JIAQING PERIOD (1796-1820)

THE JIAQING XU MING JING JADE SEAL
GUO FUXIANG

Palace seals held a paramount significance among the imperial seals of Qing emperors. These seals served not only to record the palace's full name but also to insinuate its intended function or explicate the meaning behind its name. The majority of these seals were derived from completed palace and garden structures, thereby providing a veritable trove of information regarding the palace buildings. The Xu Ming Jing seal of the Emperor Jiaqing belongs to this category. Carved from celadon jade with a finial in the form of a dragon on clouds, the seal face measures 4.2 cm long, 2.2 cm wide, and 5.1 cm in height. It is inscribed with a three-character inscription Xu Ming Jing in relief. This seal is included in Jiaqing baosou (Catalogue of Emperor Jiaqing's Imperial Seals) in the Palace Museum, Beijing. The material of this seal has a harmonious blend of green and white with subtle undertones of light brown, which is consistent with the description of "Han jade" documented in the baosou. The intricate carving of the finial and inscription evince a remarkable level of skill, testifying to the consummate craftsmanship of the carver. The baosou textual record perfectly matches the seal in terms of material, dimension, and text composition, validating it as a genuine Jiaqing imperial seal.

According to Jiaqing baosou, this seal was one of the yinshou (frontispiece) seal of a three-seal set; the other two were the Lechuxu (happiness comes from nothingness) seal and Gongshengming (integrity brings wisdom) seal used as yajiao (ending) seals. Presented below is the historical context that facilitates the understanding and appreciation of the seal's value and significance.

The owner of this seal, Emperor Jiaqing, whose personal name was Yongyan, was the fifth emperor of the Qing Dynasty to rule over China. Jiaqing's 25-year reign was marked by a complex and significant historical transition from the peak of the Kangxi and Qianlong eras to the Qing Dynasty's decline. Consequently, all facets of his regime were shrouded in a labyrinthine complexity that defies easy description. Emperor Jiaqing was among the more prolific owners of imperial seals, and akin to the ebb and flow of his epoch, his seals were also characterised by a journey of wax and wane. Ascending the throne at the age of 36, Emperor Jiaqing's accession to power differed from that of his predecessors, as the retired Emperor Qianlong still wielded formidable influence, rendering Jiaqing unable to fully assume the reins of governance. Such a unique experience made it arduous for Emperor Jiaqing to extricate himself from the established conventions that had taken root during the Qianlong era. The influence of the Qianlong period pervaded every aspect of Jiaqing's reign, as evidenced in the production of his imperial seals, particularly the seal sets. The seal sets of three crafted during Qianlong's era can be classified into two categories: The first incorporates a yinshou seal bearing the name of a palace, accompanied by two yajiao seals engraved with poetic verses explicating the palace's significance. The second category entails all three seals adorned with complementary idiomatic phrases. Emperor Jiaqing emulated his predecessor's example, crafting no fewer than seventy seal sets of this kind.[1] The present Xu Ming Jing seal belongs to the first category. The special social and familial circumstances outlined earlier compelled Jiaqing to emulate Qianlong's approach to seal production, following in his predecessor's footsteps.

Should one view Jiaqing's deliberate replication of Qianlong's imperial seal production as a reflection of the continuity and legacy between the two monarchs, then the interpretation of the inscriptions should illuminate Jiaqing's distinct thoughts and consciousness. As previously mentioned, the Xu Ming Jing seal constitutes part of a three-seal set produced by Emperor Jiaqing. The inscriptions on the three seals share a close interrelation, with the yajiao seals offering the owner's appraisal and elucidation of the palace name. To gain a comprehensive understanding of any one of the seals within a three-seal set, it is essential to examine them collectively for a more nuanced and holistic comprehension of their significance. By the same token, to delve into and grasp the significance of this Xu Ming Jing seal, it is imperative to scrutinise it alongside the other two seals—Lechuxu and Gongshengmin—and contextualize them within the historical milieu of Emperor Jiaqing's reign.

