Lei Mingde

Overview

Lei Mingde was a bannerman of the Bordered Yellow Banner during the Qing Dynasty. His family had lived in Shenyang for generations, and the year of their submission is unknown. Volume 78 of the official genealogy of the Eight Banners Manchu Clans, compiled during the Qianlong reign, records that he was initially granted the title of Qiduwei for his medical expertise, and later, due to his diligent service in the army, he was awarded the title of First-Class Qingche duwei. This record refers to his technical service and service as a servant; the original text does not provide specific details of his military achievements.

Qiduwei and Qingche duwei were hereditary titles granted to meritorious officials during the Qing Dynasty, not ordinary military positions for daily troop deployment. The *Draft History of the Qing Dynasty* classifies Qiduwei as a fourth-rank official and Qingche duwei as a third-rank official, the latter further divided into three grades; the corresponding Chinese names were also standardized during the Qianlong era. Therefore, these titles in the original text cannot be interpreted without explanation as Lei Mingde having used the same official titles in his early years.

The original text also records that his sons, Lei Yanyuan and Lei Qianyuan, both held the rank of First-Class Qingche duwei, but the process of their appointment or succession is not explained in detail in this entry. The sons' titles should be separated from Lei Mingde's own two appointments. Medical knowledge is the only verifiable reason for his appointment in the original text, but it is insufficient to determine his medical specialty, whom he treated, or whether he ever served as an official in the Imperial Medical Academy.