Hu Cheng'e

Overview

Hu Cheng'e was a member of the Irgen Gioro clan of the Bordered Blue Banner during the early Qing Dynasty. His family had lived in Akuri for generations, and he submitted to the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of its rule. He was of the same clan as Qi Yamu. The official clan genealogy compiled during the Qianlong reign, *The General Genealogy of the Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, Volume 14, does not record his official position. It records that his great-grandson Tunduo served as a military officer, his fourth-generation descendant Dukashi served as a doctor, and his fifth-generation descendant Haisai served as a water clock operator, Mandu served as Minister of Works, and Kuazhu served as a military officer. The institution of the doctorate is not recorded, so it cannot be considered a modern academic degree or directly identify the institution where he taught.

The water clock operator is mentioned in the relevant system of the Imperial Observatory, and was related to matters such as water clocks and timekeeping; the Minister of Works was responsible for central administration such as engineering projects, and the military officer participated in military affairs. The three positions were different in nature. Haisai's specific term of office is still pending verification, and it is impossible to classify all of them under the Ministry of Works simply because his contemporary Mandu served as Minister of Works.

Chunshan, a sixth-generation descendant, was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the Ren Chen year and a Shujishi (probationary official) in the Hanlin Academy. He served as a Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet, concurrently holding the positions of Vice Minister of Rites and Zuo Ling (military officer). At the time of compiling the genealogy, he was serving as Vice Minister of War in Shengjing. Henian, a seventh-generation descendant, was a Jinshi in the Bing Chen year and a Shujishi. He currently serves as the Siyue (Director of Studies) at the Imperial Academy. Shujishi were selected through the Hanlin Academy's training system, while the Siyue was a deputy position at the Imperial Academy. The original records did not include complete year designations and were not converted to the correct year beforehand. Verification of high-ranking officials across generations, clan relationships, and the place of origin of Akuri still requires cross-verification through archival records.