戊戌年徐桐薦張之洞及楊鋭、劉光第之密謀

Xu Tong’s Recommendation for Zhang Zhidong in the Year of Wuxu and the Conspiracy of Yang Rui and Liu Guangdi

本文以刘光第致其族弟刘举臣之信为线索，发现了胶州湾事件后刑部候补主事刘光第、内阁候补侍读杨锐对中枢的无力之不满，希望湖广总督张之洞来京主持，于是刘光第以门生的身份运动大学士、管理吏部事务徐桐，由徐出面保张。由杨锐起草并与刘光第商订的徐桐保张之洞摺，也在档案中检出録上。本文纠正了作者先前研究中的错误。

From the hint of letters wrote by Liu Guangdi to Liu Juchen, his younger clan cousin, the article reveals that as officials served respectively in the Department of Justice and Prosecution and the Grand Secretariat, Liu Guangdi and Yangrui complained about the weakness of central power, hoping Zhang Zhidong, a governor-general of Hu-Guang could return to Beijing and grasp the overall situation instead. Liu Guangdi, then, asked Xu Tong, a grand secretary and a leader in the Department of Civil Administration to recommend Zhang. A related memorial to the throne drafted by their united efforts is also given here as evidence, In a word, The article corrects a mistake made by the author in his former research.