I hurried to Canton to take care of the shop for him, but after several days he suddenly returned, carrying something that looked like a document. When I opened it and looked, inside was a 'Letter to Li Hung-chang.' Only then did I know that he had gone to his home in Tsuiheng to shut himself up and write an essay! "
我接到信，趕緊跑到廣州去替他維持店務，過了幾天，他突然跑回來，手裡拿著一卷像是文件的東西，我打開一看，裡面乃是一篇『上李鴻章書』，我才知道他是跑到翠亨家中，關起門來作文章去了！」