Zeng Guofan, a modern Chinese politician, strategist, Neo-Confucianist, and writer. He built China's first ship, established the first military engineering school, printed and translated the first batch of Western books, and arranged for the first batch of students to study in the United States. It can be said that he is a pioneer in China's modernization construction. Below are the life stories, deeds and comments of Zeng Guofan that I have shared with you. Everyone is welcome to read and learn!

Zeng Guofan's life

1. Formation of the Hunan Army

In January 1851 (the first year of Xianfeng), Hong Xiuquan organized an uprising in Jintian Village, Guiping, Guangxi. In May, Zeng Guofan, promoted by Liu Rong, Luo Zenan and others, criticized Emperor Xianfeng in "Respecting Chen Shengde's Three Principles of Preventing Abuse and Abuse". Emperor Xianfeng threw the memorial to the ground angrily before he finished reading it, and immediately summoned the Minister of Military and Aircraft to convict him. If Qi Jianzao, Ji Zhichang and others had not interceded for him, he might have been caught in an unexpected crime. After Zeng Guofan learned about this situation, he felt very nervous and immediately blamed himself for the remonstrance. From then on, he never dared to speak ill of the emperor himself and the court's fundamental decisions.

In 1852 (the second year of Xianfeng), Zeng Guofan died at home because of his mother. At this time, the Taiping Rebellion had swept half of China. Although the Qing government mobilized a large number of Eight Banners Army and Green Camp officers and soldiers from all over the country to deal with the Taiping Army, this decadent armed force was no longer able to stand a fight. Therefore, the Qing government repeatedly issued orders to reward regiment training, trying to use the armed forces of landlords in various places to curb the development of the Taiping Army. This provided an opportunity for the emergence of Zeng Guofan's Hunan Army.

In 1853 (the third year of Xianfeng), when the Qing government was eager to find the power to suppress the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, he took advantage of the situation in his hometown of Hunan and relied on complex interpersonal relationships such as masters, apprentices, relatives, and friends to establish a He formed a local regiment called Xiangyong. In August, Zeng Guofan was allowed to train troops in Hengzhou. "Every pattern of guns, cannons, knives, anchors, and the positions of sails, oars, and oars were all practiced by myself, and I tried my best." He also sent people to Guangdong to purchase Western artillery and prepare for the establishment of a navy.

During the regiment training of the Xiangyong, he strictly enforced military discipline and opened up a new army. He successively divided the 5,000-man Xiangyong into ten battalions including Ta, Luo, Wang, and Li, and successively moved the location of the regiment training from Changsha. To Xiangtan, avoid direct conflict with the green camp in Changsha.

2. Battle against the Taiping Army

In February 1854 (the fourth year of Xianfeng), the Hunan army was mobilized in full force, and Zeng Guofan published "An Appeal to the Bandits of Guangdong". In this statement, he claimed that the Taiping Rebellion was "poisonous to all living beings" and that "thousands of years of Chinese etiquette, righteousness, human relations, poetry, books, and codes would be wiped out once they were swept away. This was not only a strange change in the Qing Dynasty, but also a masterpiece of famous religions since the founding of the Qing Dynasty. "We, Confucius and Mencius, weep bitterly at Jiuquan for this strange change." He then called on "those who are literate and read to sit back and relax without thinking about what they are doing." He stood on the commanding heights of morality and mobilized the people at that time. A large number of intellectuals participated in the struggle against the Taiping Army, laying a solid foundation for future victory.

Zeng Guofan ordered Chu Ruhang to be the president of the Navy and Taqib to be the vanguard of the army. He commanded 17,000 people and marched north. In May, he was defeated by Shi Xiangzhen of the Taiping Army in the Jinggang Water Battle. He committed suicide by drowning and was rescued by his subordinates. On July 25, after reorganizing the land and water armies, they set out to capture Yuezhou. Take Wuchang on October 14th. Emperor Xianfeng was overjoyed and ordered Zeng Guofan to act as governor of Hubei. However, the great scholar Qi Junzao added that "Zeng Guofan has a minister in his residence, and he is like a common man living in a village. With a call, more than 10,000 people jump up and follow him, which is probably not a blessing to the country." Emperor Xianfeng withdrew his order and only rewarded Zeng Guofan as the minister of the Ministry of War. title. On December 2, Zeng Guofan captured Tianjia Town.

