Cheng Dequan

Cheng Dequan

Cheng Dequan (1860-1930), whose name is Chunru, was born in Yunyang, Sichuan Province (now Chongqing). He was a political figure in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China.

Cheng Dequan was born as a Gongsheng. In 1888, Cheng Dequan became an official in wengemu, the vice capital of the three surnames. Guangxu 16 years (1890), into the National Academy of education. In the 24th year of Guangxu (1898), Cheng Dequan went to Heilongjiang Province to join shoushanmu. In the 26th year of Guangxu (1900), tsarist Russia invaded Northeast China and was ordered to go to the former enemy's governor team to actively prepare for war. Later, he served as the general office of Heilongjiang battalion office. The next year, he was promoted to Zhili Prefecture magistrate. Guangxu 29 years (1903), promoted to Taoist, reward and add the title of deputy governor, Acting Deputy Governor of Qiqihar. In 1905, he was promoted to Heilongjiang general. In 1909, he was appointed governor of Fengtian. In the first year of Xuantong (1910), he was transferred to the governor of Jiangsu Province and participated in the preparation of constitutionalism. On November 5 of the second year of Xuantong (1911), Cheng Dequan was promoted to be the commander of the Soviet army, and became the first feudal official of the Qing Dynasty who took part in the revolution. On December 3, he became the governor of Jiangsu Province.

On January 1, 1912, the first year of the Republic of China (1912), after the establishment of the Nanjing Provisional Government, Cheng Dequan was appointed by Sun Yat Sen as the head of the Ministry of internal affairs. Together with Zhang Taiyan, he organized the Federation of the Republic of China, the United Party and the Republican Party. After Yuan Shikai became president, he was appointed governor of Jiangsu Province and began to restore order. In 1913, after Song Jiaoren was assassinated, he personally went to Shanghai to deal with the "Song case" and disclosed the inside story. He opposed the second revolution and advocated reconciliation with the revolutionaries. After that, he quit politics and lived in seclusion in Shanghai, reciting scriptures behind closed doors. In the 15th year of the Republic of China (1926), he was ordained in Tianning Temple, Changzhou, and was named Jizhao. On May 29, 1930, he died in Shanghai at the age of 70. His posthumous works include Cheng Zhongcheng's manuscript and Fu Wu Wendu.

(general drawing reference)

Life of the characters

A down and out scholar

Cheng Dequan was born on July 22, 1860, and was born in a scholarly family in Yunyang County. Cheng's family was once a prominent family in Yunyang. In his father's generation, Cheng Dequan's family declined, which made his early life very difficult. His father was a scholar. He taught for a living. Cheng Dequan studied with his father. Because his family was poor, he helped to teach and read for a long time, and he was away for many years. Cheng family was originally a big family of four generations. Because of the great famine in East Sichuan in 1875, they could not survive together. They had to separate and make a living. At that time, Cheng Dequan was in Kuizhou for a test in Yingjun county. When he returned to his new home, he had nothing but tile pots and bamboo chopsticks. His mother was ill and his younger brothers and sisters were young. In 1878, Cheng Dequan got married and was managed by a capable new daughter-in-law. He was still unable to support himself because of poverty, so he had to continue to teach abroad. Soon, the house was taken back and there was nowhere to go. The new daughter-in-law observed the terrain and found that building a shed under the cliff could also cover the wind and rain. One year, the flood broke out and destroyed the shed. Fortunately, his wife was alert and asked his family to escape. After the death of his mother, his sister-in-law has grown up, reducing the burden of the family. In the 16th year of Guangxu (1890), Cheng Dequan entrusted his wife with his family affairs and went out to travel in Sichuan, hoping to get rid of poverty. He was born in Gongsheng and went to the capital to study in Guozijian. However, he is still poor, often suffering from hunger and cold, and even unable to go out because of hunger. When he was studying in Beijing, he saw the crisis of the Northeast situation and carefully studied the Northeast issue, which gave him the opportunity to change his destiny.

A new official career

Shoushan, a flag man, learned that Cheng Dequan was familiar with the Northeast issue, and appreciated Cheng's talent after meeting him. In 1891, Cheng Dequan, recommended by Shoushan, went to the northeast to work as an aide, and the problem of livelihood was solved. In 1895, Cheng Dequan was recommended as the alternate magistrate of Anhui Province after the Sino Japanese war. It was only in 1896 that he was able to bring his wife and children to live with him. At the end of the 25th year of Guangxu (1899), Cheng Dequan served as the assistant of Shoushan, the vice capital of Heilongjiang Province. In February of the 26th year of Guangxu (1900), Shoushan went to Qiqihar as an acting Heilongjiang general, accompanied by Cheng Dequan, who served as the general director of Heilongjiang Yinyuan Bureau and concurrently as a general copywriter.

