Zeng Guofan advocated diligence and honesty all his life, and should not be proud of being an official. He cultivated self-discipline, sought officials by virtue, put ambition first, and made great achievements in officialdom. His rise had a great influence on the politics, military affairs, culture and economy of the Qing Dynasty.
As a pioneer and leader of modernization, Zeng Guofan's success is inseparable from his diligence, unremitting struggle, self-awareness, self-discipline, courage to take responsibility and self-cultivation.
Let's learn his five life strategies.
1. Diligently make up for mistakes and persevere.
In fact, Zeng Guofan was born in an ordinary family, with a plain appearance, average IQ and even a little clumsy.
He has poor memory and forgetfulness. He began to recite four books and five classics at the age of three or four, but he learned it because of his mediocre qualifications.
But he has the spirit of diligence, persistence and hard work.
Once a thief entered the house, it happened that Zeng Guofan got up early to study. The thief wouldn't leave, so he had to hide on the beam.
As a result, Zeng Guofan repeatedly read an article and didn't recite it until it was dark again. Instead, it was the thief trapped on the beam who memorized the bones of the article.
It can be seen that Zeng Guofan's long study time is precisely his spirit of death, which has benefited him for life.
He took the exam once, twice, twice and three times, and finally he took the exam seven times before he got a scholar.
Later, he moved on. At the age of 28, he entered imperial academy and became a proté gé of the Emperor, taking a crucial step in his life.
Zeng Guofan's struggle history of "moving seven times in ten years and jumping ten times in succession", decades of self-discipline history and the history of literati going to the battlefield bear the most classic wisdom of being a man and bring us the most precious spiritual load.
Liang Qichao commented on Zeng Guofan and said:
"Ceng Wenzheng, not only in modern times, but also in the history of adults; Not only China, but also adults who can't see it all over the world. "
President Mao Zedong also confessed Zeng Guofan:
"It is foolish to be close to others and only serve Ceng Wenzheng."
Zeng Guofan was honored as "half a saint" and "the first perfect man". "Being a man should learn from Zeng Guofan" is almost a kind of * * * knowledge.
2. Keep fighting and never give up.
Zeng Guofan's success is actually inseparable from his grandfather Zeng Yuping. Grandfathers, who are also persistent, often use their family's history of honor and disgrace to motivate them.
Zeng Guofan is the eldest son and grandson of the family, so he naturally has the responsibility. The Zeng family have been farmers for generations, and there has not been a scholar in 500 years. It was only in Zeng Yuping's generation that he saved a little land and lived a rich life.
Unexpectedly, because of his money, Zeng Yuping became a playboy and a black sheep.
Not only did he bet on horses, but he also lost all his industries. He was also robbed of his homestead by the ill-intentioned squire and suffered many lawsuits.
Because of the need to write a complaint in ancient times, the squire determined that Zeng Yuping could not read, and secretly bribed the old scholar who wrote the complaint, which made the Zeng family lose ground. He also called Zeng Yuping:
"My two sons are both scholars. Your family can't even afford a scholar, so you want to go to court?"
This great shame made Zeng Yuping miserable.
Grandfather learned from a painful experience and decided to get up where he fell. He made up his mind to let future generations read more books, gain fame and honor.
Zeng Guofan and his father, Zeng Linshu, have no talent for reading, but with Zeng Yuping's encouragement, they get up early every day, study hard, make up for their mistakes and keep chasing their dreams.
Zeng Guofan's father failed to get into the Jinshi after taking the 16 exam in his life, and Zeng Guofan only got into the Jinshi after taking the exam seven times.
It is their superhuman efforts that have made superhuman achievements. They are willing to work hard and never give up.
3. Self-discipline, start well and finish well
In fact, Zeng Guofan ascended to heaven from the bottom when he entered imperial academy. Prosperity and desire also led Zeng Guofan astray.
Human nature is weak and self-cultivation is too shallow. Zeng Guofan began to rely on talent and pride, nostalgia for drinking, evil thoughts.
He learned to smoke, often smoking and smoking, and when he got addicted to smoking, he was in a trance all day.
His interpersonal relationship also began to show tension, inner anxiety and mental decadence.
Thanks to his father's timely discovery and teaching, he was pulled back. Zeng Guofan settled down and made his own plan of standing for 30 years. He studied under the masters of Neo-Confucianism, Tang Jian and Woren, and cultivated his self-cultivation, including "establishing a body", "establishing morality", "making meritorious deeds" and "twelve daily classes".
