The reason why Zeng Guofan became one of the four famous ministers of Zhongxing in the late Qing Dynasty was mainly due to the Hunan Army he single-handedly created and the achievements he made. One of the main reasons why the Hunan Army was able to become the main force in quelling the Taiping Uprising and eventually win was that it insisted on using the strategy of forming a stronghold and fighting a dull war advocated by Zeng Guofan.

The tactics of building a stronghold and fighting a dull battle, simply put, is to survey the terrain first when arriving at a place, and then set up camp and build a stronghold according to the terrain. The method of building a stronghold is not complicated. It is to dig trenches and build fences around the outer edge of the camp, forming a deep trench, high fortress, and tight defense situation. Even during the march, even if they did not eat or slept, the Hunan Army had to build trenches and barriers first.

Looking at it this way, Zeng Guofan must be too timid to be so trembling. We don’t know whether Zeng Guofan was timid or not. However, it is true that the Hunan Army suffered a lot in the battle with the Taiping Army.

At the beginning of 1854, the Hunan Army organized and trained by Zeng Guofan entered the battlefield for the first time. However, the first battle was unfavorable, and the Hunan navy suffered a major defeat in the Jinggang naval battle. In shame and anger, Zeng Guofan drowned himself in anger. Fortunately, his subordinates rescued him and saved his life. Fortunately, the Hunan army, led by Taqibu, captured Xiangtan, and finally offset the merits and demerits, saving face. After the Hunan Army, although the battle was difficult, they still conquered many cities such as Yuezhou, Wuchang, and Hanyang. Zeng Guofan was also awarded a title by the court for his merits.

However, the good times did not last long. In the Battle of Hukou in 1855, Zeng Guofan was burned by Shi Dakai and more than a hundred warships were burned. The angry Zeng Guofan dived into the water again. Fortunately, this time he did not commit suicide but escaped. Then, Zeng Guofan learned that the flagship he was commanding had been captured by Shi Dakai. Zeng Guofan was so ashamed and angry again that he was about to charge into the Taiping Army formation on horseback, intending to die for his country. The result was of course no surprise. He must have been stopped by his subordinates, otherwise the Hunan Army would have lost its soul.

Zeng Guofan's navy failed, and Taqib's army was also helpless. Because he could not attack Jiujiang for a long time, Taqibu died suddenly in the army due to fatigue and anger. The next year, 1856, Hunan Army General Luo Zenan was also injured and died in the army during the counterattack of the Taiping Army led by Shi Dakai. Zeng Guofan himself was besieged in Nanchang by Shi Dakai.

Sometimes, luck is indeed important. When Zeng Guofan was desperate, the Tianjing Incident occurred within the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Shi Dakai withdrew his troops and rescued Nanchang, and Zeng Guofan saved his life.

From 1854 to 1856, the Hunan Army only fought for two years and already suffered heavy losses and began to be in a passive position. Zeng Guofan himself almost died on the battlefield several times. Although the newly recruited Hunan Army was well-equipped, its combat effectiveness was obviously getting worse and worse. It was under this unfavorable situation that Zeng Guofan began to learn lessons, give full play to his expertise in "attacking with troops," and formulated a strategy to build a stronghold and fight a dull war.

The reason why many capable ministers and good generals are able to achieve final victory is because they have the resilience and persistence to not be afraid of failure and never give up. They constantly learned lessons from their failures, adjusted their strategies, and finally succeeded.

After the Tianjing Incident, the Taiping Army, like the Hunan Army that suffered repeated setbacks, also began to turn from prosperity to decline, and its combat effectiveness declined rapidly. Zeng Guofan seized the opportunity and launched a counterattack against the Taiping Army. The Hunan Army strictly implemented the tactics of forming a stronghold and fighting a dull battle, and besieged Jiujiang for 17 months before conquering it. Then, the Hunan army besieged Anqing for 15 months before conquering it. Zeng Guoquan attacked Tianjing City (today's Nanjing City) and besieged it for more than two years, a full 26 months. In the end, the Hunan army blew open the Tianjing city wall, rushed into the city, and completely destroyed the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

From the actual effect point of view, Zeng Guofan's tactical strategy of forming a stronghold and fighting a stupid war was not very efficient, but the results were still relatively unsatisfactory, at least it achieved its goal. Could it be that this method of warfare only follows the superficial meaning, that is, the walls are high and the trenches are dug deep, so that you can't get out? Of course it won't be that simple.

