Zeng Guofan's Xiang army was faced with the problem of whether to rebel or not, and that time was one of the best opportunities.
The background of that year was that Emperor Xianfeng died suddenly and the new emperor was young. Zeng Guofan judged that there would be a tripartite confrontation between the Queen Mother, Prince Gong and Eight Assistant Ministers in the imperial court. At that time, the Taiping army was losing ground, and the Xiang army had captured Anqing, which was a great threat to the world. No matter which side is in power in North Korea, it will not tolerate its own expansion.
Zeng Guofan's right-hand man, Hu Linyi, one of the "four famous ministers of ZTE", once advised him not to win the world, but Zeng Guofan did not agree after consideration.
We don't know why Zeng Guofan didn't proclaim himself emperor, but it must be extremely difficult. Otherwise, even if he doesn't want to, his men are likely to "wear yellow robes."
However, even if Zeng Guofan really raises the anti-flag like Wu Sangui, the possibility of success is very small. The reasons are summarized as follows:
The Manchu dynasty was very taboo to hand over military power to the Han people. When the relieving is really handed over to the Han people, there are only a handful:
Wu Sangui was a capitulator and a face-saving project, so he was named king and a buffer region, but he almost turned the Qing Dynasty into the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The result was leveled by Emperor Kangxi;
Although Nian Gengyao is a Han Chinese, he is also a standard bearer. He is not the pure Han general in the eyes of the Qing court, but it is self-evident how miserable he will end up.
So Zeng Guofan came here, and the Qing court made full preparations to let him practice.
Governor Huguang's official document is in Wuchang; Du Xing A and Fu Ming A were appointed generals in Jiangning, leading Feng Zicai and other troops stationed in Yangzhou and Zhenjiang. Sanglin Qin led Manchu and Mongolian cavalry into northern Anhui; Chen Guorui army stationed in northern Anhui.
As long as the Xiang army changes slightly, it will face the muzzle and encirclement of many troops of the Qing army and the last position of the Taiping Army.
It is very likely that the two worries of the Qing court, the Xiang army and the Taiping army, have been solved.
The average monthly salary of Xiang soldiers is set at 4.2 taels of silver, which is nearly twice that of green camp soldiers.
Unlike the Eight Banners and green camp, the military expenditure of this item is self-raised and not borne by the central government.
Unlike Wu Sangui, Zeng Guofan has a high degree of local autonomy. Wu Sangui could collect taxes and run businesses to support the army, but the rebellion failed.
Let alone Zeng Guofan who has nothing.
In order to fill the huge military expenditure, Zeng Guofan had a headache.
Ask the provinces in the war zone to allocate silver, intercept customs duties, set up donation agencies in various places, extort and apportion from rich households, and collect lijin from businessmen. After the soldiers captured the city, they acquiesced in robbery.
Fortunately, the Taiping Army didn't hold it in the end, otherwise it's hard to say who won the hearts of the people in the end.
If he rebelled, Zeng Guofan would face not only Taiping rebels, but also loyal troops all over the country. At present, it is far from enough to rely solely on the strength of the Xiang army. Expansion is certain, and Zeng Guofan can hardly afford it.
When Emperor Xianfeng died, both Taiping Army and Xiang Army lost their lives. Moreover, due to the long duration of the war, the "low morale" within the Xiang army was heavier, and anti-war sentiment began to spread. If we can't attack for a long time, the Taiping Army is likely to win.
If Zeng Guofan simply raises the flag to rebel, the probability of army mutiny is very high.
At that time, the Xiang army was formed to attack the Taiping Army, which was famous for its opening.
Hong Xiuquan's Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, with the slogan of restoring the mountains and rivers of the Han people, played "forbearing to wear clothes and go to the country, falling to the emperor; The flag of the hero of the Central Plains gives me back my rivers and mountains, so there are many followers.
Zeng Guofan saw that the Taiping Army believed in God, traveled around, burned books to bury Confucianism, destroyed Confucius Temple and Guan Temple, and so on, and raised the banner of protecting Confucian civilization to crusade against the Taiping Army.
If Zeng Guofan rebelled, there was really no justifiable reason.
In addition, there are many factions such as Left, Hu Linyi, Yang Zaifu, Bao Chao, Jiang Zhongyuan and Li. Except Hu Linyi and Zeng, these nine famous players are firmly on their side. Others are hard to say. Rebellion is killing Jiuzu!
To sum up, even if Zeng Guofan rebelled, the possibility of success may not be too great. It is better to follow the trend and achieve the title of "the first perfect person in ancient and modern times".