Why among many historical figures in modern times, we prefer to study Zeng Guofan in the late Qing Dynasty.
After reading the first volume of "The Biography of Zeng Guofan", "The Era of Imperial Officials", I saw some clues.
1. Studying requires tenacity and learning to reflect.
Zeng Guofan was born in an ordinary class, neither the second generation of rich nor the second generation of officials. The slight difference is that the three generations of his ancestors and grandchildren studied together. road. My grandfather, Zeng Yuping, was idle when he was young. Later, he found his way back and started farming. From a farmer, he became a small landowner. With his eagerness for justice and love of helping others, he established a certain prestige in the village. It also provided a role model for Zeng Guofan's character shaping.
Like most families, it is the dream of the old Zeng family to achieve a class jump through reading. His grandfather was a child. Zeng Guofan’s father, Zeng Linshu, passed the 17th exam and was selected as a scholar, but at the age of 43, he became a scholar. At the age of 35, he also has to face the reality of the 35-year-old career and officialdom. Scholarship is just an honor for him.
Zeng Guofan's talent was also average. He took the exam seven times as a scholar. The sixth time he was "reprimanded" because of his poor writing skills, as a negative example.
Zeng Guofan learned his shame and became brave. He was willing to put in a lot of effort to analyze the reasons for his repeated failures. He compared his own articles with other people's essays on the same topic and found that he was too rigid and too focused on what he wrote. Partially polished, lacking overall cohesion and overall momentum. After finding the problem, Zeng Guofan not only passed the scholar examination, but also passed the Juren examination in Lianjie at the end of the year. The following year, he went to Beijing to take the Jinshi examination. His life was like a cheat.
To achieve success, people rely more on tenacity. Zeng Guofan is like this, let alone ordinary people.
2. Diary writing and self-management
Zeng Guofan had the habit of writing diaries since he was a Hanlin scholar. , often with only a few words and no theme, almost like a running account.
Later I discovered that keeping a diary is a good way to cultivate self-discipline and good self-management. The key is that in the Hanlin exams held from time to time by the imperial court, the diary was regarded as a calligraphy exercise and a training for sage reflection, so it played an important role. "At that time, Zeng Guofan had already cultivated it into a daily habit, and he was naturally able to deal with it calmly, which was deeply appreciated by Emperor Daoguang. This was also an important basis for his continuous promotion.
After being promoted, Zeng Guofan wrote more standardized diaries. From "Tea Talk" which he wrote as soon as he thought of it, to "Diary of Mian Mian Mu Mu's Room" written on custom-made diary paper, the style of this diary is special. , the daily diary is divided into eight columns, namely "reading", "sitting quietly", "text", "writing", "office", "lessons", "facing guests" and "reply", which are filled in according to the grid every day.
Perhaps, thanks to the immortality in the diary text, everyone has a better understanding of Zeng Guofan.
3. Eight rules of self-management
Zeng Guofan determined to learn to be a saint. In order to improve his self-management ability, he set up twelve rules and curriculum standards for himself, among which The eight are:
First, get up early. Get up before dawn every day and never stay in bed.
The second is to sit quietly. Sit quietly for half an hour every day, which is one hour. Let your mind calm down, don't be impetuous every day, and don't be led by things.
The third is to read well. Read ten pages of scriptures and ten pages of history books every day, and never change no matter what problems you encounter. And I will never touch the next book until I finish reading it.
The fourth is to speak carefully. Just be careful at all times and don’t speak carelessly, and be careful with every word you say.
The fifth is to protect yourself, save labor and abstain from food and drink. This is a way to maintain health.
Sixth, write a conversation every day over tea. Just take notes, find a notebook, name it, Tea Over Tea Talk, and record all kinds of inspiring things that friends talk about when chatting. Chatting can’t be in vain.
Seventh, I have to write several articles and poems every month and have fixed tasks.
The eighth is to practice calligraphy. Every day after breakfast, I have to write for half an hour.
The last one is not to go out at night. Don't go out to chat with friends after dark.
Volume 2? The Rise of the Hunan Army
Zeng Guofan worked as a civil servant in Beijing for 13 years. He moved seven times in ten years and reached the second rank. This was due to his willingness to invest time and solid work. The habit of doing knowledge.
The capital is different from other places. It is a gathering place for outstanding talents across the country. You must know that millions of people participated in the imperial examinations at that time, from registered children to scholars, and then from candidates to Jinshi, who could really pass the test to the end. Yes, there are more than 100 people in the country every year. Being exposed to better groups allowed Zeng Guofan to find a broader world of learning. He was good at making friends, loved reading, and was self-disciplined in life, allowing him to counterattack all the way despite his lack of experience and knowledge.
But Zeng Guofan was not satisfied with this stable life in his heart. Of course, accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger. It is not necessarily correct to say that stability is stable, but Zeng Guofan's civil service career was still smooth.
