Guo Fuxiang

Over twenty years ago, I published Ming Qing Di Hou Bao Xi / Imperial seals of the Ming and Qing dynasties, a book dedicated to the subject of imperial seals used by emperors and empresses. In the book, I mentioned that the seals commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor had a clear tendency to record life events and successes. I further stated that seals had been carved to commemorate significant state affairs and family rituals throughout the Qianlong period, and that those seals had been reproduced in such great numbers that, if lined up according to the years they were produced, a chronology of the major happenings in his reign would be established 1. This special characteristic of Qianlong seals means that the great historical episodes of the Qianlong period are culturally significant to Qianlong seals, and hence are key to our understanding of them. The present Shiquan Laoren seal being offered by Sotheby's New York is an example of this kind of seal that documented the Qianlong Emperor's lifetime achievements.

This jewel of white jade is carved with a crouching dragon, measuring 6.3 cm in overall height and 3.8 cm on each side of the seal face. The seal inscription is composed of the four characters Shiquan Laoren (The Elder with Ten Accomplishments) in sigillary script, with shi and ren in relief and quan and lao in intaglio; the combination of relief and intaglio on one seal is very special for Qianlong seals. The present seal is recorded in the Qianlong Baosou (Register of the Qianlong Imperial Seals) kept in the Beijing Palace Museum (fig. 1). Comparing its impression against that found in the imperial records, it matches precisely in size, calligraphy and carved strokes, thus attesting to the authenticity of the seal having been used by the Qianlong Emperor. It is further documented in the Qianlong Baosou that this seal was originally encased together with the Taishang Huangdi (The Emperor Emeritus) seal and the Wanguo Chuntai Yuanmeiquan (The Realm Embracing the Spring and Accomplishing My Visions) seal, and that the three seals were used as a group for inscribing.

Such groups of seals must be explored in their entirety. In other words, in order to appreciate the Shiquan Laoren seal, it is necessary to not only understand the historical background and origin of the inscription Shiquan Laoren but to also investigate the three inscriptions in conjunction with each other, and their association with the Emperor's life events.

On the twenty-second day, eighth month and fifty-seventh year of Qianlong (1792), the Emperor, then in his Chengde Mountain Resort preparing for the imperial hunt, received a memorial from Fuk'anggan who had been appointed as general-in-chief to the campaign of Gurkha, reporting the capitulation of King Rana Bahadur. The eighty-two-year-old Emperor exulted in the triumphant news. He immediately consented to the submission of Gurkha and commanded Fuk'anggan to lead his troops back to the capital. On the same day, the Emperor wrote the poem Kuoerka Latena Baduer qianshi huizui qixiang, yin xu qi qing, ming kaixuan banshi zhishi (The Gurkha Rana Bahadur Sent for an Envoy, Repented His Disloyalty and Pledge Fealty; I Hence Permitted His Supplication and Commanded the Victorious Army to Return and the Event Be Recorded), of which the last verse praises shiquan dawu yang (we even succeeded in the ten complete military achievements) 2. This seems like a summary of the many military actions the Emperor had launched against foreign powers and in the borderlands. The next day, still in high spirits, he wrote Shiquan Ji (Note on the Ten Accomplishments) to recount the wars he operated during his reign that had fortified the borders and solidified his rule, and he set down ten monumental victories as shiquan wugong (The Ten Military Accomplishments). As specified by the Emperor, 'these accomplishments were: twice pacifying the Dzungars, settling the Muslim tribes of the Northwest, twice conquering the Jinchuan region, suppressing Taiwan, subduing Burma and Vietnam with one conquest each, and now twice accepting the submission of the Gurkhas, a total of ten' 3. This is the origin of shiquan wugong, the statement that the Qianlong Emperor jubilantly referred to and repeatedly proclaimed in his later years. In the Emperor's view, those wars were not acts of aggression, but rather were inevitable military deployments; the ten victories won peace for the borderlands and therefore presented outstanding significance to the Emperor. 'Now, having accomplished the ten campaigns, all vouchsafed by Heaven, we have ten military achievements to glorify. Going forward, with the country secure and foreign lands pacified, I only wish to share the blessings of peace with the people of the empire.' 4

