德沛 Dépèi

Grandnephew of Yabu: Depei, Prince Jianyi of the First Rank

Depei, courtesy name Jizhai, was a son of Fucun the beizi. In the thirteenth year of Yongzheng, he was appointed General Who Guards the State. On the recommendation of Yunli, Prince Guo of the First Rank, Shizong summoned him and asked what he wished for, and he replied: "I wish to take a place in the side galleries of the Confucian temple and share the offering of a single pig." The emperor greatly esteemed him. He was appointed Vice Minister of War. In the first year of Qianlong, he was changed to Provincial Commander of Gubeikou. In the second year, he was appointed Governor of Gansu, and memorialised: "Most of the departments and counties of Gansu are among myriad mountains, and when disaster strikes, the people go into the city to receive relief, but the roads are long and distant. Distribution depots should be set up in the villages and towns to give out grain, and the department and county officials should be allowed to give relief at once once they have submitted a detailed report." Soon he was promoted to Governor-General of Huguang, and memorialised: "In governing the Miao frontier, we should encourage the opening of fields, set up schools, and also order the planting of trees." In the fourth year, he was transferred to Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang. The censor Zhu Xuzhuo impeached the Governor of Fujian, Wang Shiren, for taking bribes and private gain; the emperor suspected it was untrue and ordered Xuzhuo to take part in the trial. Depei admitted his own failure to detect it, held Xuzhuo to be upright, and stripped Shiren of office, and the people of the time admired his impartiality. Longsheng, General of Fuzhou, was greedy and unrestrained, and he impeached and removed him. He memorialised that the garrison commanders' camps and posts should be moved with consideration, to avert disputes in advance. In the twelfth month of the fifth year, an edict said: "Depei has repeatedly served in provincial posts and ... words; 'The residents of the seacoast constantly bear arms over boundaries'; his conduct is incorruptible, he takes not a single thing, debts and arrears have piled up day by day, so that he had to give up his old property. Let ten thousand taels of silver from the Fujian provincial treasury be granted, to set an example for those in office." In the sixth year, he concurrently acted as Governor of Zhejiang. In the seventh year, he was transferred to Governor-General of Liangjiang. There was a great flood at Huai'an and Yangzhou, and he ordered the prefectures and counties to open the granaries and storehouses, and memorialised to allocate a hundred thousand taels of silver from the land-and-poll tax, customs duties and salt revenue for relief. Soon he disagreed with Gao Bin in discussing river affairs. In the eighth year, he was transferred to Vice Minister of Personnel. In the fifth month of the twelfth year, he acted as Governor of Shanxi. In the twelfth month, he was promoted to Minister of Personnel. In the seventh month of the thirteenth year, he was relieved of his post because of illness. After Shenbaozhu was dismissed, the emperor, because Depei's conduct was steady and weighty, specially ordered him to inherit the title; his great-grandfather Feiyangwu the beile, grandfather Fulata the beizi and father Fucun were all posthumously made Prince Jian of the First Rank. In the seventeenth year, he died and was given the posthumous name Yi. Qitong'a, a great-grandson of Ji'erhalang, inherited. Edit