Respect the Lord, get up early, be diligent, keep in good health, nourish your qi, sit still, read books, read history, keep a diary, know your death every day, remember what you can, stay at home at night and be calm.
Zeng Guofan insisted on introspection and re-examined his behavior from another angle.
Be a man, start well and finish well. He is honest and willing to do things.
Because of Zhang Mu's support, Zhang Mu was demoted, but Zeng Guofan's career was thriving.
He still regards Zhang Mu as a "teacher", often visits him and treats his descendants well.
Zeng Guofan and Kuang Zheng are responsible for repairing the Confucian Temple. Every time he buys a material, he asks the material supplier to make a list. He carefully calculated his income and expenditure and gained greater trust from the emperor.
As an official, he doesn't take big, even if he is promoted to a senior official, he keeps a low profile and forbeares.
He also often writes to his family, asking them to guard against arrogance and rashness, and to live simply and diligently.
It was Zeng Guofan's conscious self-discipline and good start and good end that made his open-minded life. From the eighteenth year of Daoguang (1838) to the twenty-seventh year of Daoguang (1847), Zeng Guofan first went abroad to study politics in Sichuan, and then he was promoted to a bachelor's degree in cabinet, assistant minister of rites, and was appointed as the chief of the China Education Department, creating a legend of being promoted to the second grade at the age of 37.
4. success or failure is at stake, dare to take responsibility
185 1 year, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement that swept through China broke out, and Zeng Guofan was ordered to help Ying Yong, the weighty "Xiang Army", to fight back in self-defense, which also ushered in the biggest turning point in life.
Zeng Guofan, who has never led a soldier, is really embarrassed. He is not a military commander, and there are too many problems.
The main source of Xiang Army is Xiang Yong, and it is a group of "rabble" without preparation.
He has no experience in fighting and training the army. The army is not formally established and has no monthly salary, so even eating has become a problem.
He had no choice but to calm down and make major adjustments. He adopted the strategy of "learning from each other's strengths" and put outstanding military talents such as Zuo, Li Hongzhang and Hu Linyi in power.
Later, Zuo became famous because of Hunan World War I, formed the Chu army and recovered Hangzhou.
Li Hongzhang recruited Huai Army in Anhui and wiped out two major battles in Shanghai.
He also established a "layer-by-layer recruitment" system, allowing generals to recruit commanders, commanders to recruit sub-systems, and battalion-level officers to recruit sentry officers, so as to increase cohesion through influence and make the combat effectiveness of the army reach its peak.
Later, Zeng Guofan was ordered to govern the military affairs of Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces. He also put forward a new strategy of "borrowing foreign soldiers to help suppress", sending Li Hongzhang to Shanghai and Zuo to Zhejiang to cooperate with the "Chang" of British Gordon and the "Chang Jiejun" of French Dacker Monument.
Zeng Guofan suffered what others could not eat, endured the anger that others could not bear, did what others could not do, and dared to bear everything that others could not bear.
Zeng Guofan was good at seizing the opportunity, adjusting the state and handling personnel relations, and finally won the victory against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
In the process of annihilating the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Zeng Guofan realized the importance of the Westernization Movement, assessed the situation and made his achievements more exciting.
We have not only established modern military industries, such as Anqing Ordnance Research Institute and Jiangnan Manufacturing Company, but also sent overseas students to study abroad.
However, Zeng Guofan, a courtier, could not extricate himself. 1June, 870, Zeng Guofan was ordered to go to Tianjin from Baoding to deal with religious plans. Faced with the aggressiveness of foreigners, he chose to retreat, which eventually led to many people being killed.
Zeng Guofan regretted that he would become a sinner of history. But when he was unable to confront at that time, he could only compromise. Looking down on honor and disgrace, success or failure is not that important, which is his most painful understanding.
5. Stay calm all your life and keep your original intention.
In the eleventh year of Tongzhi (1March, 872 12), Zeng Guofan, 62, died in the governor's office of Liangjiang.
The day before his death, he was still dealing with political affairs and keeping a diary.
In the face of the death of the elder of the Four Dynasties, the Qing court gave him the final glory by retiring from the DPRK for three days, posthumously honoring his mentor and eulogizing Zheng Wen.
The greatest thing about Zeng Guofan is that even people who disagree with his political views, such as Zuo, are full of praise for his character and care for his descendants.
Zeng Guofan has been practicing what the ancients said all his life: "Cultivate one's morality first."
Peace of mind makes him not argue, not angry, not complaining.
In all fairness, keep him quiet and clumsy, and keep his original intention.