Zheng Xiaoxu (186-1938) was born in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. Famous politician and calligrapher in modern times. In the eighth year of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty (1882), he was a juren, and served as Prime Minister Zhang Jing, the General Office of the South Section of the Beijing-Han Railway, the Minister of Frontier Defense of Guangxi, the provincial judges of Anhui and Guangdong, and the minister in charge of Hunan. After the Revolution of 1911, he claimed to be an old man. In 1932, he was appointed Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Education of the Puppet Manchukuo and stepped down in 1935.
Zheng Xiaoxu got its name not from books, but from poems. It's only natural that the world calls it a good calligrapher's poem. In the Qing Dynasty, the ups and downs of political affairs were premeditated and a politician. -Chen zhuoyi
Zheng Xiaoxu, the thief's father, is willing to be an ox and a horse and Yin Rugeng. -satirical couplets of Zheng Xiaoxu and Yin Rugeng circulated during the puppet Manchukuo
In 1911, the movement of protecting railways in Sichuan rose, and the Qing court used Duan Fang, who was idle at home, as the minister in charge of Guangdong-Han and Sichuan-Han railways, and went to Sichuan to quell the agitation. Duan Fang thought that the prospect of entering Shu was unpredictable, and he had a narrow escape. Faced with this unexpected trouble, he thought of someone, so he sent several emails to Sheng Xuanhuai, the minister of the Ministry, asking for the help of this famous person, claiming that "it is difficult to achieve the goal without the perseverance of Gong".
Duan Fang loves talents, and Sheng Xuanhuai also cherishes talents. Instead of letting people go, he hopes to keep them with him for a long time. "Beijing is not allowed to be young, and Hunan can't think about it." It can be seen that Sheng relies heavily on this person. This gentleman was none other than Zheng Xiaoxu, a Fujian native who enjoyed the reputation of "Wolong" in the late Qing Dynasty.
Many talents and many abilities
In 191, Jin Liang, a well-read Manchu scholar, wrote a poem and gave it to Zheng Xiaoxu, saying, "I have heard that Zhuge is famous for a long time, and his brushwork is strange with the art of war. Occasionally, I saw a scale claw in Wolong, a poem hidden in the sea in Mo Bao by Su Kan. " It is not difficult to see that Jin is extremely convinced of Zheng Zhicai's artistic ability.
Let's talk about Zheng's talent first. In the poetry circles of the late Qing Dynasty, "Tongguangzi" was very popular, and Zheng Xiaoxu was one of them. Chen Yan, a great critic of poetry, commented on Zheng Xiaoxu's poems: "With meticulous thinking and sharp pen, it comes out clearly, so it is more honest and sincere than Su Shi's land (tour)." Even Zhang Zhidong, a high-ranking official in the late Qing Dynasty, had to admire Zheng Shi's "self-evident impossibility". It seems that the high attainments of his poems are not covered.
Zheng Xiaoxu is not only good at writing poems, but also good at writing. At that time, people once commented: "Modern calligraphers, who have formed their own physique, are unique in Zheng Su's niche. His book is a beginner Liu Chengxuan, and later he joined the Yellow Valley, flying thin and hard, which is arrogant. " Once, on Zhang Zhidong's 6th birthday, Liu Kunyi, Governor of Liangjiang, planned to send a birthday couplet. Such a once-in-a-lifetime event deserves to be ghostwritten by a famous calligrapher, and Zheng Xiaoxu is the only person in Liu Dashuai's mind. It is said that after the Xinhai, Zheng lived in seclusion in the Haizang Building, earning a living by using the word Zi, each word was worth 12 taels of silver, and there was no discount, let alone preferential treatment for guests. At that time, I was a professor at Peking University and Tsinghua, and my salary was only two or three hundred and twenty. Zheng made two strokes at will and caught up with the professors' salary for half a month.
At the same time, Zheng's handling ability is no less than his talent. In 193, when "bandits and disorderly bees sprang up" in Guangxi, Cen Chunxuan invited Zheng Xiaoxu to be appointed as the frontier supervisor of Guangxi. Zheng knows the beauty of "not fighting to defeat the enemy". After careful investigation, he adopts the strategy of ambush at the key pass and comforting the people. "Naturally, those who jump in and out of the border are slightly exhausted."
Zheng Xiaoxu once said, "Those who do great things should make good use of their wealth as the first priority." In 1896, Zhang Jian co-founded a cotton mill. As for how to sign the contract, in order to avoid troubles and disputes in the joint venture, Zhang can't make up his mind and can't do anything. Later, he still asked Zheng Xiaoxu for advice. Zheng not only drafted a draft for him, but also got on a coup. Zhang Jian-wen nodded and said "good".