Given that the Xu Ming Jing seal is part of a palace seal set, it would be remiss not to explore the relationship between the owner of the seal, Emperor Jiaqing, and the palace itself. At the height of the summer of 1805, during the tenth year of Jiaqing's reign, the then freshly erected Qichunyuan adjacent to Yuanmingyuan was beginning to take shape. After surveying the entirety of the garden, Jiaqing composed a poem entitled Qichunyuan Sanshijing (Thirty Scenes of Qichunyuan), emulating the Yuanmingyuan sishijing (Forty Scenes of Yuanmingyuan) by the Qianlong Emperor. Among them, the twenty-third poem was Xu Ming Jing, marking the first time the Xu Ming Jing Palace was documented. In the following decade, Jiaqing made numerous visits to Xu Ming Jing, penning over a dozen poems. These poems offer valuable insights into Jiaqing's motivation behind naming the palace and illuminate his reflections and contemplations on the site. Emperor Jiaqing cast himself as a preserver of the previous generation's achievements and articulated this very notion in his Qichunyuan Ji (Qichunyuan Visit) upon the completion of Qichunyuan, stating: "He who governs people moderates the extremes, calms and harmonises the lands, nurtures his mind and devises his rule, with no secular desires as his root. He shuns the wicked ways of worldly sights, sounds, riches, and gain, and has no fantasies of greatness or delight in success. He despises the absurdity of seeking immortality and rejects the blind talk of longevity. He only thinks of maintaining what is established, diligently and industriously, not daring to be idle. He endeavors to be reverent and diligent in order to reach a fair level of welfare." Thus, the construction of Qichunyuan was not merely an indulgence in aesthetic pleasures but also a practical endeavor aimed at aiding the people. As Jiaqing himself stated, "I repaired and built this garden solely based on its location, with fair compensation for materials and labor provided, as the poor could rely on this work for sustenance. All expenses were covered by the internal treasury without drawing from external resources. Truly, it was a case of killing two birds with one stone."[2] Emperor Jiaqing carefully considered his choices when bestowing names upon the palaces within Qichunyuan. Regarding Xu Ming Jing, Jiaqing provided extensive and profound elucidation through various imperial poems, affording us a more comprehensive understanding of the true significance behind the name.

Emperor Jiaqing's poems on Xu Ming Jing predominantly center around the intimate interplay between moral development and effective governance. First of all, Emperor Jiaqing explained the specific meaning of Xu and Ming in his poem: " To deal with things according to circumstances, one must be rooted in one’s mind. To seek correct actions, one must have Xu (emptiness) and Ming (clarity). Emptiness means emptying one’s mind to receive goodness. Clarity means illuminating one’s virtue to renew oneself daily. This goes beyond Zhuangzi, Laozi, or Buddha who advocated emptiness and nothingness, or words of enlightenment. This is the ultimate state of emptiness and clarity, which does not deviate from the purpose of the Great Learning scripture. It is said that clarity of virtue leads to knowledge, and only after being settled can one be calm. This is the foundation of cultivating one’s nature. I think that if there is no disturbance in the middle, then calmness will arise. If there is no obstruction in the middle, then clarity will reach. This is how I encourage myself.”[3] "Empty one’s mind to receive goodness, illuminate one’s virtue to renew oneself daily" echoes the opening verse of the Confucian classic The Great Learning: "The way of great learning is to illuminate one’s bright virtue, to love the people, and to rest in the highest good." It's about the cultivation of the self through sincerity and virtuous conduct, followed by the harmonisation of family and society, culminating in the just governance of the nation and the peaceful coexistence of all. This is precisely the course of moral development that Emperor Jiaqing deemed essential to follow. Moreover, Emperor Jiaqing further delved into the interplay between emptiness and substance, dark and light in his poems, as exemplified in verses such as "Emptying the mind to perceive the true substance; only in darkness can one see the light"[4]; "Only by emptying the mind can one observe the wonders and achieve great success; only by cultivating silence can one nurture inner brightness and discern many principles"[5]; "To cultivate the mind, one must empty the mind and observe quietly to understand many principles. In darkness, one can perceive the emotions of the masses and remove selfishness to be indifferent to praise or blame;"[6] and “Cultivating the mind should be done in a state of emptiness and tranquility, and one should respond to all things with insight and understanding.”[7] The cultivation of one's own mind in a tranquil and focused manner is essential to discerning truth from falsehood, comprehending the ways of the world, and refining one's character. Not only that, Emperor Jiaqing utilised the interplay between emptiness and light to expound upon the correct approach to managing the delicate balance between the public and the private, the state and the individual, advocating for the primacy of the common good with verses such as "To pursue self-interest at the expense of the public good is heresy, for the public good takes precedence"[8] and "Partiality breeds mediocrity, while the truly great prioritise the needs of the people over their own"[9]. It is necessary to prioritise the welfare of the nation and its people, practice self-discipline and honesty, and cultivate empathy towards one's fellow human beings, all of which constitute the essential purpose of self-improvement and self-actualisation. Once more, Emperor Jiaqing utilised the interpretation of Xu Ming Jing to articulate his governance philosophy and the ideal state of emptiness and clarity that he sought to attain in governing the nation.

