Chapter 104 Chapter 104

On September 19, Guangxu twenty-seventh year (October 30, 1901 AD), Cassini again invited Li Hongzhang to the Russian Embassy in China and proposed a new domestic plan for the withdrawal of troops.As Cassini spoke, he handed a note written in both Russian and Chinese to Li Hongzhang. It turns out that in order to avoid interference from other countries, Russia has played a new trick, proposing that while the Chinese and Russian governments conclude the terms of withdrawal of troops, a so-called "private party" agreement should also be concluded between the Chinese government and the Russian Daosheng Bank. According to the agreement, all the rights and interests obtained by Russia in the Northeast will be handed over to the Russian Daosheng Bank.

When Li Hongzhang browsed the written note, Cassini emphasized: "Our country has made it clear that only when your country signs a treaty with Daosheng Bank can our two countries sign the terms of withdrawing troops." Li Hongzhang's chest suddenly ignited a cloud of anger. He threw back the written note drawn up by Russia to Cassini, stroked his beard with a sneer, and said, "Cassisini, Cassini, thank you for doing it for so many years." Diplomacy! Let me hand over the Northeast to a bank in your country? I really don’t know how your country came up with it! My old man has never signed such an agreement, and never dared to take responsibility for such an agreement. The old man is a little dizzy, so I have to take a step first."

After Li Hongzhang finished speaking, he ordered his attendants to help him up. As soon as he sat in the sedan chair, he vomited a mouthful of blood and fell into a coma.The sedan chair rushed to Xianliang Temple, and Prince Qing brought a group of princes and ministers to the bed to have a look. Li Hongzhang was awake sometimes, comatose sometimes, and sometimes coughed up blood.Sitting in front of the couch, with tears in her eyes, Xiaohong wiped the bloody phlegm coughed up by Li Hongzhang with a cloth towel over and over again. Prince Qing urgently sent electricity to Xi'an to report Li Hongzhang's condition, and sent a horse to Hefei to deliver the letter.The telegraph lines were all unblocked at this time, and the imperial decree came to Xianliang Temple soon.

Li Hongzhang could no longer kneel to accept the imperial decree, so Prince Qing led a group of princes and ministers to kneel in front of the couch to listen to the announcement.The decree said: "According to Prince Qing's telegram, Li Hongzhang suddenly fell ill and vomited blood on the night of the 19th, and he was fine the next morning. I am deeply concerned about this university scholar who has worked hard for the country. We must pay more attention to it and recover as soon as possible. Now he is ill. How is it? Can you sleep and eat as usual? Immediately perform electric music to relieve the tension. This is it."

On September 27, Guangxu twenty-seventh year (November 7, 1901 AD), Li Hongzhang stopped vomiting blood after several days of treatment.Prince Qing was notified and rushed to Xianliang Temple with several princes and ministers.When Cassini heard the news, he hurried over with his entourage.The guards outside the door invited Prince Qing and the others into the house, but blocked Cassini and the others from the door on the grounds that the prince was discussing important matters with Zhongtang.The old and cunning Cassini did not want to miss the opportunity and insisted on waiting outside the door.

Seeing Prince Qing coming, Li Hongzhang hurriedly asked Xiao Hong to help him into a half-lying state.Li Hongzhang whispered: "My lord, you have been tired these few days!" Prince Qing hurriedly said: "Shaoquan, as long as you get up early, it's better than anything else." Li Hongzhang nodded slightly, and said in a low voice: "My lord, the official has been sick for a few days, but I have written a poem. I want to understand it now, and recite it. I beg you to give me some pointers." Prince Qing said with a smile: "Since Shaoquan has such a taste, this prince and a group of princes and ministers will all listen attentively."

Li Hongzhang closed his eyes and whispered softly: "Lao Lao's chariot and horse are not out of the saddle, and you will know that you will die before the incident. For three hundred years, the country has been hurt, and the people have been hanged eight thousand miles away. The autumn wind, the sword, the tears, and the sunset banner The Great General’s Altar. The dusty atmosphere overseas is still lingering, please don’t wait and watch.” After Prince Qing heard it, he couldn't help but clapped his hands and said, "Good poem!" At this time, an official came in quietly and said: "My lord, Mr. Zhongtang, the Russian Minister to China, Kassini, has been refusing to leave the door, and insisted on asking Mr. Zhongtang to put a seal on this clause." Holding up a few pages, he said to Li Hongzhang: "Minister Ka asked the subordinate to send a message to you, saying that no matter what you do, you will reply to him today, if not..."

Before the officer finished speaking, Li Hongzhang suddenly snatched the few pages handed over by the officer with his hands, and threw them on the ground fiercely. Ah, the country has been wronged so far! It's a pity that the lower officials can't see..." Before Li Hongzhang finished speaking, he began to vomit blood, and gradually became silent.Prince Qing hurriedly shouted "Shaoquan, Shaoquan, Shaoquan", but there was no response. When he looked closer, he saw Li Hongzhang leaning his head on Xiaohong's shoulder, his eyes were wide open, the tears were still wet, and he opened his mouth as if to say what.Prince Qing knew that the situation was not good, so he hurriedly called someone to come in and put his body flat.

