The ancients attached great importance to the family's "succession", especially the nobles, the inheritance of heirs is to abide by the tradition, even Li Hongzhang, who started the new foreign affairs movement, has not been able to escape the two words of "heir", Li Hongzhang has 4 wives and concubines in his life, but there are not many heirs.
In the first year of Tongzhi (1862), Li Hongzhang was already 40 years old, and he still had no sons under his knees, and the sixth brother Li Zhaoqing passed on his eldest son Li Jingfang, who was only 7 years old, to Li Hongzhang, perhaps with Li Jingfang's blessings, and three years later, Li Hongzhang gave birth to his concubine Li Jingshu, and soon after he gave birth to his second son, Li Jingmai, so how did Li Hongzhang treat his adopted son?
Although Li Hongzhang had two sons, he did not favor his own son, he still regarded Li Jingfang as an heir, calling him "eldest son", as li hongzhang's heir, he was bound to be unable to escape the way of an official, Li Hongzhang also attached great importance to Li Jingfang's future, so he hired a famous teacher to teach him to read, Li Jingfang worked very hard and even learned fluent English.
After Li Jingfang was raised, Li Hongzhang did not let him go to other provinces to become an official, but left him in the Beiyang Minister Yamen and followed Li Hongzhang to handle some diplomatic affairs, Li Hongzhang left Li Jingfang by his side, but also had the intention of cultivating him to inherit the unification, but Li Jingfang was proficient in the Five Chinese, and he had inspected various countries many times, and he had a very accurate grasp of the international situation, but he still did not have much to do, why is this?
It was precisely because of his talent that Li Hongzhang kept him by his side and strictly disciplined him, and in 1894, the Qing government was defeated in the Sino-Japanese War and was forced to negotiate peace with Japan, and the Qing government sent Zhang Mengheng, a left attendant, to negotiate, but was refused, and the Qing government reassigned Li Hongzhang as a foreign minister.
Li Hongzhang took Li Jingfang to negotiate with Japanese Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi, and Li Jingfang was the chief negotiator, but because Li Jingfang's "sharp edge was too exposed" and argued on the basis of reason many times, Li Hongzhang replaced him and negotiated on his own.
Just after the end of the third negotiation, a Japanese ronin fired a shot at Li Hongzhang, but did not hit the point, Li Hongzhang was recuperating, Li Jingfang had full authority to negotiate, in the next negotiations, Li Jingfang on the grounds that Li Hongzhang was shot, and won 100 million less silver for the unequal treaty.
Before signing the "Treaty of Maguan", Li Hongzhang and Li Jingfang were denounced at home, and in this case, Li Hongzhang asked him to sign a treaty, on the grounds that "Li Jingfang was ill" Qing Guangxu asked him to cultivate, but Guangxu refused, and the two accompanied him and signed the treaty.
During the Eight-Nation Alliance, Cixi fled westward, and Li Hongzhang was pushed into diplomatic matters, and Li Jingfang proposed before the discussion that "mercenaries should stand on their own" with the status of the Li family's father and son, but Li Hongzhang rebuked him and ignored it, so the Li family spread the saying that "Li Gongzi's courage is greater than the sky".
Li Hongzhang became seriously ill after signing the treaty, and even after his death, Li Hongzhang wrote to Li Jingfang: "Wu'er Jingfang, overwhelmed", Li Jingfang was already disappointed in the Qing court, coupled with Li Hongzhang's last words, he also lived a life of seclusion, when Zhang Xun was restored, Zhang Xun also specially asked people to invite him out of the mountain, but Li Jingfang closed the door all day.
After Puyi established pseudo-Manchuria, Li Jingfang was invited, but still did not go to worship, and in 1934, Li Jingfang died of illness in Dalian at the age of 80.