In the twelfth year of Daoguang (1832), Zuo Zongtang's abide by the system expired. At this time, he was already twenty years old (actually twenty-one years old). In order to "catch up" to participate in the provincial examination that year, he donated money to a "supervisor" (equivalent to a scholar). In August of that year, he and his second brother Zuo Zongzhi took the Hunan Provincial Provincial Examination at the same time. As a result, Zuo Zongzhi ranked first in the provincial examination in high school (Xie Yuan), while Zuo Zongtang almost failed to pass the exam. Fortunately, after some setbacks, Zuo Zongtang passed the 18th place in Hunan Province. After learning that Zuo Zongtang had passed the examination, Governor Wu Rongguang congratulated Xu Faji, the examiner, and congratulated him on getting a talented person. Everyone is very satisfied.
This year, Zuo Zongtang got married. Since he "didn't have half an acre", he had to temporarily live in his mother-in-law's home in Yinshan, Xiangtan, also known as "bring-in-law". Hidden Mountain in Xiangtan is the place where Huan Guo, the founder of the "Huxiang School" in the Song Dynasty, lived in seclusion to study. There were flowers and candles in the wedding room, and the title of the provincial examination. Even though he was living in a foreign country, Zuo Zongtang could be regarded as a "double happiness".
Zuo Zongtang passed the imperial examination two years earlier than Zeng Guofan and three years earlier than Hu Linyi.
In the thirteenth year of Daoguang's reign, Zuo Zongtang failed the first examination. In the 15th year of Daoguang's reign, Zuo Zongtang participated in the joint examination for the second time. The result was: "The result will be announced: Hunan's forehead is overflowing, Yi has passed the papers of other provinces, and the public transcripts are selected. The same examiner, Shang Yuan Wen Gong Baoshen It’s hard to argue with.”—The cooked duck really flies! This is too tricky! After all, Transcript is a civil servant, and he can work in a central agency. If he does well, he may be promoted. However, Zuo Zongtang refused to settle and gave up. In the eighteenth year of Daoguang's reign, Zuo Zongtang took part in the joint examination for the third time and failed. From then on, he decided to give up this time-consuming, physical and mental imperial examination, and devote all his energy to diligently studying the knowledge of the world and applying it.
In fact, as early as the sixteenth year of Daoguang (after the second imperial examination), Zuo Zongtang began to resolutely start the "Imperial Map" based on several years of research on mountain and river geography. The preparation and drawing of a unified map. According to Zuo Zongtang's plan, this is a huge project. He wrote to his brother Zuo Zongzhi to introduce his conception and work progress:
Recently, he has made great efforts in Fang Yujiayan, I think that if you want to know the similarities in ancient times, you should first make a picture based on the current maps and books, and then identify a certain place today as a certain place in the past, and then trace it back to the beginning of the place mentioned in the history... Now I plan to make it first. A picture of the imperial carriage, a plan of directions, a defense of hundreds of miles, and five colors... I have been working on the draft for days. Every time the draft is completed, my brother-in-law will paint it. If there is anything that has not been reviewed, I will take the book from the shelf. After checking it, I got ninety-eight out of ten, and it helped me a lot. The newly built small building is extremely grand and spacious, with pictures on the left and history on the right. I never tire of it. [1]
In this year, Zuo Zongtang also inscribed a famous couplet: "I don't have half an acre, and I worry about the world; I have read thousands of volumes, and I have friends with the ancients." And He Xiling praised Zuo Zongtang said: "When you speak, you can talk about world affairs, and when you read, you deeply understand the sentiments of the ancients." In recent years, Zuo Zongtang has done a lot of research on geography and military affairs with strong interest and amazing perseverance. Luo Zhengjun of the Qing Dynasty compiled the "Chronicle of Duke Zuo Wenxiang" and stated:
In the eighteenth year of Daoguang's reign of 1898, the Duke was twenty-seven years old. The results of the examination will be published, and I will see the results again. He left the capital on a roundabout way to pay homage to Duke Tao Wenyi in the south of the Yangtze River. As soon as he returned, he decided not to try again. He began to pay attention to farming and studied farming books very diligently. He considered local crops as good crops and cultivated a wide area of ??fields. The pictures and illustrations showed the benefits. Fuyinbuchao records the classics and history, which is divided into the classics department and the history department in "Zan Yuge Chaoben". In June of that year, the general annals of various provinces were published in "Jifu General Chronicles" and then "Western Regions Picture Chronicles". They were recorded in dozens of huge volumes at mountains, rivers, passes and post roads far and near. [2]
From Jifu (Zhili) to the general annals of all direct provinces, and even to the farthest "Illustrated Records of the Western Regions", systematic notes are recorded. The contents of the notes include mountains, rivers, passes, post roads, etc. This This made Zuo Zongtang well aware of the country's mountains and rivers geography.
Then, Zuo Zongtang went a step further:
In Yihai, the nineteenth year of Daoguang, the Duke was twenty-eight years old. At that time, Gongyi gave up his career as a poet, devoted himself to study, and taught himself by being quiet and quiet. In addition to the evolution of the territory, mountains, rivers, and roads, it also lists the military affairs of the past dynasties.
[3]
On the basis of describing the evolution of the geographical territory of mountains and rivers, it also lists the military affairs of the past dynasties, combining the geographical advantages with military history, and clarifying the opportunities for combat and defense in various places. These tasks of Zuo Zongtang undoubtedly laid an extremely solid foundation for his future military career.
Although Zuo Zongtang gave up the imperial examination, he still had a knot in his heart. In the tenth year of Xianfeng, after Zuo Zongtang was a strict father and led the army in battle, he wrote to his eldest son Xiaowei, discussing his academic attitude in his early years:
The most valuable scholar is one who can understand things and learn to write. Sages are not in the name of a family. If you are a gentleman of good character and academic excellence, you will have no dignity even if you don't get grades. If you write a stroke of contemporary Chinese characters, compose a few elegant poems, copy a few contemporary stereotypes, and deceive a scholar, a scholar, a scholar, or a scholar, what kind of person is he? My father did not go to the examination after he turned twenty-seven. He just wanted to study and take lessons to keep the world alive, keep the family tradition of farming and study, be a good person, and leave some examples for future generations to see. [4]
Zuo Zongtang also said to Xiaowei: "As long as he studies clearly and pays attention to useful knowledge in life and management, he is a good son, regardless of his academic title." [5] Zuo Zongtang Although what Tang said was a wise saying, it still reflected his strong dissatisfaction with the imperial examination system.
Zuo Zongtang’s imperial examination experience was bumpy, but his achievements in diligent study and practical study were astonishing. Although his behavior was incomprehensible and even ridiculed by some people, due to his solid knowledge, penetrating insights, and broad thoughts, many officials and celebrities were attracted by him and admired him.
[1] Volume 15 of "The Complete Works of Zuo Zongtang", appendix, "With Brother Zhong, Mr. Jing Qiao".
[2] Luo Zhengjun, Qing Dynasty: "Annals of Duke Zuo Wen and Xiang Gong".
[3] Qing Dynasty Luo Zhengjun: "Chronicle of Zuo Wen and Duke Xiang".
[4] Liu Yangyang et al.: "The Complete Works of Zuo Zongtang" Volume 13, Family Letter, 013. "With Xiaowei".
[5] Liu Yangyang et al.: "The Complete Works of Zuo Zongtang", Volume 13, Family Letter, 014. "With Xiaowei".