1in September, 898, a ultimate revenge in Guangxu caused the Xuan Ran.
At the beginning of September, Wang Zhao, the director of Liupin, who is closely related to Kang Youwei, saw the subtle relationship between the emperor and the empress dowager, and boldly played, suggesting that Guangxu's mother and son visit foreign countries, with Japan as the first stop. Whitehead, the minister of rites, thinks that the memorial is too out of line and will give it a discount. Guangxu was furious when he learned about this. He thought that the Minister of Rites unreasonably obstructed his speech, dismissed the Ministers of Rites, Huaitabu and Xu Yinglian, together with four other assistant ministers, and promoted Wang Zhao to the third class and the official to the third class as a sign of encouragement. Then, Guangxu made an even more shocking imperial edict: Zhang Jing was appointed as four new military aircraft, namely, Yang Rui, the alternate assistant minister of cabinet, Liu Guangdi, the alternate director of punishments, Xu Lin, the alternate secretary of cabinet, and Tan Sitong, the alternate magistrate of Jiangsu. It is clearly stipulated that all memorials will be read by four people; All the imperial edicts were drawn up by four people. The original Ministry of War governors and military affairs ministers were put aside. Although this way of dealing with problems expressed Guangxu's determination to reform, it obviously exposed Guangxu's carelessness and recklessness in handling affairs. After all, the name is not right, how can you command ministers who are just four products with one product and two products? The old court officials were suddenly dissatisfied and rushed to the Summer Palace to cry to the Queen Mother.
A few days later, it was Li Hongzhang's turn to be idle at home. Guangxu suddenly issued a decree: Li Hongzhang was removed from his post as Minister of General Affairs, so that he could not walk around the Prime Minister's yamen.
Li Hongzhang, who received the imperial edict, couldn't help feeling naught. Li Hongzhang is basically at home at this time.
After that, the situation got even more out of control. About Guangxu felt great pressure and the reform policy could not be promoted. He flew into a rage in the palace all day, which made his ministers and eunuchs nervous all day. The old court minister did not dare to blame Emperor Guangxu, so he took his anger out on the reformists. By the end of September, the political situation in Beijing had become more subtle. With rich political experience, Cixi felt that the reform situation was getting out of control and felt the shadow of threats. Guangxu was in chaos at this time. I didn't know what to do, and I couldn't listen to other people's opinions. To make matters worse, Guangxu knew the danger signal in advance, and he suddenly ordered Kang Youwei to leave the capital. In the second half of the year, one thing shocked Cixi in the Summer Palace-former Japanese Prime Minister Ito Bowen visited China, and Guangxu arranged to meet him in the palace on the 20th. It is rumored that Guangxu plans to hire Ito Bowen as a reform consultant of the Qing Dynasty. At the same time, timothy richard, an American, will be invited as an adviser to the Qing Dynasty. This statement made Cixi very angry. After all, Ito and Japan are enemies of the Qing dynasty, and old grievances have not disappeared. However, the emperor has such a plan in private, which really hurts the system! Cixi has always been a face-saving person. In her view, face is the most fundamental thing in life. What makes Cixi feel more dangerous is that it is said that Guangxu summoned Yuan Shikai, the leader of the new army in tianjin railway station!
On September 20, this day was spent in a subtle atmosphere: in the morning, Guangxu summoned Yuan Shikai for the third time in the palace; In the morning, Kang Youwei left the Nanhai Guild Hall where he had lived for several years and quietly "was ordered to leave Beijing"; At noon, Yuan Shikai returned to Tianjin by train; In the afternoon, Guangxu met with Ito Bowen. At the same time, Cixi listened on the screen. On 2 1 day, Cixi announced that she would remonstrate with the government and ordered the arrest of her brothers Kang Youwei and Kang Ren Guang, who were "cronyism and political abuse". On the 24th, the court announced the dismissal of Zhang, Xu Zhijing, Yang Rui, Tan Sitong and Liu Guangdi. On the 26th, the imperial edict sent the commanding minister to hear the case together with the Minister of Military Affairs, the Ministry of Punishment and the Douchayuan. On the 28th, the Minister of War issued a letter to the Ministry of Punishment, tying Tan Sitong and other six people together to the food market. The six men who were killed were called "Six Gentlemen of the Hundred Days of Reform" in history.
The result of the reform was indeed expected by Li Hongzhang. Due to the lack of necessary means, foundation and strategy, careful implementation plan, direction, struggle and compromise, the reform inevitably turned into tragic wishful thinking and willfulness, which led to the ultimate failure. In the hall of the virtuous, Li Hongzhang was shocked to hear such a change for the first time. Li Hongzhang is also very sad. For the political reform, Li Hongzhang's heart has always been very complicated. After all, the Reform Movement of 1898 was a step that should be taken, and as soon as the first step was taken, it was a mess.
