奕劻 Yìkuāng
Biography
奕劻
以綿性子奕劻為後。三十年，襲輔國將軍。咸豐二年正月，封貝子。十年正月，上三十萬壽，進貝勒。同治十一年九月，大婚，加郡王銜，授御前大臣。光緒十年三月，命管理總理各國事務衙門。十月，進慶郡王。十一年九月，會同醇親王辦理海軍事務。十二年二月，命在內廷行走。十五年正月，授右宗正。大婚，賜四團正龍補服，子載振頭品頂帶。二十年，太后六十萬壽，懿旨進親王。二十六年七月，上奉太后幸太原，命奕劻留京會大學士李鴻章與各國議和。二十七年六月，改總理各國事務衙門為外務部，奕劻仍總理部事。十二月，加載振貝子銜。二十九年三月，授奕劻軍機大臣，仍總理外務部如故。尋命總理財政處、練兵處，解御前大臣以授載振。
載振赴日本大阪觀展覽會歸，請振興商務，設商部，即以載振為尚書。十月，御史張元奇劾載振宴集召歌妓侑酒。上諭：「當深加警惕，有則改之，無則加勉。」旋請開缺，未許。三十年三月，御史蔣式瑆奏：「戶部設立銀行，招商入股。臣風聞上年十一月慶親王奕劻將私產一百二十萬送往東交民巷英商匯豐銀行收存。奕劻自簡任軍機大臣以來，細大不捐，門庭如市。是以其父子起居、飲食、車馬、衣服異常揮霍，尚能儲蓄鉅款。請命將此款提交官立銀行入股。」命左都御史清銳、戶部尚書鹿傳霖按其事，不得實，式瑆回原衙門行走。
三十一年，充日、俄修訂東三省條約全權大臣。三十二年，遣載振使奉天、吉林按事。改商部為農工商部，仍以載振為尚書。三十三年，命奕劻兼管陸軍部事。東三省改設督撫，以直隸候補道段芝貴署黑龍江巡撫。御史趙啟霖奏：「段芝貴善於迎合，上年貝子載振往東三省，道經天津，芝貴以萬二千金鬻歌妓以獻，又以十萬金為奕劻壽，夤緣得官。」上為罷芝貴，而命醇親王載灃、大學士孫家鼐按其事，不得實，奪啟霖官。載振复疏辭御前大臣、農工商部尚書，許之。三十四年十一月，命以親王世襲。
宣統三年四月，罷軍機處，授奕劻內閣總理大臣，大學士那桐、徐世昌協理大臣。八月，武昌兵起，初命陸軍部尚書廕昌視師，奕劻請於朝，起袁世凱湖廣總督視師。世凱入京師，代奕劻為內閣總理大臣，授奕劻弼德院總裁。十二月，詔遜位，奕劻避居天津。後七年薨，諡曰密。
Yikuang
Yikuang, son of Mianxing, was made his heir. In the thirtieth year he inherited the rank of General Who Assists the State. In the first month of the second year of Xianfeng he was enfeoffed as beizi. In the first month of the tenth year, at the emperor's thirtieth birthday, he was advanced to beile. In the ninth month of the eleventh year of Tongzhi, at the emperor's wedding, he was given the added rank of a Prince of the Second Rank and appointed Minister in Attendance. In the third month of the tenth year of Guangxu he was ordered to manage the Zongli Yamen. In the tenth month he was advanced to Prince Qing of the Second Rank. In the ninth month of the eleventh year he joined Prince Chun of the First Rank in handling naval affairs. In the second month of the twelfth year he was ordered to attend in the Inner Court. In the first month of the fifteenth year he was appointed Right Director of the Imperial Clan Court. At the emperor's wedding he was granted a surcoat with four dragon roundels, and his son Zaizhen the button of the first rank. In the twentieth year, at the Empress Dowager's sixtieth birthday, an edict in her name advanced him to Prince of the First Rank. In the seventh month of the twenty-sixth year, when the emperor escorted the Empress Dowager on a progress to Taiyuan, Yikuang was ordered to remain in the capital and, with the Grand Secretary Li Hongzhang, negotiate peace with the powers. In the sixth month of the twenty-seventh year, the Zongli Yamen was changed into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Yikuang continued to direct the affairs of the Ministry. In the twelfth month, Zaizhen was given the added rank of beizi. In the third month of the twenty-ninth year, Yikuang was appointed Grand Councillor, and continued as before to direct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Soon he was ordered to direct the Commission for Finance and the Commission for Army Training, and was relieved as Minister in Attendance, the post being given to Zaizhen. Edit
Zaizhen returned from the exhibition in Osaka, Japan, and asked that commerce be promoted and a Ministry of Commerce be established, and Zaizhen was made its Minister. In the tenth month, the censor Zhang Yuanqi impeached Zaizhen for holding banquets at which singing girls were summoned to serve wine. The emperor decreed: "He should be deeply on his guard; if he has done this, let him mend it; if not, let him take it as an encouragement." Soon he asked to be released from his post, which was not granted. In the third month of the thirtieth year, the censor Jiang Shixing memorialised: "The Ministry of Revenue is establishing a bank and inviting merchants to take shares. Your servant has heard it said that in the eleventh month of last year Yikuang, Prince Qing of the First Rank, sent 1,200,000 of his private property to the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, a British