Early life and career

Ronglu was born in the Manchu Guwalgiya clan, which was under the Plain White Banner of the Manchu Eight Banners. His grandfather, Tasiha (塔斯哈), served as an Imperial Resident in Kashgar. His father, Changshou (長壽), was a zongbing (總兵; a military commander).

Ronglu was a yinsheng (蔭生), a type of position awarded to civil service candidates who successfully gained admission to the Guozijian (Imperial Academy). He started his career in the Ministry of Works as a yuanwailang (員外郎; assistant director) and was tasked with constructing roads in Zhili Province.

In the early years of the Tongzhi Emperor's reign (early 1860s), he set up the Firearms Division and was rewarded with the position of a jingtang (京堂; fifth-grade magistrate). He was also appointed as a flank commander (翼長) and zhuancao dachen (專操大臣) before being transferred to be a zongbing (總兵) of the left flank. Through Wenxiang's recommendation, he became the Vice Secretary (侍郎) of the Ministry of Works. Later, he was reassigned to the Ministry of Revenue and concurrently appointed as Minister of the Imperial Household Department.

Mid career

The Tongzhi Emperor died in 1875 and was succeeded by his cousin, the Guangxu Emperor. In the same year, Ronglu became an infantry commander (步軍統領). Three years later, he was reassigned to be a Left Censor-in-Chief (左都御史) and Secretary of Works. In 1878, Baoting (寶廷) wrote a memorial to the imperial court, pointing out that certain officials concurrently held too many appointments, hence Ronglu was relieved of his duties as Secretary of Works and Minister of the Imperial Household Department.

Ronglu was initially accused of accepting bribes and was demoted by two grades. He also offended Prince Chun, Baojun (寶鋆) and Shen Guifen (沈桂芬) and was forced to retire in early 1879. However, in 1891, he was restored to the civil service and appointed as General of Xi'an.

In 1894, Ronglu was recalled from Xi'an to the capital Beijing to attend Empress Dowager Cixi's birthday celebrations. He was appointed again as an infantry commander (步軍統領). During the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895, Ronglu, along with Prince Gong and Prince Qing, were in charge of military affairs. After the Qing and Japanese empires reached a peace settlement, Ronglu nominated Yuan Shikai to oversee the creation and training of the New Army.

In 1896, Ronglu was appointed as Secretary of Defence and Assistant Grand Secretary (協辦大學士). He also proposed transferring Dong Fuxiang and his Gansu Army to Beijing to defend the capital and enhance the training of the New Army.

Hundred Days Reform

In 1898, Ronglu was promoted to Grand Secretary (大學士) and subsequently assumed the following additional appointments: Viceroy of Zhili Province, Beiyang Trade Minister (北洋通商大臣), and Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Cabinet (文淵閣大學士) overseeing the Ministry of Justice. Around the time, a group of officials led by Kang Youwei and Tan Sitong planned to carry out a series of reforms and get rid of conservative elements in the government. The Guangxu Emperor supported the reformists. Yuan Shikai was summoned from Zhili Province to Beijing and appointed as a Vice Secretary (侍郎). Ronglu felt uneasy.

Acting on the advice of Yang Chongyi (楊崇伊), Empress Dowager Cixi interfered in the situation and launched the 1898 Coup against the reformists. Ronglu was appointed to the Grand Council and sided with the Empress Dowager in the coup. The reformists were defeated – six of their leaders (including Tan Sitong) were executed – and the Guangxu Emperor was placed under house arrest. After the coup, Ronglu was relieved of his appointments as Viceroy of Zhili Province and Beiyang Minister, and reappointed as Secretary of Defence to oversee the Beiyang Army.

In 1899, Ronglu was granted authority as Imperial Commissioner in charge of military training (練兵欽差大臣) and put in command of the military units led by Nie Shicheng, Dong Fuxiang, Song Qing and Yuan Shikai. He established the Wuwei Corps, composed of five divisions led by the four commanders and himself.

Around the time, Empress Dowager Cixi had the intention of deposing the Guangxu Emperor and replacing him with Prince Duan's son Puzhuan (溥僎; 1875–1920). Ronglu was initially undecided on this issue, but eventually he opposed the Empress Dowager's idea. She heeded his advice and designated Puzhuan as "First Prince" (大阿哥) instead.

Boxer Rebellion

In 1900, after the Boxer Rebellion had broken out, Prince Duan and others initially convinced Empress Dowager Cixi to support the Boxers to counter foreigners. Dong Fuxiang led his Gansu Army to attack the foreign legations in Beijing but was unable to conquer the legations despite a few months of siege. Ronglu was unable to stop him. Prince Duan and his followers continued to press the attacks against foreigners and kill any official in the imperial court who opposed them.

