Zeng Guofan inherited the style of Fang Bao and Yao Nai of the Tongcheng School and established his own style, establishing the "Xiangxiang School" of ancient prose in the late Qing Dynasty. When he discussed ancient prose, he emphasized sonorous tone and the ability to encompass the incomprehensible; The ancient prose is profound, majestic and majestic, and can convey the atmosphere of the Han Dynasty. Therefore, it has a majestic and magnificent artistic conception, which can overcome the shortcomings of the Tongcheng School and be called it by later generations. Zeng's patriarchal clan originated in Tongcheng, but it has undergone some changes and development. He also selected and compiled a "Miscellaneous Notes on Classics and History" as a model of writing. It was not limited to Tongcheng, and was known as the Xiangxiang School in the world. Yan Fu and Lin Shu in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, as well as Tan Sitong and Liang Qichao, were all influenced by his writing style. His works include "Collected Works of Qiuquezhai", "Collected Poems", "Records of Readings", "Diary", "Memorial", "Family Letters", "Family Tune" and "Miscellaneous Notes of One Hundred Schools of Classics and History" and "Eighteen Schools of Classics". Poetry Notes" etc. There are no less than a hundred or dozens of volumes, and the name is "The Complete Works of Zeng Wenzhenggong", which has been handed down to the world. He also wrote works such as "The Way of Learning" and "Five Proverbs".
Ideology and Academics
Zeng Guofan, as a famous politician in modern times, had a clear understanding of the corruption and decline of the Qing Dynasty after the "Qianjia Dynasty". He said: "Poverty in the country is not a problem, but the people's heart is the only problem." If it is disorganized, it will cause serious troubles. "For "literary officials are accustomed to worrying about their appearance", "Chang is a kind of wind that is neither white nor black, neither painful nor itchy", and "hates secondary bones". He believes that "the bad governance of officials is due to the group curtain, and seeking officials to eliminate the shortcomings of the curtain and sincerity is the theory to explore the source." Based on this, Zeng Guofan proposed that "the most important thing in administration is to recruit people." In times of crisis, people with both moral integrity and tools are needed to promote integrity, practice benevolent government, and oppose tyranny and disturbing the people. Officials who have committed crimes must be severely punished. As for the financial economy, which is related to the national destiny and the people's livelihood, Zeng Guofan believes that the way to manage finances is to consider the excess and the deficiency, be down-to-earth, and be honest and serve the public. "Seek rectification gradually, not to seek quick results." Zeng Guofan mentioned agriculture as a basic strategic position in the national economy. He believed that "people's livelihood should be prioritized, and the national economy should be blessed with good years." He demanded that "today's states and counties should give priority to agriculture." Affected by the two Opium Wars, Zeng Guofan had his own views on Sino-Western relations. On the one hand, he hated Westerners for invading China. He believed that others should not be allowed to snore next to his bed. He opposed borrowing troops to help suppress the war and felt deeply ashamed of relying on foreign countries. "; On the other hand, he is not blindly exclusive and advocates learning advanced science and technology from the West. For example, he said that buying foreign artifacts...recruiting talented people and clever craftsmen, first practicing, and then trial-making,... can To suppress the twists and turns, one can be diligent and far-sighted.
Zeng Guofan was a famous Neo-Confucian master in the late Qing Dynasty. He said: "Those who can really read are good and powerful. ", we must have the spirit of "three years of old rain, the essence turns into blue, and the solitary lamp's eyes are evergreen for five nights". The writing may be masculine beauty, "strength to obtain the dangerous power"; or feminine beauty, "strength to obtain the natural flavor". When writing an article, you need to work hard on momentum. "Qi can hold the truth in action, and then even if you talk about reason, it will not be gray." You must pay attention to the details, and the details will be summarized, and the summary will be detailed. "Cutting down the complexity and simplicity" is also "the most important thing for writers". For literary nobles to find their own way, "the way of writing is to have a bright and majestic atmosphere as the most difficult and precious". "The rhyme is not lacking, the tone is sonorous , is the most wonderful scene in the article."