Zhou Fu, Li Hongzhang's old subordinate, wept bitterly and said: "The matter that Zhongtang has dealt with is not finished, we can take care of it, please rest assured!" Hearing this, Li Hongzhang, who was already out of breath, seemed to open his eyes and mouth suddenly.When Zhou Fu saw it, he hurriedly closed his eyes gently with his hand.So far, Li Hongzhang has completed his legendary life at the age of seventy-nine. Xiaohong knelt down in front of the couch, grabbed Li Hongzhang's hand with her hand, and said heartbrokenly: "Master, you are always dedicated to serving the country, and you didn't make any arrangements for the family affairs before you left. You must take a step slowly and wait for the slaves to go." Serving you!"

After Xiaohong finished speaking, she suddenly kowtowed three times to the bed, then slowly stood up, leaned down and looked at Li Hongzhang carefully, and it took almost half a stick of incense before she turned and walked to Prince Qing's room. In front of him, he took out a piece of paper from his sleeve, handed it to Prince Qing with both hands, and said: "This is the legacy dictated by the old Zhongtang, please pass it to the emperor and empress dowager." Prince Qing hurriedly took over the legacy and buried his head in reading.Taking advantage of Prince Qing's spare time reading the suicide note, Xiao Hong walked out of the house quickly, and slammed into a stone pillar outside the courtyard.

The patrolling officer outside the hospital was shocked, and rushed to rescue him, but it was too late, and saw a ray of fragrant soul go with Li Hongzhang. Li Hongzhang left a commentary saying: "Fu Nianchen was the first to learn about it, and he was the most honored. Whenever he thought about the difficult situation, he dared not claim to be ill; he only hoped that he would see ZTE again after a while, and that his death would be difficult for him to die. The present value is the beginning of the recovery of the capital, and the luan has not returned. The peace talks are new, and the east is still thorny. The fundamentals are the plan, and there are dangers everywhere. Stealing thoughts is difficult to rejuvenate the country, and Yin worry enlightens the saints. Read the decree repeatedly, hold new policies, and strive for self-improvement Prince Qing and others are people who have worked with me for a long time, and this time the reunion is even more difficult, and they will definitely be able to work hard with one heart and praise, and I will have no regrets in Jiuquan." Before Prince Qing finished reading the will, he was already sobbing. The two edicts soon came to the capital from Xi'an. The first imperial decree first posthumously awarded Li Hongzhang Taifu, posthumous posthumous title of Wenzhong, first-class Marquis of Jin Dynasty, and enshrined in the Xianliang Temple. The second imperial decree is mainly for the descendants of Li Hongzhang: Wailang Li Jingshu, a member of the Ministry of punishment, wrote and rewarded the fourth-rank Jingtang, inherited the first-class marquis, and did not need to be introduced by leaders.Li Jingmai, a foreigner from the Ministry of Industry, is famous for his fourth and fifth ranks in Jingtang.Li Jingfang wrote that after serving the customs, he was released as a Taoist in case of shortage.Li Guojie, a member of Yisun Household Department, wrote that he was a doctor, and Li Guoyan and Li Guoxu were both written by Yuan Wailang, and they worked in branches.Both Li Guoxiong and Li Guotao rewarded Juren, and they were allowed to take a test together. Later, Chen Bi, the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, published "Residential Reconstruction Special Ancestral Book", Zhili Governor Yuan Shikai published "Tianjin Zoujian Special Ancestral Book", Liangjiang Governor Liu Kunyi published "Jiangning Zoujian Special Ancestral Book", Jiangsu Governor Enshou On "Suzhou Zuojian Special Temple", Sheng Xuanhuai, the left servant of the Ministry of Industry, on "Shanghai Zuojian Special Temple", Anhui Governor Chengxun on "Hefei Zuojian Special Temple", Zhejiang Governor Ren Daorong on "Zhejiang Zuojian Special Temple" Ancestral Halls", Shandong Governor Zhou Fu published "Shandong Zoujian Special Ancestral Collection", Henan Governor Xi Liang published "Henan Zoujian Special Ancestral Collection".The imperial court approved them one by one. Two months later, Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu returned to Beijing.Prince Qing Yikuang went to the memorial again, and asked to build a special temple for Li Hongzhang in the capital, saying that he "worked tirelessly, lost three inches of his pen and tongue to fight with tens of thousands of victorious soldiers from the seventh and eighth powers. The bitter soldiers can make the allied forces retreat, return the land, restore the palace and temple, and restore the old shops." A merit that has not been seen in more than a hundred years. Therefore, the Prime Minister established the country with labor, worked diligently with death, and never left the capital. It is an extraordinary feat that can be compared." Because the Qing Dynasty never allowed the Han people to build a special temple in the capital, the Empress Dowager Cixi urgently called the princes and ministers to discuss the matter, and then issued a decree: "Li Hongzhang approved the establishment of a special temple in the capital, which will be included in the sacrificial ceremony. The sacrificial offering is to follow the public opinion and repay the public, and it is used to show the sincere remembrance, and the ministers are sincere. I admire this." The ministers of the Han Dynasty established a special temple in the capital. Li Hongzhang was the first and only person in the two hundred years since the founding of the Qing Dynasty.Li Hongzhang, who had passed away for a long time, once again became the focus of discussions at home and abroad. Ten years later, Mr. Sun Yat-sen, who was then the interim president of the Republic of China, suddenly talked about Li Hongzhang after dinner one day, and he even expressed such emotion: "Since George Zhongtang, there has been no benefit, no prosperity, no disadvantage, no change, and it is difficult. Dangers and obstacles, I will not hesitate." Fifty years later, Mao Zedong, the founding leader of the People's Republic of China, made this assertion to Li Hongzhang: "The water is shallow and the boat is big."