After failing the list for the first time, Li Hongzhang joined the ranks of Zeng Guofan, a Hunan university student, "on the occasion of B and C" (that is, 1845- 1846) and became a "young family member" to learn practical knowledge.
————————
Li Hongzhang (1823.2.15-1.11.7), whose real name was bronze seal, gradually became righteous (one word) in his later years. A native of Dongxiang (now Feidong County) in Hefei, Anhui Province, he is a Modian. Because of the second line, it is also called "Mr. Li Er" among the people.
Li surnamed Xu moved from Hukou, Jiangxi Province to Hefei next season to avoid chaos. Li Xinzhuang, the ninth ancestor, had no children, and Shen, the second son, was given as an heir by Longxi and changed his surname to Li. The Li family lived by farming for generations, and it was not until Li Hongzhang's great-grandfather became "frugal in marriage, with two hectares of land", and there was no chance of becoming famous in the imperial examination. It was not until Li Hongzhang's father, Wen Li 'an Daoguang, passed the imperial examination in the 18th year (1838) that Li Jiacai "rose from Hakka and became a famous family in Luxian County".
Li Wenan worked as a teacher in his hometown for a long time before becoming an official in the imperial examination. At the age of six, Li Hongzhang entered his family's library-Dihua Bookstore to study. He is a young and intelligent man. He studied classics under the guidance of Tang Bo Youxian and Hefei celebrity Xu Ziling, and laid a solid learning foundation. In the twenty-third year of Daoguang (1843), he was elected as Yougong and entered Beijing at the behest of his father. The next year (Chen Jia), he took the rural exam in Shuntian, which was a Chinese exam. Twenty-seven years (1847), he was admitted to the 13th Jinshi of Ding Weike Dimethyl, and changed to Jishi Shu, imperial academy. Examiner Pan, deputy examiner, Zhu, Fu Ji, class teacher Sun.
On his way to Beijing, Li Hongzhang wrote ten well-known Poems of Entering Beijing, which were read by the world. He expressed his ambition with poetry, and he had a great wish to "make friends with celebrities in his family and travel to the capital with Taoist priests". After entering Beijing, under the guidance of his father, the doctor of the Ministry of Justice, he called on Lu, Wang Maoyin and other Anhui officials in Beijing, and won their respect and appreciation. At the same time, due to the smooth progress of the examination room, he was able to make friends and broaden his horizons. At that time, Chen Jia (Juren) and Ding Wei (Jinshi) had many talents and were on the same list as him. Many people were sent to Xinjiang in the future, and Li Hongzhang maintained a close and special relationship with them that year. As far as the imperial examination is concerned, Pan, an examiner from Huizhou merchants and Suzhou aristocratic families, and Weng Xincun, a teacher of Li Hongzhang's wife and grandson, have some enlightenment on the formation of his world outlook of practical use when Li Hongzhang's young imperial academy was an editor. The gentry in southern Jiangsu, headed by Pan and Weng, also gave great support to Li Hongzhang's later formation of Huai Army and his rapid rise in Jiangsu. However, the most fortunate thing for Li Hongzhang is that he joined the "juvenile family" of Zeng Guofan, a Hunan university student, at the "time of B and C" after he failed in the first senior high school entrance examination (that is, 1845- 1846), and learned practical knowledge, which laid the foundation for his career and thought all his life.
At that time, Zeng Guofan suffered from lung disease, lived in a temple in the south of the city, and talked with Confucian scholar Liu about Confucian classics. Guobao Temple, also known as Ciren Temple, was once the residence of thinkers in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. In the face of internal and external troubles, Zeng Guofan's strong sense of participation made him self-evident. In addition to the three traditional academic standards of righteousness, rhetoric and examination put forward by Yao Nai of Tongcheng School, he clearly added "Jing", that is, the study of applying what he has learned. Li Hongzhang and Zeng Guofan not only "obeyed day and night, but also stressed the knowledge of justice and reason", but also ordered the editing and collation of miscellaneous notes on classics and history according to the new purpose of academic research. Therefore, Zeng Guofan called him a "gifted scholar" many times, and he was also called "Four Gentlemen of Ding Wei" with contemporary scholars Guo Songtao, Chen Nai and Shuai Yuanduo. Since the Taiping Army, Zeng and Li have successively returned to their hometowns to defect, and their experiences of training the Xiang Army have been solemnly reported to Li Hongzhang, which shows their ardent expectations.
At the beginning of the third year of Xianfeng (1853), after Li Hongzhang learned that the Taiping Army had entered Anhui on a large scale, he encouraged Lu, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Industry, to go to war and rushed to write a letter for him overnight. When playing, Emperor Xianfeng appointed Lu as the minister of Anhui Yong Tuan, and Lu said to Li: "You curse me, I am destined to go; I also curse you and play music together. " So Li Hongzhang returned to Anhui with him. The following year, Li Wenan, Li Hongzhang's father, was also recommended by Wang Maoyin to respond to his hometown forever. The group motto of Li and his son is "neat and usable". Li Hongzhang fought against Taiping Army and Nian Army in central Anhui successively with Zhou Tianjue, Li, Lu, Fu Ji and other Qing officials.
