On this day, 202 years ago, on February 15, 1823 (January 5, 1823, the lunar calendar), Li Hongzhang, a famous official of the rejuvenation of the late Qing Dynasty, was born in Hefei, Anhui Province. Li Zhongtang was born in Hefei, Anhui Province, Li Hongzhang (February 15, 1823-November 7, 1901), known as Li Zhongtang, was born in Hefei, Anhui Province. Li Hongzhang was an important official in the late Qing Dynasty. He experienced the Taiping Rebellion, the Nian Army, the Westernization Movement, the Sino-French War, the Sino-Japanese War, the Sino-Japanese War, and the Boxer Rebellion. He was the founder and leader of the local armed Huai Army in modern China, and established the Beiyang Navy, the first Western-style navy in China. The official worship was the Grand Scholar of Wenhua Hall, the Minister of Commerce of Beiyang, and the Governor of Zhili. He was awarded the title of First Class Uncle Su Yi. He was posthumously presented as Taifu and posthumously pursued as Marquis of the Jin Dynasty. He was the only Han official who established an ancestral hall in the capital in the Qing Dynasty. Li Hongzhang was awarded the Royal Victoria Medal by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Japanese Prime Minister Ito Hiroshi regarded him as "the only person in the Qing Empire who had the ability to compete with the world's powers." Empress Dowager Cixi regarded him as "a person who recreated Xuanhuang." Together with Zeng Guofan, Zhang Zhidong and Zuo Zongtang, they are called the "Four Famous Ministers of ZTE" and are known as the "Oriental Bismarck". (Li Hongzhang and American President Grant, Tianjin, 1879) Zhongxing Mingchen On February 15, 1823, Li Hongzhang was born in Modian Township, Hefei County (northeast of Yaohai District in Hefei City today). In 1844 (21 years old), he was a member of the Central Military Union, failed in the exam, and received tuition at Zeng Guofan's Mansion. In 1847 (24 years old), Li Hongzhang passed the Jinshi examination and was elected to the Hanlin Academy as a lucky scholar. In 1850 (aged 27), the Hanlin Academy was disorganized and was retained as an editor. In the winter of 1858 (at the age of 35), after the rise of the Taiping Rebellion, Li Hongzhang joined the Zeng Guofang Shogun and was responsible for drafting documents. Li Hongzhang was taught a lesson by Zeng Guofan because his life was quite irregular and he slept late. In 1862 (39 years old), Li Hongzhang organized the Huaiyong Fifth Battalion, which was for the Huai Army. Li Jing and Zeng Guofan recommended him as governor of Jiangsu, which increased the number of Huai Army from more than 6,000 to 60,000 in two years, becoming a well-equipped local armed force with strong combat effectiveness in the Qing army (the base of post-Huai warlords). After Li Hongzhang and the Huai Army arrived in Shanghai, they attacked the Taiping Army together with foreign mercenaries (later formed as the Ever-Victory Army). From 1863 to 1864, Li Hongzhang led the Huai Army to capture Suzhou, Changzhou and other places, and together with the Hunan Army defeated the Taiping Rebellion. Li Hongzhang then participated in the suppression of the Nien rebellion. He was praised as a "famous minister of rejuvenation" for saving the Qing Dynasty that was about to collapse. (Portrait of Li Hongzhang when he was young) In the Westernization Movement in 1865 (aged 42), Li Hongzhang was promoted to the governor of Liangjiang, set up a factory in Yuhuatai, Nanjing, and established the Jinling Machinery Bureau. Since then, the scale was gradually expanded and equipment was improved. By the end of the 1860s, it was possible to manufacture cannons, gun trucks, artillery shells, guns and various military supplies of various calibers. Under the efforts of Li Hongzhang and others, the Qing court approved the Westernization faction to establish a Shipping Investment Promotion Bureau and use Western Law to coal and iron production. In 1873 (age 50), the Shipping Investment Bureau was officially established. Li Hongzhang's positioning for China Merchants is that when there is no war, ships can transport food and