This couplet is posted in the Li Hongzhang Ancestral Hall in Nanjing.

First couplet: To enjoy happiness is not to be an official. As long as you have money in your pocket, rice in your warehouse, and poems and books in your belly, you will be the prime minister of the mountains;

Second couplet: No need to take medicine to pray for longevity. I hope that my body will be free of illness, my mind will be free of worries, my family will have no creditors, and I may become a god on earth.

Hengbiao: Happy every day.

The evaluation of Li Hongzhang, an important official in the late Qing Dynasty, has always been mixed. But there is no doubt that Li Hongzhang did have some real talents and learning. The Li family father and son are known as "three Jinshi in one discipline".

Li Hongzhang once helped Zeng Guofan revise the memorial, changing the phrase "the ministers repeatedly fought and lost" to "the ministers repeatedly defeated and fought". With a slight change, the Hunan army's courage was refined and demonstrated. As a result, instead of blaming Zeng Guofan, the court praised him.

Li Hongzhang has outstanding literary talent and good calligraphy. Like other literati, he often wrote couplets. These couplets reflect the inner world of this historical figure from a specific perspective and reflect his life trajectory.

Extended information

Li Hongzhang was born in Modian Township, Dongxiang, Hefei County, Anhui Province (now Yaohai District, Hefei City, Anhui Province) on the fifth day of the first lunar month of the third year of Daoguang. He was an outstanding student in the county. The son of Li Wen'an and his wife Li. The name of the spectrum is copper. Because he is the second among eight brothers and sisters, he is also known as "Mr. Li Er" among the people.

Li Hongzhang entered Jiaguan Dihua Bookstore to study at the age of six. He was a smart young man. He studied classics and history under his uncle Li Fangxian and Xu Ziling, a famous scholar in Hefei, and laid a solid foundation of knowledge.