Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang have always been at odds, Li Hongzhang once wrote a letter to Zeng Guofan, said: "Left Gong A concealment of the original color, in this reveal." They are all disciples of zeng guofan, but they have been fighting for decades, and it is well known. So what exactly caused their feud?

One, look at each other. folk rumor, left Zongtang once went to Li Hongzhang, Li Hongzhang out late. Left Zongtang recalled Li Hongzhang favoring small wife rumors, can not help but ridicule said 'with such as Mrs. foot washing'. Li Hung-chang did not show weakness, blurted out 'give the same bachelor's degree', a speech out of the left Zongtang heart disease, he was only born, there is no bachelor's degree, the result is that the two men from now on to meet all around.

Two, the deepening of the grudge. After the suppression of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Zuo Zongtang and Li Hongzhang each rate of the Chu army and the Huai army to pursue the twisted army in North China. 1868 August, the twisted army Zhang Zongyu was completely destroyed. In August 1868, Zhang Zongyu's army was completely destroyed. After the war, Li Hongzhang was promoted to the rank of senior scholar and the leader of the Huai army. Zuo Zongtang suspected Li Hongzhang's claim that Zhang Zongyu had committed suicide and led his troops to search for him. Li Hongzhang was furious and wrote to Zeng Guofan, saying, '(Zuo Zongtang) has revealed his true colors'. Originally, they did not see eye to eye with each other, the two people, more y.

Three, different political views, the fire fight sea defense and defense. The Qing dynasty faced with threats from the sea and the threat of the border, how to allocate limited strategic resources to the eastern coast and the northwest border. Li Hongzhang advocate strengthening sea defense, guard against the rising Japan. Zuo Zongtang focused on solving the pressing problem of Agubai's invasion and curbing the covetousness of Tsarist Russia and Britain in Xinjiang.

Faced with the urgent need, the court favored Zuo Zongtang's proposal. At that time, the average annual revenue of the Qing Dynasty was 80 million taels of silver, and in the 10 years from 1875 to 1884 (i.e., in the middle and late stages of Zuo Zongtang's western expedition), 80 million taels were spent on the defense of Xinjiang. On the contrary, during the 10 years from 1885 to 1894 when the Sino-Japanese War broke out, only 30 million taels were spent on naval defense. From this point of view, the court still advocated the priority of the defense of the Serbian over the sea defense.