On the night of February 12, 1855 (the fifth year of Xianfeng), Shi Dakai launched a general attack on the Hunan Army's water camp and burned more than 100 Hunan Army warships. Zeng Guofan's ship was captured and "all the documents and documents were lost." Zeng Guofan was extremely angry and planned to ride his horse towards the enemy to die, but Luo Zenan and Liu Rong tried to persuade him to stop.

In 1856 (the sixth year of Xianfeng reign), Zeng Guofan was trapped in Nanchang. On September 2, there was internal strife between Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xiuqing, known in history as the Tianjing Incident, and Nanchang was rescued.

In October, Zeng Guofan formed the Jizi Battalion in Changzhou to aid Jiangxi.

On February 20, 1857 (the seventh year of Xianfeng), his father passed away, and Zeng Guofan and his younger brother Zeng Guohua returned home for the funeral. In July, he went to court twice and requested that the system be finalized at home, which was approved by Emperor Xianfeng. In that year, the "Siyun Pavilion" was built.

On May 19, 1858 (the eighth year of Xianfeng reign), Li Xubin and Yang Yuebin led the land and water armies to capture Jiujiang. On July 13, Zeng Guofan received Xianfeng's order to handle military affairs in Zhejiang. He arrived in Nanchang on August 15 and discussed with Hu Linyi how to advance the army and raise funds. On November 15, Li Xubin and Zeng Guohua died in the Battle of Sanhe. In December, Zeng Guofan composed "Folk Song of Love" to train the Hunan army.

In November 1859 (the ninth year of Xianfeng), Zeng Guofan planned a four-pronged attack strategy to capture Anqing.

3. Capture Nanjing

On September 5, 1861 (the eleventh year of Xianfeng), the Hunan army captured Anqing. On September 25, Zeng Guofan moved to Anqing. On December 20, Zeng Guofan was ordered to supervise the military affairs of four provinces (Suzhou, Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi), and all the governors and towns below were under control. In the same month, the Ordnance Institute was established in Anqing. At the end of the year, the strategy for the three-pronged army's advance was decided: "To besiege the state of Jinling, Quan, Zhejiang belongs to Zuo Zongtang, and the Su thing belongs to Li Hongzhang, so the situation of purging the southeast is decided."

1862 On January 31, 2001 (the first year of Tongzhi), Zeng Guofan was appointed as the governor of Liangjiang and co-organizer of the bachelor's degree, and Zeng Guoquan was awarded the title of inspector of Zhejiang. On February 14, Zuo Zongtang led his army from Jiangxi to Zhejiang. In April, Li Hongzhang led his army to Shanghai. In May, Zeng Guoquan led his army to Yuhuatai and together with Peng Yulin's navy besieged Tianjing. In June, Hong Xiuquan ordered the Taiping Army from all over the country to return to Tianjing to aid Tianjing. The Taiping Army assembled 200,000 troops and fought against the Hunan Army for more than 40 days starting in October, but failed to win.

In July 1864 (the third year of Tongzhi), the Hunan army broke into Tianjing (Nanjing) of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and massacred and looted innocent civilians. The city of Nanjing was burned down at that time, and there were countless civilian casualties. Nanjing people called Zeng Guofan , brothers Zeng Guoquan were called "Zeng Shatou" and "Zeng Butcher". In July, the imperial court added Zeng Guofan as the crown prince, Taibao, and first-class marquis. Zeng Guoquan rewarded Prince Shaobao and first-class earl. Since then, Zeng and the pacification of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, which was second to the governor of Huguang, formed a clique between the official and civil parties and the political dispute became fierce. In August, he approved the dismissal of 25,000 Hunan troops.