Qitong'a was a son of Basai, Duke Who Assists the State. At first he was appointed General Who Assists the State. He inherited as Duke Who Assists the State. In the first year of Qianlong, he was appointed Lieutenant-General of the Manchu Plain Red Banner. In the third year, he was appointed Chief Chamberlain of the Imperial Guard. In the seventeenth year, he inherited. His grandfather Ba'erkan, Duke Who Assists the State, and his father Basai were both posthumously made Prince Jian of the First Rank. In the twenty-first year, he took charge of the affairs of the Imperial Clan Court. In the twenty-eighth year he died and was given the posthumous name Qin. His son Fengnaheng inherited. Fengnaheng was at first appointed Third-class Imperial Bodyguard. He served Gaozong, followed the army against the Zhunga'er, and commanded a thousand men of the Vanguard Camp, stationed at Hu'erman. Huojizhan came to attack with five thousand men; he joined the other armies and drove them back, pursuing the beaten for over ten li. The army advanced, and the enemy held a moat to resist; he took the moat, his horse was wounded, and he changed horses and advanced again, defeating the enemy at the ford of the Qindale River and defeating them again on the bank of the Ye'erqiang River. An edict praised his courage, and he was promoted to Second-class Imperial Bodyguard and then raised to Deputy Lieutenant-General of the Manchu Bordered White Banner. He moved with the army to Yili and was appointed minister leading troops. He broke the people of Mahaqin and of the Kazakh tribe and took their horses. In the twenty-seventh year, the army returned, and he was granted the double-eyed peacock feather. He was promoted to Commander of the Guard Corps and put in charge of the Vanguard Camp. In the twenty-eighth year, he inherited the title. He was appointed Lieutenant-General and took charge of the affairs of the Imperial Clan Court. In the fortieth year he died and was given the posthumous name Ke. His son Jihana inherited. In the first month of the forty-third year, the style of Prince Zheng of the First Rank was restored. In the forty-ninth year he died and was given the posthumous name Gong. His son Wu'ergong'a inherited. Edit

Wu'ergong'a was at first named Fu'erguochong'e; on inheriting the title, an edict changed his name. In the twenty-sixth year of Daoguang he died and was given the posthumous name Shen. Edit

His son Duanhua inherited. He was appointed Minister in Attendance. When Xuanzong died, he received the testamentary charge. When Wenzong acceded to the throne, he was repeatedly ordered to be Minister for Troop Reviews and Right Clan Director. When the capital was placed under martial law, he was ordered to supervise patrols and guard. In the tenth year, he accompanied the emperor to Rehe and was appointed Chief Chamberlain of the Imperial Guard. Duanhua's younger brother Sushun held power; when Wenzong died, he again received the testamentary charge, and together with Zaiyuan, Prince Yi of the First Rank, and Sushun and others, they were styled "the Princes and Ministers Assisting in the Government." When Muzong returned to the capital, an edict rebuked Duanhua and the others for monopolising power and acting arrogantly, and Duanhua was convicted and ordered to die. Sushun has his own biography. The title was lowered to Duke Who Assists the State, without the Eight Privileges. In the second month of the first year of Tongzhi, Yueling, an eighth-generation descendant of Ji'erhalang, inherited. In the seventh month of the third year, Jiangning was retaken, and the hereditary title of Prince Zheng of the First Rank was restored, and Chengzhi, a fifth-generation descendant of Qitong'a, inherited. Edit

Chengzhi was a son of Xilang'a, Duke Who Assists the State. At first he inherited as Duke Who Assists the State. After he inherited the princely title, his great-grandfather Jingnaheng, Duke Who Assists the State, his grandfather Yifenge, Duke Who Assists the State, and his father Xilang'a were all posthumously made Prince Zheng of the First Rank, and Yueling was changed to inherit as Duke Who Assists the State. In the second month of the fourth year, the censor Liu Qing impeached Chengzhi for improper conduct, and an edict ordered him to make every effort to cleanse himself. In the eleventh year, he was convicted of having ordered his guardsman Yushou to beat to death the department secretary Fuxun, and was deprived of his title and confined within walls. Qingzhi, a grandson of Jihana, inherited. Qingzhi was the adopted heir of Songde, General by Grace. After he inherited the princely title, Songde was posthumously made Prince Zheng of the First Rank. Qingzhi died in the fourth year of Guangxu and was given the posthumous name Shun. His son Kaitai inherited. In the twenty-sixth year he died. He was given the posthumous name Ke. His son Zhaoxu inherited. Edit

Ledu was the third son of Ji'erhalang. He was enfeoffed as Prince Min of the Second Rank. When he died, he was given the posthumous name Jian. He had no son, and the title was abolished. Edit