Though shiquan may at first have been the Qianlong Emperor's recount of his historical achievements in expanding the empire, soon thereafter he began calling himself shiquan laoren, which was more than to commemorate his military accomplishments. When the Emperor commissioned the Shiquan Laoren Zhi Bao (Seal of the Elder with Ten Accomplishments) to be made, he wrote an essay titled Shiquan Laoren Zhi Bao Shuo (An Explanation of the Seal of the Elder with Ten Accomplishments) where he bestowed additional meaning on the term shiquan: 'Having written Shiquan Ji, I selected a piece of Khotan jade and had it carved with the characters shiquan laoren zhi bao; I hereby explain that while shiquan was originally phrased to commemorate military accomplishments, shiquan laoren zhi bao meant beyond that. What do I mean? Military accomplishments are only one of the duties [zhi] of a ruler, favored by the heavenly might and fulfilled by his scrupulous endeavors. I did not increase the land tax but instead the tax relief augmented fourfold; nor did I exact corvée labor from the people but instead people harvested a great bounty. I have, perhaps, merely avoided the criticism of engaging in senseless wars; as for an elder, the ten accomplishments are not yet complete. The job of a ruler is not limited to military accomplishments, is it? Zhu Xi said, “a day on the throne is a day of carrying out imperial duties [guan], and a day of being unable to carry out imperial duties is a day of being unworthy of the throne.” What does Zhu Xi mean by imperial duties [guan]? It is none other than the duties [zhi] of a ruler. Now that one cannot even list all the duties of a ruler, how could one say that the ruler fulfills all his duties? Since the ruler can never completely fulfill all his duties, is not Shiquan Laoren Zhi Bao self-deception and boasting, and does it not increase the shame? I, as the elder, aspire to the ultimate fulfillment beyond the ten accomplishments, but I dare not rely on Heaven's aid. The ten accomplished military campaigns have indeed benefited from Heaven's aid. Do the ten campaigns completely fulfill my duties as a ruler, and can I count on Heaven's aid here too? For a man who proceeds a hundred miles, ninety miles is deemed halfway; for me who has three more years before I can retire from the throne, it is deemed not even halfway but far from complete, as if there were three more decades to advance. For this reason, when I reached seventy, I linked the milestone with You Ri Zizi (Still Diligent Every Day) as a motto, and when I reached eighty, I linked the new milestone with Ziqiang Buxi (Self-improvement Never Ceases), as an encouragement, but the next level may or may not occur. In the next three years, I dare not be lax in propelling myself to work diligently and to revere Heaven and serve my people; awaiting Heaven's favor reverently, I may attain the condition of ultimate fulfillment, but in the meantime, three years really seem as distant as three decades. How I feel blessed! How I long for the fulfillment! How I desire to keep my guard up!' 5 We can thus see that the Qianlong Emperor, after the ten military accomplishments, sought to establish his recognition as the completely fulfilled elder, which was not just an attempt to extol his past completion of the ten military accomplishments but rather a pursuit to the next phase of his life, namely to deliver all the duties of a ruler so that he might 'attain the condition of ultimate fulfillment' and to realize his long-cherished desire to be a consummate character of all time. In other words, the Emperor used the term shiquan to note his accomplishments and to set up expectations for himself. Therefore, when the Qianlong Emperor called himself Shiquan Laoren, he was using the term shiquan to express the excellence of life that he aspired to.

What is this excellence, the ultimate fulfillment, that the Qianlong Emperor was aspiring to? From his own words, we can infer that the Emperor, at this point of life, thought he had realized all his ideals except for bequeathing the throne on to his successor after sixty years of rulership and becoming the Emperor Emeritus. Only at that juncture would the Emperor feel all his long-held expectations were realized and that his life was complete. Because of this, the Emperor eagerly looked forward to retiring and bequeathing the throne and on occasion revealed such anticipation. For example, he wrote: 'I reckon that after next year it will be 1796, when I plan to retire and pass on the throne. I find myself still agile in spirit and hope to be granted my long-held wish. If this is possible, I will indeed be a completely fulfilled person [shiquan zhi ren]. With Heaven's favor, I will be the first emperor to be so blessed.' 6 For this reason, on the twenty-eighth day, ninth month and sixtieth year of Qianlong (1795), while preparing for the imperial succession ceremony, he instructed the Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, 'after I retire, make a seal that reads Taishang Huangdi Zhi Bao (Seal of the Emperor Emeritus) with the number one xi (happiness) jade seal, and make a jade album inscribed with Shiquan Laoren Zhi Bao Shuo as the Emperor Emeritus's treasured keepsake to show forth the prosperity of this reign.' 7 The Emperor's use of Shiquan Laoren Zhi Bao Shuo in a jade album to symbolize his emeritus status shows the strong connection between the ultimate fulfillment [shiquan] in his mind and him being the Emperor Emeritus. Also, for this reason, after the imperial succession ceremony in the first year of the Jiaqing reign (1796), the Qianlong Emperor Emeritus could finally announce, 'on the first day of this year, I conferred the imperial seal and retired from ruling, becoming the first completely fulfilled person of all time.' 8 And again, 'on the first day of this year before the full court, I conferred the imperial seal and assumed the title of Emperor Emeritus, fortunately becoming a completely fulfilled person of all time.' 9 In Qianlong's mind, attaining the ultimate fulfillment is the result of satisfying numerous conditions, and so is it the truest expression of his lifetime glory.