4. Chasing and Suppressing the Nian Army

In January 1865 (the fourth year of Tongzhi), 17 memorials by ministers since the Han and Tang Dynasties were selected and compiled into "Ming Yuantang Papers". In March, he presided over the renovation of Zhongshan and Zunjing academies. Adopt eight hundred lonely and cold children, and donate money to teach and receive prizes from his own money. On May 26, Zeng Guofan led his army to Shandong to suppress rebellion. In June, he presided over the compilation of the completed manuscript of "Wang Chuanshan's Letters", totaling 320 volumes, and submitted it to Jinling Book Company for publication. On June 18, the strategy of going north to suppress the enemy was to fortify important towns, encircle rivers, clear the fields and inspect the fairies, and track them with horse teams. In September, he arrived in Xuzhou via Yangzhou and Qingjiangpu. Troops were deployed along the way to defend and encircle them, and posters were posted along the way to recruit recruits. In October, the Jinling Manufacturing Bureau was moved to Haihongkou, merged with Li Hongzhang's original artillery bureau and the iron factory purchased from the Americans, and added more than 100 machines purchased by Rong Hong to establish the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau. In December, the permanent charter and operating regulations of the Yangtze River Navy were approved.

In 1866 (the fifth year of Tongzhi), Zeng Guofan was ordered to station in Zhoujiakou, and as an imperial minister with great power, he supervised the suppression of the army.

Based on the characteristics of the Nian Army's unpredictable whereabouts and mobile operations, Zeng Guofan adopted the countermeasures of "focusing defense, clearing the country with strong walls, and enclosing rivers", but all failed in the end. Later, he established the "Shahe Hundred Mile Defense Line" from Zhoukou west to Luohe, hoping to use this natural moat to eliminate the Nian Army.

5. Hosting the Westernization Initiative

In March 1867 (the sixth year of Tongzhi), a shipbuilding institute was set up under the Jiangnan Manufacturing Administration to trial-produce ships. A translation library is also planned to be established. In May, together with Li Hongzhang, he moved the Jiangnan Manufacturing Administration from Hongkou to Gaochang Temple. The land was acquired and relocated, and regulations were greatly increased. In June, he was awarded the Bachelor of Tirenge degree.

In April 1868 (the seventh year of Tongzhi), he was awarded the title of Bachelor of Wuyingdian University. On May 31st, he went to Shanghai to inspect the Jiangnan Manufacturing Administration.

In August, he was ordered to be transferred to the post of governor of Zhili. In September, the first ship trial-produced by Jiangnan Shipyard sailed to Jiangning, where it was boarded for a trial voyage and named "Tianji". In December, Zeng Guofan arrived in Beijing and met with the Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Tongzhi.

6. Tianjin Mission Case

In 1868 (the seventh year of Tongzhi), Zeng Guofan was appointed governor of Zhili.

On June 21, 1870 (the ninth year of Tongzhi), thousands of people in Tianjin gathered in front of the French Catholic Church because they suspected that the Catholic Church was using the nursery as a prostitute to abduct people and torture and kill babies. The French consul Feng Daye believed that the government was not serious about suppressing the government. He encountered Liu Jie, the magistrate of Tianjin, with a gun on the street. He opened fire during a dispute and killed one of Liu Jie's servants on the spot. The public was outraged and first killed Feng, the French consul in Tianjin. Daye and his secretary Simon later killed 10 nuns, 2 priests, 2 other French consulate personnel, 2 French expatriates, 3 Russian expatriates and more than 30 Chinese believers, and burned down the French consulate and Wanghailou Catholic Church. and 4 churches run by local British and American missionaries. After the incident, Britain, the United States, France and other countries jointly protested and dispatched warships to show off their power.

Zeng Guofan, who was serving as the governor of Zhili, was ordered to go to Tianjin to handle the Tianjin religious case. Zeng Guofan was so frightened that he even made a will before setting off. He knew that China was far from a rival to the Western powers at that time, so he advocated foreign concessions.