Perhaps times create heroes, and history did not allow Zeng Guofan to become only a Neo-Confucianist and thinker. Because of the civil strife of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Zeng Guofan found an identity more suitable for him in the second half of his life: a military strategist.
In ancient times, Zhao Kuo talked about armies on paper. Can a scholar lead an army really?
Zeng Guofan was not only able to lead troops, but also formed an army entirely by himself. The Green Camp Army of the Qing Dynasty at that time was no longer the brave and capable Eight Banners Army at the founding of the People's Republic of China. Because of the limited finances of the Qing Dynasty, both the army and the Officials all adopted a low salary system, and the army could not support itself at all. It could only survive on a part-time basis. As a result, there was a turmoil and the army was defeated and lost ground.
No wonder a classmate in the army said: A country that is careful about the treatment of its soldiers is preparing for reparations for the next war.
The so-called regular army of the Qing Dynasty was unable to resist, so it called on local officials to carry out regiment training and assist in quelling civil strife as militiamen.
For a while, regiment training sprang up in various places, but they were unable to resist the Taiping Army's siege.
Until Zeng Guofan led the Hunan Army, which had been trained for a year, to reverse the war situation for the first time, otherwise, the history of the Qing Dynasty would have been rewritten, and it would not have survived until 1911.
Zeng Guofan led the troops, which was the opposite of what the Qing government was doing. The reflective nature of the literati emerged at this time.
In terms of personnel selection, most of the generals in the army are intellectuals, and 104 of the 179 generals are scholars. Among the soldiers, two things are not needed: those who have served in the army and those who are too smart.
The advantage of this selection is that the generals who are scholars are firstly brave, Neo-Confucianism is the study of life and death, and intellectuals with profound knowledge have long put life and death aside; secondly, they advocate knowledge and apply it in the world. Military strategy requires educated people; the third is to be calm-minded. On a very chaotic battlefield, what needs to be done is to stabilize the morale of the military and analyze the battle situation accurately.
While Zeng Guofan was training his troops, his friend was under siege while defending the city. Emperor Xianfeng issued several edicts for rescue. Zeng Guofan calmly analyzed and felt that the time for training of soldiers and horses was not enough, and the ships and artillery were not fully prepared, so he sent out troops. There is no chance of winning, and the position of not sending troops remains unwavering. Even though his mentor Wu Wenrong asked for help, he reluctantly replied: the departure funds and Western cannons have not arrived, so we cannot start yet.
By assessing the situation in this way and being so prudent, the subsequent military situation will all verify Zeng Guofan's strategic vision.
From being an official in the capital to becoming the governor of Liangjiang, and finally being posthumously recognized as Taifu, Zeng Guofan’s official career was perfect, but this perfect process was the result of historical choices.
Zeng Guofan is a veritable elder of the Three Dynasties, and has experienced three periods: Daoguang, Xianfeng, and Tongzhi. During the Tongzhi period, Cixi listened to politics behind the curtain.
Every change of government is actually a change of leadership of the original team. Many officials, who were able to call all the shots in the previous administration, were often suspended or punished due to corruption issues during the new master's tenure. Among them, during the Daoguang period, Zeng Guofan's talents were particularly valued and many important ministers recommended him.
For such an important minister, Zeng Guofan did not cling to other people's laps, did not join any faction, and did not have any correspondence with him, and any communication with him was limited to verbal words.
In ancient times, everyone wanted to express their opinions and express their attitude. Unlike in the current self-media era, there are many ways to express opinions. The most common way is to write letters. Zeng Guofan's private remarks were generally only reflected in family letters, and his public remarks were memorials to the emperor.
Precisely because he is cautious in his speech and can always see the problem from a further perspective than others, every time he is "severely cracked down" by the court, he is more criticized by the new emperor every time. of respect.
There were certainly many Beijing officials who entered the official career with Zeng Guofan who were smarter and more capable than him, but history chose Zeng Guofan.
During the process of establishing the Hunan Army and pacifying the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Zeng Guofan suffered three defeats and sieges. Each time he tried to commit suicide and was arrested by his subordinates. Many officials of the same period were not weaker than him in commanding combat capabilities. Among them were his close friends and his teachers when he participated in the imperial examination. When the city he was guarding was breached, there was no chance to fight back.
Life always has its ups and downs, and history sometimes has the final say as to who it chooses.
As Zeng Guofan himself said: In ancient times, human planning accounted for only three-tenths of great wars and great undertakings, while providence always accounted for seven-tenths. Often those who work hard are not the ones who become famous, and those who are famous are not those who enjoy happiness. ”
Why did Zeng Guofan become a legend? Because he never refused to grow up.
In the imperial official era, when he first entered the capital to serve as an imperial scholar, he was a completely unskilled country boy who had never seen the world. Fortunately, the Four Books and Five Classics, which were only used for exams, opened up his horizons. He changed from a person who pursues public preferences (likes to see beheadings, and loves to see beautiful women) to a person who has requirements for himself, is reflective, and highly educated. A self-disciplined person.
