Zuo Zongtang's nickname, why did Cixi veto four nicknames in a row?
On September 5, 1885, a seemingly peaceful and beautiful day ended with the death of Zuo Zongtang, a famous minister in the late Qing Dynasty.
In the eyes of many people, Zuo Zongtang can be called the late Qing Dynasty"The hardest"because no one has the power to recover one-sixth of the land like him.
No one can be like him, because he is the only fearless arm of the Empress Dowager Cixi; No one can make civil and military officials fight for the interests of the country like him.
Her death meant that the Qing Dynasty had lost a loyal retainer and that the last pillar of the Qing Dynasty had fallen.
When the news of his death reached the palace, it caused a great shock, and even Cixi shed tears of grief for him. The palace naturally wants to pay tribute to this meritorious old minister, and one of the ways is to give Zuo Zongtang a nickname.
But how to give Zuo Zongtang a good nickname has become the top priority of the courtiers, and the person in charge of Zuo Zongtang's minister's affairs has drawn up four nicknames, but they have all been vetoed by Cixi, is this all?
It's hard to determine. The title refers to the title of the deceased emperor, princes, ministers and other dignitaries of the previous dynasty, according to their virtues and vices during their lifetime.
In general, epithets can only be given by rulers for those who have made a significant contribution to society and the state.
When choosing a nickname, follow the inscription method of the ancient nickname"Take"The word is generally used for military generals with outstanding military achievements, such as Liu Qi, one of the four famous generals in the core of the Southern Song Dynasty, who resisted gold all his life and was posthumously given a nickname after his death"Wu Mu"。
During his lifetime, Zuo Zongtang not only led the army to quell the rebellion for the Qing court many times, but also rebuilt the Xinjiang region, so he was posthumously gifted"Take"The word is well deserved.
However,"Take"Words cannot fully summarize Zuo Zongtang's life, because Zuo Zongtang can be colorful, martial arts, and literature, and can be the horse of the six armies.
He can be compared to Zeng Guofan, but Zeng Guofan is not just a famous general, nor is he just a politician, so he gave him one after Zuo Zongtang's death"Take"words, it seems too subtle and superficial.
Therefore, the ministers deliberated for a long time and finally decided to follow"text"word to start. In the laws of the Hereafter,"text"Words have many meanings, such as the text of the world, the text of virtue, the text of wisdom, etc.
with"Take"words compared to,"text"The connotation of the word is much richer. Finally,"Wen Zhong"The word "Er" was chosen as Zuo Zongtang's nickname, but the Empress Dowager Cixi rejected the proposal. Wen Zhong
Empress Dowager Cixi thinks"Loyalty"Although the words are good, they are not enough to praise Zuo Zongtang's merits, so he asked to give Zuo Zongtang a better nickname.
The ministers in charge of the proposed names were at a loss for a moment, and could not find the right words. After repeated consideration, they recommended a champion to the Empress Dowager Cixi - Xu Geng's body.
Xu Geng was the champion of the Xianfeng period, and after becoming a member of the self-cultivation cabinet, he served in an important military position in the Qing court for more than 30 years and made important contributions to the development of the country.
Xu Gensheng is shrewd**, knows astronomy and geography, and is especially familiar with the mountains and rivers of the Qing Dynasty.
Therefore, the ministers of the Empress Dowager Cixi recommended Xu Gengsheng as a suitable person to help the Empress Dowager Cixi solve this problem. According to Xu Geng's suggestion, Zuo Zongtang can become after his death"Wen Xiang"。
Wen Xiang"The meaning of the name.
It goes without saying,"text"The word is very suitable for Zuo Zongtang, and"Xiang"Words mean a lot.
It is said,"Wen Xiang"The term originated during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, when Duke Wen of Jin and Duke Xiang of Song were considered the most resourceful princes.
Therefore, the future generations will"text"、"Xiang"The two characters are used as nicknames to recognize those talented and outstanding ministers.
In the law, there are"Because of the merit"said. In all dynasties, there are nicknames'Xiang'The person who has made great achievements is either a famous general who has made great achievements, or a family that has made great achievements'Xiang'The word can be seen'Xiang'It's a good meaning. "'Xiang'The word means very good.
In the history of the Qing Dynasty, there were many ministers who were posthumously awarded'Wen Xiang', Zuo Zongtang is the one with the best nickname.
Cixi was very happy about this, and officially posthumously condemned Zuo Zongtang after his death"Wen Xiang"。
Zuo Zongtang's life is full of legends: he fell off the list in the first half of his life, was depressed, and became a famous minister in the second half of his life, with unlimited fame.
After his death, he was praised by the emperor and the widowed empress, and people wept bitterly over his departure.
He spent his life fighting horses, but he could not change the fate of the decline of the Qing Dynasty, nor could he prevent the further collapse of the Qing Dynasty.