In 1903, the Qing Dynasty was struggling, and the Western powers pinned it down. In order to maintain the government, the Empress Dowager Cixi actually intended to cede the three eastern provinces to Tsarist Russia in order to seek perfection. However, this move provoked the courageous questioning and exposure of a patriot. He is Shen Xin, a reporter who dares to act and sees death as home. Shen Xin boldly made Cixi's traitorous terms public, causing an uproar. In order to defend the dignity of the country, he did not hesitate to die for the country, which can be described as a high morale. But why did the Empress Dowager Cixi cede the three eastern provinces? What fate did Shen Xin encounter? Did this tragic sacrifice finally pay for the preservation of the three eastern provinces?
1. The corruption of the Manchu Dynasty was on the verge of collapse, and Cixi wanted to cut off the land for perfection
In the second half of the 19th century, the Qing Dynasty was in decline. Since the Opium War, the iron hooves of the great powers have continued to level the territory of China. Once the Eight-Nation Coalition captured Beijing, the Empress Dowager Cixi fled to Xi'an with Emperor Guangxu, and the Qing Dynasty suffered unprecedented humiliation. Even if they returned to the Forbidden City, it would be difficult for the Manchu ruling class to regain its former glory.
The ships of the Western powers were strong, and the Qing court was defeated one after another. The Treaty of Nebuchu, the Treaty of Tientsin, the Treaty of Shimonoseki, and a series of humiliating treaties have continuously deprived China of its sovereignty. At the same time, the emerging forces of the national bourgeoisie also began to awaken, and Liang Qichao, Tan Si and other figures of the reform and reform faction advocated the implementation of the new policy, hoping to change the dynasty.
Faced with such a severe situation of internal and external difficulties, the Qing court was in a panic. Empress Dowager Cixi, who was once degraded in Yunnan, began to seize power after the death of Emperor Tongzhi. She skillfully seized power, using cunning methods on the outside, and set up Jinyi Guards as her private army to ensure that her dominance was safe.
In 1900, when the Boxer Rebellion broke out, Cixi adhered to the practice of closing the country and stubbornly guarding the old ways. She refused to accept the new ideas, and instead killed the killers, killing Kang Youwei and other leaders of the reform and reform. This was undoubtedly a booster that led the Eight-Nation Coalition to attack Beijing. Eventually, Cixi had to flee to Xi'an, where she was in disarray.
2. Shen Xin's life and family history
Shen Xin's ancestral home is Hunan, and he was born in the 11th year of Tongzhi (1872). He was born in a middle-class family, and although his family was not wealthy, he also gave Shen Xin a certain opportunity to study. The benevolent mother's family is decent, and his father Shen Zuo is a Confucian student, who has nurtured the Confucian tradition in Shen Xin's heart since he was a child.
When he was a teenager, Shen Xin studied at the local Yuelu Academy, where he studied under a famous teacher, and was diligent and studious, which was deeply appreciated by his teacher. Yuelu Academy has always been rigorous in teaching and has high requirements for students, but Shen Xin can be comfortable in this environment, which shows that he is extremely talented.
After graduating, Shen Xin once worked as a clerk for local officials, but his steps were not satisfactory. He had long had the will to save the country and the people, and he was strongly dissatisfied with the feudal malpractices and the decay of the Qing court. At that time, all kinds of new ideas and new propositions of the Wuxu Reform Movement were having a great impact on Shen Xin.
In 1898, Kang Youwei and others launched the Wuxu Reform, and although they ultimately failed, this wave of reform made Shen Xin realize the urgency of the times calling for change. As a result, he resigned and left his hometown, and once went east to Japan, hoping to learn from the experience of the Japanese Restoration.
In 1900, Chinese patriots established the Revitalization Association in Tokyo, Japan, and Shen Xin also joined it. Soon after returning to China, he participated in the "Self-Reliance Army" uprising instigated by Tang Caichang and others. In 1903, the Zili Army launched an uprising in Wuchang and other places in an attempt to overthrow Qing rule. Unfortunately, this operation ultimately failed due to the disparity in strength.
Although the uprising failed, Shen Xin was not discouraged. He secretly joined some of the remnants of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and secretly planned a new anti-Qing campaign. In 1904, he came to Beijing under the pseudonym "Uncle Geng", where he met many like-minded friends.
3. Cixi's traitorous conspiracy was exposed by Shen Xin
In 1903, the Qing Dynasty, ruled by the Empress Dowager Cixi, was in an unprecedented crisis. The Eight-Nation Coalition captured Beijing, Cixi was forced to flee in panic, and the country's sovereignty was seriously violated. In this situation of internal and external troubles, Cixi made a shocking decision to maintain the crumbling Qing Dynasty regime - she intended to cede the three northeastern provinces of China to Russia.