After Zeng Guofan arrived in Tianjin, he considered the situation at that time and did not start a war with France. "But he hoped that peace would be achieved quickly, and he was guilty of crimes regardless of love." At the request of France, he discussed and decided to execute the leader of the murderers. 8 people were exiled and 25 were exiled. Zhang Guangzao, the prefect of Tianjin, and Liu Jie, the county magistrate, were dismissed from their posts and sent to Heilongjiang. They compensated foreigners for their losses of 460,000 taels of silver, and Chonghou sent a mission to France to apologize. The result of this negotiation was very dissatisfying to both the court officials and the public. Zeng Guofan's reputation was greatly affected and he was called a "traitor" (the Huguang Guild Hall in the capital pulled out and burned Zeng Guofan's plaque because of this incident).

The imperial court ordered him to handle the "Tianjin Mission Case". Zeng Guofan issued a notice "Edict to the Gentlemen and People of Tianjin", accusing the people of Tianjin in many ways and admonishing them not to cause trouble again. He then released illegal religious people and kidnappers involved in the case, which aroused dissatisfaction among the gentry and people of Tianjin. For his handling of the "Tianjin Religion Case", many people called him a traitor, and the public opinion in the country was in an uproar. "From the capital and all provinces, he was denounced as a fallacy and refused to believe it."

7. Return to Liangjiang

In 1870 (the ninth year of Tongzhi), Ma Xinyi, the governor of Liangjiang, was assassinated by civilian Zhang Wenxiang. The imperial court ordered Zeng Guofan to serve as governor of Liangjiang again and go to Nanjing to try the case. case.

On August 19, 1871 (the tenth year of Tongzhi), Li Hongzhang and Li Hongzhang jointly played the "Planned Selection of Zi Di to Study Abroad". In September, we inspected the defense and training conditions of various amphibious and land battalions. Arrive in Shanghai in November.

On February 27, 1872 (the eleventh year of Tongzhi), Zeng Guofan led the memorial, urging the early implementation of the "issue of sending remaining students". It also proposed the establishment of a "Chinese Overseas Students Office" in the United States and recommended Chen Lanbin and Rong Hong as chief and deputy committee members to be resident in the United States for management. A bureau for the study abroad of young children was established in Shanghai, and Liu Hanqing was recommended for "Selection and Sending Matters to the Shanghai Bureau". On March 1st, I suddenly developed numbness in my feet, and my tongue was numb and I couldn't speak.

On March 20, Zeng Guofan was walking in the West Garden of Nanjing in the afternoon and suddenly suffered from numbness in his feet. Zeng Jize helped him back to his study, where he sat upright for three moments and passed away. When the court heard the news, they stayed away from court for three days. He was given the posthumous title of Grand Tutor and given the posthumous title of Wenzheng. He was enshrined in the Zhaozhong and Xianliang Temples of the capital. On June 25, the coffin arrived in Changsha. On July 19, he was buried in Jinpenling outside the south gate of Changsha.

On December 13, 1873 (the twelfth year of Tongzhi), he was buried in Pingtang Fu, Shanhua County (now Wangcheng District), Xiangxi. Longshan. Buried together with his wife Ouyang.

Zeng Guofan’s main achievements

1. Politics

As a famous politician in modern times, Zeng Guofan had a clear view of the corruption and decline of the Qing Dynasty after the "Kang and Qian Dynasties". , he said: "Poverty in the country is not a problem, but the people's morale is distracted, which is a big problem.

Zeng Guofan worked hard on the strategy of running the army and advocated using Confucianism to run the army, that is, using feudal ethics to educate officers and soldiers, and using benevolence, etiquette, loyalty and trustworthiness as the foundation of running the army to cultivate officers and soldiers. His purpose was to This is used to maintain military morale and cultivate a private army that is completely and absolutely obedient to oneself. Therefore, he believed that "those who use troops must first govern themselves and then control the enemy."