The so-called "building a stronghold and fighting a stupid war" actually contains a lot of war strategies and wisdom.

First of all, it is to switch between offense and defense, waiting for work.

The Hunan Army's assault and offensive capabilities are limited, and the destructive power of firearms on city walls is limited. Attacks usually suffer relatively heavy losses. After the death of Taqibu and other fierce generals, there was no banner for heroic fighting, and the Hunan Army's ability to charge and fight bloody battles was further reduced.

Therefore, Zeng Guofan very cleverly made a switch, using the advantages of his own navy and army to surround the opponent, allowing the enemy to attack and his own defense. At this time, the Hunan Army can take advantage of its fortifications, firearms advantages, and relatively sufficient supplies and backup to fight a protracted war with the opponent, continuously consuming the opponent's troops, supplies, and morale.

Of course, the disadvantage is also obvious. We must have enough supplies to consume, otherwise, the Hunan army will escape faster. Fortunately, the Hunan army in the front was besieging the city, and Zeng Guofan in the rear was trying his best to raise supplies and pay for the troops. In order to raise money, Zeng Guofan sold his qualifications as a supervisor; he set up cards everywhere to exploit merchants; he even directly paid salt for silver and let the soldiers secretly take them back to their hometowns and sell them for money. It is indeed not easy to do logistics. Xiao He of the Han Dynasty and Li Shanchang of the Ming Dynasty can indeed be regarded as the first heroes in the founding of the country.

Secondly, surround the point for reinforcements and attract the enemy to take the initiative to die.

For example, the Battle of Jiujiang attracted the Taiping Army led by Wei Jun and Chen Yucheng, and successfully annihilated the Taiping Army led by Wei Jun halfway. This point means deploying as hard as possible, having the determination to encircle the point, and having other troops to help with reinforcements, so as to be able to concentrate superior forces to deal with weak enemies. Zeng Guofan was quite lucky. The armies of Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng were stagnant in Anhui and Hubei. Otherwise, it is estimated that the Hunan Army will need to spend more effort to win.

Fortunately, Zeng Guofan also made plans for strong reinforcements. When strong reinforcements arrive, retreat proactively. When the reinforcements and the troops in the city met, and the Hunan army was full, they ran back and continued the siege. This time, the reinforcements were also surrounded. Is this... purely a rogue thing? Zeng Guofan is probably still feeling complacent, and he is surrounded by as many people as he comes.

Finally, play steadily, constantly try to attack, and wait for opportunities to break the city.

The three sieges of the Hunan Army were all exemplary, especially the Battle of Tianjing. The Hunan Army constantly tried to dig holes in the ground in an attempt to break into the city. Li Xiucheng, who defended the city, also tried every means to destroy the tunnels dug by the Hunan army. Finally, the Hunan Army conquered all the fortresses outside Tianjing City and used artillery from the commanding heights to bombard the Taiping Army on the city walls. After that, they took the opportunity to dig tunnels, blow down the city walls, and invaded Tianjing City.

The Hunan Army, which had already gained an advantage through the siege, could always wait until the opponent made a mistake as long as it did not make any major fatal mistakes in combat. At this time, victory comes.

This strategy of Zeng Guofan was not only very practical in combat at that time, but also very useful in our daily study, life and work. When we encounter difficulties and are unable to form a quick and effective breakthrough, it is better to stabilize, relax, analyze calmly, and consolidate and strengthen our existing abilities. As long as you make progress every day and think about how to solve the difficulties you encounter every day, there will always be a moment when the difficulties are solved. And when encountering major difficulties, you can also retreat strategically, rest and replenish, and then make a comeback. As long as you don't give up, work hard, and try, you will always succeed.