In order to protect himself, after Tianjing was conquered, Zeng Guofan disarmed himself and cut off his wings, finally eliminating the court's doubts about his heavy power. Zeng Guofan said to his younger brother, "The sooner you retire, the better!" "If you don't occupy a big position, you can enjoy great fame, and you can avoid big disasters and big slanders", and it often means "I must always think about dismissing the official and can't replace it" and "I am determined not to be an official again".
Zeng Guofan's success in the battle of Tianjing should be regarded as a complete merit. But looking back at history, we can see through the ups and downs of officials in previous dynasties, which makes him more worried that "whoever is a big official is a peaceful and prosperous time, and there are ways to be humiliated in real time." The ancients said that wealth often leads to crisis. " The genius of not resigning in disarmament lies in Zeng Guofan's extraordinary foresight, which is also the wise way for him to finally live a life of peace.
Zeng Guofan knew that if he asked to resign after a great victory, the emperor could not but accept his request. But after he returned to the countryside, he was held hostage by a group of people with ulterior motives and became a leader. Even if Zeng Guofan knew how to deal with it, it was difficult to explain it to the Qing government. If the Qing government is too suspicious and suspects that Zeng Guofan resigned because he didn't want to work for the court, it will be even harder. Therefore, on the one hand, Zeng Guofan automatically lifted the military power, on the other hand, he continued to serve in the court, which is undoubtedly a good way to let the Qing government absolutely rest assured of Zeng Guofan.
Zeng Guofan pointed out in his letter to his younger brother: "Long-term family life depends not on temporary official positions, but on long-term family rules, not on the sudden rise of one or two people, but on the full support of all. If I am lucky, I will quit my career and go home, and I will try my best to maintain it with my brother. Old relatives and relatives, the poor national party, should not be neglected, and poverty is rich. When it is prosperous, when it is declining, think ahead. If so, our family will naturally have a deep foundation.
Your brother and my brother are very different in age, but you see that relatives are poor and our family is in good condition. You think so, but you don't know that they are as prosperous as our family.
I completely saw the scene of their prosperous period, and then look at their withered and dilapidated situation today, which is really touching. The rise and fall of a family depends on the weather. If the weather is good, you will be happy even if you are hungry. If the weather is bad, you will feel deeply sad even if you have no food and clothing.
Now our family is in its heyday, my dear brother, don't think that just a few hundred taels of silver is a trivial matter. If you let your good brothers live a hard life like Chushan and Wu Kuan, can you stand it for one day? Everyone's situation is affected by fate. Today, fate can put us in a prosperous and smooth situation, and tomorrow, it can put us in a difficult and difficult situation. "
Therefore, we should learn to plan our future. It is a wise choice to retire at an appropriate time. Zeng Guofan has experienced ups and downs in his life, but he was rarely impeached by the court and played by his subordinates, which is inseparable from his life thought of retiring after success and preserving his sanity. He does not strive for fame and fortune in the world, and opposes the arrogant and extravagant attitude towards life.
Zeng Guofan made great contributions to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's suppression of peasant uprisings. After the conquest of Tianjing, Zeng Guofan's forces almost controlled half of the south of the Yangtze River. In a high position, he knows very well: power is heavy in the palm of his hand, and his strength is so strong that he can stand on it, and if he is unfavorable, he will die. Zeng Guofan repeatedly revealed the idea of retiring in his letters to relatives and friends. "If you don't live in a big position, you can enjoy great fame, and you can avoid big disasters and big slanders", and said that "I have made up my mind not to be an official".
When he saw the rise and fall of the honor and disgrace of his colleagues around him, his thoughts deepened: "Anyone who is a big official is in a state of sharing honor and disgrace, and there are ways to be humiliated in real time. The ancients said that wealth often leads to crisis. " However, before his retirement, the "Tianjin Religious Case" shocked China and foreign countries, which made him be accused by the government, and eventually he died of depression and died in the position of governor of Liangjiang.
Zeng Guofan's experience is a warning to those who have achieved their careers in later generations. Zeng Guofan's genius lies in his sober self-awareness. He woke up early, and he took the initiative to cut down the Xiang army, thus completing his wise practice of keeping intact. Zeng Guofan was deeply influenced by Confucianism and Taoism, but these two seemingly contradictory ideas could be selectively used by him, and both of them played a positive role in his success. This is really a kind of wisdom that has to be admired.