Speaking of the Qing Dynasty, no one is sorry, speaking of Li Hongzhang, some people say that he is a hero, and some people think that he is a traitor. The author believes that he is the epitome of the millennial system, the wisdom of a decadent dynasty.
Li Hongzhang was born on the fifth day of the first lunar month in the third year of Daoguang (1823) in Modian Township, Dongxiang (now Yaohai District), Hefei County, Anhui Province, as a young and intelligent boy, studied all the way, successively from a number of famous teachers, and then in the "Yi C" (that is, 1845-1846) after the initial examination, he worshiped under the hunan Confucian Zeng Guofan, learned the way of the world, and laid the foundation for his life's career and thought. Later, Li Hongzhang experienced major historical events such as the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement and the Foreign Affairs Movement, and later became a diplomat representing the Qing Dynasty. It is also in these events that people have mixed praise and criticism of him, but in the author's opinion, Li Hongzhang is not a single person, he is the epitome of this decadent and declining feudal dynasty, he can accept the insult, and he also deserves to be respected.
Li Hongzhang's "adultery" is manifested in his abuse of power for personal gain and his corruption and bribery. As a famous courtier of the Qing Dynasty, some people may think that he should have a family property, but this sentence excerpted from the "Complete Works of Li Hongzhang" clearly shows us his wealth. "The Shanghai land house map is too high, and Ru considers another painting when he goes to Shanghai." In addition to the bottom of the main building, there are slightly more fragmented rooms, about twenty thousand thousand gold. If this sentence is said in a modern sense, an ordinary Chinese family has an annual income of 20,000 yuan, and Li Hongzhang wants to use 200 million yuan to repair the house.
As a diplomat, we cannot deny his ability, but he mediated and reduced the indemnity himself, and accepted bribes from it himself (in 1898, China signed the Treaty of the Brigade Lease in Beijing by Li Hongzhang and the Russian Chargé d'affaires in China for a period of time specified by Russia, and on May 30, the treaty was exchanged and ratified in St. Petersburg. There are more than one such incident, which shows that Li Hongzhang, who was in charge of Beiyang military affairs, was beaten to the point of being wiped out by the whole army, and finally went to mediate with the great powers himself, which at best was a crime and a meritorious deed, and the merit was not worth it.
Li Hongzhang's "wisdom" is not only his excellent diplomatic ability, military ability, and political ability, but also his words on the signing of the "Xinugu Treaty" will not impress many people: "The most difficult word to write in the world is his own name." Your road ahead is still long, this traitorous treaty, or let the old minister sign it. That year Li Hongzhang was 78 years old, and King Qing was 63 years old. Signing an unequal treaty of mourning power and humiliating the country is a thankless and bitter laborer, being humiliated, wading through muddy waters, wading into dangerous shoals, being insulted, and being a scapegoat, but Li Hongzhang stood up without hesitation, when the country needed it. The Qing Dynasty was able to continue its life, and Li Hongzhang had great merit. Whether it was the suppression of the Taiping Army, the twisting of the army, the establishment of foreign affairs, the implementation of partial reforms, the aftermath of jiawu, the aftermath of xinugi, or the self-preservation of the southeast, this greatly extended the life of the Qing Dynasty. Moreover, the Treaty of Maguan, the Treaty of Xinugu, he has made a great contribution. It is completely worthy of the title of a generation of noble subjects, virtuous subjects.
Liang Qichao said: "I respect Li Hongzhang's talent, I cherish Li Hongzhang's knowledge, and I pity Li Hongzhang's encounter. This is the contradiction of Li Hongzhang, who obviously has the talent to change history, but in order to choose to compromise with the Qing government, his body reflects the epitome of the thousand-year-old system's unwillingness to fall, and embodies the wisdom of the decadent dynasty's tenacious resistance. Right or wrong, the times are the best evidence.