Zhang Yao's Political Achievements

1860 (the tenth year of Xianfeng) was promoted to magistrate and Taoist platform. In the second year, the design defeated Chen Daxi and Zhang Nianjun in Runing and was promoted to Henan. Since then, he has led the army to Henan, Hebei and Shandong for a long time, and repeatedly defeated the army. Soon after, he was impeached as "illiterate" by the suggestion Liu Yunan, and was reduced to the company commander, still under the control of Sang Linqinqin. From then on, he was eager to learn. He carved the word "illiterate" on his body and wore it all the time to encourage himself. During the Tongzhi period, Du resisted Nian Army and Taiping Army and won many times. His department is called Song Wu Army, which is another powerful force after Xiang Army, Huai Army and Chu Army. Tongzhi for eight years (1869), followed the left to the northwest battlefield to suppress the local ethnic uprising.

1876 (the second year of Guangxu), he went to Xinjiang with the left in the name of the prefect, quelled the invasion of Akuta and forced Russia to return to Ili. 1880 (Guangxu six years), was ordered to assist military affairs. Four years later, he was ordered to enter the customs, moved to North Road, and made him governor.

1886 (12th year of Guangxu), he was promoted to the governor of Shandong. At that time, rivers in Shandong Province were affected more and more. After he took office, he became the first river worker. He believes that artificial dredging of estuaries and river digging is not a complete solution, and western methods should be adopted, and robots and ships should be used for dredging one after another. The Yellow River is full of water, so the special blocking construction can only solve the urgent need and must be handled flexibly. At that time, Zhang Cun, Yinhe, Dazhai, Xizhifang and Gaojiatao successively made decisions, and Zhang Yao was able to adjust the terrain and release it at any time. Because the river at the mouth of oyster does not flow into the sea smoothly, it dredges the mouth of Hanjiayuan instead to dredge its tail. He stays on the river for nearly 300 days a year. People who speak river affairs, even ordinary people, should come to consult. During his tenure in Shandong, he also set up Haidai Academy in Qingzhou and restored Qufu Zhusi Academy.

1888 (14th year of Guangxu), Empress Dowager Cixi ordered Zhang Yao to help the navy. In the second year, he ordered the prince to be given a title, so that he could study in the North and South Navy. From being transferred to the governor of Shandong to his death, his time in Shandong was only five years. During Zhang Gong's tenure, it coincided with the serious floods and droughts in various parts of Shandong, and the people suffered greatly. As the supreme governor of a region, he actively organized disaster relief, took out his salary and mobilized other officials to donate money for disaster relief, which saved many victims and was deeply loved by the people. In the process of harnessing the Yellow River, although Zhang Gong once listened to the wrong opinions of some staff members, which led to floods, on the whole, he made more achievements than before. In view of the characteristics of narrow rivers, weak dams and prone to floods on both sides of the Shandong section of the Yellow River, he not only led the people to dredge rivers, raise silt and cultivate ridges, build more dams and strengthen dikes on both sides of the Yellow River, but also put forward the idea of "separating" the river and "dredging" the river, and built a barrage in Zhaozhuang, Liujiamiao and Taochengpu of Qihe River to prevent abnormal rise. At that time, whenever the Yellow River burst, he went to the scene to direct the rescue. It is said that he spent nearly 300 days a year on river engineering.

189 1 (in the seventeenth year of Guangxu) In July, Zhang Zhengyi was supervising the work on the Yellow River when he suddenly "had gangrene on his back". When he was escorted back to Jinan, he was very ill and died soon. When he was dying, he still wrote to Li Hongzhang, explaining that Shandong is the gateway to Beiyang and should build a fort as soon as possible to prevent accidents. Zhang Gong also took the lead in planting trees when he was the governor of Shandong Province. He planted willows on the Yellow River Dam and the roadside from Luokou to downtown, forming a willow landscape belt. Some people call these willows "Zhang Gongliu". After Zhang Gong's death, the people of Jinan felt his kindness and honored him as the "king" of the Yellow River, and built an ancestral temple for him by Daming Lake to remember him forever.