Early career

Cen was born in 1861 during the late Qing dynasty in Xilin, Guangxi. His father, Cen Yuying (岑毓英; 1829–1889), served as the Viceroy of Yunnan and Guizhou. He was very ill-behaved in his youth and was one of the "Three Notorious Youngsters in the Capital" (京城三恶少) alongside Ruicheng and Lao Ziqiao (劳子乔). In 1879, he first entered the civil service as a zhushi (主事). In 1885, he obtained the position of a juren (举人) in the imperial examination and was appointed as a houren langzhong (候任郎中). When Cen Yuying died in 1889, the government took into consideration his service to the Qing Empire and decided to appoint Cen Chunxuan as a shaoqing (少卿; a fourth-grade official position) in the Taipusi (太仆寺), a government agency in charge of the imperial transport system.

In 1898, the Guangxu Emperor personally interviewed and tested Cen and was so impressed with his response that he made an exception by promoting Cen to the position of a buzhengshi (布政使; a second-grade official position) in Guangdong. While serving in Guangdong, Cen got into conflict with his superior, Tan Zhonglin, the Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi, hence he was reassigned to be a anchashi (按察使) in Gansu.

In 1900, when the forces of the Eight-Nation Alliance attacked Beijing to suppress the Boxer Rebellion, the Guangxu Emperor and Empress Dowager Cixi fled from the capital and headed towards Xi'an. Cen led military forces from Gansu to Xi'an to protect the emperor and empress dowager, and was awarded the Imperial Yellow Jacket and earned the favour of the Empress Dowager. He was promoted to the position of xunfu of Shaanxi but was later reassigned to be the xunfu of Shanxi. While in office, he set up the precursor of Shanxi University with the aid of the Welsh missionary Timothy Richard. In 1902, he was reassigned to be the xunfu of Guangdong. However, before he could assume office, he was ordered to go to Sichuan instead to replace Kuijun (奎俊) as the acting-Viceroy of Sichuan after the latter was dismissed from office for his failure to defeat Boxer rebels in Sichuan. While he was in Sichuan, he tightened and enforced government regulations strictly, set up a police force, and accused over 40 officials of corruption. He was nicknamed "Butcher of Officials" (官屠) – one of the "Three Butchers of the Late Qing Dynasty" (清末三屠) alongside "Butcher of Money" Zhang Zhidong and "Butcher of Scholars" Yuan Shikai.

As the Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi

In 1903, Cen was appointed as the Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi. In the following two years, he wrote memorials to the Qing imperial court urging the Guangxu Emperor to establish a constitutional monarchy and abolish the imperial examination system. In 1906, he supported Zhang Jian and others in establishing a Shanghai-based society that advocated for the Qing Empire to be converted to a constitutional monarchy. He also sent his subordinate Zheng Xiaoxu to serve as the president of the society and became a prominent leader in the Constitutional Monarchy Movement (立宪运动).

As Cen had strong backing from Empress Dowager Cixi, he was direct in confronting corrupt officials and even wrote memorials to the imperial court to accuse them of corruption. There were two officials whom he dealt with that attracted particular attention: Pei Jingfu (裴景福) and Zhou Rongyao (周荣曜). In cracking down on corrupt officials, he offended Prince Qing, who supported the corrupt officials. He was also drawn into a political struggle when he allied with Qu Hongji, a Grand Councillor, against Prince Qing and Yuan Shikai.

Political struggle of Dingwei

In 1906, using a rebellion in Pianma (片马; in present-day Lushui County), Yunnan as an excuse, Prince Qing had Cen removed from his position as Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi and transferred to that of Viceroy of Yunnan and Guizhou. Cen refused to travel to Yunnan to assume his appointment, claimed that he was ill and needed to recuperate, and remained in Shanghai, where he continued to observe the situation quietly.

In early 1907, upon noticing that the odds were turning against Yuan Shikai, Cen seized the opportunity to travel to Beijing to meet Empress Dowager Cixi, who appointed him as the Minister of Posts and Communications and allowed him to remain in the capital. The balance of power thus shifted in favour of Cen and Qu Hongji. However, Prince Qing plotted against Cen and accused him of supporting Liang Qichao and trying to revive the Hundred Days' Reform, which was terminated by Empress Dowager Cixi and her faction. Cen fell out of the empress dowager's favour and was sent out of Beijing to be the Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi again. When he passed by Shanghai on his journey to Guangdong, he tried to delay assuming his appointment again by claiming that he was ill and needed to rest. However, Empress Dowager Cixi issued an order that dismissed Cen from office. The political struggle between Cen against Prince Qing and Yuan Shikai thus ended with a defeat for Cen.

