Chapter 86 Empress Dowager Cixi also engaged in reform and opening up

When Cixi was young, she was a desirable beauty, but when she was old, she was ugly. It is said that she was completely perverted under the catalysis of power. It's a pity that Zeng Guofan, who is similar to a saint, and Li Hongzhang, who is similar to a master, are all loyal to Cixi.If Li Hongzhang didn't work hard during the negotiations, it would be very difficult for Cixi to escape the hanging of Saddam in the end, given that Cixi topped the list of war criminals of the Eight-Power Allied Forces. It's a pity, Li Hongzhang kept her because he thought she was amazing?surely not.Li Hongzhang was grateful for Cixi's promotion, but he still looked down on Cixi in his heart.Usually he doesn't show it, only in front of foreigners he often doesn't hide it.

Four years ago, when Li Hongzhang was inspecting Germany, it is said that he had the following in-depth dialogue with Bismarck. Bismarck said: We are both prime ministers, why are you so useless?Li Hongzhang sighed sadly and said: It is really involuntary to do things for women and children (only when working with women and children, there is nothing to do——Liang Qichao). Although Li Hongzhang looked down on Cixi, the two reached a broad consensus on the last reform in the late Qing Dynasty. Cixi can be regarded as a contradictory person. Although she understood the "profound" truth of "measuring the material power of China and forming a bond with the country" in Xi'an, she felt ashamed at the same time. After being driven out of the Forbidden City by foreigners twice, she also Introspect, blame herself, and tell people around her that she must work hard to improve herself (revenge of shame and self-improvement, her heart is very earnest——Wu Yong's "Gengzi Xishou Cong Tan").

In this state of mind, during the nightmarish dealings between Li Hongzhang and foreigners, Cixi and Li Er communicated frequently through telegrams, finalized the outline of the reform, and established the general reform policy of building a feudal line with Qing characteristics. On January 29, 1901, Empress Dowager Cixi issued an edict of "reserving reform" in Xi'an.The general content is: All cadres and comrades across the country, please put forward reform opinions on all aspects of the Qing Dynasty, such as people's livelihood, schools, military administration, etc., and each person must write a report and submit it to the central government within a two-month deadline. .

People from all walks of life responded strongly, and some scholars called it the "New Deal of Kindness and Li", but here we will call it the "New Deal in the Late Qing Dynasty". This time Cixi's reform determination was relatively large, and it was maintained until the end of the dynasty.Strength is another matter. Lafayette set an example and took the initiative to carry the banner of the pioneer of reform. He first launched the "unlocking the stinky foot-binding cloth of wives" (persuading the ban on foot-binding) campaign, which fired the first shot of reform.