Source: Fuzhou Radio and Television - Fushi Yuedong
"Westward Journey to Liushu Heart To the People- Lin Zexu on the Way to The Ili Of the Army" by Zhang Zhenyu
On July 13, 1841, when the fifty-seven-year-old Lin Zexu was stepping up his fortifications in Zhenhai, Zhejiang, the Qing court charged him with false accusations, "from re-dispatch to Ili to serve atonement for his sins." (1) However, when he arrived in Yangzhou, the Qing court issued an edict ordering "to return to Hedong to serve atonement for sins" (2). Lin Zexu went to the construction site and saw "the mourning of the wild geese flowing in the wilderness, and the fish and dragons dancing proudly to the head of the city," (3) "The floating corpses on the surface of the water are like chaos, and the crows pecking at people's houses" (4) The tragic image after the Yellow River broke its embankment. He assisted Wang Ding, struggling day and night at the Xiangfu construction site in Henan, organizing a flood control army to fight against the flood. In March of the following year, when the flood control levee was closed, the Qing court again "ordered ... Lin Zexu still sent to Yili to atone for his sins. (5) In this way, Lin Zexu, who was fifty-eight years old, had no choice but to help his wife and son and set out in tears.
During his short journey of nearly nine months (March to December 1842), Lin Zexu, who was dismissed from his post and enlisted in Ili, expressed his concern for the current situation through letters and poems as a "vassal". At this time, Lin Zexu was intertwined in the vortex of contradictions between patriotism and loyalty.
First, he embarked on a journey to the border in a daze, but his heart never forgot the situation in the southeast
Although Lin Zexu's depravity to Xinjiang was an unfair punishment for him by the Daoguang Emperor, he still treated him with a frank mind and always paid attention to the changes in the country's current situation. For example, in March of the twenty-second year of Daoguang (1842), when Lin Zexu traveled to Luoyang, he said in a letter to Su Tingyu: "... At present, the current situation is unimaginable, the poor and desolate, put into practice do not see or hear, compared to the evil words into the ears, the evil anger fills the chest, is not more and more? (6) On July 14 of the same year, when he traveled to Jingzhou, Gansu. That night, he wrote to a friend Liu Khotan, feeling "indignation" about the news of Zhenjiang's loss. In the letter to Ma Fuxiang on the way to Gansu, it is written: "Although the brother went out to the door from the west, he was thinking about military affairs in the southeast, and it was difficult to sleep and eat. In early September of the same year, he traveled to Lanzhou in the letter "To Yao Chun Wang Baixin": "The current events in the near future have reached this point, which makes people anxious and indignant. He also said, "Thinking of misfortune and happiness in death and life, I have long been outward, but the flame of rebellion has been like a fire, and although I am exiled, can I not hear it?" After the loss of Runzhou, there is no follow-up consumption, I don't know what it is like in recent days? The farther and farther away, the futile feeling of worry is like burning ears. (7) All this shows that although he slept in the wind and went on a trek, he still had his heart set on the southeast and paid attention to the current situation.
In July of the twenty-second year of Daoguang (1842), on his way to Xi'an for Shu, he made "And Wang Zhongshan Sima Saw the Original Rhyme" in response to the worries and feelings of the defeat in the anti-British war at that time, in which he wrote: "Dancing dry feathers before spinning the steps, and smelling the lost pot on the sea." The heavens have caused the multitudes to fall to the knees, and the past has caused the old people to wither. (8) In August of the same year, in the poem "The Second Rhyme Answers Yao Chunmu", it was written: "Current events are difficult, by whom to discuss coastal defense?" Has become a white head, let alone asked? The central plains can be hurt. In the teaching of "Easy", the worries are fixed. (9) The poem reflects the author's righteous indignation about the fall of Zhenjiang, which is the expression of the author's mood condensed in the inner world.
