Before entering Guangzhou, Lin Zexu first found out the opium poisoning situation in Guangzhou, searched various cigarette houses and got a lot of first-hand information. In the 19th year of Daoguang, he arrived in Guangzhou in the first month [1March, 839], and on the fourth day of February (March, 65438+March, 2009), together with Deng Yanzhen, Lin Zexu summoned thirteen foreign businessmen, ordered them to hand over an imperial edict, and ordered foreign opium dealers to pay cigarettes within a time limit. However, foreign businessmen refused to hand it over. After resolute struggle, they defeated the British commercial supervision law and opium dealers in China, and confiscated nearly 20 thousand boxes of opium, about 2.37 million kilograms. On April 22nd (June 3rd), it was destroyed in public at Humen Beach. This is the victory of the world-famous anti-smoking movement led by the destruction of opium in Humen and Lin Zexu, and it is the first great victory in the history of China people's anti-aggression struggle. This feat safeguarded the dignity and interests of the country and enhanced the fighting spirit of the people of China.
In the process of investigating opium in Guangzhou, Lin Zexu realized that Britain would launch a war of aggression. To defeat the enemy, we need to know ourselves. Through all kinds of analysis and research, he reached the conclusion of turning an enemy into a friend, which is Wei Yuan's summary of "learning from foreigners to control foreigners". So Lin Zexu personally presided over and organized a translation team to translate foreigners' remarks about China into Petrochemical Yi Yan, which was an official "reference news" in China at that time. In order to understand foreign military, political and economic information, Guangzhou Weekly sponsored by British businessmen was translated into Macau News. In order to understand the geography, history and politics of the west, he also organized the translation of the Encyclopedia of World Geography written by the Englishman Murray, and compiled it into The Chronicles of Four Continents, which was the first book in modern China to systematically introduce western geography. He also translated Vattel's International Law. One of them stipulates: "All countries have the right to ban the import of foreign goods." This shows that the ban on smoking in China is in full compliance with international law. On the military side, we will strengthen and improve the coastal defense forces. Lin Zexu specially bought more than 200 new cannons from foreign countries and deployed them on Haikou Fort. In order to improve military technology, materials such as gun aiming methods and warship books were collected and sorted out. Lin Zexu dared to learn the spirit of foreign advanced science and technology and was highly praised by people. He is called "the first person who opened his eyes to see the world." Although Lin Zexu's understanding of the West is superficial, and his contact with Western learning is out of diplomatic and military needs, after all, he created an atmosphere of learning and studying the West in modern China, which played an enlightening role in China's modern reform thought.
British colonialists refused to give up the evil opium trade and planned to invade China by force. Lin Zexu banned smoking in Guangdong. "While actively preparing for the war, he built forts and pulled wooden chains to stop the river. He believed that' the people's hearts can be used' and recruited more than 5,000 fishermen to form a water brave, which repeatedly defeated the British provocation. 1839 In the second half of the year, it won the counter-offensive campaigns such as the Battle of Kowloon and the Battle of Chuanbi Piping. Blind and proud, Daoguang Emperor ordered to stop British trade. On the first day of December in the 19th year of Daoguang (1840 1.5), the Qing court awarded Lin Zexu the post of governor of Guangdong and Guangxi. After the Opium War broke out, Dinghai fell, and Qishan went to Guangzhou and Lin Zexu did the opposite. Under the threat and inducement of the British invaders, he signed the "Chuanbi Cao Yue" without authorization, ceded Hong Kong and paid 6 million yuan for tobacco. But he blamed all this on Lin Zexu.
Lin Zexu was meritorious in resisting Britain, but he was framed by the capitulators and dismissed by Emperor Guangxu. "He was sent back to Yili to atone for his sins." He endured humiliation and set foot on the road in the 21st year of Daoguang (184 1 July 14). On the way to Xu, I still care about my country and people, and I don't feel sorry for my personal frustrations. When I said goodbye to my wife in the ancient city of Xi 'an, I wrote an inspiring poem full of anger, "Would you like to live and die for your country? Do you want to avoid it because of disaster? " This is an expression of his patriotic feelings and a portrayal of his temperament and personality.
Daoguang arrived in Xinjiang on November 9th, 21st. Despite his advanced age and declining physical strength, Lin Zexu visited eight cities in southern Xinjiang from Yili to "Three Wan Li in the Western Regions", which deepened his understanding of the importance of border defense in northwest China. Lin Zexu's translation materials found that Russia threatened China, which prompted him to resist Britain's and Russia's national defense thought and became the pioneer of modern "anti-blockade theory". Therefore, he clearly proposed to the Ili general Bu Yantai that he should prepare for the "battle of ploughing". He also led the masses to build water conservancy projects and popularize karez and spinning wheels. People call it "Lin Gong Jing" and "Lin Che" to commemorate his achievements. Based on his many years of investigation in Xinjiang, Lin Zexu pointed out the seriousness of the threat posed by Russia when Russia threatened the Qing court to open Ili, and issued a warning at the end of his life, "After all, it is Russia!" Lin Zexu's foresight has been confirmed by later history.
In the twenty-fifth year of Daoguang (1845), Lin Zexu was reused by the imperial court and transferred to the governor of Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia. When he was the capital of Yunnan, he proposed to rectify Yunnan's mining policy, encourage private mining and promote business. This reflects that his thoughts contain budding capitalist thoughts. Daoguang twenty-nine years (1849), died of illness. Ended his political career. In the thirty years of Daoguang (1850), the Qing government suppressed the Taiping Army, and later appointed him as an imperial envoy to supervise the military affairs in Guangxi. On the way to his post, he died suddenly in Puning County, Chaozhou on1October 19 (3 1, 12) at the age of 66. After his death, Kim presented the Prince Taifu and his wife to him.
Lin Zexu, a famous feudal politician and a representative of the landlord class reformists, has been in politics for 40 years and served in 13 province. Although as a feudal official, he had the idea of "loyalty to the monarch" and suppressed the uprising of ethnic minorities, at the critical moment when the Chinese nation was facing semi-colonialism, he stepped forward, "put aside misfortune and honor", resolutely banned smoking, resisted foreign armed aggression and defended national sovereignty and territory. It also advocates learning advanced western technology and developing national industry and commerce. This is the mainstream of his life activities and thoughts. Lin Zexu was the first national hero in modern China. Lin Zexu loves poetry and calligraphy all his life, and has written works such as Yunzuoshanfang Paper Money, Yunzuoshanfang Paper Money, Making Yunnan Sing Grass, and Lin Wenzhong's Official Letter. Manuscripts, diaries, official letters, letters, poems, etc. after the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC). Was compiled as a collection of Lin Zexu's works.