When Beijing fell to the forces of the Eight-Nation Alliance, Empress Dowager Cixi and the Guangxu Emperor fled to Xi'an. Ronglu requested to accompany them but was denied permission; instead, he was ordered to remain in Beijing.

Ronglu did not want to antagonise Empress Dowager Cixi, but was not sympathetic towards the Boxers. Like the leading governors in the south, he felt that it was foolish for the Qing Empire to take on all the eight foreign powers at once. When Dong Fuxiang's Gansu Army was eager to attack the legations, Ronglu made sure that the siege was not pressed home. The xenophobic Prince Duan, who was a close friend of Dong Fuxiang, wanted Dong's forces to be equipped with artillery to destroy the legations. Ronglu blocked the transfer of artillery to Dong Fuxiang, preventing him from destroying the legations. When artillery was finally supplied to the Qing imperial forces and Boxers, it was only done so in limited quantities.

Ronglu also kept Nie Shicheng from finding out about an imperial decree that ordered him to stop fighting the Boxers. Nie Shicheng continued to fight the Boxers and killed many of them. Ronglu also ordered Nie Shicheng to protect foreigners and protect the railway from attacks by the Boxers. Ronglu had effectively derailed Prince Duan's efforts to capture the legations, and as a result, saved the foreigners inside. He was shocked that he was not welcome after the war; however, the foreign powers did not demand that he, unlike Dong Fuxiang, be punished.

In 1901, Empress Dowager Cixi issued five imperial decrees. The first ordered Ronglu to "command various imperial forces, including the Beijing Field Force, the Hushenying, with cavalry and the Wuwei Corps, to suppress these rebels (Boxers), to intensify searching patrol; to arrest and execute immediately all criminals with weapons who advocate killing." The fourth decree ordered Ronglu to "send efficient troops of the Wuwei Corps swiftly, to the Beijing Legation Quarter, to protect all the diplomatic buildings."

Later career and death

In late 1900, Empress Dowager Cixi summoned Ronglu to Xi'an, where he was warmly received. He was awarded a yellow jacket, a two-eyed peacock feather, and a purple girdle. He escorted the Empress Dowager and the Guangxu Emperor back to the capital later.

In 1901, Ronglu was put in charge of the Ministry of Revenue. Later that year, he supported the reforms proposed by Liu Kunyi and Zhang Zhidong in their memorial titled Jiang Chu Hui Zou Bian Fa San Zhe (江楚會奏變法三折). In 1902, he was given additional honorary appointments as Crown Prince's Grand Protector (太子太保) and Grand Secretary of Wenhua Hall (文華殿大學士).

Ronglu died in 1903 and was posthumously granted the honorary appointment of Grand Tutor (太傅). He was also awarded the posthumous name "Wenzhong" (文忠) and posthumously enfeoffed as a first class baron (一等男爵).

Relationship with Empress Dowager Cixi

Before Lady Yehenara (the future Empress Dowager Cixi) became a consort of the Xianfeng Emperor, Ronglu was allegedly in a romantic relationship with her. During Empress Dowager Cixi's tenure as regent of the Qing dynasty, Ronglu joined the Empress Dowager's conservative faction at the imperial court and opposed the Hundred Days' Reform in 1898. The Empress Dowager always remembered Ronglu's support for her, even when they were young, and rewarded him by allowing his only surviving child, his daughter Youlan, to marry into the imperial clan.

Through Youlan's marriage to Zaifeng (Prince Chun), Ronglu was the maternal grandfather of Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing dynasty.

Family

Consorts and issue(s):

• Wife, of the Sakda clan (正室薩克達氏)

• Wife of the Aisin-Gioro clan (正室薩克達氏)

• Concubine, of the Liuclan (妾劉氏)

　• Youlan, Imperial Princess Consort Chun (亲王福晋瓜爾佳幼蘭; 1884 – 30 September 1921), 2nd daughter

　　• Married Zaifeng, Prince Chun, grandosn of Daoguang, and had issue (two sons and three daughters)

• Unknown

　• Lunhou (纶厚), 1st son

　• Second daughter

Portrayal in media

• Leo Genn portrayed Jung-lu (Ronglu) in the 1963 film 55 Days at Peking.

• Feng Shaofeng also portrayed Ronglu in the 2006 television series Sigh of His Highness.

• Portrayed by Han Xinmin in the 2006 television series Princess Der Ling.

