In the 11th year of Guangxu, the Sino-French War ended and Vietnam became a French colony. In the 12th year of Guangxu, Li Shoutong was ordered to demarcate the Sino-Vietnamese border with Deng Chengxiu, the imperial envoy of the Qing government, Wang Zhichun, the representative of French border demarcation, Tommy Tam and Shihai. However, because the French maritime warrior Yu Haining was killed by Vietnamese, Tommy Tam was afraid of death, bypassing China and Yunnan, and arrived at Mang Street in January of Guangxu 13th year. At that time, the French army had crossed the border and captured Jiangping, Changshan and Bazhuang in China, and Chen Bing threatened to set up obstacles to border demarcation. In the demarcation negotiations between China and France, the French side was arrogant and demanded to seize our land. We are neither humble nor supercilious, and strive for it according to reason, so that the French side is exhausted and put a stop to it.
After more than four months of talks, due to the rudeness of the French side, no progress was made in border affairs. In the 13th year of Guangxu, the Qing government quickly recalled Deng Chengxiu to Qinzhou and Beijing on the grounds that "the discussion was not finished for a long time". . Border affairs were handed over by third-class Li Shoutong, Fangcheng magistrate Chen, French fifth painting officer Li Yi (Lao Bird) and fourth painting officer. During the talks, Li Shoutong adhered to the position of territorial integrity of the country and refused to give an inch of land, and fought hard with the French side. With the support of the local people, he recovered the border areas occupied by the French army, such as Jiangping and Bazhuang. From Zhushan along the Beilun River to Tansan Cave, dozens of Sino-Vietnamese boundary markers were set up, which were signed in the 19th year of Guangxu, establishing the Sino-Vietnamese border. Li Shoutong fulfilled his mission and completed the demarcation task. I will leave my post and go home soon.
During the establishment of the boundary, Li Shoutong worked tirelessly, waded through mountains and rivers along the boundary, slept in the wind, and wrote two poems, "There is a feeling of sleeping in the pit with the dharma":
Listening to the rustling, the frost of thousands of trees still fades;
The wood road is covered with bones and tigers, and the thorns are poisonous red;
Yan Yan has a history of several thousand meters, and Li Ruan has read several dynasties;
People slept with the grass and blamed it for cutting all night.
Bears are haunted by sorrow, and the cold conditions in the mountains are worth autumn;
Why not take the risk? The side of the building never envies tall buildings.
Appear on the stubborn Sanshengshi sign, pointing to five continents;
Happiness is to pull out the radish on the wall, and you have to drink clean water when you stab the spring water.