Upon his own ultimate fulfillment, as the ruler of his empire, Qianlong wished that all his people shared the same enjoyment of peace and prosperity, as alluded to by his verse 'the realm embracing the spring'. Such idea was incorporated into the making of the seal group by using 'Wanguo chuntai yuanmeiquan (The realm embraces the spring and accomplishes my visions)', a verse in a poem he had composed thirty years ago (1762) titled Feng Ze Yuan, as the frontispiece seal, which accurately conveyed his aspiration. Admittedly, the combination of seal inscriptions in this group reflects the Qianlong Emperor's visions for himself to achieve a consummate life and for the people to live and work in contentment; at the same time, they served as a retrospect and remembrance of his eminent accomplishments.

To sum up, three connotations in the present Shiquan Laoren seal can be interpreted: firstly, it encapsulates the Qianlong Emperor's historical achievements in expanding the empire; secondly, it epitomizes the Emperor's wishes for himself as a ruler; lastly, it embodies his wish for his people to live and work in contentment. Another seal in the group, Taishang Huangdi, implies that the current seal was probably made after Qianlong passed the throne on to Jiaqing and became the Emperor Emeritus. The purpose of making this seal is evidently to eulogize his lifelong attainments, which mirrors the Emperor's mentality in his later years.

The seal is carved from Khotan white jade. The finial is rendered as a crouching dragon supported on four brawny limbs, with its chest and head held high and its eyes glaring forward. Carved in the round with techniques such as openwork, the dragon appears ferocious and formidable. This kind of dragon knob, popular in the late Qianlong and the early Jiaqing periods, emanates an imposing aura without elaborate details, displaying the prowess of imperial artisans.

1 Guo Fuxiang, Ming Qing Di Hou Bao Xi / Imperial seals of the Ming and Qing dynasties, Beijing, 2003, p. 153-154.

2 Qing Gaozong Yuzhishi Wuji / Poetry of the Qianlong Emperor, Collection 5, vol. 76.

3 'Shiquan Ji (Note on the Ten Accomplishments)', Qing Gaozong Yuzhiwen Sanji / Prose of the Qianlong Emperor, Collection 3, vol. 8.

4 Qing Gaozong Yuzhishi Wuji / Poetry of the Qianlong Emperor, Collection 5, vol. 76.

5 'Shiquan Laoren Zhi Bao Shuo (An Explanation of the Seal of the Elder with Ten Accomplishments)', Qing Gaozong Yuzhiwen Sanji / Prose of the Qianlong Emperor, Collection 3, vol. 4.

6 Qing Gaozong Yuzhishi Wuji / Poetry of the Qianlong Emperor, Collection 5, vol. 87.

7 Qinggui (1735-1816) et al., eds., Guochao Gongshi Xubian / [Qianlong] Court History, Second Series, vol. 7, Beijing, 1994.

8 Qing Gaozong Yuzhiwen Yuji / Prose of the Qianlong Emperor, Miscellany, vol. 2.

9 Qing Gaozong Yuzhishi Yuji / Poetry of the Qianlong Emperor, Miscellany, vol. 7.

10 'Feng Ze Yuan', Qing Gaozong Yuzhishi Sanji / Poetry of the Qianlong Emperor, Collection 3, vol. 7.

