Lin Zexu has two sides-although he is conscious of the outside world, he cares about his reputation, hides his feelings for foreigners and keeps scholars sleeping. This evaluation is rude, but it is objective!

1940, Guo Tingyi's Modern History of China was published by the Commercial Press, which wrote: "Both Lin Wenzhong and Xu Zhi were the core figures in the Opium War, which is recognized at home and abroad. But as far as foreigners are concerned, they always think that he is too arrogant and too tough, and his attitude towards the outside world is completely traditional and oriental, unless Manchu people such as Qishan and Master Brother, who also occupy the same important position in this drama, have the demeanor and knowledge of diplomats. This argument has touched the hearts of the new historians in China in recent years, which led to the so-called Lin Zexu's theory of the advantages and disadvantages of Qishan, which holds that Lin Zexu's external knowledge is not as good as Qishan's and he is overconfident, while Qishan is the enemy and know yourself. We don't want to say for sure that Lin Wenzhong has complete international knowledge, but we can't admit that Qishan is superior to Lin Wenzhong in this respect ... Even if Lin Wenzhong lacks foreign knowledge, his spirit and personality are still commendable. " Although Mr Guo emphasized Lin Zexu's spirit and personality, he did not deny Lin Zexu's ignorance of the outside world.