Ronglu

Ronglu (6 April 1836 – 11 April 1903), courtesy name Zhonghua, was a Manchu political and military leader during the late Qing dynasty. He was born into the Guwalgiya clan, which was part of the Plain White Banner of the Manchu Eight Banners. His grandfather, Tasiha, served as an Imperial Resident in Kashgar, and his father, Changshou, held the position of zongbing, a military commander.

Ronglu attained recognition as an yinsheng, a civil service candidate who successfully gained admission to the Guozijian, the Imperial Academy. He began his governmental career as an assistant director (yuanwailang) in the Ministry of Works, focusing on road construction in Zhili Province. During the early years of the Tongzhi Emperor's reign in the 1860s, he established the Firearms Division and was awarded the position of jingtang, a fifth-grade magistrate. He also served as a flank commander (翼長) and zhuancao dachen (專操大臣), later being appointed zongbing (總兵) of the left flank. Through the recommendation of Wenxiang, Ronglu became Vice Secretary of the Ministry of Works and was subsequently reassigned to the Ministry of Revenue and the Imperial Household Department.

Following the death of the Tongzhi Emperor in 1875, the Guangxu Emperor ascended the throne. That same year, Ronglu was promoted to infantry commander (步軍統領). By 1878, he was serving as Left Censor-in-Chief (左都御史) and Secretary of Works but was relieved of some duties due to internal criticisms about officials holding multiple appointments. He was demoted amid accusations of accepting bribes and offended certain court figures, leading to early retirement in 1879. However, he was restored to service in 1891 as General of Xi'an.

In 1894, Ronglu was recalled to Beijing to participate in Empress Dowager Cixi's birthday celebrations and was appointed again as infantry commander. During the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), he, together with Prince Gong and Prince Qing, managed military affairs, and he recommended Yuan Shikai to oversee the formation and training of the New Army. In 1896, he became Secretary of Defence and Assistant Grand Secretary, advocating for the transfer of military forces to Beijing for capital defense and army modernization.

During the Hundred Days' Reform in 1898, Ronglu was promoted to Grand Secretary, holding multiple significant positions such as Viceroy of Zhili Province, Beiyang Trade Minister, and Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Cabinet. At this time, reforms led by Kang Youwei and Tan Sitong sought to reform the Qing government, but Empress Dowager Cixi opposed these efforts. Ronglu supported the conservative faction during the 1898 coup, which suppressed the reform movement, and subsequently was relieved of some posts to return as Secretary of Defence overseeing the Beiyang Army.

In 1899, Ronglu was appointed Imperial Commissioner and commanded troops led by Nie Shicheng, Dong Fuxiang, Song Qing, and Yuan Shikai. He established the Wuwei Corps, comprising five divisions led by the aforementioned commanders. During this period, he opposed the Empress Dowager’s plan to depose the Guangxu Emperor in favor of Prince Duan's son Puzhuan.

During the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, Ronglu's position was complex. While he was unable to prevent the siege of foreign legations by forces allied with Prince Duan and Dong Fuxiang, he endeavored to limit the violence and prevent the destruction of Western diplomatic quarters. He ordered military units under his command to protect foreigners and the railway and to refrain from aggressive attacks, thereby thwarting Prince Duan's efforts to capture the legations. After Beijing's fall to the Eight-Nation Alliance, Ronglu was not punished by foreign powers and was involved in the retreat of Empress Dowager Cixi and the Guangxu Emperor to Xi'an.

Subsequently, Ronglu was entrusted with administrative roles, including overseeing the Ministry of Revenue. In 1901, he supported reform proposals by Liu Kunyi and Zhang Zhidong. He received additional titles, such as Crown Prince's Grand Protector and Grand Secretary of Wenhua Hall, before his death in 1903. Posthumously, he was honored as Grand Tutor and enfeoffed as a first-class baron; his posthumous name was "Wenzhong."

Ronglu was married to women from the Sakda and Aisin-Gioro clans. His daughter Youlan married Zaifeng, Prince Chun, as his second daughter. Through this marriage, Ronglu became the maternal grandfather of Puyi, the last Emperor of China.

He has been portrayed in various media, including the 1963 film "55 Days at Peking," the 2006 television series "Sigh of His Highness," and the play "Chinese Boxing."