關於乾隆帝白玉“十全老人”璽

郭福祥

二十多年前，筆者曾出版過專門研究帝后寶璽的《明清帝后寶璽》一書。書中所總結的乾隆寶璽的特點之一就是“記事紀盛功能明顯”。其中寫道：“乾隆時期每遇重要的國事家事，都要刻制寶璽以為紀念。……這些寶璽在他去世之前不斷地被覆制，數量很多。如果把它們按年代先後排列起來，乾隆一朝重大的國事家事便可一目了然。”[1] 乾隆寶璽的這一特點，使得乾隆一朝的重大歷史事件成為構成寶璽背後文化意義的不可或缺的要素，是我們把握和認識乾隆寶璽的一把鑰匙。此次紐約蘇富比公司征集到的乾隆皇帝的“十全老人”璽就是這樣一方紀盛之作。

此璽白玉質，蹲龍鈕，通高6.3厘米，印面3.8厘米見方。印文篆書“十全老人”四字，其中“十”和“人”字為陽文，“全”字和“老”字為陰文，陰文和陽文相間，在乾隆帝的御用璽印中很有特色。這方寶璽在現藏於北京故宮的《乾隆寶藪》（乾隆御璽印譜）中有明確著錄，經與實物比堪，無論是體量大小，還是印文篆法布局都與該書中的記載完全相合，可知此璽應為乾隆皇帝的御用璽印（圖一）。根據《乾隆寶藪》的著錄，此璽原來與“太上皇帝”和“萬國春台願美全”二璽同裝於一匣，成為三方相互配合鈐用的組璽。

對於這樣的組璽，筆者認為必須將其作為一個整體加以解讀。也就是說，若想對此方“十全老人”璽有比較準確的把握和理解，不但要明晰該璽印文“十全老人”產生的歷史背景及其來歷，同時還要將三方組璽的印文放在一起，並將其與印主乾隆皇帝的歷史境遇結合起來加以考察。

乾隆五十七年（1792）八月二十二日，正在熱河避暑山莊準備圍場秋狝的乾隆皇帝，接到征剿廓爾喀的大將軍福康安的奏報，以及廓爾喀國王拉特納巴都爾的降表。這對乾隆皇帝而言真是一個大好消息，已經八十二歲的他心情變的極為順暢，立即降諭允許其降順，令福康安班師回朝。就在同一天，乾隆皇帝即興寫下了《廓爾喀拉特納巴都爾遣使悔罪乞降，因許其請，命凱旋班師誌事》的詩作，詩的最後一句為“竟得十全大武揚”，[2] 這似乎是對其一生中發動的對外國和邊疆地區諸多戰爭的總結。第二天，乾隆帝又乘興寫下了《十全記》的文章，記述了他在位期間為維護邊疆安全，鞏固政權統治而進行的戰爭，並把其中十次具有深遠意義的重大勝利命名為“十全武功”。“十功者，平準噶爾為二，定回部為一，掃金川為二，靖台灣為一，降緬甸、安南各一，即今二次受廓爾喀降，合為十。”[3] 這就是乾隆晚年常常津津樂道，反覆宣揚的“十全武功”的來歷。在乾隆看來，這些戰爭並非窮兵黷武，而是有不得已用兵之苦心。十次重大戰爭的勝利，起到了靖邊安民的作用，對乾隆帝而言同樣有著非同尋常的意義。“今大功十成，此皆仰籟昊貺洪庥，十全揚武。自今惟願內安外靖，與天下臣民共享升平之福”。[4]

如果說最初的“十全”是乾隆皇帝對自己開疆拓土歷史功績的全面總結的話，那麽不久之後他自號“十全老人”時，就不僅僅只是宣揚武功這麽簡單了。在乾隆皇帝命工匠制作“十全老人之寶”時，同樣曾為之寫下一篇《十全老人之寶說》的文章，文章中賦予了“十全”更多的內容。 “十全記即成，因選和田玉鐫‘十全老人之寶’，並為說曰：十全本以紀武功，而‘十全老人之寶’則不啻此也。何言之？武功不過為君之一事，幸賴天佑，劼劬蕆局，未加一賦而賦乃蠲四；弗勞一民而民收無萬。祗或免窮黷之譏耳。若夫老人之十全，則尚未全也。蓋人君之職，豈止武功一事哉？朱子曰：一日立乎其位，則一日業乎其官，一日不得乎其官，則一日不敢立乎其位。官者何？職之謂也。君子職不能盡言，況敢雲盡其職乎？未盡其職，則‘十全老人之寶’，不亦涉自欺與誇而增慚愧乎？然老人之十全，實更有奢望，不敢必以敬持天佑者。十全之武功，誠叨天佑矣。則十全之盡君職，或亦可以希天佑乎？夫適百里者半九十里，予今三年歸政之全人，不啻半九十，而且如三十年之久矣。是以逮七十而系‘猶日孜孜’以為箴，至八十而系‘自強不息’以為勉，則此可必可不必。三年中敢不益勵宵衣旰食之勤，益切敬天愛民之念，虔俟昊貺，或允臻十全之境，視三年誠如三十年之遠。幸何如之，企何如之，惕何如之。”[5] 可知乾隆皇帝繼“十全武功”之後，又把自己定格在“十全老人”之上，這不僅僅是要顯揚其以往已經完成的十全武功，更是對自己將來的人生有了更進一步的期待，那就是要時時勉勵自己盡君之全職，使自己的人生“臻十全之境”，實現其“千古全人”之夙願。可以這樣說，“十全”既是乾隆自己的紀功之語，也是對自己人生境界的希冀和勉勵。因此之故，乾隆帝稱自己為“十全老人”，這里的“十全”應該就是乾隆帝對所希望的完美人生境界的基本表述。