The political struggle is known as the "political struggle of dingwei" (丁未党争) because it took place in the dingwei (丁未) year according to the Chinese calendar.

Xinhai Revolution

On 15 September 1911, the imperial court sent an urgent order to Cen, who had been spending the past four years in Shanghai since his dismissal from office, ordering him to immediately leave Shanghai and join Zhao Erfeng in suppressing the anti-Qing rebellions. However, Cen sent a telegraph to the imperial court, suggesting that the Qing government take responsibility for its failure and become a constitutional monarchy to appease the rebels and preserve its existence. The imperial court was shocked and angered by Cen's suggestion. When Cen arrived in Wuchang, Hubei in late September, he met Ruicheng, discussed with him about the rebellion, and decided to resign from office upon learning that the Qing Empire was heading in a direction contrary to his personal ideals. The imperial court approved his resignation in early October. On the night of 9 October, when the Wuchang Uprising broke out, the rebels did not disturb Cen at all when they went around attacking Qing forces in Wuchang. On the morning of 10 October, Cen left Wuchang and travelled to Shanghai. On the way, he learnt that Li Yuanhong had been named the military leader of the rebels and the Xinhai Revolution was over.

Life under the Republic of China

In 1913, when the Second Revolution broke out, Cen sent a telegraph from Shanghai to Yuan Shikai in Beijing, requesting that Yuan resolve his conflict with Sun Yat-sen and the revolutionaries in a peaceful manner, but Yuan ignored him. On 17 July 1913, the revolutionaries nominated Cen to be their grand marshal and issued a proclamation appointing him as the President of the Republic of China. After the failure of the Second Revolution, Cen became a fugitive when Yuan placed a price on his head, and was forced to flee from China to Southeast Asia.

The National Protection War broke out in 1915 when Yuan Shikai declared himself emperor and attempted to establish an Empire of China. Li Genyuan (李根源) sent a representative to Southeast Asia to invite Cen back to China to join the revolutionaries in their war against Yuan Shikai. On 4 January 1916, Cen returned to Shanghai, met Liang Qichao, and discussed with him how to deal with Yuan Shikai. He wrote letters to his former subordinates Lu Rongting and Long Jiguang, who were in control of Guangxi and Guangdong respectively, to declare independence from Yuan Shikai's regime. On 19 April 1916, Cen, along with Liang Qichao and Lu Rongting, met in Zhaoqing, Guangdong, where they established a National Protection Military Government. Cen was nominated to be commander-in-chief of the National Protection Army, with Liang Qichao as his chief of staff. Cen declared war against Yuan Shikai and proclaimed, "(...) If Yuan Shikai lives, I die; if Yuan Shikai dies, I live!"

In 1918, Cen became the leader of a military government in Guangzhou. Two years later, the military government was disbanded and was replaced by Sun's Nationalist government. Consequently, Cen announced his resignation in a telegraph and spent the rest of his life in retirement in Shanghai. He died in Shanghai on 27 April 1933.

Relatives

• Tang Shaoyi: Tang's daughter is married to Cen's son, Cen Deguang.

• Cen Chunmin (1868 – 1944): Cen's younger brother.

• Yu Liqun: Cen's granddaughter. Chinese author, Guo Moruo's third wife.

生平

发迹

岑春煊出身官宦世家，其父岑毓英曾任云贵总督。少年游侠，放荡不羁，与瑞澄、劳子乔并称「京城三恶少」。光绪五年（1879年），捐官主事，光绪十一年（1885年）中举人，候任郎中。父死后，荫赏太仆寺少卿。光绪二十四年（1898年），岑春煊对策称旨，被光绪亲自破格提升为正二品的广东布政使，但岑历官不及三月，便与两广总督谭钟麟发生矛盾，改任甘肃按察使。

光绪二十六年（1900年），八国联军攻占北京，慈禧与光绪出逃，岑春煊首先率部勤王，因此获得慈禧的好感，因功授陕西巡抚，后调任山西巡抚，期间与李提摩太等人筹建山西大学堂。光绪二十八年（1902年），调任广东，未及上任，四川总督奎俊因镇压四川义和团不力而去职，岑春煊遂赴川署理总督。在任期间，他严肃吏制，建立警察制度，一举弹劾四十馀名官员，人送绰号「官屠」，与「钱屠」张之洞、「士屠」袁世凯并称「清末三屠」。

