The following information is reprinted for reference
Zeng Guofan (November 26, 1811 - March 12, 1872), first named Zicheng, courtesy name Bohan, nickname Disheng, posthumous title Wen Zheng, Han nationality, was born in Yangshuping, Xiangxiang County, Changsha Prefecture, Hunan Province (now part of Heye Town, Shuangfeng County, Loudi City, Hunan Province). An important minister of the late Qing Dynasty, the father of the Hunan Army, the founder and commander of the Hunan Army. A military strategist, Neo-Confucianist, politician, calligrapher, and writer of the Qing Dynasty, he was the founder of the "Xiangxiang School" of prose in the late Qing Dynasty. One of the "Four Famous Officials of the Zhongxing Dynasty" in the late Qing Dynasty, he served as governor of Liangjiang, governor of Zhili, and bachelor of Wuyingdian. He was awarded the title of first-class Yiyonghou, with the posthumous title of Wenzheng. Mao Zedong once said: "To my neighbors, I only obey Zeng Wenzheng." This expresses his admiration for this late countryman. Zeng Guofan (1811-1872) was a native of Xiangxiang, Hunan. His first name was Zicheng, his courtesy name was Bohan, and his nickname was Disheng. He was one of the most influential figures in Chinese history. His life, his wisdom, and his thoughts have deeply influenced several generations of Chinese people. Even though he has been dead for more than a hundred years, people still talk about Zeng Guofan with great enthusiasm. Some commentators said: If we judge by characters, Zeng Guofan is the last person in ancient Chinese history and the first person in modern history. This sentence summarizes Zeng Guofan's personal role and influence from a certain perspective. Zeng Guofan's excellent qualities Zeng Guofan devoted his life to politics and took patience as the first priority. He advocated being diligent, thrifty and honest in everything and not being arrogant as an official. He cultivated himself and disciplined himself, sought an official position based on virtue, put etiquette first, and pursued politics with loyalty, and achieved great success in the officialdom. Zeng Guofan's historical status Liang Qichao admired Zeng wholeheartedly, saying, "I call Zeng Wenzhengji, and it must be repeated three times a day." Just like Zhang Binglin, the pioneer of the Revolution of 1911, commented on Zeng Guofan, in the past hundred years, benevolent people have different opinions, and wise people have wisdom, and those who praise Zeng Guofan Yes, there is no shortage of people who criticize and criticize. 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". After the Revolution of 1911, some revolutionaries said that he was "the first to rectify the law on the spot." The historians after the founding of the People's Republic of China even scolded him, denouncing him as a defender of the feudal landlord class and a sprite of the landlord and comprador class. 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 them. Zeng Guofan. When Mao Zedong was young, he devoted himself to studying Zeng's collected works and came to the conclusion that "if you are stupid than your neighbors, you 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 thought of building a benevolent army by loving soldiers: "Leading soldiers is like leading children, which is the most benevolent and appropriate word. If you can have this intention, then the motto of leading troops in ancient and modern times can be said in thousands of words. Burned to the ground." ("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. He is ashamed to be inferior to Yuan Fu. Our hearts are like gold and our mistakes are like stones. We will live up to our expectations for the rest of our lives. 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, ushering in modern manufacturing; the first military engineering school was established, starting modern higher education in China; and the first Western books were translated and printed, which not only laid the foundation for modern Chinese science and technology, but also 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. Cultivate oneself, manage one's family and govern the country. China will be perfect through the ages. Since ancient times, China has said the "three immortals" of meritorious service (accomplishing great undertakings), establishing virtue (becoming a spiritual model for the world), and establishing words (leaving doctrines for future generations). And those who can truly achieve it But there are only a few like stars, 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. With the "Three Immortals" cause of peace in the world, meritorious service, morality, and words, he deserves to be called "China's perfect man through the ages." He is the fastest to be promoted, the best to maintain the official, and the most stable model. "In politics, you must learn from Zeng Guofan, and in business, you must learn from Hu Xueyan." Since modern times, Zeng Guofan has been regarded as an "official model" by political figures. This is because, firstly, he was promoted fastest and reached the second rank at the age of thirty-seven, the only one in the Qing Dynasty; secondly, he was the best official, with outstanding political voice and good governance of 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 and utilizing talents, devoted his life to making, recruiting, cultivating, recommending and using talents. His shogunate was the largest and most influential in Chinese history, gathering almost the best talents from all over the country to recruit and retain talents. Talented, 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. Zeng Guofan, the greatest success in housekeeping and educating children in traditional Chinese culture, was the best son who could make his parents feel at ease; he was the best brother who taught and cared for his younger siblings and was considerate to every detail. Zeng Guofan was even more of a kind father and a good role model for his children. His "Letter from Home" emphasizes life ideals, spiritual realm and moral cultivation. In a modern society where family ties between flesh and blood are becoming increasingly indifferent and neighbors and relatives are strangers, it does have the value of persuading people to become secular and is worth reading by everyone. Most official families cannot flourish for more than three generations, but the Zeng family has talented people from generation to generation. There have been a number of famous diplomats, poets, and educators such as Zeng Jize, Zeng Guangjun, Zeng Yoonong, Zeng Baosun, Zeng Xianzhi, and Zeng Zhaolun. , scientists and senior cadres. Zeng Guofan, a model figure of traditional Chinese cultural personality, was "middle-class" among the scholar-bureaucrats of his generation and was rather blunt. However, he had great ambitions, stubborn character, strong will, diligent learning and inquisitiveness, and was beyond the reach of others. Since he was a boy, he has been "devoted to knowledge and practice, determined to set himself apart from the popular customs". He writes a diary every day to reflect on himself. There is not a day in his life when he does not monitor himself and teach himself a lesson. He treats his superiors, subordinates, and colleagues with humility, self-restraint, and open-mindedness. He has many friends in his life and is very respected by others. He maintains "sincerity" and works hard. No matter how big a blow he suffers, he never loses heart. Be able to keep up your efforts and persevere to the end. This is the fundamental secret of his success. Zeng Guofan, a spiritual idol who has profoundly influenced generations of people, has a profound academic quality and is a "person who does things (does things) and preaches (leaves ideas and doctrines)" (Mao Zedong). "Manuscript of Qing History - Biography of Zeng Guofan" also said: "Guofan's achievements were greater than his knowledge, and he was good at etiquette." He studied diligently throughout his life, respected Confucianism, and emphasized practical pragmatism in managing the world. He became the successor to Confucius, Mencius, and Zhu Xi. Then there was another "Confucian master"; he innovated the essay theory of the New Tongcheng School, and his poems and prose dominated the literary world of the Dao (Guang), Xian (Feng), and Tong (Zhi) dynasties. He can be said to be "the crowning generation of moral articles".