sweeping, Li Shih-yao, in transmitting it, left out the reference to entire withdrawal; and thus gave Fu-k'ang-an an opportunity to win the campaign with ease, and achieve another raise in rank. No blame was imputed to Li Shih-yao for altering the decree. To him fell the task of transporting and supplying food-stuffs to some 100,000 men under the command of Fu-k'ang-an. Yet even these services did not save Li from an imperial reprimand for defending Ch'ai Ta-chi [q.v.], a general who was falsely accused by Fu-k'ang-an. Early in 1788 Li had reported a number of Ch'ai's "crimes", but solely in order to avoid incriminating himself. After the war was won Li was given back his earldom and was numbered among the twenty men responsible for the victory in Taiwan. He died in November 1788 and was canonized as Kung-i 恭毅. His earldom was inherited by his son, Yü-hsiu 毓秀.

In 1795 it was charged that while Li Shih-yao was governor-general in Yunnan, he profited from the mint by decreasing the amount of copper in each coin. On this charge the earldom was taken from Li's son and given to his nephew, Yü-wên 毓文.

According to Chao-lien [q.v.], Li Shih-yao was short of stature, energetic, clever, and had a good memory. Nevertheless, he was haughty, lived luxuriously, and certainly was not incorruptible. He was noted for his ability to get hold of curious contrivances which he presented to the emperor; but in doing so he set an example to other provincial officials to be extravagant and to compete for imperial favor. Chao-lien does not explain that Li's ability to get these contrivances was due to his long term of service at Canton in charge of the foreign trade.

Canton had been a port for foreign trade since the seventh century when Emperor Yang-ti 煬帝 of the Sui dynasty established there a Superintendent of Customs. In modern times European contact with Canton began about 1516 when the Portuguese arrived, and some forty years later established a permanent settlement at Macao. The Portuguese were followed in the seventeenth century by the Dutch, English, French and others. Nevertheless, from time to time foreign trade was forbidden at Canton. In 1683, after Taiwan was conquered, Chinese ports were re-opened to commerce and in 1685 a customs house was established at Canton. Following an old practice, foreigners were allowed to trade only with specified merchants, some twenty in number. In 1745 the authorities selected from them a few "security merchants" (保商) who, by their wealth, could guarantee the payment of taxes. Foreigners, especially the English whose volume of trade gradually surpassed others, tried to avoid such restrictions. In 1755 Mr. Flint (洪任 or 洪任輝), an Englishman, managed to trade at Ningpo and others followed him. However, in 1757 Emperor Kaotsung restricted by imperial decree all foreign trade (with the exception of Russian) to Canton, presumably in consequence of a plea from the officials and merchants of that port. In 1759 Flint returned to Chekiang to test this decision, but was refused a landing. He proceeded to Tientsin and there delivered a plea accusing Li Yung-piao 李永標, Superintendent of Customs at Canton, of irregularities, including the collection from foreigners of more money than was his due. Flint was escorted to Canton by an imperial commissioner who, together with Li Shih-yao and another official, investigated his accusations against Li Yung-piao, with the result that the latter was found guilty of failure to check the corrupt practices of his subordinates and servants.

At this time Li Shih-yao, as governor-general, began to be interested in foreign trade. The Flint case showed what trouble a foreigner could cause, particularly if he spoke the language. A Chinese who taught foreigners the language was beheaded, and Flint was sentenced to a three-year imprisonment at Macao. Li Shih-yao suggested to the throne five principles for regulating foreign trade at Canton and these were immediately approved. Then he issued nine rules regulating the life of foreigners in the city, such as restricting their movements to the premises of the factories, forbidding them to retain women or arms in their quarters, and holding the Hong merchants responsible for their conduct. In the following year (1760) a corporation of nine merchants was established to monopolize the European trade which came to be known as Co-hong 公行 (one such corporation had been established in 1720 but lasted only a year). During his third term as governor-general at Canton (1767-77) Li Shih-yao was instrumental in bringing about the dissolution of the Co-hong for about a decade (1771-80), but for a time after he left Canton it was virtually re-established (1780-82). It is said that his decision to dissolve the Co-hong was the result of a bribe of 100,000 taels paid to him by the English through a merchant. Thus, besides receiving his due share of "presents" according to regulations, he was enriched by other expedients. At any rate, owing to the European trade, official posts at Canton were regarded for more than a century as among the most lucrative in the empire, and Li Shih-yao, being the highest official there for more than fourteen years (longer than any other governor-general in that port in the Ch'ing period), probably amassed a fortune. It may be assumed that it was this fortune that prompted Ho-shên, or even Emperor Kao-tsung himself, to have Li Shih-yao incriminated time and again so that his property might be confiscated. It is perhaps significant that Sun Shih-i [q.v.] and Fu-k'ang-an, both henchmen of Ho-shên, served successively as governors-general at Canton.