两广总督

光绪二十九年（1903年），岑调任两广总督。次年上书请求立宪。光绪三十一年（1905年），又同袁世凯、张之洞等人上书请求废科举。光绪三十二年（1906年），他又支持张謇等人在上海组织预备立宪公会，并派幕僚郑孝胥出任会长，一时俨然成为立宪运动的领袖。

岑因有慈禧支持，在各地为官期间不惧权贵，弹劾并处罚了一大批买官而来的官员，尤其是逼令葡萄牙引渡裴景福和查办广州海关书办、驻比利时公使周荣曜两案尤其引人注目，但也因此开罪了这些官员的后台庆亲王奕劻，自此岑便联合军机大臣瞿鸿禨与庆亲王及其党袁世凯展开党争。

丁未党争

光绪三十二年（1906年），奕劻以云南片马民乱需要处理为由，将岑调任云贵总督，驱离权力中枢。岑遂称病拒不就任，停留上海，观望政局。不久，袁世凯在朝政倾轧中失利，自请开去本职以外一应兼差。岑认为时机已到，不再称病，于光绪三十三年5月3日(农历三月廿一)，突然从汉口上京晋见慈禧，获授邮传部尚书，得以留京。一时岑、瞿声势大盛，隐然有独揽朝政之意。但旋即奕劻策划陷害岑，密使人伪造岑与梁啓超等人的合影，称其意图为戊戌变法翻案。形势自此一转即下，岑于四月二次被放为两广总督。途经上海时，岑重施故伎，称病不就职，不料慈禧旋即下旨，将其开缺。至此，党争以奕劻、袁世凯完全胜利告终。

辛亥革命

1911年9月15日，清廷发布紧急上谕，以「开缺两广总督」在沪上蛰居了四年的岑春煊「会同赵尔丰办理剿抚事宜」，「著由上海乘轮，即刻起程，毋稍迟延」。岑致电内阁，敦请朝廷下「罪己诏」，岑称，「总之不短少路股一钱，不妄戮无辜一人，必须双方并进，并于谕旨中稍加引咎之语，则群议自平；而给还全股，出自朝廷特恩，各路人民，必欢欣鼓舞」。岑议一出，朝野轰动，清廷中「剿抚」两派都大为震怒。这完全与在野的立宪派党人立场一致。9月下旬，岑春煊抵达武昌，与瑞澄言川事，知朝中大臣与之意见全然相左，遂向清廷电请辞职。10月初朝廷下旨同意。10月10日，岑春煊还在武昌夜宿。是夜武昌起义，城中枪声大作，岑春煊「安卧如故」。次日晨，岑春煊遣人买舟渡江，再乘轮返回上海，「沿途阅报，知民军已举黎元洪出任都督，革命由此告成矣」。

民国时期

1913年「二次革命」初起， 岑春煊在上海联名致电袁世凯，要求「和平解决南北冲突」，为袁所拒绝。7月17日，他被革命党人推为大元帅。「二次革命」失败后，遭袁通缉，逃亡南洋。

1915年，袁世凯称帝，护国战争开始。革命党人李根源派代表去南洋请岑春煊回国。

1916年1月4日，回上海，与梁啓超共同商议如何反袁。写信劝旧部陆荣廷宣布广西独立，也劝旧部龙济光宣布广东独立。4月19日到广东肇庆，与梁啓超、陆荣廷等人参与护国军政府之成立。护国军都司令部成立，被推为都司令，梁啓超为都参谋。岑在就职宣言中说：「天下之督责，不负两广之委托者，惟有两言：袁世凯生，我必死；袁世凯死，我则生耳！」

1918年任广东护法军政府七总裁之主席总裁。1920年军政府解散，通电辞职，隐居上海。

1933年4月27日逝世。著有《乐斋漫笔》。

亲属

• 与唐绍仪是儿女亲家，其子岑德广娶唐的女儿为妻。

• 弟岑春蓂（1868－1944），历任湖北按察使、贵州巡抚。1909年调任湖南巡抚，次年长沙抢米风潮后被革职。

• 外孙女于立忱、于立群分别是郭沫若的情人和妻子。

评价

岑春煊为广西人，又曾任两广总督，被认为是民国桂系的根基人物。

岑春煊喜好弹劾官吏，人称「官屠」。张之洞喜好建设，动辄用尽官府积蓄，被指为浪费银两，且又向当地门阀富豪募款，人称「财屠」。袁世凯喜好打仗，杀人无数，人称「人屠」、并戏称为「清末三屠」。