Fu Honglie

Fu Honglie (died AD 1680) was a native of Kiangsi, who gave his allegiance to the Manchus in 1657 and was employed as a Prefect.

For reporting the treasonable designs of Wu San Gui in 1688 he was condemned to death, but the sentence was commuted to banishment to Kuang-si. Here he was when Wu revolted, and the latter at once sent to seize him. He tried to drown himself, but was rescued and sent to the revolted general of Kuang-si, Sun Yen-ling, who was however won over by his admonitions, joined with the entreaties of his wife, and sent him to Nan-ning in order to get aid from Cochin-China. To save himself from suspicion, Fu accepted a general’s commission from the rebels, and at the same time entered into a secret league with Shang Chih-hsin against them. In 1677 he opened communications with the Imperial generals in Hunan and Kuangtung; and having enlisted many of the frontier tribes, fought his way to Shao-chou and so joined hands with them, to learn that he was appointed Governor of Kuang-si. All his family had been sent as hostages to Wu San-kuei, and were slain on his taking the Imperialist side; and this so enraged him that he laid down his Governorship and devoted himself entirely to the war. His efforts were hampered by Shang K’o-hsi, who would not lend a gun nor a horse and would not move a man. Yet he was on the whole successful, even though working with raw levies, and in 1680 had got to the border of Kueichou. Then the stupidity of a subordinate, who without his knowledge marched a force after him as he went to an interview with an ex-rebel leader, excited the latter’s suspicion, and he was seised and sent to Kuei-yang. Here the grandson and successor of Wu San-Kuei, Wu Shih-fen, after vain endeavors to shake his loyalty, caused him to be put to death.

His remains, recovered on the recapture of Kuei-yang at the end of 1680, received a public funeral; and the Emperor published his secret memorials revealing the treasonable designs of Shang Chih-hsin, memorials which this time were acted upon without undue delay. Canonised and included in the Temple of Patriots.