Zeng Guofan's military thoughts have influenced several generations, not to mention that his contemporaries of Hunan and Huaihe generals took Zeng Guofan as a model. Later bourgeois military strategists such as Huang Xing and Cai E also highly praised Zeng Guofan's military strategy. Zhang Zhidong, Yuan Shikai and others also adopted many of Zeng Guofan's military methods when they adopted Western methods to train the new army after the Sino-Japanese War of 1888-1899. . Jiang Fangzhen, a military strategist of the Republic of China, praised Zeng Guofan as "a military genius" in modern history in his "On National Defense" and said that all military leaders should imitate Zeng Guofan. Chiang Kai-shek made it clear that he wanted to learn from Zeng Guofan and required the generals in the Kuomintang army to "recognize history clearly and follow Zeng Hu's example." Zeng Guofan attached great importance to spiritual education in running the army. Mao Zedong paid great attention to this throughout his life. Zeng Guofan said that "loving the people is the first priority in running the army". When Mao Zedong established the Red Army, he formulated the "Three Major Disciplines and Eight Points of Attention".

3. Literature

Zeng Guofan inherited the style of Fang Bao and Yao Nai of the Tongcheng School and established his own style, creating the "Xiangxiang School" of ancient Chinese literature in the late Qing Dynasty, which is an important representative of Hunan culture. When he discusses ancient prose, he pays attention to the sonorous tone and is able to encompass everything; the ancient prose he writes is profound and majestic, and can convey the style of the Han Dynasty. Therefore, it has a majestic and magnificent artistic conception that can revive the dryness of the Tongcheng School. Disadvantages will be praised by future generations. Zeng's patriarchal clan originated in Tongcheng, but it had some changes and development, and selected and compiled a book "Miscellaneous Notes on Classics and History" as a model of writing, which was not limited to Tongcheng, and was known as the Xiangxiang School in the world. In the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, Yan Fu and Lin Shu, as well as Tan Sitong and Liang Qichao, were all influenced by his writing style. His works include "Collected Works of Qiuquezhai", "Collected Poems", "Records of Readings", "Diaries", "Memories", "Family Letters", "Family Instructions" and "Miscellaneous Notes of One Hundred Classical Schools of Classics and History" and "Eighteen Classics". Poetry Notes" etc. There are no less than a hundred or dozens of volumes, and the name is "The Complete Works of Zeng Wenzhenggong", which has been handed down to the world. He also wrote works such as "The Way of Learning" and "Five Proverbs".

4. Ideology and academics

Zeng Guofan followed Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism throughout his life, but he did not blindly worship Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism. In fact, he also absorbed many ideas from other branches of Confucianism in the Song and Ming Dynasties. . Neo-Confucianism in the Song and Ming dynasties was actually divided into three academic schools: Qi, Neo-Confucianism and Xinxue.

Zeng Guofan also gradually saw the limitations of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism in his political practice and military struggle. In this situation, Zeng Guofan showed a tolerant academic attitude towards the study of mind. Regarding the academic debate between Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism and Lu-Wang Xinxue, he believed that in the dispute between the two schools, we should adopt their similarities, avoid their differences, promote their strengths, be inclusive, promote their strengths and avoid their weaknesses, and promote the development of Confucianism.

Zeng Guofan also used the resources of Qi science in the theory of generation to make up for the limitations of Neo-Confucianism, saying that "Zhang Zizhi's Zhengmeng is mellow and upright, but has few friends." According to the ideas of Qi science, Zeng Guofan believed that all things in the world are born from the innate Qi, and Qi is the ultimate basic element that constitutes all things in the world. In the sense that they are born out of innate energy, all things in the world are of the same body.

However, Zeng Guofan also believed that although the Qi of Taihe and Miao has been prevalent, and the Qi originally received by all things in the world is "equal", the actual Qi endowed by people and things, saints and ordinary people are not the same. same. In terms of the relative relationship between people and things, people have the complete Qi, but things only have partial Qi; therefore, people have intelligence, while things only have physical nature. As far as human beings are concerned, the Qi endowed by saints is clear and thick, while the Qi endowed by ordinary people is turbid and thin.

