Generally speaking, there are two opinions on this issue: first, I feel that the content of the treaty is too unreasonable and I don't want to leave a name for myself, so I don't have a real name sign; Second, because his title is "First Class Su Yibo", signing "Su" is equivalent to his own signature.
But is this really the case?
Actually, it is not. First of all, as far as the first statement is concerned, it is simply nonsense. Although this is a treaty that humiliated the country, it was signed between countries after all. If you just sign it casually, you can't. Secondly, although Li Hongzhang's title is "First Class Su Yibo", the word "Su" alone does not mean that this is Li Hongzhang himself. If so, then the Qing court can deny this treaty in the future.
So neither statement is correct. So what exactly is it? Just look at what is written in the treaty.
Article 12 of the Xin Chou Treaty:
"Today, the above terms are written in the same language in twelve copies, one for each country's plenipotentiary and one for China's plenipotentiary."
In other words, the signatures of the representatives of both parties to the contract should be "lottery" signatures, not simple signatures. What Li Hongzhang signed on the treaty was not a word "Su", or even a word, but a flower. Compared with signature, this method is more formal and more secure. Therefore, in doing so, Li Hongzhang only followed the content of the treaty.
The "painting (flower) pledge" we are talking about here is a traditional anti-counterfeiting signature mode in China, which has been used to modern times since ancient times. Even after the founding of New China, the old people in some areas still use this method, but with the progress of the times, this method of drawing vows has gradually disappeared or been replaced.
Generally speaking, the form of "flower gambling" is usually designed by myself. Generally speaking, I use my own name or font size as a design element, and then combine them according to calligraphy habits, that is, I "save" multiple words together to form a unique flower. Everyone's painting style is different, and the stroke order and detailed patterns are basically clear to themselves, which is difficult for outsiders to imitate. Because of this, it is used to formally sign documents.
Therefore, if you carefully look at the flower pledge signed by Li Hongzhang, you will find that this is actually not a "Su" word, but a unique flower pledge design that contains Li Hongzhang's three-character strokes. Looking closely, we can see that the pen is actually "Li", with "Hong" in the middle and "Zhang" in the receiving part.
To sum up, it is a simple expression of the flower vows signed by Li Hongzhang on the "Xin Chou Treaty". In fact, not only in this treaty, but also in other treaties signed by Li Hongzhang. But in fact, it is not "Su", but a combination of "Li Hongzhang"!