At age 27 (around 1843) Qing Rui moved to Canton (Guangzhou), serving as a goverment official in various places including Haikang in the far south of Guangdong (perhaps including Hainan).⁶ Around 1862 李芝仙 Li Zhixian (1842 - 1908) became his concubine.⁷ She is said to have inherited the Lingnan style of playing, which would have been rather different from Qing Rui's northern style. Together they shared an interest in both qin and se, and together and separately they taught a number of students, with her style said by some to have been dominant.⁸

Over the years Qing Rui and Li Zhixian personally taught qin to family members, starting a line of players that has extended from father through son down to the present, as follows:

1. 容慶瑞 Rong Qing Rui (because of the family connection the family name Rong is sometimes given to Qing Rui himself)
2. 容葆廷 Rong Baoting (1862 - 1920; little is known other than he learned qin from Qing Rui and Li Zhixian)
3. 容心言 Rong Xinyan⁹ (1884 - 1966; followed his son to Hong Kong, where he taught 饒宗頤 Rao Zongyi)
4. 容思澤 Rong Size¹⁰ (Yong Sze-chak; 1931 - 2001; in the 1950s he moved to Hong Kong)
5. 容克智 Rong Kezhi (Yong Hak-chi or Hammond Yong;¹¹ teaches in Hong Kong and in 2015 published 香江容氏琴譜 Xiangjiang Rongshi Qinpu.¹²)

Qing Rui's biography in Qinshi Xu, partially translated below, says that in Guangzhou Qing Rui had as a house guest the qin player 周竹舲 Zhou Zhuling;¹³ it is not clear whether Zhou studied with Qing Rui, taught him or simply enjoyed his playing; it is also not clear from this whether Zhou taught others there. The biography does mention a Dream Fragrance Garden (夢香園 Meng Xiang Yuan).¹⁴

Some of Qing Rui's art was handcopied in tablature preserved within the Rong family. In addition, in 1870 Qing Rui himself produced a Handbook for Playing Qin and Se Together (琴瑟合譜 Qinse Hepu);¹⁵ its eight qin melodies with se accompaniment are listed in Appendix I below.

As for other qin players in Guangzhou outside Qing Rui's family but considered to have been his students, one of these, 孫寶 Sun Bao, compiled 以六正五之齋琴學秘書 Yi Liu Zheng Wuzhizhai Qinxue Mishu (1875). Its contents are listed in Appendix II below. Of its 21 pieces, six are the same titles as pieces in Qinse Hepu, but with mostly different versions of those melodies.

Of Qinse Hepu R.H. Van Gulik wrote the following (Lore, p. 9 fn.; Romanization changed):

In Guangzhou Qing Rui also made friends in the local Lingnan school. He thus became familiar with their signature handbook, Wuxue Shanfang Qinpu (1836), as well as with the rather speculative Gugang Yipu, a handbook said to have preserved ancient melodies brought to the Pearl River delta at the end of the Song dynasty. However, he and is descendants continued to consider themselves to be Guangling School.

Qing Rui's biography in Qinshi Xu
This entry begins and ends as follows:

The middle part, not yet translated, mostly concerns se.

