ji ang ▁Province ▁from ▁re bel ▁forces . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁the ▁Gu ang x u ▁Emperor ▁made ▁an ▁extraordinary ▁exception ▁by ▁award ing ▁Zu o ▁a ▁j in sh i ▁degree ▁– ▁even ▁though ▁Zu o ▁never ▁achieved ▁this ▁in ▁the ▁imperial ▁exam ination ▁– ▁and ▁appoint ing ▁him ▁to ▁the ▁Han lin ▁Academy . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁in ▁recognition ▁of ▁his ▁achiev ements , ▁Zu o ▁was ▁promoted ▁from ▁a ▁first ▁class ▁count ▁to ▁a ▁second ▁class ▁mar quis . ▁He ▁was ▁re ass igned ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁the ▁Vic ero y ▁of ▁Li ang ji ang ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁and ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁Grand ▁Council ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁before ▁being ▁made ▁an ▁Imperial ▁Commission er ▁again ▁to ▁over see ▁naval ▁affairs . ▁He ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 5 ▁in ▁F uz hou , ▁F uj ian ▁Province , ▁and ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁post hum ous ▁name ▁W en xi ang . ▁ ▁While ▁Zu o ▁is ▁best ▁known ▁outside ▁China ▁for ▁his ▁military ▁explo its , ▁he ▁also ▁made ▁contributions ▁to ▁Chinese ▁agricult ural ▁science ▁and ▁education . ▁In ▁particular , ▁he ▁promoted ▁cot ton ▁cultiv ation ▁to ▁north western ▁China ▁as ▁a ▁replacement ▁for ▁c ash ▁c rop ▁op ium ▁and ▁established ▁a ▁large - scale ▁modern ▁press ▁in ▁Sh a an xi ▁and ▁G ans u ▁provinces ▁which ▁published ▁Conf u cian ▁class ics ▁and ▁newer ▁works ▁on ▁agricult ural ▁science