Tracing China: Through history, dialogue between ancient and modern

Chapter 179 Lin Zexu's Life

Every era, every troubled time, in the land of the East, there will be born a hero of heaven and earth.

They turned the tide.

Carrying the common people.

Forge ahead.

This is Lin Zexu's emotion. He looked at the young man Lin Feng who came from 180 years later, and said with a lot of emotions:
"It's normal for the later generations to criticize this official. Although this official has carried out Humen's destruction of cigarettes, he has not really supported China's backbone, nor has he thought about carrying out a thorough revolution..."

trapped by time constraints.

Lin Zexu has done a good job.

Put anyone in modern times in his place, maybe, no one can do better than him, right?

The rain stopped.

The faint sky is changing, the sky is full of stars, talking about the bright moon coming out of thick clouds, illuminating the pitch-black earth.

It was as if the darkness receded and the light reappeared.

With a swipe of Lin Feng's hand, all kinds of scenes disappeared, and the dilapidated Humen Town returned to its former tranquility.

Lin Zexu looked preoccupied, and sighed, "Compared to those legendary heroes who stand tall in China, what I have done is really insignificant!"

Lin Feng said, "Senior, in fact, you don't have to worry about it. You must know that because of the destruction of cigarettes in Humen, even 200 years later, everyone in China hates "poison" and treats it like a plague.

Lin Zexu frowned and asked, "Young man, in your era, did such vicious things exist?"

Lin Feng explained, "Yes, in that later life, many places in the world are still eroded by poison."

Lin Zexu immediately asked, "Where is the land of Huaxia?"

Lin Feng said, "Because of the current opium poison that destroys people's hearts and poisons the people, this lesson has penetrated into the hearts of everyone in China, so every generation in China hates it and sticks to the bottom line. Once someone touches it, Pay the stiff legal price on par."

Lin Zexu wondered, "In the later generations, there will be clusters of high-rise buildings, bright lights and prosperity, everyone's life will be rich, they will have a beautiful life and a grand future, why are there still poisonous things running around in secret?"

In this regard, Lin Feng drank a speech in "Das Kapital":

"If there is a 10% profit, the capital is guaranteed to be employed everywhere."

"With a 20% profit, capital becomes active."

"If there is a 50% profit, the capital will take risks."

"For 100% profit, capital dares to trample on all human laws."

"With a 300% profit, capital dares to commit any crime, even risking hanging."

Unfortunately, the profit of poisons is more than 300%, and human greed is endless, so it is difficult to completely eradicate this thing.

Followed by.

Lin Zexu spat at the stars, and said in a tone of disdain: "As expected, when capital comes to this world, from head to toe, every pore is dripping with blood and dirty things."

Lin Feng, "..."

Mr. Lin, isn't your conclusion too arbitrary?

It is said in later generations.

There are also good companies and good capital for the country and the people.

immediately.

Lin Zexu said something even more "shocking".

He said that the prosperity of the world is all for profit; the world is full of hustle and bustle, all for profit!People all over the world flock here for profit, and go their separate ways for profit.

All human friendship is vulnerable in the face of major interests

Driven by interests, people have forgotten what conscience is, because their conscience was deceived by their former conscience

The vast majority of people in this world put their own interests first, and then their loved ones.The few remaining people are fools whose emotions have overwhelmed their rationality.

It is often obtained in terms of pennies and baht, not long-term trade-offs based on interests.

From the moment you set foot on this road, it is doomed

The most precious thing between people is the relationship maintained by interests.

In the face of the huge temptation of interests, the inferiority of human nature finally tore off the mask of hypocrisy, and the abyss of darkness is undoubtedly revealed.

Benefits are always born out of need.Then abandoned by higher desires.

……

This speech caused countless audiences to fall into deep thought.

Maybe.

In the era in which Lin Zexu lived, human nature is probably like this!

Lin Feng changed the subject and asked, "Senior, the purpose of traveling through time and space this time is to let more future generations understand your life. Can you make a summary for yourself and review the ups and downs of half your life?"

People nowadays should also understand the life of No.1 who opened his eyes to see the world.

Lin Zexu looked into the distance and asked, "You and I are talking, can future generations see and hear it?"

Lin Feng nodded and said, "Yes!"

"The person of the future!"

"well!"

Facing the invisible end, Lin Zexu said hello to modern people 180 years later.

Afterwards, he began to review most of his life experiences.

On August 50, the 1785th year of Qianlong (8), Lin Zexu was born in a scholarly family in Houguan, Fujian.

Lin Zexu's father, Lin Binri, was a local teacher in Houguan and opened a private school.

Due to the large population of the Lin family, although his father Lin Binri was a teacher in a private school and could receive public food after he became a scholar, there were too many monks and too little porridge, and sometimes he couldn't even afford three meals.

In order to alleviate the family's predicament, Lin Zexu's mother, Chen Zhi, hid it from her husband and secretly used the craft of female red to help supplement the family's income. She also passed on the craft of paper-cutting to her daughter in order to barely maintain the family life.

In the 53rd year of Qianlong (1788): 4-year-old Lin Zexu was taken to a private school by his father Lin Binri. When teaching, he held him on his lap, listened to the lessons together, and taught him how to read and write.

In the 56th year of Qianlong (1791): 7-year-old Lin Zexu was already familiar with various styles of writing, much earlier than his peers.

The first year of Jiaqing (1796): The local Confucian temple called Tongsheng to be a student. Lin Zexu, 12, was elected as a student after a round of selection.

In the ninth year of Jiaqing (1804): 20-year-old Lin Zexu participated in the provincial examination, and won the No. 20 nine candidates.

