Zeng Guofan emphasized: "If you are sincere, the stone will open, and ghosts and gods will avoid it." He simply regards "blood honesty" as the foundation and cornerstone of his achievements.
Zeng Guofan not only demanded that he "should have a word of sincerity, so as to establish his foundation and resolve", but also demanded and restrained his subordinates with "blood sincerity" everywhere. He often tells himself: "The fault of a bosom friend is the most difficult thing. The reason why heroes are heroes and sages are sages is that they are above board. Can pass this level, the heart will be extremely happy, save how many entanglements, save how many cover-ups and ugliness. Those who steal a false name are in trouble; Negative concealment, there is an accident; If you are caring, something will happen to you. In the world, only forgetting the machine can eliminate many machines, and only being stupid can be ominous. Those who are the cleverest in the sky are clumsy (sincere), and those who are in the world are quiet. "
"Clerks' hearts are full of twists and turns, and they are often not honest, and they are often incompatible with military officers. I will try my best to distort my personal feelings and confide in everything, so that the rough people of the military are calm and there is no doubt that this is also sincere. Take honesty as the foundation, use diligent words and cautious words, and you will be saved from great embarrassment and defeat. "
Zeng Guofan won the trust of the generals with sincerity, so he finally achieved great success.
In a word, "blood honesty" is an important principle of Zeng Guofan's life, and it is also a vital spiritual force. Zeng Guofan led the way with this, and he worked together sincerely, so he could win the final victory. Moreover, it is precisely because of this spirit that his Ministry will be more loyal and would rather die than surrender. No one has ever betrayed him. On the other hand, there was no spirit of blood sincerity within the leading group of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, which led to mutual intrigue, scattered morale and chaos. In the later period, even many people, such as General Wei Jun, defected to the enemy one after another, and later, eight kings rebelled against Tan Shaoguang, making a good Hangzhou city, and handing it over to their old enemies without a knife and a shot, which really made the relatives and the enemies quickly and resented the eternal.
Later, when Cai E edited the Quotations of Zeng Hu Zhi Bing, he added a note that was enough to alert the people:
"The heart of our country is ruined by the word' pseudo'. The hypocrisy of Chinese people's hearts is enough to ruin the country and its race. The upper is driven by falsehood, the lower is served by falsehood, and the peers make friends with falsehood, so that they are accustomed to falsehood and only know the benefits of falsehood, but not the harm of falsehood. ..... from false to suspicious, from suspicious to jealous. When jealousy rises, countless evil virtues are born from it, and the so-called ethics and morality can be ignored. Whoo! Fake things do harm. The use of the army depends on the unity of the people, the same robe, and there is no room for any bad feelings. This is especially true because there is a word that runs through it and maintains it. Otherwise, if it is scattered, it will surely burn itself without fighting. Society is still false, and its disaster is slow; The army pays attention to the fake, and its disaster is rapid and fierce. Since we are soldiers, we will spare no effort to reject the word "false" and uproot this kind of sexual root completely. We can rule the soldiers by words, be generals, and be soldiers. "
Zeng Guofan loves reading, aiming at fame. Achievement and fame are the persistent pursuits of Zeng Guofan all his life. He believes that the ancients called virtue, meritorious service and statement three immortals. In order to maintain his hard-won fame and wealth, he is cautious in everything and humble everywhere, insisting on the view that "the flowers are not in full bloom and the moon is not round". Because the monthly surplus is a loss, the mid-day is a dying day, and the flowers are completely open, which is a sign of withering. Therefore, he often said to his family that the blessings are inexhaustible and the power is inexhaustible. He called himself "the words' flowers are not fully open and the moon is not round' are the best words in the past, thinking that it is the way to cherish happiness and protect Thailand." In addition, he "always keeps the heart of the icy abyss", and he must always walk on thin ice, like an abyss, and always be cautious and cautious, so as not to make a big mistake and call for great disaster. He summed up his own experience and lessons, and said, "After eight years of tempering in Xianfeng, I learned to be afraid of destiny, speech and father's admonition." Also, he always thought: "Modesty between heaven and earth is the way to carry happiness." He profoundly pointed out: if you go to the public, you should be forced to correct it; Strive for fame and gain, then retreat modestly. If you start a family business, you should be forced to correct it; If you are happy, you should be modest. If you answer the characters, you should be forced to correct them; If you enjoy it with your wife and slaves, you should retire modestly. If you make great achievements, enjoy great fame outside, and ask for fields and homes at the same time, and the inside picture is thick, both of them are full of images, and there is no intention of retiring, it will not last long.