passengers; when there is war, they can transport arms. China Merchants Group is a civilian enterprise jointly organized by officials and businessmen, and later transformed into official supervision and businessmen. In other Westernization enterprises, such as Telegraph Bureau, Tangxu Railway, Kaiping Mining Bureau and other Westernization movements, Li Hongzhang, as Governor of Zhili and Minister of Beiyang, participated to varying degrees. (1871 In 1894 (71 years old), during the Sino-Japanese War, Li Hongzhang reused Ye Zhichao, commander of the army, and Ding Ruchang, commander of the navy. As a result, Ye Zhichao fled, Ding Ruchang committed suicide, and the Beiyang Fleet lost its division in the Yellow Sea. After the defeat, under the criticism of all parties, Li Hongzhang, who was originally very popular and could be called the leader of the frontier ministers, no longer had his former glory. On the 60th birthday of Empress Dowager Cixi, Li Hongzhang was awarded the "Three-eyed Flower Plume"(originally only the Manchu imperial clan or above nobles, Zeng Guofan was only awarded the double-eyed flower Plume before). After the defeat of the Sino-Japanese War, Li Hongzhang's three-eyed flower feather was stripped. Soon, because Japan refused Zhang Yinhuan and Shao Youlian as negotiators, Li Hongzhang had to be ordered to go to Japan to make peace. Before going to Maguan, he asked the court and got another three-eyed flower feather. On March 24, 1895 (72 years old), Li Hongzhang was assassinated and injured while negotiating the Treaty of Shimonoseki in Japan. In the end, the Treaty of Shimonoseki was enacted, ceding Taiwan, Penghu and the Liaodong Peninsula and compensating 200 million taels of silver, so he was charged with treason. Under the criticism of public opinion, Li Hongzhang was transferred from the direct governor to the chief governor of Guangdong and Guangxi. Later, the Treaty of Shimonoseki harmed the interests of Russia, Germany and France in China, so the three countries jointly intervened and forced Japan to amend the treaty and "return" the Liaodong Peninsula. However, Japan extorted 30 million taels of silver in compensation from China while "repaying" it. (Li Hongzhang signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki) After the defeat of the Sino-Russian Secret Treaty in 1894, Li Hongzhang strongly advocated soliciting Russia to jointly deal with Japan. In 1896, he signed the "Sino-Russian Secret Treaty" with Tsar Russia, agreeing that Russia would build the Siberian Railway through China's Heilongjiang and Jilin to reach Vladivostok. The port was opened to Russian military ships, causing the entire Northeast to become a sphere of influence. In 1900 (77 years old), the initiator of the Westernization Movement, Li Hongzhang was born in the first place and the Peace Treaty, the Eight-Power Allied Forces entered Beijing. Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi fled to Xi'an. Li Hongzhang, who was unwilling to go north to clean up the mess, had no choice but to be ordered to Beijing for negotiations. After Li Hongzhang arrived in Beijing, he had no bargaining chips. Under the strict demands of various countries and after many requests, he finally signed the "Xin Chou Peace Treaty" in 1901 basically in accordance with the conditions put forward by various countries. Shortly after signing the contract, Li Hongzhang was exhausted and passed away. (1900 In 1979, Li Hongzhang arrived at the British Embassy in China as an imperial envoy.) Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu "cried out". The Empress Dowager praised him as the person who "recreated Xuanhuang"(meaning "heaven and earth"). He was given the posthumous title of Taifu, the first-class Marquis of Suyi in the Jin Dynasty, the posthumous title of Wenzhong, and was given 5,000 taels of silver for the funeral. Ten temples were built in the province of origin and meritorious service, and Beijing was given a temple. Temples in Beijing are regularly sacrificed by local officials. The only person who built temples in Beijing by Han officials in the Qing Dynasty is the only one.