On February 26, 1881, Zuo Zongtang, who had returned to the capital from Xinjiang, met with Empress Dowager Cixi and the Guangxu Emperor. Two days later, he was given a new appointment to manage the affairs of the Military Department, to walk on the Military Aircraft Minister, and to walk on the Prime Minister's Gate. At this time, Zuo Zongtang became an overall figure from a local official. Since then, his life has counted down.
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Returning to the capital suffered all kinds of exclusion
Zuo Zongtang had been fighting for many years, his mental strength was depleted, and his health had a condition. By the time he regained Xinjiang, he was already suffering from hemoptysis (lung disease), his legs and feet were inconvenient to walk, and he was able to walk with a club within 100 steps. Back in Beijing, because of the change in living environment, he developed symptoms such as dizziness and deafness. When the doctor diagnosed it, he believed that Zuo: "The heart and spleen are seriously depleted, the liver qi is not smooth, and it is difficult to heal." ”
Empress Dowager Cixi
For Zuo Zongtang, he very much wanted to stay in the Beijing Division as an adviser to the imperial court and revitalize the cause of foreign affairs. However, the fatigue and mediocrity of the courtiers made it difficult for him to exert his ambitions. Not only that, Zuo Zongtang was also obstructed everywhere. He proposed to ban the Tsarist Russia's activities in Xinjiang, but Prince Gong Yishi objected; he proposed to build the Gyeonggi Water Conservancy, and Bao Feng, the foreman of the Military Aircraft Department, objected; he proposed that he could not kneel for a long time when he was seriously ill, and Shangshu Yanxu of the Rebbe rebuked him for being sentimental... In the Beijing Division, Zuo Zongtang was subjected to all kinds of dumping, which made him very sad.
However, during his tenure in Beijing this time, there was no conflict between him and Li Hongzhang. On the contrary, the two also discussed how to build water conservancy and how to ban opium. Zuo and Li met many times in Baoding or Beijing.
Li Hongzhang is always signing treaties with people
Under such circumstances, Zuo Zongtang asked the imperial court for resignation on the grounds of illness. The imperial court gave him a new appointment as governor of Liangjiang and minister of trade and commerce in Nanyang. Zuo Zongtang gladly took the order, left Beijing and went south, successively visited the tomb in Xiangtan, and then took a boat from Wuhan to Nanjing, the governor of Liangjiang, on February 10, 1882.
Li
The Governor of Liangjiang served as a large-scale industrialist
Zuo Zongtang worked in Nanjing for two years.
He was the Governor of Liangjiang, in charge of the affairs of Jiangsu (including Shanghai), Anhui and Jiangxi Provinces. During Zuo Zongtang's tenure as governor of Liangjiang, two things were the most notable. The first is to set up foreign affairs, and the other is to build water conservancy.
Zuo Zongtang supported and developed the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, Jinling Manufacturing Bureau and Fuzhou Shipping Bureau, and founded the first modern private enterprise in Jiangsu, Xuzhou Liguoyi Coal Mine. In Zuo Zongtang's view, the development of modern industrial and mining enterprises is an important measure to revitalize the Liangjiang region. At the same time, Zuo Zongtang vigorously resisted the economic aggression of foreign capitalism. He erected a telegraph line from Nanjing to Wuhan and established Nanjing's first steamship dock.
Qing Dynasty water division
At that time, foreign capitalist forces were expanding on the southeast coast. Witmo, an American businessman, raised funds in Shanghai without authorization and founded a spinning company. Zuo Zongtang arrested Wittmore's clerk, refuted the MISinterpretation of the Tianjin Treaty by U.S. Minister to China Yang Ge, and seized the silk weaving factory opened by American businessmen in Shanghai without authorization. Prevent the British Telegraph Company, erect a telegraph line from Hong Kong to Shanghai, and stop foreign businessmen's attempt to buy land on the Huangpu River. Zuo Zong's efforts delayed the construction of factories in China by foreign capital for a decade.
U.S. Minister to China
Zuo Zongtang fulfilled his early promise: sai defense and coastal defense should be equally important. He embraced illness and made preparations for the defense of the jianghai sea and actively prepared for war in the two rivers. He warned the coastal defense officers: "In the event of foreign warships (ships) breaking in, those who disobey the prohibition will open artillery to measure and accurately bombard." Those who are effective and effective will be awarded according to military merit. ”
Feng Zicai in film and television dramas
Re-summoned the old ministry to participate in the Sino-French War
In December 1883, France launched a campaign against Chinese troops stationed in northern Vietnam. The Sino-French War thus began, a protracted war caused by France's invasion of Vietnam and then China. When the news of the defeat on the front line came, Zuo Zongtang was greatly annoyed. Ask the imperial court for war: "Personally lead a large army, and go to the map, for the southwest for tens of hundreds of years." However, the imperial court disagreed. However, some of the requests were granted.
