Ye Mingchen, the governor of Liangguang, who was captured by the British army, left the last photograph of his life in a ship in Calcutta, India. In that photo, his face is vicissitudes, dressed in plain civilian clothes, with a pair of simple cloth shoes under his feet, and his eyes reveal deep helplessness and despair. This photograph is like a microcosm of an era, reflecting the humiliation and helplessness at the end of the Qing Dynasty.
Ye Mingchen, a Qing court official born in Hanyang, Hubei Province in 1807, was once a prominent figure in the political arena at the end of the Qing Dynasty. He held important positions such as Governor of Liangguang and a scholar of Tiren Pavilion, and was known for his hardline attitude towards foreign powers. Especially in the process of fighting against the British invaders, he held on to the city of Guangzhou, fought wits and courage with the British army, and carried out a series of espionage wars, trade wars and raid wars, and won many brilliant victories.
However, the torrent of history is often not subject to human will. In 1856, the outbreak of the "Yarrow" incident pushed Ye Mingchen to the forefront. During the Second Opium War, he resolutely adopted a hard-line policy and rejected the unreasonable demands of the British invaders. But fate did not seem to favor the valiant feudal official, and he was eventually captured by the British and taken to Calcutta, India.
Ye Mingchen originally thought that he would be escorted to the United Kingdom for interrogation, and even had the opportunity to meet with the British monarch and persuade him to stop the war. However, his expectations were brutally attacked. The British did not take him to England, but took him to India to be held in public display. This humiliating treatment made Ye Mingchen deeply indignant and desperate, and he chose to go on a hunger strike in protest.
After starving for several days in a row, the former feudal official finally couldn't support it, and even fell ill and died of hunger strike. His death was not only a tragedy of his personal fate, but also a symbol of the turbulent period at the end of the Qing Dynasty. Ye Mingchen's life and deeds have aroused widespread discussion and attention among historians and writers. His story has been put on the screen and stage many times, and has become a memory and reflection of an era.
Works such as "Ye Mingchen, Governor of Liangguang" delve into his deeds during his time as an official in Guangdong and his performance after being captured, trying to restore the real Ye Mingchen in history. These works not only let us see his bravery and determination, but also make us feel the complexity and cruelty of that era.
Although Ye Mingchen's death was a tragedy, his spirit and deeds will remain in people's hearts forever. He used his actions to explain what loyalty and tenacity are, and also gave us a deeper knowledge and understanding of that era.