Li Hongzhang had 4 wives and concubines in his lifetime, but he did not have many heirs, and until the age of 40, he had no children under his knees. In order to continue the incense, the sixth brother Li Zhaoqing passed on his 7-year-old eldest son, Li Jingfang, to Li Hongzhang and made him his adopted son. However, no one expected that Li Jingfang's arrival was like a string of medicinal primers. Within two years, Li Hongzhang's stepmother, Zhao Xiaolian, gave birth to Li Jingshu, and soon after, the side chamber Mo clan gave birth to a second son, Li Jingmai.
(Old photo of Li Hongzhang)
The ancients have always valued the bloodline, so how will Li Hongzhang, who has an old son, treat his stepson Li Jingfang?
Li Hongzhang did not snub Li Jingfang because he had a son
Not only that, Li Hongzhang also attached great importance to Li Jingfang's studies, first letting him read and write in his hometown, and when he reached the age of 20, he let him study at the Governor of Tianjin. And also entrusted friends to go around to find famous teachers for him to guide.
Li Jingfang was very good at reading, so he was selected as a school student early on, that is, the top student in Xiucai. Hence the deep love.
In August 1882, Li Jingfang participated in the Jiangnan Township Examination, and became a local alternate official.
Li Hongzhang had high hopes for Li Jingfang, hoping that in the future he would take over the heavy responsibilities in his hands and continue to serve the Qing court. He specially invited foreign teachers to teach him a pure foreign language.
After completing his studies, Li Hongzhang did not let Li Jingfang go to other provinces as an alternate, but let him stay in the Beiyang Minister Yamen to assist in handling foreign affairs, so as to exercise his ability.
Under the arrangement of Li Hongzhang, Li Jingfang traveled to various countries with the minister of Qincha many times. For example, in 1886, as a counselor, he and Liu Ruifen, the ambassador to Britain, went to Britain to investigate the military. In 1889, he failed to pass the entrance examination and became a minister in Japan as a reserve official.
Li Hongzhang has built a very good diplomatic platform for Li Jingfang, and his future is bound to be unlimited. But in fact, Li Jingfang is not like this, what is going on?
It turned out that Li Jingfang was intelligent and talented, and he was proficient in 5 Chinese words. And after several years of experience, he not only has a wide range of knowledge, but also has great experience in diplomacy. Therefore, Li Hongzhang left him by his side and worked as a secretary and translator.
(Old photo of Li Jingfang)
After the defeat of Sino-Japanese Jia-Wu, the Qing court was forced to negotiate peace with Japan, and the person sent to negotiate was Li Hongzhang.
Li Jingfang, who was a minister in Japan and had a lot of experience in dealing with the Japanese, went to Maguan, Japan with Li Hongzhang this time. He made suggestions to Li Hongzhang many times, and in the negotiations, in the face of the aggressiveness of the Japanese, he also wanted to argue on the basis of reason. However, each time he was stopped by Li Hongzhang. In desperation, he joined forces with the officials accompanying him to write down everyone's suggestions on a small note and pass them on to Li Hongzhang. I hoped that he could use it as a reference, but Li Hongzhang still did not move.
During the negotiations, Li Hongzhang was accidentally stabbed by the Japanese ronin, and Li Jingfang was appointed as a minister plenipotentiary by the Qing court. However, in fact, all the details of the negotiations were still controlled by Li Hongzhang, and the "Maguan Treaty" was finally signed.
Originally, after the defeat of the Sino-Japanese War, the Beiyang Marine Division created by Li Hongzhang became the target of public criticism because of the total annihilation of the army in the war, and now it has signed the "Maguan Treaty" with Japan, which has humiliated the country, and the Chinese people are indignant. Li Jingfang returned to China with Li Hongzhang, and the Chinese people had already scolded them as traitors.
Under these circumstances, Guangxu ordered Li Jingfang to go to Taiwan to negotiate the handover with Japan.
Li Hongzhang did not want to see Li Jingfang infamous, so he asked Guangxu to take back his life on the grounds that "Li Jingfang was in poor health".
Guangxu reprimanded him fiercely. In desperation, Li Jingfang had to obey the holy order and go from Shanghai to Taiwan to handle the delivery with Japan. After the treatment was completed, Li Jingfang had lost confidence in the Qing court. He was well aware that "weak countries have no diplomacy", and in order not to be scolded by thousands of people, he simply avoided living in Shanghai and did not return to Beijing to resume his life.
In 1900, because Cixi listened to the Boxer Rebellion and declared war on the great powers, the Eight-Power Alliance attacked the city of Beijing. Cixi saw the fall of Beijing, and could not care about any national integrity, so she fled to Xi'an with a cigarette of Guangxu.
At that time, Li Hongzhang had been dismissed from his post as viceroy and minister of Beiyang and transferred to the post of viceroy of Liangguang.
(Cixi old photo)
In order to return to Beijing at an early date, Cixi reinstated Li Hongzhangguan and asked him to go to Beijing to negotiate with the Eight-Power Alliance, saying that he would "measure the material resources of China and unite with the country's happiness."
However, it was also at this time that Zhang Zhidong and others and Li Hongzhang discussed and reached an agreement on mutual protection in the southeast. It was also agreed that if something happened to the empress dowager, Li Hongzhang would preside over the overall situation.
Not only that, but some officials or foreigners also made many suggestions, hoping that Li Hongzhang would take advantage of Cixi's western hunting and simply seize power and establish himself as king.
Li Jingfang also had this intention, and privately he tried to persuade him. However, Li Hongzhang was deeply influenced by Confucianism, and coupled with his always cautious and cautious work as an official, he did not agree. When Li Jingfang saw this, he felt that the Qing court was hopeless, and instead of obeying the corrupt dynasty, it was better to read and write at home.
After Li Hongzhang's death, Li Jingfang intended to develop the foreign affairs movement and participated in the preparation of the Shanghai-Nanjing Railway.
During the Xuan reunification years, Li Jingfang was appointed as the left attendant of the Ministry of Posts and Communications, and he saw that China's postal affairs were mostly controlled by foreigners, and in order to safeguard the interests of the country, he repeatedly argued with foreigners to regain ownership of postal affairs. For his merits, he was appointed first Director General of the General Post Office.
After the victory of the Xinhai Revolution, Li Jingfang's official position also ended with the demise of the Qing court.
Since then, Lee has refused to serve the new government and has lived a life of seclusion.
In 1934, Li Jingfang, who had just passed his 80th birthday, died of a cold illness.
(Reference: Biography of Li Hongzhang)