The art of running a family and educating children. Through the eight books and three auspicious education of family members, the Zeng family has cultivated generations of good children. Although they are a wealthy family, There have been no dandy children in more than 100 years. This cannot but be said to be the success of Zeng Guofan's educational thought: the eight books are the classics, the eight treasures are the weft, and the four-character key, three auspiciousness, and three disbeliefs are interspersed. Among them, the latitude and longitude are coherent and the context is interlinked, forming a complete and teachable theoretical system for managing a family; this theory is different from the traditional Chinese core concept of educating future generations, and is opposed to the consistent insistence of famous family mottos such as Confucius, Mencius, Zhuzi, and Yanshi. The theory of excellence in learning leads to officialdom, and its implementation has extremely important practical significance for the educational confusion faced by almost every family in today's society.
Zeng Guofan compiled it. He started his career by training the Hunan Army and governed the country as a scholar. He suppressed the Taiping Rebellion, the largest peasant uprising in Chinese history. His military thinking was extremely rich and truly outstanding.
He believes that it is not about having more soldiers but about being good at them. "With few soldiers, a country is strong." "The more soldiers, the weaker the force; the more pay, the poorer the country." He advocated the separation of military and political affairs and withheld their responsibilities. He purchased foreign guns, cannons, and ships to promote the modernization of Chinese military weapons. In running the army, strict military discipline is the first priority, and at the same time, he strives to cultivate "harmony" so that the officers and soldiers are united. He believes that "the general has a desire to die, but the soldiers have no energy to live." There are four requirements for selection: "The first is to know people well and be good at assigning tasks; the second is to be good at understanding the enemy's situation; the third is to be courageous and knowledgeable when facing battle; the fourth is to keep camp affairs in order." The most abundant part of Zeng Guofan's military thought that is worth learning from today is his strategy and tactics. For example, "Move your troops like rabbits and be still like virgins", the art of subject and object, "Fortify a strong stronghold and fight to the death", the navy must not attack with the wind, choose the camp wisely, "self-govern first, then control the enemy", deep trenches and high bases , authentic siege techniques, coordination of water and land, using static braking, "pulling out the roots first, then trimming the branches and leaves" and so on.
How to make friends in the world. Zeng Guofan was very insightful about how to make friends. He believed that making friends requires "honesty and integrity, tolerance of compromise, and no selfish suspicion." "Don't take advantage of others in anything. Don't take people's wealth lightly." We need to brainstorm ideas and listen without going deaf. "The way to look at people is to be ethical but not official, to be more organized and less loud." In terms of life, Zeng Guofan believed that "in these troubled times, the poorer the better." As a high-ranking official, "it is always better to have less money and less production." "Patience is the most important thing in being an official", "Virtue is lost by being full, and happiness is reduced by being arrogant". As a human being, you must pay attention to the word "light", "Not only wealth, fame, fame, and fortune, but whether a child's surname is prosperous or not is all determined by heaven, that is, whether knowledge and virtue are established or not, it is mostly related to heaven's affairs, and can be laughed at and forgotten. Of". "You don't have to have success by yourself, and you don't have to have fame by yourself." Zeng Guofan wrote twelve aphorisms, which basically summarized his way of making friends.
Zeng Guofan summarized the twelve tips for self-cultivation: respect, sit quietly, get up early, read without hesitation, read history, be careful in speaking, nourish the Qi, protect the body, know what you are going to do with the sun, know what you can't do without the moon, and write words , Don’t go out at night. He believed that the ancients had four principles for practicing self-cultivation: "Be cautious and independent, and you will have peace of mind; respect for the master will make you strong; seeking benevolence will make others happy; and sincerity will make you divine." Zeng Guofan did not believe in medicine, monks and witches, or immortals. He adhered to sincerity, abstained from ingenuity, adhered to the Tao and stayed true, and did not admire wealth and honor. "There are limits in life, and you know your fate and have no worries."
Personality cultivation is of great significance to him. Career helps, first of all, sincerity, being consistent on the inside and outside, and everything can be made public. The second is respect, awe, having no evil thoughts in your heart, holding your body dignified, serious and majestic. The third is tranquility. The mind, energy, spirit and body must be in a state of peace and relaxation. The fourth word is sincerity. Don’t talk big words, lies, or empty words. It’s real. One is one, and two is two. The fifth character is Heng, which means living a regular life, eating well, and living regularly. The highest state is to be "cautious and independent", and you can see the gods three feet above your head. He kept a diary every day, checked and reflected on his words and deeds every day, and continued to put forward more requirements for himself throughout the second half of his life: to be diligent and thrifty, to be humble, to be benevolent, to be honest, to know fate, to cherish blessings, etc., and strive to Make yourself the sage of that time. Many people think that personality cultivation is an empty thing, and that self-cultivation is illusory and even pedantic. However, Zeng Guofan's lifelong career, self-cultivation is the most important reason for his career success.