By examining these poems, we can understand why Emperor Jiaqing made the Xu Ming Jing seal set, and why he chose to inscribe Lechuxu and Gongshengming for the yajiao seals. Lechuxu references The Adjustment of Controversies in Zhuangzi—"The flute is empty inside, so it can produce elegant music", and this concept extends to the notion that only by attaining inner clarity can individuals develop and embody virtuous qualities. Meanwhile, gongshengming is a reference to "Fairness brings clarity, bias brings darkness" from the Bugou (Nothing Improper) chapter of Xunzi, which means a just mind is capable of perceiving things clearly, while a selfish mind is likely to result in mediocrity. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, "gongshengming" evolved into a widely adopted principle among government officials, and a stone monument bearing its inscription was frequently erected in front of government halls as a cautionary reminder. The two seal inscriptions place emphasis on different aspects, with the former highlighting the significance of individual moral cultivation, while the latter focuses on specific measures to be taken in governance. By anatomising Jiaqing's opinions and inspecting his governance, we can observe a striking alignment between the ideas conveyed in the aforementioned seal inscriptions and his ideology and actions. In the view of Jiaqing, an emperor must possess a noble moral character that inspires admiration among the populace, and such character is attained through inner tranquility and humility, just as happiness comes from nothingness. He also placed great emphasis on the idea that self-cultivation is the foundation of ruling a nation: the aim of self-cultivation is to govern the nation and to govern without any trace of self-interest. Jiajing's verses "The path to attaining substance involves cultivating emptiness, where sincerity leads to clarity, and with clarity, obstacles disappear. To achieve emptiness, selfishness must be eliminated, which then paves the way for wisdom and discernment to take hold and bring forth progress"[10] are in sync with the Lechuxu and Gongshengming seal inscriptions, aptly elucidating the fundamental meaning of Xu Ming Jing. The Xu Ming Jing three-piece seal set essentially conveys the moral cultivation and governance practice that Emperor Jiaqing believed in, motivating and spurring him to listen to public opinions.

The production of imperial seals was a serious matter. The inscriptions engraved on them were not chosen lightly but were instead a direct reflection of the Emperor's own thoughts and perceptions. The connection between Emperor Jiaqing's thoughts and his seal inscriptions is vividly illustrated in the interpretation of the Xu Ming Jing seal and its companion seals.

[1]Guo Fuxiang, Ming Qing dihou xiyin [The Seals of Ming and Qing Dynasty Emperors and Empresses], p. 169, Beijing: International Culture Publishing Corporation, 2003.
[2]Yongyan: Qing Renzong yuzhiwen erji (Qing Renzong's Imperial Texts Collection II), vol. 4, Qichunyuan Ji.
[3]Yongyan: Qing Renzong yuzhishi erji (Qing Renzong's Imperial Poetry Collection II), vol. 42, Xu Ming Jing .
[4]Yongyan: Qing Renzong yuzhishi erji (Qing Renzong's Imperial Poetry Collection II), vol. 38, Xu Ming Jing .
[5]Yongyan: Qing Renzong yuzhishi erji (Qing Renzong's Imperial Poetry Collection II), vol. 20, Xu Ming Jing youhui.
[6]Yongyan: Qing Renzong yuzhishi erji (Qing Renzong's Imperial Poetry Collection II), vol. 29, Xu Ming Jing .
[7]Yongyan: Qing Renzong yuzhishi erji (Qing Renzong's Imperial Poetry Collection II), vol. 34, Xu Ming Jing .
[8]Yongyan: Qing Renzong yuzhishi erji (Qing Renzong's Imperial Poetry Collection II), vol. 52, Xu Ming Jing .
[9]Yongyan: Qing Renzong yuzhishi erji (Qing Renzong's Imperial Poetry Collection II), vol. 28, Xu Ming Jing ershou.
[10]Yongyan: Qing Renzong yuzhishi erji (Qing Renzong's Imperial Poetry Collection II), vol. 42, Xu Ming Jing .