Zhaolian


Zhaolian, courtesy name Jixiu, was a Manchu prince of the imperial Aisin Gioro clan during the Qing dynasty. A 6th-generation descendant of prince Giyesu, he was the 9th holder of the Prince Li title, which he held from 1805 to 1816. In 1816, his title was stripped after it was discovered that he tortured servants Cheng Jianzhong, Cheng Jianyi and others. He was put under house arrest for the subsequent 3 years, and never recovered the princely title.
A bibliophile, Zhaolian was friends with famous intellectuals like Wei Yuan, Gong Zizhen, Ji Yun and Yuan Mei. His non-fiction writings on politics, government, history and literature were posthumously collected into 2 books": Xiaoting Zalu, and Xiaoting Xulu.