In 1895, Li Hongzhang signed the Treaty of Maguan in Maguan, Japan, ceding Taiwan and its affiliated islands, ceding the Liaodong Peninsula, and compensating 200 million taels of silver. However, the Liaodong Peninsula touched the interests of the great powers, and even more caused the intervention of Russia, France and Germany, and in the end, Japan was forced to agree to return the Liaodong Peninsula, but the Qing court had to pay a "redemption fee" of 30 million taels of silver as compensation.
In the twenty-second year of Guangxu, that is, in 1896, Europe and the United States, far away on the other side of the ocean, welcomed an important Qing Dynasty guest. The guest, with two white sideburns, was seventy-four years old. He staggered and took his coffin out to sea by boat, crossing three oceans and visiting developed countries such as Russia, Germany, France, Britain, and the United States.
This guest with a coffin was Li Zhongtang and Li Hongzhang in the late Qing Dynasty. With his unfazed demeanor and otherworldly conversation, he established a majestic and elegant Chinese image in the hearts of Westerners. Westerners have such respect for Li Hongzhang that they advertise him in the benchmark New York News.
More than 120 years ago, the Western media and Liang Qichao's evaluation coincided to some extent - "respecting Li Hongzhang's talent", "cherishing Li Hongzhang's knowledge", and "tragic li hongzhang's encounter".
In fact, Li Hongzhang's situation at that time was very sad.
He spent all his energy training the navy and placed high hopes on his Beiyang Admiralty. However, a naval battle between Jia and Wu made him wake up from his dream in an instant, and he had to face the reality of the compensation for cutting the land. At the same time, Russia saw that Japan was plundering in China and immediately united with Germany and France to force Japan to spit out the Liaodong Peninsula that it had won.
When the Qing government saw that Russia dared to stand up for itself, it immediately moved closer to Russia. When the Russian royal family Nicholas II ascended the throne in the twenty-second year of Guangxu (1896), the Qing government had planned to send the minister Wang Zhichun to congratulate him. However, the Russians believed that Wang Zhichun's official position was too low, and the Qing government sent Li Hongzhang to show respect.
Ironically, when signing unequal treaties that forced China to sell its interests, Li Hongzhang was the favorite negotiator of the great powers, and it was often the great powers who appointed Li Hongzhang to negotiate. Nowadays, li hongzhang has also become the favorite person in various countries when he visits foreign countries.
At that time, Li Hongzhang was already seventy-four years old.
He was worried that something was wrong with his own body and didn't want to take on this heavy responsibility. Therefore, on the second day of the first lunar month, before the end of the year, he earnestly expressed his words to the Qing court:
"I am now seventy-four years old, and the trip is thirty thousand miles in total, and it will take several months to travel, spanning three states. If I am subjected to wind chills or heat, how many days can I support such a body? Even if you rely on the protection of the emperor, you will be safe and sound along the way. However, if you use this body to compete with foreigners at the negotiating table, if something goes wrong, it will also be a loss to the country! ”
It can also be seen from Li Hongzhang's words that he does not want to be loyal to the country, but is really more than enough and insufficient. Receiving his upper form, the next day the Qing court replied:
"You are old, and you should not have been sent under any circumstances. But to congratulate the Russian Emperor, it is necessary to let the highly respected ministers go. Looking inward, this trip only lets you go. If you do it with all your heart, don't shirk it. ”
In desperation, Li Hongzhang had no choice but to agree. Six days later, on the eighth day of the first lunar month, the Guangxu Emperor again ordered Li Hongzhang to visit developed countries such as Germany, Britain, France, and the United States. Considering Li Hongzhang's living problems, the Guangxu Emperor also specially sealed his son Li Jingshu with an official position of Sanpin and asked Li Jingshu to accompany him on his visits in order to take care of his daily life.
On the sixteenth day of the first month, Li Hongzhang had no intention of admiring the flower lanterns all over the city, and hurried to the imperial palace to meet Empress Dowager Cixi. The two talked in secret for hours, talking about how to ally with Russia and reduce Japan's seizure of China. In addition, Li Hongzhang's trip also has a very difficult task to complete, that is, to raise tariffs as much as possible.
The Qing government had to pay huge amounts of reparations to Japan, and the tariffs had to bear a large part. However, the tariff issue has always involved the whole body, and this errand is really a chore that contributes to the work and does not please. In fact, the Fact that the Qing government was so anxious to send Li Hongzhang on missions to various countries also had a lot to do with the "yellow peril" theory of the Western countries.
After the Sino-Japanese War, Japan's strength increased rapidly, which aroused the vigilance of western countries. The German Emperor and the Russian Tsar were in constant exchange on how to curb Japan's development. The German emperor even asked the painter to paint an oil painting called "The Yellow Peril" and then gave it to the Russian tsar.
The painting shows a man holding a sword, announcing to Europe the impending crisis. Opposite this man is a "Buddha" symbolizing Japan, riding a "fire dragon" approaching Europe. The "Yellow Peril" refers to Japan, and this "fire dragon" is naturally the symbol of China.
Even, in order to stimulate the fighting spirit of European countries, the German emperor also specially wrote on the oil painting: All the countries of Europe unite together to defend your faith and homeland! In the context of such an era, the Qing government wanted to unite with European countries to weaken Japan's power.
Naturally, Li Hongzhang is the only one who has chosen to envoy various countries. But what is sad is that many people in later generations said that in order to thank Li Hongzhang, the Qing court gave him such a beautiful difference to go abroad. Under the conditions of that time, it was really incomprehensible that a thousand miles of travel had become the beauty of a septuagenarian man. Those who hold this theory really don't know what their intentions are.
During the trip, many Newspapers in Europe said: "Li Hongzhang brought a coffin in order to take care of his own affairs." Although the New York Times thought this was untrue at the time, when the New York Times reported again later, the coffin that Li Hongzhang had brought before would be auctioned in France.
In fact, it does not matter whether Li Hongzhang carries the coffin or not, under the pressure of all aspects, a seventy-year-old man completed the task entrusted to him by the Qing court completely, and how many sad things there are in the process, who knows?
Resources:
["Maguan Treaty", "Late Qing Dynasty "Yellow Peril" Theory", "Li Hongzhang's Overseas Visit"】