The one we want to talk about today, his life can definitely be made into an excellent historical drama, it can be said that the late Qing Dynasty version of Li Wei was an official.
His legendary life is almost seamlessly connected with the background of the late Qing Dynasty movement and self-improvement, and his personal fate fluctuates in the storms of history.
Who is this man? It was the late Qing Dynasty courtier, Ding Richang.
1
The beginning of 1842
Stone statue of Ding Richang
He was born in 1823 in Tangkeng WeiJinwuwei (now Fengshun County) in Fengshun County. In order to escape the war, his great-grandfather migrated from Changle County (present-day Wuhua County) to Fengshun Tangkeng Township (when Tangkeng belonged to Fengshun County, Jieyang County, Chaozhou Province, located in Fengliang) and multiplied into a local Wang clan.
Migration route map
In 1842 (the twenty-second year of Daoguang), the 20-year-old Ding Richang zhongxiucai was born the following year. In 1844 (the twenty-fourth year of Daoguang), Ding Richang joined the staff of Li Zhangyu of Huichao JiaDao.
Like most people born in the late Qing Dynasty, Ding Richang followed the old system and opened his path of official eunuchs. But compared with others, the character of this Chaozhou scholar who dared to fight and dare to do made him doomed to leave a strong mark on the history books.
2
The beginning of a legend
After the Opium War, the Qing court had already shown a scene of ruin, and the mighty Taiping Rebellion swept across the country.
The whole world is like a pot of hot oil, and a little spark will burst in an instant. And for those with ulterior motives, natural and man-made disasters are the best "Mars".
In 1853 (the third year of Xianfeng), the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom attacked Jiangning, and the capital was called "Tianjing", and Hong Xiuquan ascended the throne as emperor within three or four years after the uprising, which made some people in Chaozhou Inevitably have ideas.
In 1854 (the fourth year of Xianfeng), Chaoyang Chen Niangkang, Zheng Youchun, Haiyang Wu Zhongshu, Chen Ashi, Jieyang Lin Yuanjiao, Puning Xu Yamei, for a time they all rose up.
Wu Zhongshu was the one who made the biggest trouble, and he gambled in Caitang City, and took advantage of the flood caused by the collapse of the Pan Liu Causeway in the south causeway of the Hanjiang West Creek in the spring of the same year, and posted a meeting to pull up a group of people and horses with the temptation of a hundred dollars a day.
After the failure of the first sneak attack on Chenghai, Wu Zhongshu took advantage of the fact that Wu Jun, then the governor of Chaozhou, was in Chaoyang and Huilai to deal with Chen Niangkang, defeated Liu Zhen of Haiyang Zhi County at Longhu Village, and took advantage of the victory to attack Anbu to expand his sphere of influence, and then reversed the direction of the attack and besieged the capital of Chaozhou.
Tiger and leopard riding siege map
In July of the same year, hearing that Wu Zhongshu and others of the triad of Haiyang County (present-day Chaozhou) besieged the capital of Chaozhou, Ding Richang ruled the township regiment as a gentry, led 300 brave soldiers from Tangkeng Township to rescue and garrisoned Hanshan Academy.
Stills from "Cast Name"
Finally, in the early morning of September 18, Ding Richang led the township braves from Beacon Mountain to cross lingjiao pond, defeated Wu Zhongshu's garrison in Dongjin, captured more than 100 people, and relieved the siege of Fucheng East Road ("Fengshun County Chronicle").
In the same year, the Rebel Army of the Guangdong Tiandihui attacked Jiaying Prefecture (嘉應州, in modern Meizhou), and Ding Richang offered Li Zhangyu a plan to deal with it by means of a strong wall and clearing the wilderness. Afterwards, he was awarded the teaching of Qiongzhou, and three years later he was transferred to Wan'anzhi County, Jiangxi.
Four months later, his outstanding political achievements and outstanding talents were transferred back to Guangdong to handle foreign affairs. The local gentry could not keep it, and on the day of departure, "the fathers and sons set up a feast for the feast, and tens of thousands of people offered incense." ”
3
British consul into the city dispute
In the Treaty of Tianjin signed after the Second Opium War, Chaozhou was one of the several treaty ports, and the location was located in Shantou.
