“淮由湘出”事局审视——对晚清湘、淮系集团关系起端之揭示

Situation Review of “Huai Born from Xiang”——Beginning of Relationship Between Xiang Group and Huai Group in Late Qing Dynasty

晚清湘、淮系两大军政集团关系微妙复杂。在清军东线战区特别是沪上面临太平军威胁、形势危急之际,苏沪官绅一边推动'借师助剿',一边向湘军求援。曾国藩则无意'借师助剿',而选择东援,在其筹援、派援的过程中,基于多种因素,李鸿章得以脱颖而出,成为东援主帅的人选,并被'内定'为江苏巡抚。淮军则依赖由湘军中调拨营伍、从庐州府招募团练两种主要途径,在同治元年正、二月之际'初成',三月上旬自安庆启程赴沪标志其'正式成军出征';待清廷明降谕旨,令李鸿章署理江苏巡抚后,'淮由湘出'即告完成,军政兼备的淮系集团形成。

The relationship between the Xiang and the Huai,the two major military and political groups in the late Qing Dynasty,was subtle and complex.With the critical situation in the eastern front line,especially with the threat of the Taiping Troops in Shanghai,the officials and local squires in Jiangsu and Shanghai proposed'turning to foreign troops to help fighting the Taiping Troops'.Zeng Guofan had no intention of turning to foreigners for help,instead,he decided to offer assistance to the eastern front line.In the process of preparing and sending aid the Shanghai,Li Hongzhang stood out and was selected to be the commander-in-chief for the East Aid troop,and was'predetermined'as the Governor of Jiangsu.The Huai Army relied on two major ways of recruitment,namely,bringing in soldiers from the Xiang Army and enlisting local armed forces from the Luzhou Prefecture.In the first and second lunar months of the first year of Tongzhi,the Huai Army was'initially formed',and at the beginning of the third lunar month,the Army set out from Anqing for Shanghai.When the Qing emperor issued the imperial edict,appointing Li Hongzhang as the acting Governor of Jiangsu,the process of'Huai Born from Xiang'was completed,and Huai,the military and political group came into being.