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 慶瑞 Qing Rui references
Style name 有年 Younian, nickname 輝山 Huishan. In addition to the Qin Shi Xu biography above, primary available reference materials are the biographical essay by Tong Kin-Woon in his Qin Fu and materials in Hammond Yung's 香江容氏琴譜 Xiangjiang Rongshi Qinpu.
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2. Original
9 lines; the source given is Chunhu Manlu.
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3. Image: Qing Rui holding qin
A copy of this photo was included with the essay about Qing Rui in Tong Kin-Woon's Qin Fu.
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4. 李成宇 Li Chengyu (also written 李澄宇?)
Some of the melodies included in 香江容氏琴譜 Xiangjiang Rongshi Qinpu are attributed to Li Chengyu. No further information as yet other than that he was a 廣陵派 Guangling School qin player living in Hangzhou.
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5. Guangling Qin School (廣陵琴派 Guangling Qinpai)
This school (see in chart) was founded in Yangzhou at the beginning of the Qing dynasty by Xu Changyu and others.
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6. 廣東海康 Haikang in Guangdong
Haikang is basically the peninsula in southern Guangdong province facing Hainan island (which may at that time have been included in its jurisdiction).
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7. 李芝仙 Li Zhixian (1842 - 1908)
She was from 番禺 Panyu (or Punyu), then a village but now an urban area on the south side of Guangzhou. Here she is said to have learned the Lingnan style as transmitted through the Gugang Yipu. She taught Qing Rui's son and grandson.
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8. Teaching in Guangzhou
See further above. In addition to 晉齋孫寶 Sun Bao did this later. Did this later include Ye Shimeng?
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9. 容心言 Rong Xinyan (1884 - 1966)
He wrote this essay.
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10. 容思澤 Rong Size (Yong Sze-chak; 1931 - 2001)
His recordings with the 2015 publication come from previously published ones such as this one.
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11. Hammond Yong (容克智 Yong Hak-chi [Rong Kezhi])
Hammond, who learned qin from his father 容思澤 Yong Sze-chak, actively teaches today. He and his group of students have also been active in both making qins and re-making standard factory qins. Hammond now plays solely with silk strings; he has several recordings posted on YouTube (go to the site) and in 2015 published Xiangjiang Rongshi Qinpu (further below).
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12. Zhou Zhuling 周竹舲
No further information as yet.
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13. 香江容氏琴譜 Xiangjiang Rongshi Qinpu
In 2015 容克智 Hammond Yong published this handbook, which has three folios in traditional binding. The title might be translated as Qin Handbook from the Rong Family of the Pearl River Estuary ("香江 Fragrant River" ia new term that evokes the connection between Hong Kong ("fragrant harbor") and the Pearl River, which comes down to Hong Kong through Guangzhou (Canton). The Rong Family Tradition of qin play is generally referred to as 容氏家族 Rongshi Jiazu.

In addition to a number of essays this handbook includes tablature for 33 melodies taught from this lineage (below). Some of them come from old family scores going back to Qing Rui himself; others can be found in handbooks such as those mentioned in Appendices I and II. There is also a DVD with 19 of the 33 tablatured melodies on 34 tracks (15 of the melodies are each recorded first by Yong Sze-chak then by Hammond himself ("Yong Hak-chi"), making 30 tracks in all; on the remaining four tracks Hammond plays three pieces [tracks 1, 21 & 26] and his father one [track 12]). The recordings by Yong Sze-chak, made between 1986 and 1995, all use metal strings. Hammond's recordings were all made in 2014 using silk strings, to which he had recently returned.

 
Tablature and Recordings in
香江容氏琴譜 Xiangjiang Rongshi Qinpu (Hong Kong 2015)
With indication of tracks on the accompanying DVD
(YSC = 容思澤 Yong Sze-chak; YHC = 容克智 Yong Hak-chi; none = no recording)