5. Making friends in the world

Zeng Guofan was very insightful about the way to make friends. He believed that making friends should be elegant and considerate, and should be "honest and upright, tolerate humility, and avoid the disadvantages of selfish suspicion." . "Don't take advantage of others in anything. Don't take people's wealth lightly." We need to brainstorm ideas and listen without going deaf. "In terms of life, Zeng Guofan believed that "in these troubled times, the poorer the better." As a high-ranking official, "it is always better to have less money and less production."

"Patience is the most important thing in being an official", "Virtue is lost by being full, and happiness is reduced by being arrogant". As a human being, you must pay attention to the word "light", "Not only wealth, fame, fame, and fortune, but whether a child's surname is prosperous or not is all determined by heaven, that is, whether knowledge and virtue are established or not, it is mostly related to heaven's affairs, and can be laughed at and forgotten. Of". "You don't have to have success by yourself, and you don't have to have fame by yourself."

Zeng Guofan wrote twelve aphorisms, which basically summarized his way of making friends.

6. Family management strategy

Zeng Guofan believed that the most important thing was the principle of filial piety among family members. Filial piety is easy to understand, which means gratitude, respect and support for parents and elders. Brotherhood refers to the harmony and friendship between brothers, that is, the harmony and harmony between peers. In Zeng Guofan's family letters, it is generally believed that he wrote the most letters to his children. In fact, he wrote the most letters to his younger brothers, which shows that he attached great importance to the relationship between brothers. Zeng Guofan made a famous comment, saying that the rule of family prosperity is: the families of officials in the world generally last only one generation before becoming depressed, because most of them are the sons of dandies; the families of merchants, that is, the families of private entrepreneurs, generally last for three generations; A farming and reading family, that is, a family based on farming and studying, can generally thrive for five or six generations; while a filial friend's family, which is a family that pays attention to filial piety and brotherhood and manages the family based on harmony, can often last for ten or eight generations.

Zeng Guofan also emphasized "diligence in managing the family" under the purpose of "ruling the family with harmony". Zeng Guofan's idea of ??"diligence in running a household" has two meanings. One is that family members must be diligent and frugal, and the other is that parents must teach diligently through words and deeds. What Zeng Guopan said, he was able to take the lead and do it meticulously, and he did it very well. For example, the eldest son Zeng Jize likes Western sociology, and Zeng Jihong likes mathematics and physics. Although Zeng Guofan knows nothing about it, he can still try his best to understand it and study hard. Such a father deserves to be a father who is truly "diligent in running the family". Under the influence of Zeng Guofan, Zeng Jize always personally taught children English, mathematics, and music. He also taught them calligraphy, writing poems, and explaining classics. No matter how busy he was, he always made time to accompany his children every day. Spending time with your family is the best family education. Therefore, there are many scientists, educators and social activists among Zeng Guofan's descendants, great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren.

7. Calligraphy

Zeng Guofan’s outstanding achievements in calligraphy have always been overshadowed by his great influence in history. Zeng Guofan's explanation of calligraphy theory can be found in his "Diary", "Family Letter" and this article. First of all, he had a unique understanding of the Northern and Southern calligraphy theory proposed by Ruan Yuan at that time. He both agreed and criticized it, advocating that both the North and the South should be included. He proposed the theory of the origin of calligraphy. From Qian Dao, masculine beauty, focus, majesty, grandeur, from Kun Dao, feminine beauty, no focus, light distance, rhyme and victory, he formed a systematic theoretical view of calligraphy. Zeng Guofan worked diligently on calligraphy throughout his life, and went through a tortuous path of exploration from general to specialized, from inheriting classics to innovative fashion. He left behind a "Diary" of nearly 1.3 million words, which is a rare giant calligraphy work in ancient China. His regular script was strong and strong, erecting a banner of formal script that inherited the Tang Dynasty and inherited the Song and Ming Dynasties, combining hardness and softness. His running script is vigorous, handsome and gorgeous. His small regular script and small running script were models for the entire Qing Dynasty. He should be as famous a calligrapher as his contemporaries Bao Shichen and He Shaoji.

