十九世纪是人类历史风起云涌、外交争斗错综复杂的世纪。中国和日本同时面临前所未有的严峻挑战,中日国运的沉浮,其实也是外交角力。同样面对船坚炮利的西方列强,同样面对内外交困的生死关口,如何利用外交斡旋趋吉避凶?在新旧嬗变的十字路口,“天朝上国”盲目拒变、进退失据;“扶桑岛夷”纵横捭阖、如鱼得水。包括甲午战争在内的一系列重大事件中,中国不仅输在军事上,更输在外交上。中日外交之战,实际上是被士大夫鄙视为汉奸“鬼使”的中国外交官,与被誉为“神差”英雄的日本外交官之间的一场不对等决斗。时代展现人物,人物也印证着时代。在风云变幻的历史关头,郭嵩焘和陆奥宗光的命运轨迹,即是这一时期中日外交界的缩影,也是两国国运的对决。 The nineteenth century is a turbulent century of human history and a century of complex diplomatic struggles. At the same time, China and Japan are facing unprecedented harsh challenges. The ups and downs of China’s and Japan’s national transport are actually diplomatic efforts. In the same way, at the crossroads of old and new changes, the “heavenly nation” blindly refuses to change and gains and retreats according to the life and death barrier both inside and outside the country, “Fuso Island Yi ” maneuvers, like a duck. In a series of major events including the Sino-Japanese War, China not only lost its military but also lost its diplomacy. The Sino-Japanese diplomatic battle is actually a duel between Chinese diplomats who are despised by their scholar as traitors and “Japanese ghosts” and Japanese diplomats who are reputed as “heroic” heroes. Times show figures, characters also confirm the times. At a changing historical moment, the fate of Guo Songtao and Lu Zonguang’s tracks is the epitome of the diplomatic circles between China and Japan at this time and the showdown between the two countries.