察尼 Chání

Chani, Duke Kexi Who Assists the State

Chani, Duke Kexi Who Assists the State, was the fourth son of Duoduo. Edit

In the thirteenth year of Shunzhi, he was enfeoffed as a beile. Edit

In the seventh year of Kangxi, he was appointed Left Clan Director. Edit

In the twelfth year, Wu Sangui rebelled, and he followed Le'erjin, Prince Shuncheng of the Second Rank, on the southern campaign, taking part in the planning of military affairs. The army halted at Jingzhou, and Sangui had already taken Yuezhou. Chani, together with the General Niyahan, advanced with the naval force; Sangui's general Wu Yingqi led seventy thousand men by land to resist, and he drove them back. The army halted at Qili Mountain and fired cannon that sank more than ten of their boats. As it was the height of summer, he returned to garrison Jingzhou. Edit

In the fourteenth year, he carried the seal of General Who Quiets Bandits and relieved Gucheng. At the time Nanzhang and Xingshan had already fallen, the enemy was pressing on Yiling and holding Zhenjing Mountain, digging moats and building stockades. Chani reached Yiling and proposed adding to the naval force and cutting the enemy's supply route. He attacked the enemy at Niupiyakou, advanced against Huanglianping, burned their stores, and took Xingshan. Edit

In the fifteenth year, Sangui moved the troops of Nanzhang and Yiling to Changsha, and Le'erjin ordered Chani to return to Jingzhou; he crossed the river and made for Shishou, held Hudukou, attacked the enemy at Taiping Street, and killed over three hundred. The next day he sallied out again, met an ambush, and was defeated and returned to Jingzhou. An edict rebuked him for incompetence. Edit

In the eighth month of the seventeenth year, Shangshan the beile died in the army, and Chani was ordered to take his place as Grand General Who Brings Peace to Distant Lands and Quiets Bandits and to plan for Yuezhou. He memorialised: "Once the naval force enters the lake, the rebels' supplies will be nearly cut off. After the lake waters recede, we should surround them with timber rafts, set up piles and line up cannon, and patrol with small boats, planning for a long siege." The emperor approved his words and ordered Guanbao, Deputy Lieutenant-General, to reinforce the army. Soon he broke the enemy at Nanjin Harbour and killed a thousand. The Lieutenant-General Yechuhe and others attacked Yuezhou and again broke more than ten thousand of the enemy. He repeatedly memorialised asking for more naval and land forces to be transferred to complete the encirclement, and the emperor granted all of it. Edit

In the first month of the eighteenth year, Sangui's generals Wang Duchong, Chen Po and others surrendered with their naval force, and Yingqi abandoned the city and fled, so Yuezhou was recovered. Over six hundred officials and over five thousand soldiers surrendered, and sixty-five boats and over six hundred and forty cannon were captured. In the second month, Yuele, Prince An of the First Rank, advanced from Changsha to take Hengzhou, and Chani sent Green Standard troops to reinforce the army; soon he recovered Xiangyin and Anxiang. In the fourth month, he was ordered to advance from Changde against Chenlong Pass, and the armies south of Lizhou were put under his direction. Edit

In the third month of the nineteenth year, he took Chenlong Pass and recovered Chenzhou. He memorialised: "On the road there is constant rain and mud, and the men and horses need rest." An edict ordered him to camp for the time at Yuanzhou. In the sixth month, an edict ordered Zhangtai the beizi to lead the army down into Yunnan, and because Chani had long been toiling, he was ordered to lead the Manchu troops back to the capital. The officials deliberated his offence of holding back, and proposed stripping him of title and office, confiscating his household and confining him; the emperor, remembering his merit in taking Yuezhou, ordered that only his title be stripped. Edit

In the twenty-fourth year, he was appointed General of Fengtian. Edit

In the twenty-seventh year, he died, and was granted sacrifices and burial according to the rank of Duke Who Assists the State, and the posthumous name Kexi. Edit