Historical evaluation

"Manuscript of the History of the Qing Dynasty": The vassal vassal was a dignified man, with beautiful beard and beard, and triangular eyes. For each pair of guests, they look at each other without saying a word, and when they see them, they are surprised. When they retreat, they remember their advantages and disadvantages, and they are not happy. He is naturally fond of writing, and he never tires of practicing medicine throughout his life. He has a family method and is not limited to one master. His theory and study combines the Han and Song Dynasties, and he says that the way of governing the world by the previous kings has many latitudes and longitudes, but it is consistent with etiquette. It is pity that Qin Huitian's Five Rituals Comprehensive Examination of Food and Goods has been compiled into six volumes, including salt replenishment, shipping, money law, and river embankments. It is also regrettable that the ancient rites are still missing and there is no military salute. Military salutes must have their own special chapter, as recorded by Qi Jingyuan. Commentators say that the camp system and regulations established by the vassal state are almost the same as military etiquette. In his later years, he used peace and tranquility to transform the people and raised his salary to support scholars. The old Confucians studied there, and the people took refuge there. He knows people well and is good at his job. His achievements and achievements are countless. As soon as I see it, I immediately take a look at its material and recognize it. At this time, he used the lessons of farming and reading from his ancestors to teach his family.

When you meet generals, soldiers, and officials, you are like a disciple, so although you are severely afraid of them, you are happy to use them. Living in the south of the Yangtze River for a long time has the greatest merit.

The achievements of the vassal state are based on knowledge and good etiquette. A sincere heart is especially good for the masses. In his military administration, he must be practical. Those who planned the affairs of the world have not been tested for a long time, and they are all called by the world. They are even called Zhuge Liang of the Han Dynasty, Pei Du of the Tang Dynasty, and Wang Shouren of the Ming Dynasty. , the portrait praises the teacher, and his lifelong ambition to learn is reflected in this. When he became successful and famous, he took it as his own duty to recommend talents. He became the commander-in-chief of the border ministers and visited the country several times. With people and affairs, you can live up to your knowledge. Woohoo! Since the ZTE, there has only been one person.

Hu Linyi: Mr. Zeng has always known how to know people, and he has known many wise generals.

Li Hanzhang: His profound knowledge and far-sightedness, his publicity and self-forgetfulness are beyond the reach of the ancients.

Shi Dakai: Although he is not known for being good at fighting, he is able to recognize and select good generals, and his planning is rigorous and unparalleled. Such a general has never been seen since the beginning of the war.

Zeng Guofan's experience in knowing people has been lost to ancient times and modern times. Some people may encounter it in the dust and think it is a great weapon at first sight; When holding discussions on a daily basis, I often say that the world is great and things are changing at such a high level that it cannot be maintained by one hand or one foot. Therefore, he uplifts the stagnant, rewards outstanding people, and spares no effort. I heard that Zeng Guofan looked at Jiang Zhongyuan and said, "This man will definitely be famous in the world, and of course he should be known as Jie Lie." Later, he recommended him specifically to respond to the imperial edict to seek talents. Hu Linyi commanded the troops under the command of Zeng Si and was subordinate to Zeng Guofan. He reported that his talent was ten times better than his own. Both of them were promoted repeatedly and had outstanding loyalty and diligence. Zeng Guofan also relied on his help in running the military. From the beginning of their registration, Taqibu, Luo Zenan, Li Xubin, Li Xuyi, Wang Xin, Yang Yuebin, and Peng Yulin were hired from other students, from Longmu, or from their own army. They all treated each other with sincerity. So that everyone can do their best.