Zeng Guofan believes: "There are about five things in health preservation: one is to sleep and eat regularly, the other is to punish poverty, the third is to abstain from sexual intercourse, the fourth is to wash your feet before going to bed every night, the fifth is to wash your feet every night, and the fifth is to eat twice a day. Walk three thousand steps each after meals. "In the way of maintaining health, the four words "seeing", "breathing", "sleeping" and "eating" are the most important. To maintain health, you need to know the way to regulate health.
Zeng Guofan set twelve lessons for himself:
Main respect: orderly and solemn, Qingming is bowing, like the rising sun.
Meditate: Sit quietly for four moments every day, no matter what time of day, in a straight position, concentrating on your life, like the town of a tripod.
Get up early: get up at dawn, don’t be infatuated after waking up.
Read the same book: If you haven’t finished one book, don’t read other books.
Reading history: Read the three histories (referring to "Historical Records", "Hanshu", and "Houhanshu"), marking ten pages every day, even if something happens.
A word of caution: Pay attention at all times, the first priority.
Nourishing Qi: Qi is stored in the Dantian, and there is nothing that cannot be said to others.
To protect yourself: save labor, abstain from sexual intercourse, and exercise moderation in diet.
Know what you don’t have every day: read every day and record your insights. Seeking deep meaning is showing favoritism.
Yue Wu forgets what he can do: compose several poems every month to test the amount of accumulated principles and whether the Qi is nourished. Don't dwell on it for a while, as it is the easiest way to get discouraged.
Writing: Write for half an hour after dinner. All communication with writing and ink should be regarded as one's own course. If you don't wait for tomorrow, the accumulation will become more difficult to clear.
Don’t go out at night. If you are tired of your work, you must quit.
Zeng Guofan’s skill in using people to recognize people. How to use people, especially how to use accurate people, is a profound knowledge. Zeng Guofan's knowledge of employing people was an important part of his success in life. He never blindly selected people or confusedly delegated authority. Instead, he kept his bright eyes open and followed the method of "employing people after seeing them through". Avoid when you avoid and mention when you need to mention, showing your leadership and management skills in place.
The four methods of employing people: doing, thinking, learning, and restraining;
Understand the essence, energy, and spirit of people;
Use wisdom, speech, and labor. kind of people;
Zeng Guofan and "Bingjian" "Bingjian" brief review:
Bingjian ancient version
[3]
"Bingjian" is a textbook on talent science at home and abroad, a classic document about knowing and appreciating people. It is a legendary book written by Zeng Guofan summarizing his own experience of knowing people and using people's hearts. It is Zeng Guofan's meticulous observation and insight into people's hearts. It is valued and loved by people from all walks of life because of its strong practicality, enlightenment and reference. "Bingjian" creates a way for readers to get closer to Zeng Guofan's wisdom and experience his unique strategies for recognizing and employing people. A true wisdom classic that can not only span the field to which it belongs, but also span time and space!
There are doubts about "Bingjian":
1. "Bingjian" is a work written (by doubt) by Zeng Guofan, a minister of Zhongxing in the late Qing Dynasty, about knowing people. Divided into 7 chapters.
2. Ancient ice container. "Zhou Li·Tian Guan·Ling Ren": "Sacrifice *** (offer) Bingjian."
3. Jian, mirror. The saying "mirror is as clean as ice" is a metaphor for clear observation. Jiang Yan's "Xie Kaifu Pi Zhao Biao": "I praise the state's power, and it is appropriate for my position to be a reflection."
4. Points to the moon. Yuan Zhen's "Moon": "The ice of Jianghe River is bright, and the moon of the ecliptic is majestic."