As soon as the news spread, it immediately caused an uproar in society. As a hot-blooded young man, Shen Xin naturally couldn't tolerate this kind of behavior of losing the country. He resolutely and decisively, using his professional advantages as a journalist, boldly exposed the conspiracy of the Empress Dowager Cixi.
At that time, Shen Xin was assuming the pseudonym "Uncle Geng" and running a newspaper in Beijing called "Bulletin Hall Congbao", which specialized in reporting current affairs. Once it was verified that Cixi did have the intention of ceding land and betraying the country, Shen Xin did not hesitate to report and lash out in the newspaper.
As soon as the newspaper was published, the sensational effect was immediate. People from all walks of life expressed their indignation, believing that the Empress Dowager Cixi's move was a heinous act of treason. At the same time, many people were impressed by Shen Xin's courage and righteousness.
Seeing that public opinion had rebounded so greatly, the Qing authorities were in a dilemma for a while. On the one hand, it is true that the secession of land can reduce some diplomatic pressure, but on the other hand, it will undoubtedly provoke more public anger. After some consideration, the Empress Dowager Cixi finally made a decision, ostensibly denying the rumors of land separation, but secretly ordering Shen Xin to be severely punished.
Fourth, Shen Xin was severely tortured and did not give in
The courage to expose the traitorous conspiracy of the Empress Dowager Cixi brought a terrible fate to Shen Xin. In February 1904, he was wanted by Qing court agents and was eventually arrested at a residence in Beijing. Since then, Shen Xin has begun a long career as a prisoner.
Soon after his arrest, Shen Xin was tortured. Those in power are eager to extract his confessions and find out how much of the inside story remains undisclosed. However, even under the double torture of body and spirit, Shen Xin never gave in and still did not say a word.
First, he was tortured for four hours. According to Qing Dynasty practice, this method of torture was very cruel, and often caused people to be bruised all over their bodies. However, even so, Shen Xin did not reveal half of the truth.
Seeing that the simple torture failed, the jailer resorted to even more conspiratorial means. They imprisoned Shen Xin in a cold, damp cellar in an attempt to crush his will with the torture of the environment. Unexpectedly, Shen Xin also persevered in this harsh environment for several months, and still did not bow to the enemy.
In the end, those in power completely lost patience. They sentenced Shen Xin to be hanged and took his life. Even on his deathbed, Shen Xin never flinched. He is unswerving, righteous and awe-inspiring, and has created a singing and crying history with his life.
Before the execution, someone also hinted to Shen Xin that as long as he changed his ways, he would be able to pick up a way to live. But Shen Xin was unmoved, preferring to die rather than betray his beliefs. This kind of dignity that regards death as if it were home is really admirable.
Fifth, Shen Xin's martyrdom awakened patriotism
Shen Xin's tragic fate attracted widespread attention at the time. The feat of this patriot who did not hesitate to die for his country moved countless people. His martyrdom not only did not curb the development of anti-Qing forces, but instead became a surging patriotic torrent, which eventually promoted the arrival of the Xinhai Revolution.
In September 1904, the Empress Dowager Cixi finally ordered Shen Xin to be strangled in Yongdingmen, Beijing. Such a tragic ending is undoubtedly the greatest injustice to this patriot. However, Shen Xin's spirit of seeing death as if he were at home made more and more people begin to reflect on the corrupt rule of the Qing court.
At that time, some revolutionaries who had been saved by Shen Xin came forward to complain about the atrocities of the Qing court. They called on their compatriots to fight to the end for the dignity of the country like Shen Xin. With the help of this powerful force, patriotic associations and aspirant associations have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain.
At the same time, patriots at home and abroad also came to express their condolences and pay tribute to Shen Xin. Sun Yat-sen, Huang Xing and others spoke highly of him in the hanging text, and praised Shen Xin as "a famous man for a thousand years". It can be said that Shen Xin's spirit of sacrifice has become a booster for the revolution.
In 1905, a group of enthusiastic youths founded the League chaired by Sun Yat-sen in Tokyo, with the aim of overthrowing the Manchu rule. After that, the cries of response from all over the country continued to be heard, and the forces of the revolution began to flourish throughout the country.
On October 10, 1911, the revolutionary party first launched an uprising in Wuchang, thus opening the prelude to the Xinhai Revolution. In this struggle to overthrow the Manchu dynasty, Shen Xin was undoubtedly one of the important spiritual icons and driving forces. He proved the great significance of patriotism with his life, and more and more people put it into action.