during Daoguang's reign, Zeng Guofan was an official in Beijing. He was full of blood and youthful spirit. In addition, he had a pleasant journey and rose to the top, and he had a lot of pride. "It is good to be enemies with those who have great names and positions." In the early years of Xianfeng, he held Yong ying in Changsha, and he also frequently criticized others, especially the feud with green camp, which did not agree with the chisel of Hunan officialdom. He remembered that in Nanchang, he competed with Chen Qimai and Yun Guangchen, and all this was done in a direct way of Confucianism and legalism. Although winning on the surface, it has actually buried more hidden dangers. Another example is the participation of Qing De, Chen Qimai, Bao Qibao, or emotional. When handling it, it was simply pleasant, but I didn't expect it to be sharp-edged and too strong, hurting these bureaucrats up and down, invisibly setting up many obstacles for myself and burying many unexpected hidden dangers.
after a year of profound introspection, Zeng Guofan began to realize the reason why he often didn't do things smoothly when Xianfeng stayed at home for seven years. After this introspection, Zeng Guofan further realized some ways of being a man in the officialdom: "Being arrogant and talkative has two disadvantages. Looking back at the rise and fall of great doctors in previous lives and the reasons for the recent disasters in officialdom, we have to regard them as cardinals." "Li Guan's fame and wealth have led to the loss of his family because of his long pride and talkativeness. Talented people in the world, ancient and modern, all lost with a proud word; All the mediocrities in the world, ancient and modern, were defeated by a lazy word. " After summing up these experiences and lessons, he painstakingly studied the Taoist classics of Laozi and Zhuangzi, and devoted himself to studying the Tao Te Ching and the South China Ching. After silently chewing and savoring, he finally realized the mystery of being a human being. These seemingly born books actually tell the story of joining the WTO. It's just that Confucius and Mencius are direct, while Laozi advocates a roundabout way to achieve the goal; Shen Hanchong still insists on coercion, while Lao Tzu thinks that "softness wins strength, weakness wins strength"; "The world is the softest, and the world is the strongest"; Water is the softest, water is only good, and the sea becomes below. The only wise person in the world can be good, and the only good person can never flatter and bully, never be arrogant and arrogant, and always be humble and retreat freely, which can become a great climate. Water can bend and stretch, and it often seeps into many of the most mysterious corners quietly, leisurely and slowly. Looking at the vast river, rushing eastward, Hao Haoran went straight to the sea, without tumbling, roaring or surging, and calmly detoured on the vast plain. Its reason, self-restraint, depth and generosity, like a living Tao Te Ching, moistened the wisdom of the Chinese nation. Through the ages, I have learned wisdom. Lao Tzu is really a great wisdom who has figured out the art of competition in the world the most deeply! Zeng Guofan was fascinated by his study. Many difficult things in the world, since direct and strong-to-strong methods sometimes can't work, but circuitous, indirect and weak methods can also achieve their goals and defeat the strong without leaving hidden dangers, why not adopt them? After reading Laozi and Zhuangzi, he was deeply impressed by his profound philosophy and vast wisdom, and his mind produced many unspeakable songs. At this point, Zeng Guofan finally realized that Laozi and Zhuangzi and Confucius and Mencius are not diametrically opposed. The combination of the two can not only make a great cause, but also take it in stride and maintain a quiet and modest state of mind.
