A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Fu Hung-lieh

by Herbert A. Giles

588

Fu Hung-lieh 傅宏烈 (T. 仲謀 H. 竹君). Died A.D. 1680. A native of Kiangsi, who gave in his allegiance to the Manchus in 1657 and was employed as a Prefect. For reporting the treasonable designs of Wu San-kuei in 1688 he was condemned to death, but the sentence was commuted to banishment to Kuangsi. Here he was when Wu revolted, and the latter at once sent to seize him. He tried to drown himself, but was rescued and sent to the revolted general of Kuangsi, 孫延齡 Sun Yen-ling, who was however won over by his admonitions, joined with the entreaties of his wife, and sent him to 南甯 Nan-ning in order to get aid from Cochin-China. To save himself from suspicion, Fu accepted a general’s commission from the rebels, and at the same time entered into a secret league with Shang Chih-hsin against them. In 1677 he opened communications with the Imperial generals in Hunan and Kuangtung; and having enlisted many of the frontier tribes, fought his way to 韶 Shao-chou and so joined hands with them, to learn that he was appointed Governor of Kuangsi. All his family had been sent as hostages to Wu San-kuei, and were slain on his taking the Imperialist side; and this so enraged him that he laid down his Governorship and devoted himself entirely to the war. His efforts were hampered by Shang K'o-hsi, who would not lend a gun nor a horse and would not move a man. Yet he was on the whole successful, even though working with raw levies, and in 1680 had got to the borders of Kueichou. Then the stupidity of a subordinate, who without his knowledge marched a force after him as he went to an interview with an ex-rebel leader, excited the latter’s suspicion, and he was seized and sent to Kuei-yang. Here the grandson and successor of Wu San-kuei, 吳世璠 Wu Shih-fan, after vain endeavours to shake his loyalty, caused him to be put to death. His remains, recovered on the recapture of Kuei-yang at the end of 1680, received a public funeral; and the Emperor published his secret memorials revealing the treasonable designs of Shang Chih-hsin, memorials which this time were acted upon without undue delay. Canonised as 忠毅 and included in the Temple of Patriots.