生平

道光十六年二月二十二日（1836年4月7日），榮祿出生于一個旗人官員世家。有研究者指，榮祿家族到他的祖父塔斯哈時，方才發達。道光十年（1830年）十月，祖父塔斯哈在喀什噶爾幫辦大臣任上戰死。祖父戰死後，家族照例得到撫恤。二十二年（1842年），父親長壽調到浙江。榮祿與祖母南下，在浙江僑居一年。

咸豐二年（1852年），因太平天國戰爭，天津鎮總兵、伯父長瑞和涼州鎮總兵、父親長壽同日戰死于廣西。榮祿因父、伯陣亡，獲卹難廕生、騎都尉兼一雲騎尉世職，初以工部主事用。

四年（1854年），未婚妻庫雅拉氏逝世。五年（1855年），繼母顏扎氏主持下，榮祿與薩克達氏成婚。八年（1858年），晉升工部員外郎。

九年（1859年），調任戶部銀庫員外郎。因得罪上司肅順，離開本任，賦閒二年，捐納候補道員。

十一年（1861年），清廷創建神機營，榮祿參與籌備，受主事者醇郡王奕譞賞識，任文案處翼長。研究者指他就此發跡。發跡原因，除因神機營「名目繁多的保舉和加級」外，亦與他和醇親王奕譞之間長期、密切、友好的私交相關。

同治三年（1864年），任神機營全營翼長。次年，賞副都統銜，管理健銳營事務，充任神機、健銳兩營馬隊專操大臣，參與籌建威遠洋槍隊。

五年（1866年）四月，署正藍旗蒙古副都統。六月，實授正藍旗蒙古副都統，兼充正藍旗專操大臣。後調鑲白旗滿洲副都統。七年（1868年），調任步軍營左翼總兵，賞一品頂戴。同年充值年河道溝渠大臣。

八年（1869年），任神機營管理大臣（此職至光緒五年稱病退職結束）。十年（1871年），署工部左侍郎，隨後補工部右侍郎兼管錢法堂事務。

十二年（1873年），調戶部左侍郎，兼管理三庫事務大臣。十三年（1874年），署理吏部左侍郎。授正藍旗護軍統領，兼充左翼監督總管內務府大臣。

光緒元年（1875年），以戶部左侍郎兼署步軍統領、鑲藍旗蒙古副都統。三年（1877年），調授步軍營步軍統領，調鑲黃旗護軍統領。

四年（1878年），調授左都御史、工部尚書，充紫禁城值年大臣；旋因得罪軍機大臣寶鋆、沈桂芬而被迫在次年1月告病免職，賦閒七年。十三年（1887年），醇親王幫助起復，授鑲藍旗蒙古都統。

十四年（1888年），出任領侍衛內大臣，署鑲藍旗漢軍都統。十五年（1889年），命扈從鳳輿；充專操大臣、稽查內七倉大臣、管理右翼幼官學大臣。

十七年（1891年），署鑲紅旗漢軍都統。出任西安將軍，加尚書銜。

二十年（1894年），甲午戰爭爆發後，被再次複起的恭親王奕訢薦為步軍統領，會辦軍務，設巡防局督理五城團防。

二十一年（1895年）6月，授兵部尚書，仍兼步軍統領。授總理各國事務大臣。薦浙江溫處道袁世凱練新建陸軍。

二十二年（1896年）6月，以兵部尚書協辦大學士，充玉牒館副總裁。查辦御史彈劾袁世凱案，以查無實據結，並疏稱袁世凱為「……不可多得之員」。

二十三年（1897年），以協辦大學士充經筵講官。疏請設立武備特科，于各省設立武備學堂。表示反對康有為所主張的變法。

二十四年（1898年），兼充稽查欽奉上諭事件處管理大臣。6月10日，授文淵閣大學士。6月15日，署直隸總督兼北洋通商大臣，隨後實授。6月22日，以大學士兼管戶部事務。9月20日，回京參與戊戌政變，為戊戌政變提供武力支持。9月28日，卸署直隸總督；授軍機大臣，改管理兵部事務，並節制北洋各軍。10月11日，授練兵大臣，指明節制宋慶、董福祥、聶士成、袁世凱所部及北洋各軍。12月7日，奏請合宋、董、聶、袁四軍及新募親軍聯為一氣，構成武衛軍雛形。

二十五年（1899年），充文淵閣領閣事、崇文門監督，調正藍旗滿洲都統。6月27日，武衛軍編練完成，此後又陸續編練武衛先鋒軍、先鋒隊若干。在對光緒帝廢立問題上由猶豫轉向反對。(過繼溥儁予同治皇帝，立為大阿哥，即己亥建儲事）。

二十六年（1900年），義和團運動在京畿蔓延後，榮祿屢請鎮壓，並請保護各國使館。庚子事變，兩宮西狩。8月17日，西逃的慈禧太后詔命留京辦事，授內大臣。10月6日詔赴西安行在。

二十七年（1901年）7月25日，改命管理戶部。10月，支持劉坤一、張之洞在江楚三折中提出的變法主張。十二月二十四日（1902年2月2日），升文華殿大學士，加太子太保。