Li Hongzhang led the troops with a scholar, and he has the record of "beating energy with waves" and the notoriety of "Hanlin turned into a green forest". After several years of service, he gradually learned how to be a general, not to win or lose for a while, and not to be brave. In the fifth year of Xianfeng (1855), he led the army to regain the merits of Luzhou forever, and "made the name of the Ministry of War serve the official". The following year, he was awarded the title of provincial judge for recovering the meritorious military service of Wuwei, Chaojun and Hanshan. However, Gao Gong was easily envied, and at that time gossip spread everywhere, and Li Hongzhang could hardly stand in the village. In the seventh year (1857), the prefect of Anhui Province reported to Li Hongzhang Ding You, who kept the rules for his father, thus ending his five-year activities. The following year, Taiping Army was trapped in Luzhou again, and Li Hongzhang fled with his family and moved to Nanchang to live with his brother Li. At the end of nine years (1859), he went to Zeng Guofan Xiang army camp in Jianchang as a staff officer.
In fact, it is urgent to meet the new defeat of Xiang Sanjiang. So Zeng Guofan actively recruited Li Hongzhang to help. However, I used to know that Li was arrogant and sharp-edged. If he really wants to be independent, he needs to hone again. So he usually tries to involve Li Hongzhang in the discussion of core secrets, and treats Hu Linyi and Li Xuyi equally. At that time, there were many eloquent people in the shogunate of Hunan, such as Li and Zuo. Zeng Guofan often let them argue with Li Hongzhang intentionally or unintentionally to dissuade them. As far as Zeng himself is concerned, he set an example, practiced and influenced Li Hongzhang. For example, sleeping in, I was willing to eat when the staff arrived in the morning, forcing Li to get up early every day; Besides, David Lee talked about exaggeration and grandstanding, and he repeatedly said that he should only treat others with the word "sincerity". Whenever he encountered difficulties and setbacks, he talked about "standing up". With such painstaking efforts, Li Hongzhang's thoughts, personality and even living habits were deeply influenced by Zeng Guofan. Li Hongzhang claimed: "I have learned from many teachers, but if this old man is a good teacher, he will give instructions anytime, anywhere with everything." He also said, "In the past, I couldn't find my way back, but now I have learned a lot from knowing the compass." Zeng Guofan's evaluation is: "Shao Quanlin's talent is the closest to a public servant, and he will make extraordinary achievements in the future, even if it shines on you."
This is exactly the development of the facts. Zeng's nature is "timid", while Li's style is bright and decisive; Zeng Guofan often has big plans, and he often hesitates, which is often decided by Li. In the autumn of the tenth year of Xianfeng (1860), there was a serious disagreement between teachers and students because Zeng Guofan decided to move to Qimen and impeach Li. Li Hongzhang believes that Qimen is located among thousands of mountains and is a "Jedi" that military strategists can't avoid, so it is not appropriate to move the capital. Li followed the Tseng family, so he was a "scholar's talk", not a general. He once knew his shortcomings, but he led Huizhou's defense. After a defeat, Li Hongzhang refused to draft, "led a group of people to fight" and finally left the camp angrily. It can be seen that Li's employment strategy and vision at this time have been above Zeng. Later, after Hu Linyi, Chen Nai, Guo Songtao and other relatives and friends persuaded and Zeng Guofan repeatedly invited, Li Hongzhang returned to Xiangying on June 7 of the following year.
In the tenth year of Xianfeng (1860), after the Taiping Army broke through the Jiangnan camp for the second time, the Qing government had lost its last main force in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Under the violent offensive of Taiping Army, landlords and gentry in the south of the Yangtze River fled to Shanghai, which has become an isolated island. In order to avoid extinction, the gentry and comprador in Shanghai prepared a "Chinese and foreign defense bureau", relying on western mercenaries to protect Shanghai; On the other hand, Qian Dingming and others were sent to Anqing to ask Zeng Guofan to send reinforcements. Qian Dingming was first moved, crying and pleading every day, saying that Jiangnan gentry hoped Zeng Guofan would look forward to Yun Ni after a long drought; Then knowing the benefits, they said that Shanghai could raise 600,000 yuan a month, which was a great temptation for the Xiang army, which was short of money at that time. At the same time, Qian Dingming also used the relationship that his father Qian Chenbao was Zeng Guofan and Li Wenan in the same year to persuade Zeng Guofan through Li Hongzhang. Zeng Guofan initially chose to send Ceng Guoquan to lead the troops eastward, but Ceng Guoquan was bent on capturing Tianjing, making his first achievement and unwilling to go. Later, Zeng Guofan sent a letter to ask Xiang's old staff to come out of the mountain, but Chen also spoke as a "mother-in-law." Zeng Guofan finally turned to Li Hongzhang, and Li Xinran was also ordered to do so, so the recruitment and formation of Huai Army began.
I hope it helps you!