Wuxi Celebrities

Xue Fucheng, Shuxuyin, was born on March 18, 1838, in the 18th year of the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. His ancestors lived in Xizhangsi Tou, Wuxi County, and then moved to the former Xixi River in the city. His father, Xue Xiang, was a graduate in the Daoguang Dynasty and became the governor of Zhenzhou. In 1858, Xue Fucheng was awarded the title of Candidate of the Academy. In 1858, Xue Fucheng was awarded the title of Candidate of the Candidate of the Year. In the tenth year of Xianfeng, Xue Fucheng wrote two essays on Election, exposing the shortcomings of the imperial examination system and requesting that the system be changed so as to revitalize the literary style, boost morale, and select talented people. In the third year of Tongzhi (1864), he joined Zeng Guofan's staff. Before joining the curtain, he had submitted a book of 10,000 words to Zeng Guofan, proposing eight strategies of governance, including raising talents, broadening cultivation fields, developing the Tuen Mun government, governing the Twisted Army, clarifying the rule of mandarins, enhancing people's livelihoods, preparing for sea defense, and addressing the changes of the times. Zeng Guofan praised, "Zeng four disciples" one.

Tongzhi six years, listed in the Jiangnan township test deputy list. Tongzhi eleven years Zeng Guofan died, he went to Suzhou bookstore. Guangxu first year (1875), learned that the court under the swamp "Bozai lie, with the governance", then wrote "should be imperial decree Chen speech", which includes "six policies" and "sea defense secret ten", please Shandong governor Ding Baozhen on behalf of the report, was adopted by the Qing court. At this time, his reputation rose, for the attention of the foreign affairs faction. In the second half of the year, Xue Fucheng into Li Hongzhang curtain. In the face of a serious national crisis, he thought hard about the method of enriching the country and strengthening the military, and in Guangxu five years wrote "Ruminations on Preparing for the Western World", proposing to modify the unequal treaties, strengthen the northern border defense, and to "official supervision of the business office" and private capitalization of the method of industrial and commercial industry and other proposals, which provided the theoretical basis for the foreign affairs movement.

In the early summer of the tenth year of Guangxu, Xue Fucheng became the Zhejiang Ningshao Daotai. At the time of the outbreak of the Sino-French War, the coast of Zhejiang has become a military center of gravity, he was ordered to generalize the battalion, together with the Governor Ouyang Lixian and other officials in Ningbo, Zhenhai and other coastal areas along the river to strengthen the war preparations, and stand by. The following year repeatedly repulsed the French ships, wounded the French General Lubai, thwarted the French landing attempts in Zhejiang, was awarded the post of Minister of the cloth for his achievements. In order to consolidate the sea defense of zhejiang, he also suggested and presided over the construction of raspberry mountain, zhaobao mountain, jinji mountain and other places of the fortress, which took 4 years to complete. Guangxu fourteen years was promoted to the Hunan Minister, the following year was reappointed Minister of England, France, Italy, than four countries. In January, 16th year of Guangxu, Xue Fucheng led a mission to Europe. During the European period, Xue Fucheng carefully examined the political, economic, cultural and military situation of Britain, France, Italy, than, Russia and other countries, the Western countries of the "sovereign and people **** Lord", "the art of enrichment of the people" greatly appreciated, and advocated learning from the West, the implementation of constitutional monarchies, and support for He advocated learning from the West, instituting a constitutional monarchy, supporting the establishment of private industrial and commercial enterprises, and setting up a new type of academy for modern cultural and technical education. He also believed that rapid population growth was one of the causes of poverty. In order to reduce population pressure,

he advocated encouraging people to go abroad to earn a living. In the course of his research, he also saw the serious social problems of polarization, environmental pollution, military expansion, and foreign aggression in western countries. He believed that the West "all the political and religious can be seen, only the three principles of the training is inferior to China". During his mission to four countries, Xue Fucheng carried out excellent diplomatic activities to protect the interests of overseas Chinese. After repeated maneuvers and disputes, he made a contract with Britain to settle the old case of the Yunnan-Burma border and recovered a large part of the occupied territory. Guangxu 20 years, returned to China, May 28, arrived in Shanghai, because of the disease and travel fatigue, in June 19 in

Shanghai died at the age of 56 years.

Xue Fucheng was a writer. His prose was fresh and fluent, and he made a name for himself in the literary world of the late Qing Dynasty.