Lin Zexu (1785-1850) The origin of Zexu’s name: Zhe, a gentleman is effective. Xu: Governor Xu Sizeng (the new governor of Fujian, Xu Sizeng, was an upright official) was given the courtesy name Yuanfu, also named Shaomu and Shilu, and his posthumous title was Wenzhong. The evening title is the old man of Hongcun and the retired old man of Hongcun. Yuan Fu: It means to follow the example of Governor Xu Sizeng. Shao Mu Shilin, according to the explanation in Cheng Enze's poem and annotation of "The Posthumous Photo of Zhang Feeding Cranes in the Year of Lin Yanggu", on the night Lin Zexu was born, Lin Binri "saw a phoenix flying in his dream", which immediately reminded him of something. Xu Ling (also known as Shaomu), a talented scholar of the Southern Dynasties, thought that "Stone Qilin in the Sky" was a good omen, so he named his son "Zexu" and also gave him the names "Shaomu" and "Shilin". Lin Zexu came from a poor family in his early years and received a good education. In the 16th year of Jiaqing, he was awarded Jinshi. During his 40 years as an official, he has been "self-motivated" and honest in serving the public; he also attaches great importance to water conservancy and disaster relief. His greatest achievement is that he led the vigorous anti-smoking movement in Chinese history - opium eradication in Humen, directed the anti-British struggle, safeguarded national sovereignty and national dignity, and became the first national hero and patriot in modern Chinese history. At the same time, he compiled foreign books and materials such as "Four Continents" and created a trend of learning and researching the West in modern China. He was a pioneer of modern reform ideas in China. During the Opium War, he was a patriotic politician who advocated strictly prohibiting opium and resisting aggression. Historians call him "the first person to open his eyes to the world" in modern China. The courtesy name is Yuan Fu, also the courtesy name is Shao Mu, and his late nickname is the village old man. A native of Houguan, Fujian (now Fuzhou, Fujian). Passed the imperial examination in the ninth year of Jiaqing (1804). Jinshi in sixteen years. Together with Gong Zizhen, Wei Yuan, Huang Juezi and others, he advocated the study of managing the world and applying it. Since the 25th year, he has successively served as the envoy of Hangjiahu Road and Salt Transport in Zhejiang, the envoy of Jiangsu, and the chief envoy of Jiangning. During his term of office, he rectified salt affairs, established river works, planned shipping, and adopted measures such as persuading people to sell goods, prohibiting hoarding, and providing relief to the poor to relieve disasters and appease the people. Later he was promoted to the governor of Hedong River Channel, where he personally inspected the Shandong Canal and the projects along the Yellow River in Henan, and proposed a river management plan to divert the Yellow River from Lijin, Shandong, into the sea to eliminate flooding. In the twelfth year, he was awarded the title of governor of Jiangsu. Drought and floods were serious in Jiangsu. He wrote a memorial documenting the hardships of the people, and insisted on delaying the collection of water taxes in the affected counties and counties; he devoted himself to building water conservancy projects. In order to overcome the silver shortage and facilitate currency circulation, he opposed the ban on foreign money and proposed the idea of ??self-minting silver coins, which was the forerunner of China's modern currency system reform. In the 17th year, he was promoted to governor of Huguang. At this time, opium had become a serious harm, and Huang Juezi Shangshu advocated severely punishing addicts with death. Lin Zexu proposed a six-point anti-smoking plan and took the lead in implementing it in Huguang. In August, he pointed out in a memorial that the failure of smoking bans over the years lies in the inability to strictly prohibit it. In September, he was called to Beijing to speak out on the importance of smoking bans and the anti-smoking strategy. In November, he was appointed as the imperial minister and went to Guangdong to ban smoking. Arrive in Guangzhou in the first month of the nineteenth year. Together with Deng Tingzhen, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and others, he summoned foreign traders, ordered foreign cigarette dealers to hand over opium within a time limit, and confiscated all opium on British barges. Opium burning began on April 22 (June 3) at Humen Beach. In 20 days, 19,179 boxes and 2,119 bags of opium were destroyed, totaling 2,376,254 kilograms. During this period, Lin Zexu paid attention to understanding foreign situations and organized the translation of Spanish documents and newspapers for reference in formulating countermeasures and handling negotiations. The translated materials were successively compiled into Records of the Four Continents, Hua Shi Yiyan, Laws and Regulations of Huadar Countries, Macau Newspaper, etc., becoming the earliest documents introducing foreign countries in modern China. Lin Zexu vigorously rectified coastal defense, actively prepared for war, purchased foreign cannons to strengthen the forts, and collected patterns of foreign ship guns to prepare for imitation. He firmly believed that the people's support can be used, organized local team training, recruited water braves along the coast, and practiced training. In July, because the British Commercial Supervisor in China, John Justice, refused to hand over the British sailors who killed the Chinese villagers, and refused to guarantee that they would not contain opium, he ordered the British businessmen in Macao to cut off aid. Yilu resorted to force and provoked the Kowloon artillery battle and the Chuanbiyang naval battle. Commander Lin Zexu defeated the British army several times. In November, Sino-British trade was suspended in compliance with the decree. In December 19th, he was actually awarded the title of Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi. After the Opium War began, the British army fell into Dinghai and then invaded Dagu northward. Emperor Daoguang was frightened and asked for peace, blaming Lin Zexu. He was dismissed in September. In March 21st, he was ordered to go to Zhejiang to co-organize coastal defense. In May, he was exiled to Yili. He assisted in reclamation affairs, advocated water conservancy and opened up farmland in Yili. He also drew a map of the border areas and suggested that the army and peasants should be united to be wary of the threat from Tsarist Russia. In the 25th year, he was re-appointed as the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and the following year he was transferred to the governor of Shaanxi. In the 27th year, he was promoted to governor of Yunnan and Guizhou. He has successively quelled and suppressed ethnic conflicts and people's uprisings in the northwest and southwest, and rectified the mining administration of Yunnan. In the 29th year, he resigned due to illness and returned home. In September of the 30th year (October 1850), he was ordered to serve as an imperial envoy and went to Guangxi to suppress the peasant uprising. On the way, he died in his residence in Puning County, Chaozhou (now Puning North, Guangdong).
Presented to the Crown Prince and Tutor, posthumously named Wenzhong. Lin Zexu was fond of poetry and calligraphy throughout his life, and wrote "Yunzuo Shanfang Wenchao", "Yunzuo Shanfang Poetry Notes", "Yunnan Yincao" and so on. The memorials, official documents, diaries, letters, etc. left behind were compiled into "The Collection of Lin Zexu".