in the first year of Tongzhi, Zeng Guofan was promoted to the position of governor of two rivers, and all the handsome flags with the word "Zeng" fluttered in the wind. As the commander-in-chief of the Xiang army, who was advancing 3,-4, troops, he was not arrogant and complacent at all. Instead, he was careful and cautious everywhere. Please look at the letter he gave to his younger brother, and you will know his mentality at that time. He earnestly warned:
Our family is in its heyday at present, and I am in the position of a general. Yuan Di (Ceng Guoquan) commanded 5, troops and Ji Di (Ceng Guobao) commanded 6, troops. How many times have there been such a situation in recent times? In the past six months, Brother Yuan has paid homage to you seven times. How many people are there like him in recent times? After the sun rises to the highest point, it will drift to the west, and our home is now the highest and most full time. Guanzi said that if the bucket is too full, people will generalize, and if the person is too full, the sky will generalize. I think that heaven is invisible, and we still have to pretend to be human. Huo Guang's family was so full that Wei Xiang came to destroy him, and Emperor Xuandi of Han Dynasty also came to destroy him. Zhuge Ke was full, Sun Jun came to destroy him, and the monarch of Wu also came to destroy him. It is too late to wait until others have come to quell it and then repent. Our family is in a prosperous period, so we don't have to wait for the weather to come. Your brothers and I should try our best to come first. What is the method of self-generalization? I think it's nothing more than "honesty (honesty), prudence (modesty) and diligence (labor)". In the past, Yuan Di didn't think much about the choice of money, and the root of his friends' criticisms was actually here. Last winter, I bought Plough Mouth and Chestnut Hill (both in Lotus Leaf Township, Shuangfeng County, Hunan Province). Author's note), I also disagree. In the future, we should not take a penny, send money home, and give more gifts to relatives and friends. This is the word "cheap". Internal modesty is invisible, but its external manifestations are mainly: face, words, letters, servants and subordinates. We should make great efforts in these four aspects in the future, which is the word "modesty". Before going to bed every day, I silently count how many things I have to worry about and how many things I have to work for today, and I feel that I have not done much for my country, so I should serve my country more wholeheartedly. This is the word "labor".
as the commander-in-chief of the three armed forces, he is not an idle generation. Zeng Guofan is so prudent and so humble, he can always be in an invincible position.
When Zeng Guofan became famous, he planned to build a rich hall in Lotus Leaf's hometown as a "place for the old nymphs". Later, he heard that the project was huge and expensive, which scared him from entering the gate of the rich hall. After that, he lived in his governor's house for more than ten years until he died in his office. He wrote to reprimand his younger brother and son for spending too much money. "I was ashamed to buy a house from a big official's house in my life, but my family actually did it." ..... spending too much money is not what I want. " And use this as a "deep sigh." And wrote a letter to warn Ji Zeer: The new house in the home is rich and thick, so don't think about being rich for generations. "The words' Hou Fu' and' Xiang Fu' cannot be written on the plaque outside the door." Between the valleys that stretch for hundreds of miles, the common people are all low huts, and the unique rich hall is more magnificent than the palace. Therefore, Zeng Guofan thought twice, and he insisted on not going back to his former residence, leaving it to his wife, son, daughter-in-law, grandson and granddaughter.
after Zeng Guofan became the governor of the two rivers, he was more stable and courteous to his colleagues and subordinates. Power among opponents is often conceded. Since Xianfeng granted the governor of Liangjiang and an imperial envoy in June, ten years ago, Zeng Guofan knew that his status was getting higher and his reputation was getting wider, so he repeatedly appealed to reduce some of his powers, or asked the court to send another minister to Jiangnan to do it. After conquering Nanking, he immediately cut down the Xiang army, and made his younger brother Ceng Guoquan stop to reflect on himself when he returned to his hometown. "Bow your head and worship the sheep and say that everything is too empty." "The people who have lived for a long time have recovered their lives, and they have returned to the five lakes for spring fishing." On the blissful and joyous day, Zeng Guofan never forgot to give himself and his brothers a wake-up call, eliminating hidden worries seamlessly, showing his extraordinary sobriety and talent. In the first month of the sixth year of Tongzhi, Zeng Guofan repeatedly warned his younger brother Guo Quan: "The meritorious deeds in Dike and Fuke provinces are indelible and the foundation is extremely deep ... Since then, he has always settled down in a calm place, not thinking about the sky." The purpose is to retire with humility and always keep the trend of "flowers are not fully open and the moon is not round".