那麽，乾隆皇帝此時所希冀的完美而臻十全之境的人生境界具體是什麽樣的呢？通過他自己的話語，不難得知到了這個時候，乾隆皇帝理想中的人生諸端都已經基本實現，唯有一事常縈繞於懷，即在位滿六十年之時禪位於嗣皇帝，自己成為太上皇帝。只有到了那個時候，所有的夙願得以實現，才可以說自己的人生是完美的。因此，乾隆皇帝對於歸政禪位一事充滿期待，時有流露。如：“計隔明歲乙卯一年，至丙辰即當歸政禪位，自揣精神尚健，冀可符予夙望。若果能此，洵為十全之人，仰荷天恩，實自古帝王所未有耳。”[6]正因為如此，乾隆六十年九月二十八日，乾隆帝在準備禪位大典過程中傳諭內閣大學士等：“朕歸政後，應用喜字第一號玉寶鐫刻太上皇帝之寶。冊，即將御制十全老人之寶說鐫刻，作為太上皇帝寶冊，用彰熙朝盛瑞。”[7] 將十全老人之寶說作為太上皇帝的象征性封冊，表明乾隆心目中的“十全”與太上皇帝之間的關系。也正因為如此，當嘉慶元年禪位大典後，乾隆皇帝終於可以宣示：“今歲元日授璽歸政，為千古第一全人”，[8]“今歲元正大廷授璽，稱太上皇帝，幸為千古全人。”[9] 在乾隆帝看來，達到這樣的十全之境，是各種條件齊備的結果，也是對他一生功業的恰當表達。

當然，作為天下之主，乾隆皇帝在自己的人生達到他所企盼的十全境界之時，也希望天下臣民也能夠與他一起共享這升平之福，即所謂的一人有慶，萬國春台。因此，在制作組璽時，乾隆皇帝亦將這一思想貫穿其中，將三十年前（1762）自己在《豐澤園》詩中作的“萬國春台願美全”[10] 句作為組璽的引首章，非常準確地表達出他的這一想法。應該說，此組寶璽的印文組合，從不同側面表達出乾隆皇帝祈願自己臻於完美人生和天下百姓安居樂業的美好願景，同時也是對他卓著歷史功績的回顧和紀念。

 綜合以上史實，可知乾隆帝的此方“十全老人”璽包括下面的三層含義：一是對其開疆拓土歷史功績的總結；二是對其帝王生涯個人人生境界的期許；三是祈願百姓安居樂業共享天下太平之福。從與之組合的另外一方“太上皇帝”璽可以得知，此方璽應該刻制於乾隆皇帝禪位嘉慶帝，成為太上皇帝以後。此方璽的刻制用意是極為顯明的，就是要用以宣揚自己的功德，對自己輝煌的一生進行回顧和總結，反映出乾隆皇帝晚年真實的心理狀態。

此璽采用和田白玉刻制。蹲龍印鈕，龍身騰空，胸部上挺，龍頭昂視前方，四腿有力，支撐起身體。整個龍用圓雕、鏤空等方法雕制，神態威猛自然。這種龍鈕在乾隆晚期至嘉慶早期流行，龍體細勁，細節不多，但氣勢奔放，顯示出雕刻者相當的藝術水平。

[1] 郭福祥：《明清帝后璽印》頁153-154。北京：國際文化出版公司，2003年。

[2] 《清高宗御制詩五集》卷76。

[3] 《清高宗御制文三集》卷8，“十全記”。

[4] 《清高宗御制詩五集》卷76。

[5] 《清高宗御制文三集》卷4，“十全老人之寶說”。

[6] 《清高宗御制詩五集》卷87。

[7] [清] 慶桂等編纂：《國朝宮史續編》卷7。北京古籍出版社，1994年。

[8] 《清高宗御制詩余集》卷2。

[9] 《清高宗御制詩余集》卷7。

[10]《清高宗禦制詩三集》卷17，“豐澤園”。