Treaty of Tianjin
Shantou Customs in 1937
In June 1860, the British appointed Kendoch to be consul, and after Kenzag arrived in Shantou, he immediately sent a note to Huichao JiaDaotai and asked to enter the city to meet.
As soon as this news spread, the whole city of Chaozhou shook. Merchants went on strike, the city was exposed, and people were fierce, resolutely opposing the British entering the city. In order to step into Teochew City, Kendoch did it take 6 years.
Chaozhou scene more than 100 years ago
Kensogichi had been tough in the city, but for the first time, because the river was not familiar, he was directly blocked in the middle of the road. The second time, through the Pressure of the British side, he entered the city, but he was surrounded by the people and scolded, throwing bricks and stones, making him gray-headed and dirty.
Eventually, the British gave a strongly worded note calling for "British officials and civilians to enter Teochew City as contained in the Treaty." The Qing government also felt that the matter could not be postponed any longer, so it appointed Ding Richang to resolve the dispute.
Ding Richang was a Chaoshan native, and out of his understanding of the Chaoshan people and his knowledge of the matter, he drew up a note and asked Li Hongzhang to play on his behalf.
Article Chen Zhong pointed out that the Teochew people did not allow foreigners to enter the city, one was to "cherish the false sound" and the other was to "fear the real disaster"; the British must enter the city, one was "afraid of others to follow the example", and the other was "bitter ridicule in other countries".
Therefore, the solution given by Ding Richang was to let the gentry with appeal not oppose this matter, to appease the people to give benefits, and at the same time, the public office personnel should strengthen their defenses. The three-pronged situation improved, and the foreigners were able to enter the city and solve a diplomatic hidden danger.
4
Great power heavyweight
Years of contact with foreign affairs have brought about two important changes in Ding Richang's thinking:
First, it is believed that "the Taiping Army is no longer enough to be peaceful" and that the real threat to the Qing Dynasty is the foreign invaders.
Second, China's production technology and means are too backward.
Written by Ding Richang
He had frequent contact with foreigners in Shanghai and had some knowledge of the machine factories of Westerners. Wang Tao's book "A Brief Introduction to Firearms" has enabled him to have a deeper understanding of the manufacturing principles and production processes of modern guns and cannons, especially production tools such as lathes.
Just at this time, Rong Hong put forward the idea of developing "instrument-making tools" in China, and Ding Richang deeply agreed.
The father of Chinese students: Rong Hong
In Shanghai, they first actively managed to preside over the acquisition of the American Flag Iron Factory and the merger of the Explosives Bureau, and then accepted the machines that Rong Hong bought back from the United States, and the two jointly created the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau.
Later, with the support of Li Hongzhang and Zeng Guopan and other foreign ministers, it was expanded into the Jiangnan Manufacturing General Bureau, and in 1865 Ding Richang was the first superintendent of the bureau. At the same time, it also marks the emergence of China's modern military industrialization system.
Ding Richang believed that the telegraph could communicate military intelligence and was necessary for coastal defense, so he personally negotiated with the Danish Great North Company and bought the Fuzhou-Luoxing Pagoda wire, which became the first telegraph line operated by China itself.
Subsequently, he presided over the erection of the taiwan fucheng to Anhu and Qihou wires, becoming the first self-built telegraph line in China.
5
Advocate Western learning
But it is not enough to know how to build, but also to know how to build and why to build! Ding Richang was well aware that China's existing industrial technology was very dependent on foreigners, and foreigners who were afraid to use this to blackmail China must actively strengthen themselves in order to insult them.
He was also a supporter and operator of Rong Hongzhi's letting young children stay in the United States, and later these well-known people included Tang Shaoyi and Zhan Tianyou. Xi Xi learned to be strong, and also proposed that the funds for studying abroad could be allocated under the Shanghai tariff to be replenished.
The first batch of students to study abroad
After that, Li Hongzhang, Shen Baozhen and others played the first batch of 35 international students from Fuzhou Ship Administration School to study in Europe, including Yan Fu, Liu Butou, Sa Zhenbing and others. Because he often deals with foreign affairs, Ding Richang has a deeper understanding of China's shortcomings.
