As the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty, the three northeastern provinces carry the historical accumulation of the Qing Dynasty. However, the Qing Dynasty was in decline at the end of the period, and they tried to salvage the decline by regaining strength in the northeast.
In the process, they took a fancy to Xu Shichang and believed that he was a key figure capable of leading the Northeast to regain its strength.
Xu Shichang was a well-known figure in the late Qing Dynasty and the ** period. He was erudite, implemented the New Deal, loved the country, and showed the excellent qualities of Chinese traditional knowledge elements.
He has worked hard in officialdom for many years, and his achievements and reputation are not ordinary. After careful consideration, the Qing court decided that Xu Shichang was the most suitable candidate to run the Northeast.
As a result, he was appointed as the minister of the Imperial Mission, the governor of the three eastern provinces, and in charge of the military affairs of the three eastern provinces, holding the military and political power. Xu Shichang was full of confidence, but he did not rush to take office, but suggested to the imperial court to go to the northeast for a few months to investigate, and then put forward specific countermeasures after a comprehensive understanding of the situation.
The imperial court approved his suggestion, and Xu Shichang went to the northeast. After arriving in the northeast, he did not rest, and immediately went to the counties and townships to inspect the land cultivation, the industrial and commercial markets, and the plight of the peasants.
After more than two months of trekking, he basically grasped the situation in the northeast and officially took office after submitting a report of 10,000 words to the imperial court.
Xu Shichang found that farmers in Northeast China only planted one crop of grain and knew nothing about wheat planting, so he looked through the information, studied deeply, and finally chose experimental planting. As a result, the wheat harvest was abundant, and he immediately promoted the planting, and three years later, the Tohoku became a bumper harvest of wheat, and Kannai also received a stable grain **.
Xu Shichang, a unique and visionary figure of the times, witnessed the miraculous changes that took place in the Northeast during his two years in the Northeast. In the city, street lamps illuminate every road, and the market is prosperous, while the countryside has a good harvest of food and a prosperous life.
Behind all this, it is inseparable from Xu Shichang's practical spirit and profound thinking. After serving in the Hanlin Academy for many years, Xu Shichang never gave up thinking about the future of the Qing Dynasty.
He was well aware that if the Qing Dynasty wanted to have a long-term future, it must closely follow the world trend and strengthen national defense construction. Therefore, when Yuan Shikai was training at the small station, Xu Shichang resolutely went to defect and taught the advanced training methods, barracks management and methods of stimulating the fighting spirit to his colleagues around him, and had an important impact on Yuan Shikai's military reform.
However, Xu Shichang knew that the times were constantly advancing, and it was inevitable that the Qing Dynasty would decline under the constraints of the old system. Therefore, when Yuan Shikai conspired to restore the imperial system, he chose to retreat bravely and left Yuan Shikai, no matter what high position the other party promised him, he was resolutely opposed to the restoration of the imperial system.
Xu Shichang's wise choice shows his spirit of independent thinking and deep anxiety about the future of the country.
On June 5, 1916, Zhang Xun, the Yangtze River patrol envoy and Anhui military governor, planned the restoration, and visited Xu's house many times to invite him to participate. However, Xu Shichang was adamantly opposed to Zhang Xun's restoration plan and severely criticized his behavior of going backwards to history.
In the end, the restoration was declared a failure in the midst of national opposition, and Xu Shichang's opposition to Zhang Xun's restoration quickly spread.
Zhang Xun and Xu Shichang's operation in Northeast China benefited from his great attention to and deep participation in field visits. At the same time, he also actively participated in the training of small stations, and opposed historical events such as Yuan Shikai's proclamation of emperor and Zhang Xun's restoration, which reflected his in-depth insight and unique insights into Chinese society at that time.
His practical spirit and forward-looking vision are still of great enlightening significance for our thinking today.