Strive to strengthen Russia

In the late June of the 26th year of Guangxu (1900), the Qing government began to mobilize the Russian army for war. On July 21, Russian troops massacred Chinese citizens living there for a long time in hailanpao. At the same time, the Russian army invaded 64 villages in Jiangdong and slaughtered the Chinese people. There were two tragedies in the Sino Russian border area. On August 5, the Russian army occupied Huihui and attacked the Northeast in an all-round way. After tenacious resistance, the Chinese army was defeated one after another. after the outbreak of the war, Cheng Dequan was appointed Prime Minister of the camp affairs office by Heilongjiang general Shoushan, and went to the front line to supervise the army. During the trip to Bordo (now Nehe county), when the water of the Muner River soared, tens of thousands of refugees cried and struggled to cross. Morgan (today's Nenjiang County) has also been lost, and the soldiers on the station are less than 1000, so they are so depressed that they can't be rectified, and they can't organize resistance. To this end, Cheng wrote to Shoushan, claiming to ask the Russian army for peace. On August 19, Shoushan received an order from the Qing government to negotiate peace, and immediately assigned Cheng Dequan to negotiate peace with the Russian army. On the 22nd, Cheng Dequan went to Russia three times to seek peace and tried to stop the advance of the Russian army, but he was refused. Because Cheng Dequan wanted to kill himself by death, the Russian officer quickly pulled Cheng's wrist to stop him So the Russian army agreed not to attack provincial cities, not to kill innocent people, not to plunder property. Cheng Dequan immediately returned to Qiqihar to withdraw his troops, arms and grain, and prepare to give way to the city peacefully. On the 24th, the Russian army crossed the Muner River, and on the 28th, it arrived in the outskirts of Qiqihar. Jiang, a translator for the Russian army, secretly lied to the Russian army and said, "there is a fall in the provincial capital. To discuss peace is to lure the nearby city." The Russian army plans to attack the city immediately. Cheng hurried out of the city to meet with the Russian army. He blocked the muzzle and begged the Russian army to stop attacking, so the Russian army stopped shelling. Since then, he insisted on staying in the Russian army as a hostage to release the enemy's doubts. On the 29th, Russian troops marched into the city and occupied Qiqihar. Heilongjiang general Shoushan committed suicide. Russian generals have just entered Qiqihar and plundered it. At the same time, the Russian Army wanted to make Cheng Dequan a Heilongjiang general and a puppet of the Russian army. Cheng Dequan thought that it was against the state system and was not appointed. He resolutely refused to do so and threw himself into the river to save the Russian army. To this end, Cheng Dequan wrote to the Russian tsar, demanding that Russia withdraw its troops: "the great emperor should withdraw his troops when the cold winter is approaching, so as to make the place peaceful and Commerce prosperous. Yesterday, I received a call from governor Burley saying that he wanted to follow the orders of the great emperor and let me be a general. I'm a stranger from home and live in Heilongjiang Province. At the beginning of this incident, I wanted to protect the safety of my people. It was because of the great emperor's exclusive diplomatic relations that the provincial capital was safe and sound. Now the great emperor wanted me to make my own decision to be a general because of the martyrdom of general Shoushan, let alone not get the emperor's approval, so he didn't dare to act arbitrarily I'm already a runaway courtier. I'm living in a muddle. What face do I have to be a general? At the moment, the great emperor does not know that I am extremely grieved. How can I handle local government affairs? For the sake of the fact that the situation in Heilongjiang Province is not stable, your country must make every effort to ensure peace so as not to hurt people again. For millions of people in the Qing Dynasty, I asked: "don't hurt people; don't rob people's property; don't bully women; treat the Chinese people favorably as usual; don't change the Qing government decree; if officials and people want to move, they will issue passports; issue business licenses to people of all cities and stations; go to Hulan and other places to receive and appease the people; issue notices to make the people know." Soon after, Cheng Dequan was taken by the Russian army to Chita and passed by hulunbuyur (today's Hailar). Due to cold weather, he was released by the Russian Red Cross after treatment and returned to Qiqihar on November 7. But from then on, he suffered from wind cold disease. Cheng Dequan's action with the Russian army won him a reputation in the government and the public. The Northeast scholars had hoped to push Cheng to become Heilongjiang general by expedient. But Cheng Dequan's qualifications are very shallow. What's more, according to the Qing Dynasty system, the Northeast maintained the traditional flag system, using flag people instead of Han people, in order to maintain the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty and the source of combat power. There is no reason to be a general. The selection of the Northeast scholars was not accepted by the Qing government. However, later generals of Heilongjiang and Jilin also repeatedly asked the Qing government to reuse Cheng Dequan. In February 1901, Cheng Dequan was promoted by the Qing government to Zhili Zhizhou, and was awarded the title of Hualing and Sanpin. In September 1902, Cheng Dequan, the general of Jilin Province, was appointed as the third surname (today's Yilan) to deal with the aftermath of the incident, and also to raise money and arrest. In the winter of the 29th year of Guangxu (1903), tsarist Russia delayed its withdrawal from the northeast, and the Russo Japanese war was brewing. The Qing government was in urgent need of qualified personnel to go to the northeast. However, the traditional ruling foundation of the Qing government in Northeast China has collapsed, and the crisis is coming, so there is no one to use, so it has to be changed. On December 28, Cixi summoned Cheng Dequan to inquire about Heilongjiang affairs. Cixi was very satisfied with his answer and was promoted to be a Taoist priest. The next day, she added the title of deputy governor and acted as deputy governor of Qiqihar. Deputy Dutong was a military officer. The appointment of Cheng Dequan was not only a step up promotion, but also broke the practice of not using Han people in Northeast China. It is said that Cixi entertained foreign guests before her appointment, and the Russian Minister's wife also praised Cheng Dequan in front of Cixi, which contributed to Cixi's exceptional promotion. On May 15, 1905, the Qing government appointed Cheng Dequan as the acting general of Heilongjiang Province to handle military and political affairs of the whole province. At the beginning of the 33rd year of Guangxu (1907), the Qing government changed the northeast into a line

Chinese PinYin : Cheng De Quan