Zeng Guofan formed the Xiang Army in his early years. He stood on his own feet and intervened everywhere, which offended many colleagues.

When training the navy, he was worried that Hunan Governor Luo would interfere, so he wrote to him in advance and told him that he could do it well and not to send someone to stir it up. When Wuchang was in crisis, he turned to Luo for help, and his attitude was still arrogant: "What is at stake is unknown to the wise. '

-at a critical juncture, send troops as soon as possible, and don't be stupid enough to be reminded. Luo wrote back to criticize him for being headstrong. Instead, he complained that Luo was mean. Even my brother Ceng Guohua said that he was "embarrassed every time", which often made people feel humiliated. In the long run, Zeng Guofan's interpersonal relationship has deteriorated extremely, which is called a social black hole. He was finally relieved of his military power and recalled to his hometown.

Zeng Guofan, a "master"

After being dismissed from his post, Zeng Guofan learned from a bitter experience and reflected that his personality was too extreme and arrogant, and he was an enemy of others. He was solitary and could not be reused and made concerted efforts. He also learned from Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi that "the world is the softest and the strongest", and "Jiang Hai can be the king of all the valleys, so we should take the method".

When he came out for the second time, Zeng Guofan began to restrain his pride, became humble and learned "altruism". The first thing he did after coming out of the mountain was to write letters to officials at all levels in Hunan and ask them for advice and learning. Passing through Changsha County, he even met the local county magistrate and learned from him how to be an official. From then on, Zeng Guofan began to be accepted by Hunan officialdom bit by bit, and gradually gained the trust of the court, which led to his later promotion and worship.

Zeng Guofan's "Way of Governing People"

Wealth alone is enough to gather people, and self-discipline is enough to convince people.

The breadth is enough to win people, and the front is enough to lead people.

-Chen Ming Jiru, "Little Window, Wake Up"

Literally, these four sentences are easy to understand: generosity can unite others; Only by being strict with yourself can you serve others; Forgiveness can win people's hearts; Take the lead to lead people. These four sentences are the essence of Zeng Guofan's "management". Throughout Zeng Guofan's life, especially after he became the commander-in-chief of the Xiang army, they gathered people's hearts and persuaded them to take the lead and "hold" their generals and officials.