Wu Dai

Overview

Wu Dai was a member of the Shumulu clan of the Bordered Red Banner of the Manchus in the early Qing Dynasty. He was a relative of Ye Chen, the son-in-law of Hule'e, and his family had lived in Zhusheli for generations before submitting to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of the dynasty. The official clan genealogy of the Qianlong era, *The General Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, Volume Six, lists his grandson Guanbao as a Xiaoqi Xiao (xiaoqixiao, a military officer in the cavalry) and Yibai as a Bujun Xiao (bujunxiao, an infantry officer in the infantry). The original entries explicitly attribute these military positions to his grandsons, without listing his own official titles.

A Xiaoqi Xiao was a junior officer in the Xiaoqi Battalion, responsible for the training, military service, and battalion affairs of his troops; a Bujun Xiao served in the infantry system, overseeing different branches and institutions. Although both titles contain the character "Xiao" (xiao (military officer)), Guanbao and Yibai cannot be considered officers of the same battalion, nor can their hereditary titles be inferred from their official appointments.

The Bordered Red Banner, in addition to its military organization, also managed household registration and social status; Zhusheli was their historical ancestral home and cannot be replaced by a later, unrecorded residence. Wu Dai and Ye Chen belonged to the same clan, which only indicates their clan relationship and cannot be directly interpreted as brothers or father and son. Furthermore, Ye Chen's royal marriages, migrations, and military campaigns cannot be attributed to Wu Dai. This article distinguishes between grandfather and grandson and the two military service systems based on the attached materials. Further verification through genealogy and official resumes is needed regarding the modern settlement, the grandson's father, and the dates of various appointments.