It's no wonder that Zheng Xiaoxu is proud of his comprehensive qualities, such as excellent poetry and books, being able to lead troops and know how to manage money.
sell at a price
Zheng Xiaoxu once said to someone, "I want to carry out my ambition, but I don't want to be a bandit." Its ambition is indeed not small. However, because of nature, Zheng has repeatedly passed by. In 1897, Zhang Zhidong recommended Zheng to be promoted to westernization in order to participate in the reform cause. Who chengxiang hundred days died in the Reform Movement of 1898? Zheng Xiaoxu had a skill with nothing to show for himself. Ten years later, it coincided with "Ding Wei's political tide", and Zheng Xiaoxu was the object that Qu Hongrui, Cen Chunxuan, Yi Kuang and Yuan Shikai both strived for. Zheng Re turned to Yi and Yuan Yi, and was expected to be the governor of the three northeastern provinces. However, he didn't like Yuan Su, and he didn't like Qu and Cen, so he chose to sit on the sidelines and his promotion came to an abrupt end.
When the officialdom was frustrated, Zheng Xiaoxu was not depressed, but devoted himself to the local constitutional movement. At the end of 196, a group of celebrities in Shanghai established the Preparatory Constitutional Association, and Zheng Xiaoxu was elected as the president, followed by Zhang Jian, the top scholar. Under Zheng's auspices, the Preparatory Constitutional Association became the largest organization in China, and its activities were in full swing and colorful.
However, is Zheng Zhizhi organizing everyone to make a constitution? This is just an expedient measure for him to retreat and wait and see the current situation. In 1911, the opportunity finally came. In 1911, the Qing court appointed Zheng as Hunan provincial judge. To tell the truth, this position is not very attractive to Zheng. However, through the operation of Duan Fang and Sheng Xuanhuai, the court assured Zheng Xiaoxu that as long as he took office, the post of Hunan Governor would be implemented as soon as possible.
In the face of such temptation, Zheng Xiaoxu, who was bent on being an official, naturally chose to accept it. At this point, the Shanghai newspapers had great opinions on Zheng Xiaoxu, and constantly attacked him for being bought by * * *, changing from a constitutionalist to a capable official of the Qing court.
Open higher and walk lower
At the beginning of his tenure, Zheng Xiaoxu was quite ambitious. On June 2th, Zheng couldn't wait to make a suggestion to Zai Feng, saying that "borrowing to build roads is the policy of political reform". Perhaps I feel that Zheng's suggestion is very powerful. "The Regent is very pleased." Soon, The Times also published an editorial, arguing that "among the provincial officials in China, those who can be called graceful, knowledgeable and outstanding with the attitude of politicians have long been unknown." Today, I'm fortunate to get a big shot, talk with him, give full play to what I have seen and listen to his comments. I'm really beautiful, sensible and a politician. This official is the new Xiang Fan Zheng Su Kun. " It can be described as extremely flattering. For a time, Zheng has been a lifeline to reverse the decline.
on October 11th, Zheng Xiaoxu learned the news of Wuchang uprising in Beijing. At noon on the 12th, Sheng Xuanhuai invited Zheng Xiaoxu to the branch secretary Zaize Mansion for dinner. Zheng Xiaoxu made four suggestions to Zaize: First, attack Wuchang at the speed of warships; Second, protect the Jing-Han Railway; Third, the former enemy's expediency is unified; Fourth, Henan Express * * *, please postpone the autumn exercise.
that night, Zheng Xiaoxu received a telegram from Yu Chengge, the governor of Hunan, saying that he had sent a garrison to Wuchang to prevent the revolutionary party from entering Hunan. Zheng Xiaoxu's mood is a little more peaceful.
Zheng Xiaoxu certainly didn't want to go back to Hunan at this time, but he was worried about the safety of his family in Changsha. On October 2th, Zheng Xiaoxu received a notice from the Cabinet urging him to take office. On October 25th, Zheng Xiaoxu, who lingered repeatedly, boarded the train to Tianjin. In the evening, I boarded a ship for Shanghai.
Maybe Zheng Xiaoxu is doomed to be a big official in this life. When I passed through Shanghai, I heard that Changsha had been lost and the road was impassable, so I had to stay in Shanghai and hide in the Haicang Building as a residence. Obviously, without the Revolution of 1911, it was not impossible for Zheng Xiaoxu to achieve a successful career in Ma Pingchuan until the Governor opened his office. Just as the official career was booming and hot, it was poured down by the cold water of the revolution, which ruined a star road. Affection was always ruthlessly annoyed. Do you think Zheng Xiaoxu can not be annoyed? However, after all, he has no position or power, so he has to vent his personal depression in his diary:
The north is a rebel and the south is a thief, and the world is safe.
it's the ear of a wolf and a dog, and it's not enough to be listed among the human beings in the world. Mencius said, "If you are rude in class, you will be ignorant in class, and thieves will flourish." Today is also called. ..... Night, the smell of firecrackers is very complicated, so the Qing Dynasty ended in 268.
In this way, the attitude of Zheng Xiaoxu's adherents before the Qing Dynasty ushered in several spring and autumn changes and sent away several cycles of cold and summer. He watched Yuan Shikai go from the great president to Emperor Hongxian, and finally he was alienated from others and died of depression. I also witnessed the restoration farce led by Zhang Xun in the Forbidden City ...
Finally, one day in January 1918, Zheng Xiaoxu, who could not bear the chaos of the Republic of China, wrote this sentence in his diary: "Yu and the Republic of China are enemy countries." This may set the tone for the rest of his life.