There are also things like "Guan Shan Wanli Remnant Dream, just listen to the sound of Jiangdong war drums." ("The Second Rhyme Answers Chen Zimao") "Alone in thousands of miles, solidarity is always related." ("Ciyun Answering Emperor DiLou (Ji Chen) Gift") "Seeing the new Dew Cloth in the south of the sky, the old clouds in the heart of the Mountains" ("And Wang Zhongshan Sima Saw the Original Rhyme") "Just be able to do it, only worry about the beacon to illuminate Jiangnan". These poems with deep feelings from the heart reflect that although Lin Zexu was in a difficult situation, he still paid attention to the fate of the country and the nation, never forgot the enemy's insults, and was worried about the situation in the southeast at that time and the thoughts and feelings related to each other, so the cannon of the southeast war situation was always accompanied by the national hero Xishu. At the same time, he also expressed his personal misfortunes and honors and humiliations with the verse "Profiting the country to live and die, and avoiding them because of misfortunes" (10), and treated his demeaning career with an open-minded heart and an optimistic attitude, which is also a portrayal of Lin Zexu's lifelong patriotism.
Second, strive to realize the desire of "mastering and controlling yi"
On the way to Xishu, although the commander of Guansai Road had tasted the miserable wind and rain on the way, and was plagued by repeated illnesses, Lin Zexu, based on the translations he had read in the anti-smoking campaign and the struggle against the British invaders, the Yiqing sentiments of his visits, and his experience in formulating practical and feasible Yiwu policies and strategies, deeply realized the backwardness of the Qing government's self-restraint and arrogance, and the progressive nature of the British invaders' "strong guns and sharp guns", hoping to "stop the armored troops with armored troops".
Therefore, on his way to the border of Ilishu, he was still always concerned about the matter of "ship guns and cannons", and he said in a letter to Su Tingyu: "In the winter (1841) and the snow tree to make a military book, Zeng Li Chen was indispensable to the ship cannon ... Yesterday, someone saw that although the author's name was not written, I knew that it must not be a stranger who could... However, the cannon must be made by the official, and it must be used as in the same way, and the brother has a copy of the "Book of Cannons", I don't know if it has been included in the book? (11) In the autumn of 1842, he wrote in the letter "To Ma Fuxiang": "Wen Province is now a commercial casting cannon, and the first is the manager of the special office. This instrument must not be prepared, especially not refined, the former brother carved the "Book of Cannons", Tozhu Fangbo forwarded, forgive the scriptures. Its big point is always in the abdomen thick mouth wide, the fire door is straight and tight, the molten iron is pure and clear, after casting, the chamber is polished like a mirror, it is released quickly and does not explode. (12) In September of the same year, in the letter "To Yao Chun and Wang Baixin", he also mentioned the production of ship cannons: "Yu Yu said that there are eight characters to say, good equipment, skill, courage, and unity of heart... For the sake of the present, the warships cannot be manufactured, but the ships of the civil merchants in the three counties of Zhang, Quan, and Chao can still be hired. ”⑬
At the same time, when Lin Zexu was passing through Zhenjiang, he gave the translation of the "Four Continents" to his friend Wei Yuan, hoping that he could sort out and enrich the book and compile it into a book to complete his unfinished business. Based on this translation, Wei Yuan finally wrote a book in 1842 entitled "Atlas of the Sea Country", which put forward the idea of "mastering the art of mastering the art of controlling the country" to resist foreign insults, and advocated the introduction of advanced military technology from the West to equip and develop his own national military industry, so as to strengthen his own armed forces and strengthen national defense facilities. This was an epochal urgency and practicality at the time (14).
Third, the image of Lin Zexu in the minds of the people after his dismissal
After Lin Zexu was dismissed, he was still very important in the hearts of the people. The masses of the people are the creators of history, their eyes are shining, and their evaluation of historical figures is realistic, true and reliable. Lin Zexu, who can give sincere sympathy to the toiling masses, is full of respect. Lin Zexu once said: "Officials are not compassionate enough to be merciful, the people are not all compassionate and the peasants are compassionate, and the peasants are especially compassionate." (15) Lin Zexu explicitly proposed to the rulers that attention must be paid to the poor laborers at the lowest level of society. After Humen sold cigarettes, although the Daoguang Emperor removed Lin Zexu from his post and investigated him, Lin Zexu's patriotic spirit and heroic spirit of opposing aggression were deeply buried in the hearts of the broad masses of toiling people and patriotic officials. When Lin Zexu was dismissed, the gentlemen of Guangdong still sent 52 praise plaques, praising Lin Zexu for "the people's favor and fear of their might" (16). On January 7, 1841, Hubu asked Wan Qixin to use Lin Zexu and Deng Tingzhen, pointing out that "Lin Zexu has a true heart, and for two years, he must be white." Cantonese people smell it and go, or weep to the point of weeping. (17) According to the "Chronicle of the Flood Disaster in Bieliang", after the news of Lin Zexu's side came out, it caused the people affected by the disaster in Henan to regret and sigh, and many people wept. This also proves that Lin Zexu can really do things and make contributions in river engineering. On July 20, the twenty-second year of Daoguang (1842), Lin Zexu was still on his way to Xinjiang, and Zhenjiang rumored that Lin Zexu was used: "When there are tens of thousands of soldiers from the north, the imperial court uses Lin Zexu, gives the sword above, and makes the four provinces in total. The soldiers have crossed Huaihuai and reached Yangzhou. (18) Although this is not a fact, it also reflects Lin Zexu's status in the eyes of the people.
