Li Hongzhang's Evaluation of Cixi's Eight Characters

Because of the signing of treaty of shimonoseki, Taiwan Province Province was forced to cede. When the Qing Dynasty heard the news, it was also a curse to Li Hongzhang. So when Li Hongzhang returned to China with a bloody yellow jacket to visit Cixi, Cixi said: Thank you. Keep it.

These seven words of Empress Dowager Cixi also broke Li Hongzhang's heart. Li Hongzhang felt that Empress Dowager Cixi was indifferent to state affairs, and only he tried his best to defend the country, because this bloody yellow jacket was rejected by Li Hongzhang in Japan because he was dissatisfied with the conditions put forward by Japan, and he chose to renegotiate the next day, only to be assassinated on his way back to the post office.

At that time, Li Hongzhang couldn't dodge the bullet in his left cheek, and the blood kept flowing, which dyed the official clothes he was wearing red. Li Hongzhang fainted on the spot. When he woke up, he looked at the dress and said that the blood could serve the country, so he asked someone to put it away.

Li Hongzhang died for his country. Due to his age, the bullet was never taken out of his left cheek and remained in his body. Therefore, during the negotiation again, the Japanese side also reduced the amount of compensation from 320 million taels of silver to 220 million taels of silver, but Li Hongzhang still refused to give up and begged Ito Bowen to be less than 50 million taels, which was unexpectedly rejected.

In any case, Li Hongzhang's life is also very remarkable. No matter from the point of view of scholars or soldiers, he is a valuable person. He is also a successful diplomat. Although there are many criticisms on his back, even if he doesn't do it, someone will do it.