二十八年（1902年），兼充崇文門副監督。

二十九年（1903年）4月11日，榮祿去世。慈禧太后懿旨追贈太傅，謚文忠，晉一等男爵，入祀賢良祠，賞銀治喪。

陳夔龍撰寫〈贈太傅晉封一等男文華殿大學士瓜爾佳文忠公行狀〉、俞樾撰寫〈贈太傅晉封一等男爵文華殿大學士瓜爾佳文忠公墓志銘〉、孫葆田撰寫〈文華殿大學士贈太傅晉封一等男爵瓜爾佳氏文忠公神道碑〉三篇碑傳文獻傳世。

著作

• 編纂《武毅公事略》

• 編輯《瓜爾佳氏家傳》

• 《榮文忠公集》

• 《榮祿存札》

評價

榮祿是慈禧太后執政時期，特別是戊戌變法時期舉足輕重的人物。如《清史稿·榮祿傳》所述，「榮祿久直內廷，得太后信仗。眷顧之隆，一時無比。事無鉅細，常待一言決焉。」長期以來，學術界對他與戊戌變法的關係很少爭議，一般都接受康有為、梁啟超等所下評論，以為榮祿始終是站在變法的對立面，並在後來的政變中扮演了元兇的角色，但其實只是時間不夠長的錯覺，否則清廷肯定在辛亥後會變法的。

榮祿並不反對變法，只不過不贊成康梁的變法，遵循的是另一條變法思路。早在光緒任命林旭等四人在軍機章京上行走時，榮祿就致信林旭，主張變法改革以補偏求弊下手，不在遇事紛更。政變後榮祿在一封給伊藤博文的信件中，認為中國應以整軍豐財、力圖自強為急務，但中國「積習相仍，驟難移易。譬之起虛弱而仁痿痺，輔以善藥，效雖緩而有功；投以猛劑，病未除而增劇」。並以此評價政變事。而且榮祿認為「中國非真不可為也」，關鍵是要有正確的變法次序。

家庭及關聯

• 先祖：卓凌阿。

• 曾祖父：阿洪阿，官至副都統，誥封建威將軍。

• 父母

　• 父：長壽，官至總兵。

　• 母：烏扎氏，綽和泰之女

　• 繼母：顏扎氏，誥封一品夫人

• 妻妾

　• 聘：庫雅拉氏，正白旗滿洲人，江寧將軍蘇布通阿之女。未娶，庫雅拉氏在咸豐四年（1854年）逝世。

　• 正室：薩克達氏，御前侍衛、都統銜鑲藍旗漢軍副都統熙拉布之女。咸豐五年（1855年）成婚。薩克達氏早逝。與咸豐帝元配孝德顯皇后同族。

　• 繼室：宗室氏（父道光十八年（1838年）戊戌科進士、武英殿大學士靈桂），庚子事變時，隨榮祿西行，病逝于河南彰德府。

　• 妾：劉氏，生榮祿次女。王文韶日記稱「如夫人劉氏」在女兒與載灃成婚前，慈禧太后懿旨賞給劉氏正一品夫人封典，為正室。有作者稱她為側福晉劉佳氏。

• 子女

　• 子：綸厚。劉坤一給榮祿的信中暱稱他為綸哥。庚子事變時，隨榮祿西行。次年八月二十四日，慈禧太后、光緒帝自西安啟行回京。八月二十七日，綸厚在途中病逝，年十七。

　• 嗣子：良揆。榮祿逝世時，時為員外郎的良揆著加恩以四五品京堂候補。

　• 長女：瓜爾佳氏，禮親王誠厚妻。

　• 次女：瓜爾佳氏，母劉氏，經榮祿親信貽穀作媒，慈禧太后指婚，嫁醇親王載灃為妻（福晉），載灃被慈禧勒令退婚一等侯將軍希元之女伍彌忒氏，後生宣統帝溥儀。

軼事

據《清稗類鈔·姓名類·瓜爾佳氏以蘇完為貴》記載，榮祿任戶部尚書時曾遇一瓜爾佳氏都統，遂稱其為同族。「都統轉問有『蘇完』二字穆昆否，榮曰：『無』。都統搖首曰：『殆非也』」。

瓜爾佳氏有諸多穆昆，如蘇完、葉赫、訥殷、哈達、烏拉、安褚拉庫等，「而居蘇完者尤著」。蘇完瓜爾佳氏以開國元勳費英東最為顯赫，有學者認為稱費英東子孫「明顯屬于攀附名人」。

藝術形象

慈禧太后的御前翻譯德齡離開清宮後，開始以英語記述自己的經歷，1911年出版《清宮二年記》。其後，出版多本書籍。在《慈禧御苑外史》中，她稱慈禧太后在入宮為妃前，是榮祿的戀人。當代戲劇、影視劇亦有此類設定。或指兩人是青梅竹馬的戀人。

影視形象