Under the nourishment of Hanlin Siku Quanshu, Zeng Guofan continued to transform and became a lifelong goal.
As the saying goes, "The best is to learn from the law. "Get it from it", use the wisdom of a saint to restrain yourself, and even if you don't become a saint, you can still become an expert.
It is precisely because of the accumulated wisdom and ability of being a Beijing official for ten years that we can truly succeed in the future. Belongs to the legend of Zeng Guofan.
People who become legends must not do it for themselves. If it were not for the needs of the times, perhaps Zeng Guofan would still be on his way to becoming a saint.
But history has given Zeng Guofan more responsibilities, quelling the civil strife in the Taiping Rebellion and annihilating the Nien Army. Zeng Guofan's military ability of "defeating the enemy and forging a stronghold" was fully demonstrated in the context of times when times create heroes.
In the impression, the ability of literati to "talk on paper" was rewritten here. Perhaps it was also Zeng Guofan's discovery of himself during his growth.
As the governor of Liangjiang, Zeng Guofan did not take credit for himself. On the contrary, he took the initiative to weaken the Hunan Army he had established. "Since ancient times, publicity and fame cannot be shared. "Zeng Guofan can always think about problems from the perspective of historical lessons, so that he will not be involved in the political whirlpool.
Obviously, this understanding is due to the saint who was a Beijing official. In thinking, one must always look wider and see farther.
From the pursuit of personal growth when he was an official in Beijing, to the need to relieve the country's worries during the training of the Hunan Army, to the Westernization Movement, "open your eyes and see" with Lin Zexu. world. "Zeng Guofan's legend has never stopped.
Analyzing the reasons for the country's backwardness, opening the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, introducing advanced foreign technology, and opening a Mumu school to cultivate talents who are the pillars of the country, Zeng Guofan became a legend of an era.
Assuming there is a time tunnel, which dynasty would you most like to travel to? You may immediately think of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Even if you can only choose the Qing Dynasty, you will definitely choose the Kangxi and Qian Dynasties as your first choice. p>
In short, we will definitely avoid the last years of a dynasty, because this must be the worst era.
Zeng Guofan belonged to such a bad era. As a veteran of the three dynasties, he always hoped to encounter it. It was a pity that several emperors were "moral and upright" and did not care about the overall situation. Cixi, in particular, was a superb power player, but she rarely talked about state affairs in her conversations with the emperor and ministers. Only Zeng Guofan treated her. The disappointment of "mediocre talents and nothing to say".
"The Qing Dynasty is at the end of its life, 50 years at most."
At first, Zeng Guofan did not agree with the conclusion of his friend Zhao Liewen. Although the Qing Dynasty signed many treaties that were humiliating and humiliating the country, this There are reasons behind the isolation of the country. The outside world is no longer the same. As long as we start to learn the advanced technology of the West at this time, there will definitely be opportunities.
Zeng Guofan has always had such a responsibility to be loyal to the emperor and patriotic. For the slow Zeng Guofan, the times he lived in were not necessarily the worst. The Qing government was cautious and the Eight Banners soldiers had no talents to use. Only the Han people were there. Qing Ting was proud.
Zeng Guofan was able to come up and down several times. His political career not only went through a roller coaster, but he was entrusted with important tasks again every time. Firstly, because there was really no one in the court who could be trusted, and secondly because he implemented Confucianism. The vitality, flexibility, and tolerance of the spirit are different from those stupid and superficial bureaucrats. His political opinions can always be supported by his staff.
As the saying goes: The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. These historical choices given to Zeng Guofan all have their inevitable factors.
Think about it, if Zeng Guofan was born in modern times, would he have greater achievements?
It is estimated that it will be more difficult for Zeng Guofan, who is slow to warm up.
Perhaps hard work can make up for weakness, and he may not be unable to achieve a great career as a late bloomer.
But one important fact cannot be ignored. Zeng Guofan's physique is below average. He already looks like he is fifty at the age of thirty. He has bad eyesight and serious skin diseases. These In addition to knowledge, it also plays a key role in a person's growth.
Of course, history cannot be assumed.
It’s just that I think everyone can apply the words of Dickens, the British writer of the same era as Zeng Guofan, to everyone’s era:
This is the best era, and it is also the best era. The worst of times.
The history of mankind is the result of the blessings of each era. Times are progressing, and that’s because we stand on the shoulders of our predecessors.
Just like the future described by science fiction writer Liu Cixin, it may not be what we like.
We don’t need to freeze ourselves and travel through hundreds of years to enjoy the prosperity that that era thought.
There is no wrong era, because people who can be linked with responsibilities in different eras have their own splendor.
It is wise to read history. This is also the most important knowledge I gained from "The Biography of Zeng Guofan".