On the day when the results were announced, Lin Zexu officially married Zheng Shuqing, who is the eldest daughter of Zheng Damo!

It was very rare at that time for a daughter of the Zheng family who was born in a Jinshi family to marry a scholar of the Lin family who was from a poor family.

The 11th year of Jiaqing (1806): 22-year-old Lin Zexu served as the secretary of the Xiamen Coast Defense Tongzhi, responsible for handling the documents and records of merchants, foreign ships, rice, grain, and soldiers.

The 14th year of Jiaqing (1809): Zhang Shicheng took Lin Zexu together to suppress the pirate Cai Qian.Afterwards, Zhang Shicheng was full of praise for Lin Zexu: "It's a soldier. Seeing Yu's efforts to suppress the war, the bureaucrats said that Yu was the first to catch the bandits, and flew to urge the battle. It may not be so fast."

In the 16th year of Jiaqing (1811): 27-year-old Lin Zexu went to the capital to take part in the third examination. He was finally selected as No. 4 in the palace examination and was awarded the Imperial Academy editor.

The 18th year of Jiaqing (1813): 29-year-old Lin Zexu entered the Shuchang Hall of the Imperial Academy as a scholar.

Jiaqing 19th year (1814): At the age of 30, Lin Zexu joined the Xuannan Poetry Society composed of low-status Beijing officials, and made friends with Huang Juezi, Gong Zizhen, Wei Yuan and others, and Lin Zexu gradually became their leader.

Year 11 (1816): At the age of 32, Lin Zexu left the Imperial Academy and went to Nanchang, Jiangxi Province as an examiner.After his father Lin Binri learned about it, he sent a letter to Lin Zexu because of his past experience, asking his son to choose talents carefully.

Since then, Lin Zexu has served as an examiner many times. During this period, his work was fair and serious, and he won a good reputation among scholars.

The 25th year of Jiaqing (1820): 36-year-old Lin Zexu served as the supervisory censor of Jiangnan Road, built seawalls, and promoted water conservancy.

The first year of Daoguang (1821): Lin Zexu's father Lin Binri was critically ill, so Lin Zexu resigned and returned home on the grounds of taking care of his father.On the way, his wife gave birth to his third daughter, Lin Puqing, on the boat.

The second year of Daoguang (1822): Through the mediation of Lin Zexu's chief teacher, the prince Taifu, and the academician Cao Zhenyong, the imperial court also recognized Lin Zexu's outstanding political achievements, and made an exception to restore Lin Zexu.

Lin Zexu was first awarded the Huaihai Road, but before he could take up his post, he was appointed as the Salt Transport Envoy of Zhejiang.

Daoguang three years (1823): 39-year-old Lin Zexu was transferred to Jiangsu procuratorate. During his tenure, he reformed the trial procedures, adjudicated cases in person, and strictly controlled the prison.

In just four months, nine out of ten of the backlog of cases in Jiangsu were resolved, and he was praised as "Lin Qingtian" by the people at that time.

In the fourth year of Daoguang (1824): 40-year-old Lin Zexu was the chief envoy of Jiangsu.That year, a major flood occurred in Jiangsu, and the society was turbulent, and many people gathered together.

The governor, Han Wenqi, was worried about a civil uprising and advocated the use of troops to suppress it. Lin Zexu strongly opposed it. He took a boat to the disaster-stricken area to relieve the victims and appease public anger, and social order was quickly restored.

In the seventh year of Daoguang (1827): 43-year-old Lin Zexu was appointed as the inspector and deputy political envoy of Shaanxi, and was transferred to the chief political envoy of Jiangning within one month of his tenure.

In the 11th year of Daoguang (1831): 47-year-old Lin Zexu was promoted to Governor of Hedong River. Lin Zexu was determined to "get rid of sensibilities" and "strive to follow the rules" in order to "eliminate disadvantages and save money, and consolidate Lan'an".In order to control the Yellow River, I often walk hundreds of miles against the cold wind and do my best.

Daoguang 12th year (1832): 48-year-old Lin Zexu was transferred to Jiangsu governor.In the following 5 years, Lin Zexu made outstanding achievements in Jiangsu's agriculture, water affairs, water conservancy, disaster relief, and administration of officials.

Daoguang 17th year (1837): 53-year-old Lin Zexu was promoted to governor of Huguang.At that time, every summer in Hubei, there were always floods. Lin Zexu took effective measures and proposed to "pay attention to both repair and prevention", so that "the long dikes of thousands of miles in Jianghan, Anlan Puqing, and Zhihe's embankments, there is no place to overflow." It has made great contributions to protecting the life and property of the states and counties along the Jianghan River.

In the 18th year of Daoguang (1838): Regarding the cigarette sale, Lin Zexu, governor of Huguang, made a memorial and asked for a heavy code: "If this disaster is not eliminated, after ten years, not only will there be no wages to raise, but also no soldiers to use."

Daoguang was deeply moved after reading it, and immediately declared Lin Zexu to enter the pilgrimage, calling for a total of [-] times.

And soon Lin Zexu was appointed as the imperial envoy to Guangdong to ban opium.

In the 19th year of Daoguang (1839): 55-year-old Lin Zexu arrived in Guangdong, ordered foreign opium dealers to pay cigarettes within a time limit, and pledged that he would never carry opium in the future. Come back, I swear to stay with this matter forever, and there is absolutely no reason to stop."

On June 6 of the same year, Lin Zexu completed the feat of "selling cigarettes in Humen", officially becoming a national hero!
……

(End of this chapter)