庚子事变后清廷宣布实行新政 ,要求内外臣工献计献策。在张之洞、刘坤一等人倡导下 ,先有各省督抚联衔会奏的动议 ,后演变为由刘坤一领衔与张之洞一起上奏《江楚会奏变法三折》。《三折》由张之洞主稿 ,其主要思想来源仍是以《劝学篇》为中心的变法思想主张。《三折》推动了清末新政的开展 ,同时 ,对于确立张之洞在新政过程中的角色与地位也有重要意义

[After the incident of the 1900 when Britain, the United States, Germany, France, Russia, Japan, Italy and Austria sent troops to suppress the Yihetuan Movement (known to the West as the Boxer Rebellion), the Qing court declared it would adopt new political measures and asked all the ministers, high officials and ambassadors to make suggestions. The initiative by Zhang Zhidong and Liu Kunyi for a joint memorial of all the governors general and governors led to “Three Memorials from the Governors general of Jiang and Chu Provinces to the Throne for Reform" jointly submitted by Zhang and Liu. The memorial was written by Zhang himself and was an embodiment of his thinking for reform as expressed in his article “Exhortation to Study." It promoted the adoption of new political measures during the late Qing dynasty and helped establish Zhang Zhidongs own role and position in this period.]