Li Hongzhang, who was once called a traitor by the world, has been vindicated by many people in recent years. As one of the four famous officials in the late Qing Dynasty, it is fair to say that Li Hongzhang did his best for the continuation of the Qing Dynasty. Thanks to the efforts of the four famous ministers, the Qing Dynasty survived for another half century. In the Qing Dynasty at that time, Li Hongzhang was the only person who could deal with the Western powers. But in troubled times, no one can decide his own destiny. Li Hongzhang could have survived the last days of his life and become a famous minister. But God seemed to want him to endure more hardships. A few months before his death, the Qing Dynasty experienced a huge change. Under the invasion of China by the Eight-Power Allied Forces, Cixi, as the actual national leader at the time, After fleeing in a panic, Cixi was forced to cede territory and pay compensation as the foreign powers pressed on her.

At that time, when selecting candidates to sign the treaty, the Qing Dynasty faced the embarrassing situation of having no one available. Looking at the entire Qing Dynasty, only Li Hongzhang, who was already in his twilight years, could take on this important task. In the end, even though Li Hongzhang had ten thousand reluctances, he could not disobey the emperor's order and had no choice but to go ahead. As early as the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War, Li Hongzhang was accused of incompetent combat. At that time, Ye Zhichao of the Army ran away before the fight started, Ding Ruchang of the Navy was not skilled at the navy at all, and the entire Beiyang Fleet was killed in action. Many people attribute the failure to Li Hongzhang's poor command.

When he went to Japan to sign the Treaty of Shimonoseki, Li Hongzhang was almost fatally shot by a Japanese assassin. Many days of fatigue and pressure had already overwhelmed Li Hongzhang. In addition, he was already close to 80 years old at the time. Li Hongzhang was already in critical condition. According to the memories of the staff who worked next to Li Hongzhang later, Li Hongzhang often vomited blood and did not eat during those days. . He just wants to end the negotiations and sign a treaty as soon as possible so that the people can escape from the sea of ??misery. When signing the "Xinchou Treaty", the 77-year-old Li Hongzhang burst into tears. Finally, the word "solemn" was written on the treaty. So why did Li Hongzhang sign this?

It turns out that Li Hongzhang was granted the title "Su Yibo" by the Qing court. The reason is very simple. If Li Hongzhang signed the name "Li Hongzhang" or wrote "Li Hongzhang, Special Envoy of the Qing Dynasty", then he would be in danger of losing his life, and the Qing Dynasty would also lose its face. Li Hongzhang used this word to retain the last dignity of the country. For Li Hongzhang, this was undoubtedly the most humiliating time in his life. No matter what he signed, he was destined to endure this period of humiliation and infamy. After returning to the country, Li Hongzhang passed away due to physical reasons. For an old man in his dying years, how much pressure he must bear at this critical moment in the country's life and destiny.