[ 1/329/9b; 2/23/13a; 3/26/1a; 2/78/10a; 3/265/37a; 34/22/10a; Pritchard, E. H., Anglo-Chinese Relations During the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries (1929); Liang Chia-pin 梁嘉彬, 廣東十三行考 Kwangtung shih-san-hang k'ao (1937); Shih-liao hsün K'an (see Lin Tsê-hsiü) nos. 3-6, 9, 10, 12, 13; Stifler, Susan Reed, "Language Students of the East India Company's Canton Factory" in Jour. N. Ch. Br. Royal Asiatic Society 1938, pp. 48-50.1

FANG CHAO-YING

《清史稿》卷323

李侍堯，字欽齋，漢軍鑲黃旗人，二等伯李永芳四世孫也。父元亮，官戶部尚書，諡勤恪。侍堯，乾隆初以廕生授印務章京，見知高宗。累遷至正藍旗漢軍副都統。十七年，調熱河副都統。二十年，擢工部侍郎，調戶部。署廣州將軍。劾前將軍錫特庫廢弛馬政，錫特庫下吏議。奏定廣州滿洲、漢軍駐防官制兵額。二十一年，署兩廣總督。奏：「廣東各屬買補倉穀，兼雜上、中、下三等，而報以上價。應碾米，用上穀；應借糶，用中、下穀。」上諭以所言洞悉情弊，諭各省督撫嚴飭州縣買補當碾試，務得上穀。又請禁廣東制錢攙和古錢，並吳三桂偽號錢事。上諭以「前代錢仍聽行用。吳三桂利用偽號錢，令民間檢出，官為收換，供鼓鑄之用」。又奏廣州駐防出旗漢軍官兵曠米，平糶便民，上從之。二十三年，守備張彬佐禁村民演劇被毆，奏請飭讞。上謂：「未得懲創惡習之意。應先治刁民，後議劣弁，庶刁悍之徒知畏懼。」

二十四年，實授總督。奏：「廣東各國商舶所集，請飭銷貨後依期回國，不得住冬；商館毋許私行交易；毋許貸與內地行商貲本；毋許雇內地廝役。」二十五年，又奏：「粵海關各國商舶出入，例於正稅船鈔外有各種規禮，應請刪除名色，併為歸公銀若干。各口僕役飯食、舟車諸費，於此覈銷。」並下部議行。廣西巡撫鄂寶以貴縣僮民韋志剛不法，知縣石崇光察報，避重就輕，請奪官。上以事由崇光察報，命毋奪官；侍堯奏先經面諭崇光體勘，始行察報，上令逮崇光按鞫。又奏志剛實無不法事，崇光猜疑妄報，仍奪崇光官。上以侍堯與鄂寶各懷意見，飭以「秉虛公，除習氣」。

二十六年，召授戶部尚書、正紅旗漢軍都統，襲勛舊佐領。二十八年，授湖廣總督。奏：「湖廣行銷淮鹽，抬價病民，請酌中定價。」命兩淮鹽政高恆赴湖廣會議，奏請按淮商成本，酌加餘息，明定限制，從之。加太子太保。

二十九年，調兩廣總督。右江鎮總兵李星垣坐婪賄得罪，命侍堯按鞫，擬絞。上以侍堯嘗薦星垣，今擬罪輕縱，責侍堯回護，坐降調。以憂還京師。署工部尚書。三十一年，調署刑部。三十二年，回兩廣總督任。襲二等昭信伯。三十四年，師征緬甸，命侍堯傳檄暹羅。時暹羅方為甘恩敕所據，侍堯以為不宜傳檄；以己意宣諭暹羅各夷目，密偵緬甸，苟入境，令擒以獻，上韙之。豐順民朱阿姜謀為亂，督吏捕治。

三十八年，授武英殿大學士，仍留總督任。安南內亂，令廣西鎮、道嚴防。入覲，賜黑狐端罩。四十年，兵部以廣東民糾黨結盟，不數月至五起，當追論武職弛縱罪。侍堯奏言：「武職既協緝，復追論弛縱罪，則規免處分，必致暗為消弭，兇徒轉得漏網，請寬之。」上從其請，並諭曰：「侍堯此奏，意在挽回積習。然亦惟侍堯向不姑息屬僚，朕所深信，始可為此言。若他人，未可輕為倣效也。」

