Meaning: If you don’t pursue nobility and become a sage, then you are just like an animal. People must have pursuits in life. Don't care about the final result, just do your best.

Source: "Zeng Guofan's Diary"

Zeng Guofan was a modern Chinese politician, strategist, Neo-Confucianist, writer, and the founder and commander-in-chief of the Hunan Army. Born into a landlord's family, he was diligent and studious since childhood, and entered a private school at the age of 6. At the age of 8, he can read the Four Books and recite the Five Classics. At the age of 14, he can read the selected works of "Zhou Rites" and "Historical Records". In the 18th year of Daoguang's reign (1838), he became a Jinshi and entered the Hanlin Academy, where he was a student of Mu Zhang'amen, Minister of Military and Aircraft. Lei Qian was a bachelor of the cabinet, minister of the Ministry of Rites, and minister of the Ministry of Military Affairs, Industry, Punishment, and Officials. He became close friends with the scholar Wo Ren and Huining Dao He Guizhen, etc., and strengthened each other with "practical learning".

Extended information:

Zeng Guofan’s political achievements

As a famous politician in modern times, Zeng Guofan had a clear view of the corruption and decline of the Qing Dynasty after the "Kangxi and Qianlong Dynasties". He said: "Poverty in the country is not a problem, but the people's morale is distracted." Regarding "the scholar-bureaucrats are accustomed to worrying about their appearance and staying in peace", "Chang is a kind of wind that is neither white nor black, neither painful nor itchy", "hate the second bone" ". 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 get 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. Your own officials must be severely punished.

Affected by the two Opium Wars, Zeng Guofan had his own views on Sino-Western relations. On the one hand, he hated Westerners' invasion of China. He believed that others should not be allowed to snore next to his bed, and opposed borrowing teachers to help suppress the war. ", I am deeply ashamed of borrowing from foreign countries"; on the other hand, he is not blindly xenophobic and advocates learning advanced science and technology from the West. For example, he said that he should buy foreign artifacts... He recruited thoughtful people and clever craftsmen, and began to practice, Then try it out, you can suppress the twists and turns, and you can be diligent and far-sighted.

Zeng Guofan's military achievements

Zeng Guofan's purpose of advocating loyalty to the emperor and defending the Tao and running the army based on Confucianism is still implemented in the selected generals. Zeng Guofan's military thoughts are rich in content, recruitment, military management, and coordination of internal and external military relations. He believes that it is not about having more soldiers but about being good at them. "The more soldiers there are, the stronger the country will be." , the weaker the strength; the more the pay, the poorer the country." He advocated the separation of military and political affairs and withheld their responsibilities. He purchased foreign guns, foreign cannons, and foreign ships to promote the modernization of Chinese military weapons.

Zeng Guofan worked hard on the strategy of running the army and advocated using Confucianism to run the army, that is, using feudal ethics to educate officers and soldiers, and using benevolence, etiquette, loyalty and trustworthiness as the basis of running the army to cultivate officers and soldiers. His purpose was to maintain the morale of the army. Cultivate a private army that is completely and absolutely obedient to oneself

Baidu Encyclopedia-Zeng Guofan