Extensive reading of Biography of Xu Guangqi in Ming Dynasty is full of "not showing his ambition", "not listening to his words", "terminally ill", "not thinking", "terminally ill", "leaving his job and living in seclusion" and "unable to build a White House". It can be seen that he is not a person who can't make ends meet, but he is proactive and combative.
Xu Guangqi's achievements in mathematics, astronomical calendar and agricultural administration are well known. Needless to say, what is particularly worth mentioning is his military contribution.
Xu Guangqi was one of the pioneers who advocated the introduction of Hony Gun in China. Facing the precarious situation, he always pays attention to the military. During the Wanli period, he devoted himself to being a soldier. At the same time, he also participated in the actual operation and trained new recruits in Tongzhou and Changping areas in the suburbs of Beijing. In the second year of Chongzhen (A.D. 1629), he made suggestions to defend the capital, the most notable of which was the introduction and imitation of the Red Yi cannon.
Hongyi Cannon, also known as the Western Cannon (renamed the Red Cannon in Qing Dynasty), was a revolutionary new thing at that time. In contrast, the homemade utensils of the Ming Dynasty are really "dwarfed". Xu Guangqi realized that "extinction of firearms is the priority of current affairs" and that "only extinction of weapons can defeat the enemy". Under his vigorous advocacy, the Ming court bought more than 40 guns from Portuguese businessmen in Macao in four times. Among these Hony cannons, 1 1 was transported to Shanhaiguan and Ningyuan, which played an important role in the victory of Ningyuan. The great victory in Ningyuan was the first major setback since the late Jin started the war. Documentary records such as Ji Di Zhubao and Zhang Dai's Postscript of Shi Kui Shu confirmed that an important figure in the late Jin Dynasty was wounded by artillery fire in this battle, and it was rumored that the Qing Taizu Nurhachi died as a result. Yuan Chonghuan's military medal is half that of Shanghainese Xu Guangqi. Since then, the reputation of the Red Yi Gun has spread far and wide, and the Ming court organized large-scale personnel to imitate the Red Yi Gun. In the third year of Chongzhen (A.D. 1630), Xu Guangqi personally presided over the imitation of more than 400 Red Yi cannons.
Xu Guangqi's work was strongly opposed and criticized by many North Korean officials at that time. Conservative bureaucrats accused him of being pedantic and should not "use words to control the army." Choosing soldiers is "disturbing the sea", and the purpose of training and buying guns is "nothing more than cheating officials and stealing salaries". "It is a trivial matter to entertain yourself with tens of thousands of silver from the imperial court, but if he is a smart but not smart Shanghainese, he will probably be too scared to say anything.
Xu Guangqi's sadness in his later years was also related to the Red Yi cannon. In August of the fourth year of Chongzhen (A.D. 163 1 year), Sun, a western artillery expert and disciple of Xu Guangqi (also from Gao Qiao Town, Chuansha, Shanghai), boarded the Taishou Sun and urged Kong Youde to lead an army to Liaodong to reinforce the Ming army besieged by Huang Taiji. When Kong Youde arrived at Wuqiao, he was incited by traitors because of insufficient supply of troops, which was called "Wuqiao mutiny" in history. The rebels occupied Dengzhou and captured 7,000 soldiers, 3,000 horses,100,000 taels of silver and 20 hongyi cannons. Sun failed to commit suicide, but insisted on not compromising with the rebels. In the city, the Portuguese who assisted Sun 12 died and 15 was seriously injured. In April of the sixth year of Chongzhen, Kong Youde and Geng descended from Zhenjiang Fort (near the mouth of the Yalu River) and went out of the suburbs to meet Huang Taiji, which was a treasure. Kong Youde and others later became the main force of attacking Manchu Han Banner and deep-water bombs in the Ming Dynasty, and the proportion of artillery forces in the Ming and Qing Dynasties was reversed. After Sun was put back, he was executed by Emperor Chongzhen and died unjustly.
Xu Guangqi lost his lover, and the strategic layout painstakingly planned was reversed. His mood in his later years should be extremely sad. In the sixth year of Chongzhen (A.D.1633165438+10.8), on the seventh day of October, in the second year of Wuqiao mutiny, Xu Guangqi died in Beijing at the age of 72.
On his deathbed, Xu Guangqi talked about the revision of the calendar. He said nothing about his utility, nor about the military. "It's silly to say it, so I won't say it." But as for money and food, he took care of the records in person, even if he was poor and sick, he didn't use a penny. He also has a boning knife like Uncle Minglu, which is inserted around the neck of decadent system, traditional humble opinion and his own soul figure.