Of course, Lin Zexu put forward some propositions of relying on the strength of the masses of the people to carry out the struggle against aggression, which are bound to be rejected by the capitulationists. They put forward that "it is better to defend the people than to defend against the Kou", and the Daoguang Emperor, who was the supreme ruler of feudal society at that time, was also forced by current events to express great displeasure with the patriotic officials advocating the use of Lin Zexu's draft, saying: "A lot of nonsense, but Ru and others have opinions and dare to play all kinds of music, and they are particularly indignant." It is not surprising that Lin Zexu, a member of the feudal landlord class, once his proposition angered the Daoguang Emperor, was bound to be dismissed from his post and investigated for such crimes as "misleading the country and the sick and handling them poorly." However, the masses of the people are the creators of history, and Lin Zexu's idea of valuing the people and loving the people is undoubtedly an important part of his patriotism.
In summary, during the anti-smoking campaign, Lin Zexu, as a minister of Chincha, resisted foreign insults, raised his eyebrows, and performed great deeds, until the Daoguang Emperor decreed that "from re-issuance to Ili, effectiveness and atonement for sins" were issued. At this time, he had a nostalgia for the country, and there was no way to ask for help, so he could only embark on the long westward journey. At this time, Lin Zexu suddenly became a "vassal", he had no right to speak politically, his ideas and suggestions could not reach the emperor's hands, and he could only convey his patriotic heart through the loyal officials of the imperial court.
We know that in feudal society, the emperor was the supreme supreme. Rulers will "fight" for it at all costs to protect their thrones from being shaken. Therefore, when progressive ideas proposed that when the emperor weighed the pros and cons and felt that it was hindering his rule, he would do whatever it took to eliminate "dissidents", and Lin Zexu was a victim of that era. At that time, under the attack of the British invaders, the Daoguang Emperor was frightened, in order to maintain his throne, in the two chips between Lin Zexu and the British invaders, the Daoguang Emperor finally sacrificed Lin Zexu and bet the chips to the side of the British invaders, but the Daoguang Emperor never expected that the corrupt Qing Dynasty would sacrifice a Lin Zexu to suppress the arrogance of the British invaders. The British invaders wanted land and silver. In the end, the Qing government "lost the wife and folded the soldiers", which ended in failure. Under the circumstances at that time, although Lin Zexu was exiled and treated extremely unfairly, this was also an inevitable part of history, and although he was in adversity, he still paid close attention to current affairs and did his best to do something beneficial to the resistance to the British. As he traveled west, he was farther and farther away from the battlefield, but his feelings of worrying about the country and the people became stronger and stronger.
exegesis:
(1) (2) (5) Records of Emperor Xuanzong of the Qing Dynasty, vol. 352P9, vol. 354 P3, vol. 367 P12
(3) "Yunzuo Shanfang Poetry Copy" Volume VI
(4) Yizhitang Poetry Society, Volume IV, "River Breaking Line"
(6) (7) Yang Guozhen, ed., Lin Zexu Shujian, P185, P193
(8) (9) (10) Chen Jinghan's Selected Poems of Lin Zexu, P74, P70, P77
(11) (12) (13) Yang Guozhen, ed., Lin Zexu Shujian, P185, P190, P193
(14) Reprinted from the Journal of Fuzhou Normal College, Lin Zhiwen's "Exploring the Sources of Lin Zexu's Political Thought" article P14
(15) "Lin Ze Xu Ji Song Manuscript" on P123
(16) The Diary of Lin Wenzhong, p373
(17) (18) "Preparation for the Beginning and End of Yiwu", Vol. 18 P643, Vol. 45 P1704, Vol. 21 P753
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