Lin Xu (1875-1898), courtesy name Tun Gu and pseudonym Wan Cui, was born in Houguan, Fujian (now Fuzhou). He was a modern Chinese poet, a reformist, and one of the “Six Gentlemen of the Reform Movement of 1898”.

In the 19th year of Emperor Guangxu’s reign (1893), Lin Xu passed the imperial examination and later became a member of the cabinet. He was orphaned at a young age and was well-read, which earned him a good reputation. At the age of 17, Shen Yuqing, the general manager of the Jiangnan Naval Academy, invited Lin Xu to be his son-in-law. He followed Shen Yuqing to Nanjing and then traveled to Wuchang. While serving as a cabinet secretary in the capital, he had many contacts with Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, and others. When the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 broke out, the Qing government was defeated and signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki with Japan. Lin Xu and other candidates who took the imperial examination rose up and wrote a letter “requesting to reject the peace agreement” and began to participate in the reform movement. Kang Youwei called on various provinces to establish societies to communicate with each other. Reformists living in Beijing successively established the Guangdong, Sichuan, Fujian, Zhejiang, and Shaanxi societies, and Lin Xu was the leader of the Fujian Society. In the 24th year of Emperor Guangxu’s reign (1898), Emperor Dezong issued an edict to “clearly define the national policy” and announced the reform. Lin Xu was awarded the fourth-rank military secretary and participated in the new policy. Most of the imperial edicts were written by him. In September of the same year, the Wuxu coup broke out and Lin Xu was killed.

Lin Xu was committed to the reform and made contributions to the promotion of the reform. The collection of poems he left behind, “Wancuixuan Collection”, is exquisite and broad-minded, with profound meaning. In the late Qing society with frequent foreign invasions, declining national power and poor people’s livelihood, the special historical conditions have forged his bitter, secluded and intentional style of poetry, which is sweet and full of flavor. Liang Qichao highly praised his literary achievements: “He is gifted in poetry and parallel prose. His prose is like that of the Han and Wei people, and his poetry is like that of the Song people. His waves are mature, profound and profound.” Lin Xu is regarded as a Tongguang poet who learned from the Song Dynasty, but he is more tolerant in his poetic concepts. He believes that “there are many schools of poetry, and it is harmless to be able to pass through many schools.”

Name: Tungu
Personal name: Wancui
Era: Late Qing Dynasty
Birthplace: Houguan, Fujian
Date of birth: 1875

Summary
Lin Xu (1875-September 28, 1898), courtesy name Tungu, was a native of Houguan, Fujian (now Fuzhou). He was a reformist in the late Qing Dynasty. He was a juren. He was a disciple of Kang Youwei and one of the Six Gentlemen of the Wuxu Reform. Liang Qichao said in “Records of the Wuxu Coup” that “his poetry and prose are all gifted by nature, his prose is like that of the Han and Wei dynasties; his poetry is like that of the Song dynasty, with waves and maturity, magnificent and profound, popular in the capital, and famous for a time.” His “Wancuixuan Collection” has been left to the world.

Biography
In the 19th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1893), he won the first place in the Fujian Provincial Examination of the Guisi Special Examination. In the 21st year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1895), he served as a cabinet secretary. In March 1898, he initiated the establishment of the Fujian Society, which echoed with the societies of Guangdong, Sichuan, Zhejiang, and Shaanxi to promote the reform movement. He was also one of the founding directors of the National Protection Association. On September 5 of the same year, at the end of the Hundred Days’ Reform, he was granted the title of Fourth Rank Minister and Military Secretary. In the following ten days, he wrote many letters to the emperor, many of which were written by him.
He was arrested after the failure of the Reform Movement of 1898, and was killed at Caishikou with Tan Sitong and others (collectively known as the Six Gentlemen of the Reform Movement of 1898). His works include “Poems of Wancuixuan”. His wife was Shen Queying, the eldest daughter of Shen Yuqing, the son of Shen Baozhen, a famous official in the late Qing Dynasty. She was good at poetry and lyrics. After Lin Xu was executed, she took poison and committed suicide (some say she died of depression).