"Bingjian"
[4] Speaking of "Bingjian":
Foolish than his neighbors, he only obeyed Zeng Wenzheng. ——Mao Zedong
The lessons learned from others are unparalleled in the world. ——Li Hongzhang
Although the Duke is not known for being good at fighting, he is able to recognize and select good generals, and his planning is rigorous and unparalleled. Such a general has never been seen since the beginning of the war. ——Shi Dakai of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom
The most beautiful thing about sages is their intelligence. The most valuable thing about intelligence is knowing people. ——Liu Shao
…
Some people say that of the 13 sets of knowledge of Zeng Guofan, a famous official in the Qing Dynasty, only one has been handed down, and that is "Zeng Guofan's Family Letters". In fact, there are two sets handed down. The other set is Zeng Guofan's knowledge of fortune telling and the book "Bingjian". ——Nan Huaijin
Later generations commented that Liang Qichao admired Zeng very much, saying, "I call Zeng Wenzhengji, and it must be repeated three times every day." Liang referred to Zeng Guofan in the preface of "Zeng Wenzhenggong Jiayanchao" Not only in modern times, but also in the history of history, he is a great man who is rare; not only in our country, but also in the whole world. He is said to be the most blunt and clumsy; he has been in trouble all his life and has been rebellious for the rest of his life; however, he has established virtues, meritorious service and speech, and his achievements have shocked the past and the present. Follow the customs, but know when you are trapped, and act with encouragement, go through hundreds of hardships and obstacles without setbacks, do not seek immediate results, accumulate a lot of money, accept it with emptiness, apply it with diligence, plant it with firmness, and use it with sincerity. Heng, handsome with sincerity, bravery and diligence, outstanding in hardships...".
Just like Zhang Binglin’s evaluation of Zeng Guofan during the Revolution of 1911, in the past hundred years, benevolent people have different views on benevolence, and wise people have different opinions. There are many people who praise Zeng Guofan, and there are also many people who criticize him.
As early as when Zeng Guofan suppressed the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, some people accused him of killing too many people and gave him the nickname "Zeng Shatou". By the time of the "Tianjin Mission Case" in 1870, many people called him a traitor, so much so that Zeng Guofan felt that "the gods were to blame internally and Qingyi was to blame externally", and he even worried about being surrounded on all sides. After the Revolution of 1911, some revolutionaries said that he was "the first to rectify the law on the spot" and that he was a traitor with lasting infamy. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the historians scolded him even more, and denounced him as a defender of the feudal landlord class and a leader of the landlord and comprador class. Fine couple.
Xiao Yishan, a famous Qing historian in the Republic of China, compared Zeng Guofan and Zuo Zongtang in "General History of the Qing Dynasty": "Guofan won with caution, Zongtang won with heroism."
Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek, two famous figures in modern Chinese history, both spoke highly of Zeng Guofan. In his youth, Mao Zedong devoted himself to studying Zeng's collected works and came to the conclusion that "if you are stupid than your neighbors, you will only obey Zeng Wenzheng." Even in Mao Zedong's later years, he once said: Zeng Guofan is the most powerful figure in the landlord class. Chiang Kai-shek paid homage to Zeng and believed that Zeng Guofan's conduct as a human being was "sufficient to be our teacher." He regarded "Zeng Hu Zhibing Quotations" as a textbook for teaching senior generals. He also kept "The Complete Works of Zeng Wenzhenggong" next to his desk and read it continuously throughout his life. It is said that his way of naming names and his method of meditating to maintain health were all imitating Zeng Guofan. Zeng Guofan's personal charm can be seen from this.
General Cai E highly praised Zeng’s military management ideas of building a benevolent and righteous army by loving soldiers: “Leading soldiers is like leading children, which is the most benevolent and appropriate word. If you can have this intention, you will lead the army in ancient and modern times. As a military motto, thousands of words can be burned into flames." ("Mr. Cai Songpo's Collected Works" (2), page 5).
Zuo Zongtang’s elegiac couplet to Zeng Guofan: He knows people well and is loyal to the country, and he is ashamed to be inferior to Yuan Fu; our hearts are like gold, our mistakes are like stones, and we will live up to our expectations throughout our lives.