Zhennanguan War Ruins
Even so, Zuo Zongtang still organized a "Kejing Dingbian Army". When forming this team, he asked the love general Wan Debang to return to Hunan, recruiting a group of Xiang Yong who had been dismissed and returned home. When this improvised "Kejing Dingbian Army" rushed to the front, Zuo Zongtang selected 40 warriors who could fight well among his own soldiers, and dispatched Viceroy Chen Guangshun, Zhang Chunfa, Yang Wenbiao, and others to go together. When he went, he gave the "Kejing DingBian Army" 100,000 taels of silver. Under the leadership of Wang Debang, the "Kejing Dingbian Army" fought desperately and effectively cooperated with Feng Zicai's counterattack, thus achieving a great victory at Langshan in Zhennanguan. The great victory at Langshan boosted the morale of the Chinese army and played an important role in reversing the war situation.
The anti-French general in the film and television drama
The Shangshu Imperial Court established a province in Taiwan
In the summer of 1884, Zuo Zongtang was ordered to return to Beijing.
At this time, Zuo Zongtang was very saddened to learn that Li Hongzhang was signing the Sino-French Concise Treaty with France. From this moment on, he despaired of Li Hongzhang. In his "Commentary on Current Affairs", after the French invasion of Vietnam, the country was facing the crisis of being divided up by the great powers, and asked the imperial court:
- The Russians covet North Korea, do they give it or not?
——The British covet Tibet, do they give it or not?
- The Japanese annexed Ryukyu, did they give it or not?
—— Portugal occupies Macau, does it give it or not?
Zuo Zongtang described that the invaders were all eagles, licking chaff and rice, what to do?
Liu Mingchuan, the first governor of Taiwan after the establishment of the province
Within a few days, something had happened in Fuzhou.
The French invaded Keelung, Taiwan, and were defeated by the defenders, but sneaked into the port of Mawei in Fuzhou. This sneak attack by the French army destroyed the Fujian Marine Division and the Fuzhou Shipyard. Under these circumstances, the Qing government was forced to declare war on France. In October 1884, the imperial court sent Zuo Zongtang to Fuzhou to supervise Fujian.
Old photos of Taiwan in the late Qing Dynasty
Zuo Zongtang arrived in Fuzhou and organized a "Kejing Army to Aid Taiwan", led by the Ai general Wang Shizheng. This unit, according to Zuo Zongtang's instructions, disguised as fishermen, smuggled in the dark. The soldiers arrived in Tainan after hardships, participated in the battle to defend Taiwan, and resisted the French invading army.
It is imperative for Taiwan to establish a province. In July 1885, Zuo Zongtang presented to the Qing government "Taiwan Defense Urgently Requested to Move fujian to Taiwan to shock and fold". In this recital, he pointed out that Taiwan is extremely important in coastal defense strategy, establishing a province in Taiwan and stationing Fujian governors in Taiwan. In his twilight years, he issued a precursor to the establishment of Taiwan as a province.
Taiwan Street Market
At the age of 74, Zuo Zongtang died of illness in Fuzhou Xingying
Just as the soldiers were fighting bloody battles on the battlefields of Vietnam and Taiwan, when good news kept coming, the Qing government ordered an armistice. Domestic public opinion was opposed to compromise, and from the capital to the localities, the main war faction pinned its hopes on Zuo Zongtang's body. At this moment, Zuo Zongtang became more important than ever in people's eyes.
Zhang Zhidong called Zuo Zongtang: "The public has the power to return to heaven, fortunately. ”
What else could Zuo Zongtang say?
Zhang Zhidong
As a result of this war, China was undefeated and defeated, and Britain was victorious. On October 12 of the same year, the Qing government approved Zuo Zongtang's recital and announced the establishment of Taiwan as a province. Soon, Liu Ming, the inspector of Taiwan, arrived at his post.
In September 1888, Zuo Zongtang ran out of qi and blood, and died in Fuzhou. Before his death, he made a final compromise to Empress Dowager Cixi and the Guangxu Emperor: "This peace war in Vietnam is a key to China's strength and weakness. The chancellor went south, and so far he did not extend the tart, Zhang Continental, and he hated his life and could not be blinded. ”
Zuo Zongtang was buried in the town of Vaulting Horse in Changsha Province. (Text/Fan Forward)
References: (1) The Complete Works of Zuo Zongtang (Recital VIII) ;(2) Xu Ke's Qing Barnyard Copy, p. 3358.