Preface:
The parents' plan solved the problem of the younger sister being unmarried and the brother's poverty, and let them get married. They had a son who grew up to have an important impact on all of China. In modern and ancient times, of course, brothers and sisters do not legally marry, they are only nominal brothers and sisters.
In the early Qing Dynasty, many students studied hard for twelve years in order to change the fate of the family and gain honor and appreciation through the imperial examination.
Li Dianhua also devoted himself to the imperial examination, hoping to change the fate of the family, but many times failed in the exam, and Li Dianhua could only give up helplessly.
He decided to set up a school at home, pinning his hopes on his son Li Wen An. I hope he can get a reputation.
Born in 1801, Li Wen'an had a quiet personality, weak health, and did not like to go out to socialize, and did not begin to receive enlightenment education until the age of 8.
Even in modern times, this age is too late, let alone that era, so it has become more difficult for Li Wen An to catch up.
Li Wen'an only completed the study of the Four Books at the age of 13, and had not yet touched the threshold of the imperial examination, which made Li Dianhua feel very annoyed.
However, Li Dianhua and Li Wen'an have one thing in common, that is, they both have a heart of love beyond mortals, which may be the nature formed by the influence of their ancestors.
When Li Wen'an grew up, he tried the imperial examination many times, but he was unsuccessful, resulting in the gradual defeat of the Li family. His overly bookish knowledge and relatively dull personality made many local people uninterested in him, and no one even wanted to be a matchmaker for him.
Li Dianhua heard the mournful cry of the baby girl on the side of the road, and he followed the sound to find her and decided to take her home. He cured her ailments and raised her as his own daughter.
The white pockmarks left by smallpox made the baby girl look ugly. Although she knew that she had been picked up, she had always maintained a humble and polite attitude and was busy for the Li family, but was ridiculed by the villagers that she "can't get married."
This made Li Dianhua and his wife very sad, after all, this involves their son's lifelong events, as parents, they are naturally very worried.
The Li family's situation became increasingly poor, and one of the two children had obvious facial defects and the other had a dull personality.
However, one day they accidentally found that their children got along very well, especially when the son stayed up late to study, and the daughter would stay by the side to cook and add clothes for him.
What Li Dianhua didn't know was that Li Wen'an actually liked his kind-hearted sister. Although they are only brothers and sisters, Li Wen'an has always silently cared for and cared for her.
Once, when Li Wen'an returned home late to find his sister asleep next to the stove, he took off his clothes and covered her sister, showing deep affection.
This scene was accidentally discovered by the careful Li Dianhua, who began to pay attention to and finally determine the younger son's intentions.
The couple was moved in their eyes: why not let the brothers and sisters be together?
After that, the two had a simple wedding and lived together.
After Li Wen'an and his wife got married, their fortunes began to gradually improve. Li gave birth to eight children for Li Wen'an, six boys and two girls.
Li Wen'an's six sons are: Li Hanzhang, Li Hongzhang, Li Hezhang, Li Yunzhang, Li Fengzhang, and Li Zhaoqing. Among them is Li Hongzhang, a famous late Qing dynasty minister in modern history.
This bride is very hot and very capable, and has never let the Li family be bullied. Therefore, Li Wen'an never worried about the trivial matters at home, and could concentrate on reading hard every day.
Then, at the age of 37, Li Wen'an finally obtained the Jin Shi exam, showing his talent. This allowed Li Dianhua to finally achieve his life's goal, and his hopes were realized in his son.
Li Wen'an and Zeng Guofan were both late Qing dynasty scholars, and they showed outstanding talents and achievements in the context of the same era.
Li Wen'an was impressed by Zeng Guofan as early as when he was an ordinary Beijing official, and the two have always maintained a good relationship.
Li Wen'an has always maintained a clean and upright style in his political career, and he always humbly asked Zeng Guofan for advice.
One of his wisest moves was to send his two children, Li Hongzhang and Li Hanzhang, to Zeng Guofan as a teacher.
Lee Man On continued to work diligently for the well-being of the people in his later career. He was a clean official, handled official duties fairly, and never bent the law for personal gain.
In the family, he and his wife Li Shi support each other and live in harmony. The two sons also have their own success. Li Wen'an's life is enviable.
Li Hongzhang and Li Hanzhang did not live up to their father's expectations, and they studied hard to shine on the lintels of the Li family.
Li Hongzhang inherited his grandfather and father's serious and assiduous attitude towards learning, and also inherited the intelligence and spirit in their genes. Moreover, he also has the benevolence of the two.
In 1840, he was a mid-time scholar, 1844, and a mid-level scholar in 1847, while making friends, being exposed to new ideas, and gaining insight into the suffering of the people.
He learned from Zeng Guofan's way of seeking strength and seeking wealth, which won some respite for the Qing Dynasty in a dangerous environment.
He actively participated in the wars to pacify the Taiping Rebellion and suppress the uprising, commanded the Franco-Vietnamese War and the Qing-French War, and created the conditions for the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War.
Later, he actively inspected European and American countries, looking for gaps with developed countries, and tried to seek foreign aid to counter Japan.
In the face of the attack of public opinion, he took the responsibility of signing humiliating treaties several times, saying: "Wang Ye, you are still young, and the road is still long!"
With Li Hongzhang's official fortune, he eventually became the governor of the direct subordinate government and was made a first-class Su Yibo.
He was deeply valued by Empress Dowager Cixi and was praised by the Empress Dowager as "the person who recreated Xuanhuang". With his merits, the Li family became the most prominent family in the region, and Empress Dowager Cixi also gave his mother the Li family many valuable gifts.
Li Wen'an and his wife, who were talked about when they were young, were finally able to completely turn over in their later years. To Li Wen'an's wife's disbelief, she actually received a royal reward and was named Lady Yipin, gaining incomparable glory.
In the eighth year of Guangxu, 82-year-old Li died of illness.
Cixi ordered the imperial court's minister of court, Tui En, Li as a virtuous mother, and arranged for local officials along the route to properly take care of Li's coffin, and held sacrifices after she returned to her place of residence to recognize her kindness.
The local government did not dare to snub this, and some people even shed tears, and the scene was very touching.
Looking back on Li's life, if she had not had smallpox, her parents would not have abandoned her, she would not have become the daughter-in-law of the Li family, and Li Hongzhang would not have appeared.
Could this have doomed her?