firm in Dongjiaomin Lane, for safekeeping. Since Yikuang was appointed Grand Councillor he has declined nothing, great or small, and his door is like a market. For this reason, though father and son are extravagantly lavish in their daily life, their food and drink, their carriages and horses and their clothes, they are still able to lay up huge sums. I ask that an order be given to withdraw this money and hand it to a government bank as shares." Qingrui, Senior Censor-in-Chief, and Lu Chuanlin, Minister of Revenue, were ordered to investigate the matter, and it was not found true; Jiang Shixing was returned to attend at his former office. Edit
In the thirty-first year, he was appointed plenipotentiary to revise with Japan and Russia the treaty on the three Eastern Provinces. In the thirty-second year, Zaizhen was sent to Fengtian and Jilin to investigate affairs. The Ministry of Commerce was changed into the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce, and Zaizhen was still its Minister. In the thirty-third year, Yikuang was ordered also to manage the affairs of the Ministry of the Army. When the three Eastern Provinces were changed to be ruled by governors-general and governors, Duan Zhigui, expectant Intendant of Zhili, was made acting Governor of Heilongjiang. The censor Zhao Qilin memorialised: "Duan Zhigui is skilled at flattering. Last year, when Beizi Zaizhen went to the three Eastern Provinces and passed through Tianjin, Zhigui bought a singing girl for 12,000 in gold and presented her, and also gave 100,000 in gold for Yikuang's birthday, and obtained his office by clinging to patrons." The emperor dismissed Zhigui for this, and ordered Zaifeng, Prince Chun of the First Rank, and the Grand Secretary Sun Jianai to investigate the matter; it was not found true, and Zhao Qilin was stripped of office. Zaizhen again petitioned to resign as Minister in Attendance and Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce, and this was granted. In the eleventh month of the thirty-fourth year, it was ordered that the rank of Prince of the First Rank be hereditary. Edit
In the fourth month of the third year of Xuantong, the Grand Council was abolished and Yikuang was appointed Prime Minister of the Cabinet, with the Grand Secretaries Na Tong and Xu Shichang as Assistant Prime Ministers. In the eighth month, when troops rose at Wuchang, Yinchang, Minister of the Army, was first ordered to inspect the army; Yikuang asked the court that Yuan Shikai be recalled as Governor-General of Huguang to inspect the army. When Yuan Shikai entered the capital he replaced Yikuang as Prime Minister of the Cabinet, and Yikuang was appointed President of the Privy Council. In the twelfth month, when the edict of abdication was issued, Yikuang took refuge at Tianjin. Seven years later he died, and was given the posthumous name Mi. Edit
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Source: 清史稿 卷二百二十一 列传八 诸王七 (Draft History of Qing, juan 221, Biographies 8: Princes 7)
Wikipedia: Yikuang · Chinese Wikipedia: 奕劻 · Baidu Baike: 奕劻 (an article of the same name, not checked to be him)
Source
From the historical record: the notes below say where · qing-zongshi-01029
Notes (2)
- [Source] 清史稿 卷一百六十五 表五 皇子世表五 Draft History of Qing, juan 165, Table 5: Genealogical Table of the Emperors' Sons 5
- [Collation note] 表云：「綿性第一子，綿悌嗣子。道光三十年襲輔國將軍，咸豐二年封貝子，十年晉貝勒，同治十一年加郡王銜，光緒十年晉慶郡王，二十年晉慶親王」 The table: “Eldest son of Miánxìng, adopted heir of Miántì. In Daoguang 30 (1850), inherited the title General Who Assists the State. In Xianfeng 2 (1852), made Beizi. In Xianfeng 10 (1860), promoted to Beile. In Tongzhi 11 (1872), given the rank of a Prince of the Second Rank. In Guangxu 10 (1884), promoted to Prince Qing of the Second Rank. In Guangxu 20 (1894), promoted to Prince Qing of the First Rank.”