He first proposed changing the eight shares into eight branches, reforming the imperial examination system; organizing the translation and publication of Western scientific and technological books and compiling the fuzhi and political books; advocating the establishment of newspapers at treaty ports; and advocating the extensive establishment of social science and righteousness.
Eight-strand text album
Reform of the existing military system, reduction of troops and salaries, and the establishment of field armies and local garrisons. To meet the needs of the future anti-aggression war! At the same time, a new navy of its own should be built.
Beiyang Marine Division Zhiyuan Ship
The specific plan for construction is to set up three water divisions: Beiyang, Dongyang and Nanyang.
The Beiyang Water Division set up a viceroy in Jingu, taking into account the key ports along the coasts of Liaodong and Shandong; the Dongyang Water Division set up a viceroy in Wusong to guard the coastal ports of Jiangsu and Zhejiang; and the Nanyang Water Division set up a viceroy in Xiamen to defend the sea ports of Fujian and Guangdong.
Each of the three naval divisions has several medium gunboats, and will conduct sentry exercises once every six months to make the "three oceans joint as one gas."
During his term of office, Ding clarified the administration of officials, straightened out the localities, and cleared up the backlog of cases, which won the favor of the people, but it attracted the resentment of the conservative faction. Wang Jiabi, the shaoqing of the Taichang Temple, went up to the temple 3 times and attacked Ding wantonly. Diehards echoed the crowd.
Because of his enthusiasm for foreign affairs, he was also called "Ding Devil" by the people of the time. Those who hate him think that this is his forgetting generation. Those who respect him think that this is the courage to say that he dares to be the first in the world.
6
Serious illness does not forget the country
In August 1877 (the third year of Guangxu), Ding Richang was already extremely weak due to long-term overwork, suffering from coughing up blood and other symptoms. Therefore, he left his job and returned home to recuperate.
In 1879 (the fifth year of Guangxu), he was rewarded with the title of governor and ordered him to be stationed in Nanyang, restrain the officers and men of the Nanyang Coastal Marine Division, and carefully handle coastal defense matters. Soon after, he was appointed Minister of State affairs of the Prime Minister.
He was unable to get out of the mountains due to illness, but he was still concerned about the defense of the country.
In June 1879 (the fifth year of Guangxu), he went to the Qing court and put forward 16 suggestions on coastal defense and other issues.
Due to the collapse of Ryukyu, he became more vigilant against Japan's aggressive ambitions, pointing out that Japan "will not attack Taiwan in the south for three or five years, and will definitely map Goryeo (Korea) in the north." (Modern Chinese History Materials Series: The Foreign Affairs Movement, vol. 2, p. 394)
Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War (1894)
He loudly called on the government and the public to make concerted efforts inside and outside the government and the public to urgently seek self-improvement, otherwise there will be no peace in the country. Stressing that "the will of the people is fundamental to coastal defense", he hoped that the rulers would be able to really care about the suffering of the people and fundamentally make China strong.
In 1881 (the seventh year of Guangxu), Ding Richang learned that the legal person was becoming more and more active in the management of Vietnam, and he wrote to the imperial court to remind it of its attention. He said that Vietnam is encroached upon by legal persons, withered and weakened, and if it listens to its nature, it will become the second Ryukyu.
Sino-French War (1883–1885)
He suggested that the Qing court secretly send the inspector or viceroy of Guangxi to negotiate with the Vietnamese on self-improvement methods. He himself organized the translation of maps and descriptions of the Sino-Vietnamese border drawn by the legal person to expose the French acts of aggression.
Ding Richang died in 1882, and on his deathbed, he said: "There are regrets in death!" He is really the one who most wants to see China become strong again, a group of people who "are patriotic from head to toe, every nerve fiber on their body!" Li Hongzhang and other foreign ministers personally went to Jieyang Rongcheng to mourn him.
Resources
Baidu Encyclopedia: Ding Richang
"Ding Richang and the Self-Improvement Movement" by Lu Shiqiang
Source: Changguangli