Career

Xu Qianxue was born in Kunshan in Jiangsu province in 1631. He obtained a jinshi degree in the imperial examination in 1670, ranking third overall as a Tanhua. In 1672, he was placed in charge of supervising the Shun-t'ien provincial examinations. He was tasked with compiling the History of Ming in 1682 before being promoted to the sub-chancellorship of the Grand Secretariat in 1685. He concurrently served as an instructor in the Hanlin Academy. The following year, Xu was appointed vice-president of the Board of Rites and was made president of the Censorate in 1687. At the same time, Xu served as director-general of the commission appointed to compile the Comprehensive Geography of the Empire (大明一統志). Xu then became president of the Board of Punishments in 1688 as well as chief examiner of the metropolitan examination.

Xu was heavily involved in the factional struggles between Mingju and Songgotu in the late-seventeenth century. He supported Mingju's 'northern party' against Songgotu, but formed his own 'southern party' after falling out with Mingju. Xu also had a bitter rivalry with Li Guangdi, who considered him 'treacherous and dangerous in Court politics'. Xu resigned from office after he was accused to taking bribes from Zhang Qian, who was then governor of Huguang. However, Xu remained in Beijing to supervise various literary projects. After his opponents accused one of his sons of, among other offences, obtaining his jinshi degree fraudulently, Xu resigned from these literary duties in the capital and returned home in 1690 to work on the Comprehensive Geography of the Empire with other leading scholars.

Accusations of bribery, oppression of the common people, and misdemeanours committed by his family and servants followed Xu into retirement. According to Qizhi Zhang, Xu had developed an infamous reputation for abuse of power and taking bribes. There were popular ballads satirizing Xu's wealth 'piled up to the sky'. Consequently, he was stripped of his official rank and honours in 1691. In 1694, Xu was summoned to the capital to serve in various literary posts; however, he died before he could take office again.

Family

Xu had five sons, all of whom also obtained jinshi degrees. His two younger brothers, Xu Bingyi and Xu Yuanwen, were jinshi degree holders as well. In addition, Xu was a nephew of Gu Yanwu, another famed scholar-official in the Qing Dynasty.

生平

徐乾學八歲能文，得舅父顧炎武的傳授。與胡渭、顧祖禹、萬斯同、閻若璩、黃儀、朱彞尊、姜宸英、黃虞稷、顧湄等有往來。順治七年（1650年）與吳偉業、尤侗、朱彞尊等在嘉興組織十郡大社。康熙九年（1670年），舉進士一甲第三名進士及第，授內宏文院編修。康熙十一年（1672年），與蔡啟觀一起典考順天府鄉試，因副榜遺漏漢軍卷未取，遭給事中楊雍建彈劾。康熙十四年（1675年），捐複原官，升為左春坊左贊善，充任日講起居注官。歷任內閣學士、刑部尚書等職。康熙二十一年（1682年），被任命為《明史》總裁官。奉命編纂《大清一統志》、《清會典》及《明史》。康熙二十五年，任禮部侍郎，充經筵講官。

權貴

徐乾學人品欠佳，覬覦祿位，阿諛權貴納蘭明珠，史載其「登高而呼，衡文者類無不從而附之」，「游其門者無不得科第」。明珠長子納蘭容若是乾學門生，康熙十五年（1676年）進士，曾為徐印行《通志堂經解》，又「獲巨額賂遺」。周壽昌在《思益堂日札》卷五《竊襲前人書》中說：「徐既愛其才華，複逢迎權貴……其心術行事為儒林輕蔑久矣。」又說：「竊他人書以為他人之作，斯又添一書林掌故，可哂也。」乾隆帝在《通志堂經解》補刻本的自序中說：「徐乾學阿附權門，成德濫竊文譽，二人品行，本無足取。但不以人廢言，故補刊齊全，訂正訛謬，以臻完善」。

康熙二十六年（1687年），徐任左都御史時，與明珠親信佛倫、余國柱結怨。後來徐乾學又與索額圖、熊賜履勾結，反擊明珠。徐乾學利用其門生郭琇彈劾明珠，明珠、余國柱遂罷相。李光地說徐乾學「譎詭奸詐」。當時的民謠說：「九天供賦歸東海（徐乾學），萬國金珠獻澹人（高士奇）。」

被劾

康熙二十七年（1688年），湖廣巡撫張汧爆發貪污案，張汧被逮捕問罪時，供出曾向徐乾學行賄，並涉及高士奇和陳廷敬。後為康熙所庇，事遂不了了之。後又被許三禮劾「既無好事業，焉有好文章，應逐出史館，以示遠奸」，徐乾學上疏請「放歸田裡」，五月，康熙准徐乾學罷官，攜書局即家編輯，隨行有閻若璩、顧祖禹、胡渭與黃虞稷，致力于《大清一統志》編修，又仿司馬光《資治通鑑》體例，與萬斯同、閻若璩、胡渭等排比正史、參考諸書，纂成《資治通鑑後編》—百八十四卷。

康熙三十年（1691年），徐乾學因曾寫信給前任山東巡撫錢鈺，包庇朱敦厚，事發後，徐乾學、錢鈺均遭到革職。其子徐樹敏亦被舉發私收饋金。康熙三十年（1691年）江南江西總督傅拉塔（《清史稿》作傅臘塔，明珠的外甥）彈劾徐乾學及其弟徐元文不法之事「招搖納賄，爭利害民」共十五款，閏七月二七日徐元文「驚悸嘔血而死」。自康熙二十九年至三十一年間，徐乾學一家被控不法事有二十多起。

晚年

康熙三十三年（1694年），因大學士王熙、張玉書等舉薦，召徐乾學還京修書，不久病逝。死後仍復原官。身後其藏書多散佚，明珠府、怡府樂善堂有收藏。著有《澹園集》、《讀禮通考》、《會典》、《明史纂輯》、《鑑古輯覽》、《古文淵鑒》、《文集》、《虞浦集》、《詞館集》、《碧山集》等。

藏書

徐乾學藏書甚富，其門生故吏知他有嗜書之癖，無不盡力為之網羅放佚，積有七十二櫥，有《傳是樓書目》行世，「一時通經學古之士，如閻若璩等亦多集其門」，萬斯同《傳樓藏書歌》：「東海先生性愛書，胸中已貯萬卷餘，更向人間搜遺籍，真窮四庫盈其廬。」黃宗羲《傳是樓藏書記》：「世之藏書家未必能讀，讀者未必能文章，而先生並是三者而能之，非近代藏書家所及。」與弟徐元文、徐秉義皆官貴文名，號稱「崑山三徐」。

編纂

• 《明史》 （奉詔）

• 《大清會典》 （奉詔）

• 《大清一統志》（奉詔）

• 《世祖章皇帝聖訓》 （奉詔） 1687年

• 《太宗文皇帝聖訓》 （奉詔） 1687年

• 《通志堂經解》 1680年

• 《鑑古輯覽》

• 《古文淵鑑》 64卷

著述

• 《澹園集》 30卷

• 《憺園集》 36卷

• 《讀禮通考》 120卷

• 《文集》 24卷

• 《外集》 4卷

• 《虞浦集》

• 《詞館集》

• 《碧山集》

• 《曆代宗廟考》

• 《輿地備考》

• 《輿地紀要》

• 《輿地誌》

• 《資治通鑑後編》 184卷

• 《傳是樓宋元板書目》1卷

• 《傳是樓書目》 8卷

• 《教習堂條約》 1卷