During that time, Li Hongzhang shut himself up in Xianliang Temple. He did not take part in Cixi's imprisonment of Guangxu, nor did he show sympathy for Guangxu's reform. He kept a distance from all this, but secretly tried to protect some "new party" people. On September 24th, Li Hongzhang hosted a banquet in honor of Ito Bowen and his entourage Dai Gang Yuzao. After three rounds of drinking, he talked about the kangliang reform. Li Hongzhang first tested Ito Bowen's attitude, and then defended Kang Liang, saying: "On his charges, it is nothing more than inciting people's hearts and causing public outrage." Li Hongzhang's view of the guilty people in the imperial court is still different from theirs, but he just downplayed and predicted that Kang Liang would make great achievements in the future!
However, the wily Li Hongzhang made a comeback with the help of the failure of the reform. Politics is a poker game. Many people sit around together, and even if their colleagues lose everything, they can still profit from it. Li Hongzhang knows politics well. 1898165438+10, the court decided to abolish Guangxu after quelling the Reform Movement of 1898. Cixi was most worried about the collective interference of foreigners, so she sent Rong Lu to see Li Hongzhang, asking him for information to appease foreigners. Li Hongzhang said at the bottom of the soup: "It may be difficult to ask the direct attitude of foreigners directly. It is better to appoint yourself as the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, let the consuls of various countries come to congratulate, and then communicate with foreigners easily. " Rong Lu conveyed the meaning of Li Hongzhang to Cixi after he returned. After quelling the storm of political reform and reform, Cixi tried to stabilize the political situation with the help of her old ministers. In this case, the imperial edict was issued soon, and Li Hongzhang made a comeback and was appointed governor of Guangdong and Guangxi. Li Hongzhang readily accepted the appointment.
In the winter sunshine, Li Hongzhang greeted the arrival of Claude Maxwell MacDonald, the British minister, on the porch of the Hall of Virtue. The British minister first congratulated Li Hongzhang on his re-election and said that he had come to see me off. Li Hongzhang arranged a family dinner for the minister. At the banquet, Claude Maxwell MacDonald suddenly asked, "I heard that your country is going to abolish Emperor Guangxu?"
While questioning, Claude Maxwell MacDonald kept staring at Li Hongzhang's face, trying to find some clues in this old face. Without any expression, Li Hongzhang said gently in standard diplomatic language: "Minister, I think, in any case, this should be an internal issue of China?" Claude Maxwell MacDonald, not to be outdone, said flatly, "I am the British ambassador to China. If there are diplomatic representations in the future, the British Empire will not recognize anyone except Emperor Guangxu as the supreme head of China. " Li Hongzhang nodded, and he understood the attitude of the British minister.
It is worth mentioning that Li Hongzhang has always adhered to his own views on the reform and reform, and has not changed at all because of the court's attitude towards Kang Youwei. After the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, imperial edicts from all over the country took Kangliang. Li Hongzhang, who is about to become the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, met with Cixi before leaving. In the upward direction, Cixi showed him that someone had impeached him as a commemoration of the Kang Party. Unexpectedly, Li Hongzhang said in a tough tone: "If the old law could strengthen the country, our country would have been strong. In other words, if the law is changed to the Cheng Kang Party, my crime cannot escape. I am really a Kang Party. " Cixi didn't expect Li Hongzhang to answer herself like this. She was startled and didn't know how to ask this topic. After Li Hongzhang arrived in Guangzhou, someone asked him about Kang Youwei. Li Hongzhang blurted out again: "You don't have to be afraid if the court wants to arrest the Kang Party. I am the Kang Party! " Everyone present was shocked. In this matter, Li Hongzhang can be said to be both sad and angry. Li Hongzhang was heartbroken by the court's treatment of the reformists. In essence, Li Hongzhang has always been a person with personality, but many times, due to various interests and trade-offs, Li Hongzhang hides his personality and gives people the impression of wily. After a series of ups and downs, 77-year-old Li Hongzhang felt indifferent. He saw through the decay and stubbornness of the Qing Dynasty.
I am also deeply disappointed in this stormy court. Although Li Hongzhang and Kang Youwei have different views and methods in many places, Kang Youwei's experience inevitably hurts Li Hongzhang's heart. Under such circumstances, it is not surprising that Li Hongzhang made such remarks.
Moreover, Li Hongzhang also took a series of corresponding actions on the issue of Kang Liang. When Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao were in exile and were in shock, to their surprise, they received a "greeting" from Li Hongzhang and even a personal letter from Li Hongzhang. In the letter, Li Hongzhang encouraged Kang Liang to "study western learning intensively and gain experience, so as to serve the country in the future and not be disappointed by the current situation." It is naturally touching that a prominent senior official in the Qing Dynasty expressed condolences to the exiled criminals wanted by the imperial court. Kang Liang quickly wrote back to express his gratitude. For Kang Liang, Li Hongzhang did have an affair. Whether sympathizing with the reformists or leaving a way out for himself, Li Hongzhang at least showed his courage and opinion. China really needs talents who can come forward at critical times, and new intellectuals with new ideas, new ideas and new courage. Li Hongzhang fantasized that if one day the Qing Dynasty really transformed, talents like Kang Liang would be used.
1900 In June, Li Hongzhang left Beijing after living in Xianliang Temple for five years. It was only 10 days after receiving the letter of appointment from the imperial court, and Li Hongzhang flew to the south with his three-eyed feather like a migratory bird.