四十二年，雲貴總督圖思德奏緬甸投誠，籲請納貢。上命大學士阿桂往蒞其事，並調侍堯雲貴總督。緬甸頭人孟幹謁侍堯，請緩貢。侍堯偕阿桂奏：「孟幹等語反覆，遵旨斷接濟，絕偵探，示以威德，不予遷就。」上召阿桂還。緬甸歸所留守備蘇爾相，侍堯遣詣京師。緬甸乞遣孟幹等還，侍堯諭令歸所留按察使銜楊重英，上嘉其合機宜。四十三年，奏獲緬甸遣騰越州民入關為諜，送京師。尋奏：「永昌、普洱界連緬甸，擬每歲派兵五千五百，在張鳳街、三臺山、九龍口諸地防守。」上諭以「揆度邊情，不值如此辦理」。侍堯復請於杉木隴設大汛，撥騰越兵五百；千崖設小汛，撥南甸兵二百，輪駐巡防；並分守虎踞、銅壁等關。從之。四十五年，雲南糧儲道海寧訴侍堯貪縱營私狀，命尚書和珅、侍郎喀寧阿按治。侍堯自承得道府以下餽賂，不諱，上震怒，諭曰：「侍堯身為大學士，歷任總督，負恩婪索，朕夢想所不到！」奪官，逮詣京師。和珅等奏擬斬監候，奪爵以授其弟奉堯。又下大學士九卿議，改斬決，上心欲寬之，復下各直省督撫議。各督撫多請照初議定罪，獨江蘇巡撫閔鶚元迎上意，奏：「侍堯歷任封疆，幹力有為。請用議勤議能之例，寬其一線。」上乃下詔，謂：「罪疑惟輕，朕不為已甚。」改斬監候。

四十六年，甘肅撒拉爾回蘇四十三為亂，上遣大學士阿桂視師。特旨予侍堯三品頂戴、孔雀翎，赴甘肅治軍事。甘肅冒賑事發，總督勒爾謹得罪，命侍堯領總督事，會阿桂按治。勒爾謹及前布政使王亶望、布政使王廷贊、蘭州知府蔣全迪皆坐斬。上命諸州縣侵冒二萬以上擬斬決，一萬以下斬候，於是皋蘭知縣程棟等二十人皆坐斬。四十七年，奏：「皋蘭等三十四廳、州、縣虧庫帑八十八萬有奇、倉糧七十四萬有奇，請於現任總督以下各官養廉扣抵歸補。」上命寬免。又請豁免節年民欠三十萬兩。旋命予現任品級頂帶，加太子太保。四十九年，廣東鹽商譚達元訴侍堯任兩廣時，總商沈冀州歛派公費餽送，上命尚書福康安按鞫，請罪侍堯。上責侍堯償繳公費，免其罪。

蘇四十三亂既定，上屢諭侍堯密察新教回民。至是，鹽茶廳回田五等復為亂，侍堯會固原提督剛塔捕田五。田五自戕，得其孥誅之。無何，田五之徒復攻靖遠。侍堯駐靖遠，令剛塔督兵往，亂久未定。上命大學士阿桂、尚書福康安視師。渭城陷，西安副都統明善戰死，賊據石峯堡。上責侍堯玩延怯懦，奪官，仍在軍效力督餉。侍堯旋督兵赴伏羌。福康安 至軍，發侍堯玩愒貽誤諸罪狀。逮熱河行在，王大臣按鞫，擬斬決。上仍令從寬改監候。五十年，諭釋之。署正黃旗漢軍都統。署戶部尚書。

湖北江陵民訴知縣孔毓檀侵賑，命侍堯往按。奏言毓檀未侵賑，但治賑遲緩，坐奪官。命署湖廣總督。奏上年孝感被災饑民劉金立等掠穀，生員梅調元糾眾毆殺金立，並生瘞二十三人。上逮前總督特成額及知縣秦樸等治其罪。未幾，實授。

五十二年，入覲。臺灣民林爽文為亂，調侍堯閩浙總督，駐蚶江。時前總督常青督兵渡臺灣，侍堯以兵力不足，調廣東、浙江兵濟師。又慮賊據笨港劫糧械，撥缯船分防鹿耳門、鹿仔港。上獎以籌濟有方。亂久未定，上以常青非將才，命福康安為將軍督師；並寄諭常青全師以歸，待福康安至，再籌進取。侍堯恐常青宣露上旨，人心惶惑，節錄發寄，并具疏請罪。上大悅，獎以「深合機宜，得大臣體」。賜雙眼孔雀翎。福康安劾提督柴大紀，上責侍堯徇隱。五十三年，侍堯亦奏大紀貪劣諸狀，自請治罪，上寬之。臺灣平，命仍襲伯爵。建福康安等生祠於臺灣，命侍堯居福康安、海蘭察之次。復命圖形紫光閣，列前二十功臣。

侍堯短小精敏，過目成誦。見屬僚，數語即辨其才否。擁几高坐，語所治肥瘠利害，或及其陰事，若親見。人皆悚懼。屢以貪黷坐法，上終憐其才，為之曲赦。十月，疾聞，命其子侍衛毓秀往省。旋卒，諡恭毅。