#	title	romanized	CD track	page in handbook; further comments
1.	猗蘭	Yi Lan	1. YHC	p.15: "李成宇先生授 given by teacher Li Chengyu".
2.	瀟湘水雲	Xiao Xiang Shui Yun	2. YSC 3. YHC	p.19: "李成宇先生授 given by teacher Li Chengyu".
3.	釋談章	Shitan Zhang	4. YSC (10.54) 5. YHC (12.24)	p.24: "韓子十耕原搞 originally copied out by Master Han Shigeng" Related to 1722a; no lyrics
4.	塞上鴻	Saishang Hong	6. YSC 7. YHC	p.29: "李成宇先生授譜 tablature given by teacher Li Chengyu"
5.	梧葉舞秋風	Wu Ye Wu Qiu Feng	8. YSC 9. YHC	p.34: "李成宇先生授譜 tablature given by teacher Li Chengyu"
6.	鷗鷺忘機	Oulu Wang Ji	none	p.37: ”參訂古譜 examined old tablature" but same (though adding comments) as 1836, which says "from Gugang Yipu". Also almost same as 1677.
7.	雁落平沙	Yan Luo Ping Sha	10. YSC 11. YHC	p.39: "李成宇先生授譜 tablature given by teacher Li Chengyu"
8.	搗衣	Dao Yi	12. YSC	p.42
9.	水仙	Shui Xian	13. YSC 14. YHC	p.47: "趙孟梅道兄授孟" (music same as 1836)
10.	汜橋進履	Si Qiao Jin Lü	15. YSC 16. YHC	p.52: "孫西耘道兄授譜 tablature given by (Qing Rui's) friend Sun Xiyun"; title and music as in 1836 but afterword is different. Usually called 圯橋進履 Yiqiao Jin Lü; 汜 si = (name of ?) stream.
11.	漁樵問答	Yu Qiao Wenda	17. YSC 18. YHC	p.55
12.	良宵引	Liang Xiao Yin	19. YSC 20. YHC	p.58
13.	梅花三弄	Meihua Sannong	21. YHC	p.59: "參訂古譜 examined old tablature"; not same as 1836
14.	玉樹臨風	Yu Shu Lin Feng	22. YSC 23. YHC	p.63: "參訂古譜 examined old tablature", but same as 1836, which says "from Gugang Yipu". Actually almost same as 1677.
15.	碧澗流泉	Bijian Liu Quan	24. YSC 25. YHC	p.65: "古岡遺譜 Gugang Yipu"; 1836.
16.	雙鶴聽泉	Shuang He Ting Quan	None	p.68: "參訂古譜 examined old tablature", but same as 1836, which says "from Gugang Yipu".
17.	風雷引	Feng Lei Yin	None	p.70
18.	神化引	Shenhua Yin	None	p.74: "參訂古譜 examined old tablature", but same as 1836 (adding comments), which says "from Gugang Yipu".
19.	懷古	Huai Gu	None	p.77: "古岡遺譜 Gugang Yipu"; 1836.
20.	洞庭秋思	Dongting Qiu Si	26. YHC	p.79
21.	春曉吟	Chun Xiao Yin	27. YSC 28. YHC	p.81
22.	挾仙遊	Xia Xian You	None	p.83
23.	清夜聞鐘	Qing Ye Wen Zhong	None	p.86
24.	漁歌	Yu Ge	None	p.92
25.	搔首問天	Sao Shou Wen Tian	29. YSC 30. YHC	p.99
26.	樵歌	Qiao Ge	None	p.103
27.	岳陽三醉	Yueyang San Zui	None	p.108: "武林李氏訂 fixed by Mr. Li of Wulin"
28.	碧天秋思	Bi Tian Qiu Si	None	p.114: no source given for #24-#33
29.	關雎	Guan Ju	None	p.117
30.	山居吟	Shan Ju Yin	None	p.121
31.	墨子悲絲	Mozi Bei Si	None	p.124
32.	雁度衡陽	Yan Du Hengyang	31. YSC 32. YHC	p.129
33.	白雪	Bai Xue	33. YSC 34. YHC	p.134
				pp.137-173 (end): essays and charts

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14. Dream Fragrance Garden (夢香園 Meng Xiang Yuan)
This was a villa in Guangzhou belonging to 鄭績 Zheng Ji, a well-known local painter who wrote a foreword for 琴瑟合譜 Qin Se He Pu.
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15. Qing Rui's Qinse Hepu (see image with its ToC below)
The melody in the image is Liangxiao Yin, the first melody in the handbook. The text accompanying the melody mentions Qing Rui, his concubine Li Zhixian and a friend. As for the music itself, the first line has the se part, the second line is the corresponding qin melody. Both begin in harmonics, but it is not clear what "harmonics" is meant when playing the se. The ornament in the se part apparently has to do with left hand vibrato to the left of the moveable bridge.
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Appendix I: Table of Contents for 琴瑟合譜 Qinse Hepu (QQJC XXVI; 1870)

A page from Qing Rui's Qinse Hepu

Qing Rui published this "Handbook for Playing Qin and Se Together" as part of an effort to encourage a revival of the se through arranging qin melodies so that they could also be played on se. It includes the following eight qin melodies, each aligned with an arrangement for se zither:

1. Liangxiao Yin (XXVI/150)
   A few differences from 1875 #14

2. Yu Qiao Wenda (XXVI/152)
   More differences from 1875 #7

3. Yan Luo Pingsha (XXVI/157)
   Numerous differences from 1875 #18

4. Wu Ye Wu Qiu Feng (XXVI/160)
   Differences from 1875 #9

5. Chun Xiao Yin (XXVI/164)
   Not in 1875

6. Dongting Qiu Si (XXVI/167)
   Not in 1875

7. Shitang Zhang (XXVI/170)
   Hammond Yong's YouTube rendition is from here (comment); quite similar to 1875 #16

8. Saishang Hong (XXVI/179-183)
   Hammond Yong's YouTube recording is from here; quite a few differences from 1875 #10

 
Appendix II: Table of Contents for
以六正五之齋琴學秘書 Yi Liu Zheng Wuzhizhai Qinxue Mishu
1875; XXVI/231-262

The front page says this handbook is "長安市上彈無絃琴者晉齋孫寶草創 a rough copy by Sun Bao, nicknamed Sun Jinzhai, player of a stringless qin in Chang'an Town". Sun, born in 1819, is said to have been a student of Qing Rui and Qing Rui's teacher Li Chengyu. Of its 21 pieces, six are the same titles as in Qinse Hepu, a handbook compiled by Qing Rui himself, but with mostly different versions of those melodies. The pages with tablature are all marked Private Tablature for Qin Study (琴學秘譜 Qin Xue Mi Pu). The title is clearly a reference to the early Guangling School handbook Wuzhizhai Qinpu (1722).

1. Sheng Jing (Da Xue Zhangju; 4 sections; XXVI/231)
   Confucian lyrics: the 大學 Da Xue

2. Mohebanruopolomiduo Xinjing (1 section; XXVI/2)
   Buddhist lyrics: the Heart Sutra; only here

3. Huangdi Yinfu Jing (7 sections; XXVI/233)
   Daoist lyrics: the "黃帝陰符經 Yellow Emperor's Hidden Talisman Classic" (details); the lyrics begin, "觀天之道，執天之行盡矣...."); only here

4. Oulu Wang Ji (3+1 sections; XXVI/234)
   Commentary with each section

5. Kai Gu (4+1 sections; XXVI/235)
   Commentary with each section

6. Gao Shan (8+1 sections; XXVI/236)
   Commentary with each section

7. Yu Qiao Wenda (7+1 sections; XXVI/238)
   No commentary; compare version in Qinse Hepu

8. Qiu Sai Yin (9+1 sections; XXVI/239)
   Foreword

9. Wuye Wu Qiufeng (8+1; XXVI/241)
   Afterword; compare version in Qinse Hepu

10. Saishang Hong (16+1; XXVI/242)
    Foreword and afterword

11. Canghai Long Yin (7+1; XXVI/244)
    Foreword

12. Yuhua Deng Xian (30+1; XXVI/246)
    Zha Guide; preface attributes it to Wulingxianzi

13. Qiujiang Yebo (3; XXVI/250)
    Compare Yin De in chart

14. Liangxiao Yin (3; XXVI/251)
    Afterword; compare version in Qinse Hepu

15. Gengxin Diao Wei (1 section; XXVI/251)
    Only here; no commentary other than "清徵調宮音 qingzhi diao, gong yin" (mode)

16. Shitan Zhang (XXVI/252)
    See in chart; compare version in Qinse Hepu

17. Feng Xiang Xiao Han (1; XXVI/254)
    Short song

18. Pingsha Luo Yan (7+1; XXVI/255)
    See in chart; compare version in Qinse Hepu

19. Qiao Ge (11; XXVI/256)
    Copies preface, lyrics and music from 1589

20. Gu Er Xing (5; XXVI/259)
    Only here; "長安市上彈無絃琴者孫晉齋譜 tablature of Sun Jinzhai"; lyrics

21. Zui Yu Chang Wan (12; XXVI/261)
    See in chart; foreword and afterword

 
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