'Zhang Tingyu' (,
October 29 1672—
April 30 1755) was a
Han Chinese politician during the
Qing Dynasty.
Zhang Tingyu was born in
Tongcheng in
Anhui province. In 1700, he was awarded the highest degree (''jinshi'') in the
imperial examinations and shortly afterwards he was appointed to the
Hanlin Academy. He subsequently rose through the ranks in the Qing civil service and served under the
Kangxi,
Yongzheng and
Qianlong emperors. Zhang Tingyu was especially trusted by the Yongzheng emperor, who made him one of the first members of the
Junjichu, an informal state organ which would in due course develop into the emperor's own privy council. His colleagues included renown figures like Ma Qi.
Zhang was an upstanding civil service officer and highly praised for both his upright character and principled background. Having considerable skill in literature, and compiled the ''
History of Ming'' in
1739. There is some confusion as to whether he or another trusted officer
Longkodo was the principal announcer of the will of Kangxi. Zhang was the only official to survive the battles of succession from Kangxi to Yongzheng to Qianlong, and was entrusted by all three emperors.
See also
★
Twenty-Four Histories
References
★
Hummel, Arthur William, ed. ''Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period (1644-1912).'' 2 vols. Washington: United States Government Printing Office, 1943.
★ Luo, Ming,
"Zhang Tingyu". ''
Encyclopedia of China'', 1st ed.