During the same year of Xianfeng, Zeng Guofan's performance in foreign-related activities such as "borrowing barbarians to help suppress", barbarian merchants transporting water to Nancao, sending people to purchase American machinery to establish the Jiangnan Machinery Bureau, and handling the Tianjin religious case pointed out that in serious At a time when most scholar-bureaucrats were obsessed with the study of doctrine and doctrine, Zeng Guofan was able to independently grasp the trends of the times, grasp the changing circumstances, absorb the essence of traditional Chinese culture, inherit and carry forward Lin Zexu and Wei Yuan's practical knowledge of world affairs, and vigorously advocate learning from the West. , launched a new political movement for self-improvement, and thus became a influential figure in China's modernization.
Zeng Guofan, the pioneer of China’s modern modernization drive, was the first person in Chinese history to truly actively practice it. Under his guidance, China's first ship was built, marking the beginning of modern manufacturing; the first military engineering school was established, marking the beginning of modern higher education in China; the first translation and printing of Western books not only laid the foundation for modern Chinese science and technology, It also greatly broadened the horizons of the Chinese people; arranged for the first batch of students to study in the United States and cultivated a large number of pillars for the country, including Tang Shaoyi, the first prime minister of the Republic of China, Zhan Tianyou, the "father of railways" in China, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the late Qing Dynasty ) Liang Dunyan and Tang Guoan, the first president of Tsinghua University, are among the best.
Zeng Guofan, the founder of China's ideological and political work, claimed: "I am a talent for training, not for battle." He taught soldiers to "speak to the head of a stubborn stone and drip the blood of a cuckoo from a bitter mouth." He trained troops in the spirit of Confucianism, turning the Hunan Army into an ideological team. He composed and sang "Song of Love for the Folk", which greatly shocked the Hunan Army. Mao Zedong's "Three Major Disciplines and Eight Points of Attention" was based on this. Chiang Kai-shek When Huangpu founded the army, his "Folk Song of Love" was also printed and distributed to students to sing, with great success. He saw that Hong Xiuquan's worship of Catholicism was not in line with China's national conditions, so he wrote a "Call to the Cantonese Bandits", which caused many intellectuals to take off their long robes and lead the peasants with black legs to surrender to the banner of the Hunan Army and fight against the Taiping Army. fought and won the final victory.
", but there are only a few people who can actually realize it, and Zeng Guofan is one of them.
He defeated the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and saved the Qing Dynasty, and was the "savior" of the Qing Dynasty; he "rescued the current ills", purified the political style, and learned Western culture, which led to the emergence of "Tongzhi Zhongsheng" in the late Qing Dynasty; he was strict with himself and respected integrity. , flaunted morality, practiced it personally, and gained support from the top to the bottom; his intellectual articles were eclectic, profound, and he was the master of modern Confucianism. "His works are a must-read for any politician" (Chiang Kai-shek), and he realized the Confucian ideals of self-cultivation, family order, and country governance. The "Three Immortals" cause of peace in the world, meritorious service, morality, and speech are worthy of being called "the most perfect man in China through the ages."
The fastest to be promoted, the best to maintain the official, and the most stable model "Politics should learn from Zeng Guofan, you must learn from Hu Xueyan when doing business.” Since modern times, Zeng Guofan has been regarded as an "official model" by political figures. This is because, firstly, he was promoted fastest, reaching the second rank at the age of thirty-seven, and was the only one in the Qing Dynasty; secondly, he was the best official, with outstanding political voice, and good governance for the people; thirdly, he was the most stable official, He has gone through all the turmoil in the officialdom and is safe and sound, and his honor and favor will never fade. He is familiar with Chinese history, has a thorough understanding of the ways of officialdom, and has accumulated a set of unique skills in officialdom, which he uses in Chinese officialdom to make him invincible and invincible.
Zeng Guofan, the number one master in recruiting, cultivating, recommending and using talents, devoted his life to making friends, recruiting, cultivating, recommending and using talents. His shogunate was the largest and most influential in Chinese history, gathering almost all the people in the country. The Essence of Talents In order to recruit and retain talents, he put aside his humble old face and repeatedly wrote letters to recommend his subordinates, seeking officials, power and positions for his subordinates. He recommended as many as a thousand subordinates in his life, and there were more than 40 people who reached the rank of governor-general. They include strategic and operational military talents such as Li Hongzhang, Zuo Zongtang, Guo Songtao, Peng Yulin, and Li Hanzhang, as well as first-class scholars and scientists such as Yu Yue, Li Shanlan, Hua Hengfang, and Xu Shou.