Zuo Zongtang: Loyal to the country and wise in knowing others, I feel ashamed to be inferior to Yuan Fu; working together is like gold, attacking mistakes like stones, and we will live up to our expectations throughout our lives.

Li Hongzhang: He has been a teacher for nearly thirty years, and he has spent all his time passing on the family. He has built a house and built a house for his family to grow;

Zhu Kongzhang: The great fortune of the country is restored, and many heroes come out in large numbers. Within ten years, great disasters have been overcome. It is not possible to revitalize it without being born with a holy image. What if it is evil? However, it has been dangerous and close to death many times, and there have been hundreds of setbacks. Unforgiving ambition will lead to great difficulties. Although it is said that success is achieved by nature, it is also a human plan. Zhao Shuai said: "Speaking of rituals and music, familiar with poetry and calligraphy, he is a marshal." Sun Shubao said: "The supreme leader establishes virtue, the second performs meritorious service, and the second establishes words. This is called the three immortals." Both public and independent. In the battle of Tianjin, he endured all the troubles and tried to stabilize the country. He was experienced and well-versed in making plans, and he could be said to be extremely loyal.

Liang Qichao: ① Not only in modern times, but also in the history of history, he is a great person who is rare; not just in China, but also in the whole world, he is a great person who is rare. However, Wen Zheng was not an extraordinary genius. Among all the sages of his time, he was called the most blunt and clumsy. He was always in trouble with others and was criticized throughout his life. The achievements of those who are astonishing in the past and today but should not be compared to the capital. The success of their lives lies in their determination to free themselves from the popular customs, knowing when they are trapped, and working hard, going through hundreds of hardships without setbacks, not seeking short-term results, and accumulating money. Receive it with emptiness, apply it with diligence, plant it with firmness, be chaste with perseverance, command it with sincerity, be brave and diligent, and be extremely hardworking. I thought that Zeng Wenzhenggong was still in his prime, and China would be saved by his hands. ②I say that Zeng Wenzheng's collection must be repeated three times a day.

Yang Changji: In the Song Dynasty, Han and Fan were both called, and in the Qing Dynasty, Zeng and Zuo were called together. However, the people who worked in Han and Zuo were also the people who worked and preached in Fan and Zeng.

Wang Kaiyun: If you use generals, you will win, if you use generals, you will lose.

Rong Hong: Therefore, although his body has passed away, his reputation will last through the ages. He was a man of great talent but modest, and a grand and condensed spirit. He was a first-rate figure in the Qing Dynasty, and was also called a specialty figure of the old religion.

Zhang Taiyan: Zeng Guofan, if praised, he is a sage, if he is deceived, he is a culprit.

Cai E: ① Zeng and Hu Gong were the outstanding officials of the Zhongxing Dynasty. Their people and deeds date back only half a century. ② Leading soldiers is like leading children, which is the most benevolent and appropriate phrase. If you can have this intention, all the ancient and modern maxims of leading troops will be in vain.

Cai Dongfan: Ruozeng and Hu Ergong are both civilized and able to stabilize the country, and military can resist insults. The Qing Dynasty's survival depends on these ears.

Mao Zedong: ① Give it to your neighbors and obey Zeng Wenzheng alone. Judging from his flawless battles with Hong and Yang, can he be as perfect as he was when he changed his position today? ② Zeng Guofan is the most powerful figure in the landlord class.

Chiang Kai-shek: ①Zeng Gong is a model of the Chinese spirit. ② Before Xinhai, I had read the complete works of Zeng Wenzheng. After the defeat in the second year of the Republic of China, I carefully studied Zeng's books and Hu Zuo's collections.

Chen Gongdu: The vassal of the country is usually reserved, and his talents are not as good as those of Hu Zuo, but his achievements are twice as great. He only knows how to make good use of others, which is his specialty.

Hu Zhefu: In the past five hundred years, there are only two people who can express their knowledge in their careers: one is Wang Shouren of the Ming Dynasty, and the other is Zeng Guofan of the Qing Dynasty.

Xiao Yishan: The vassal state wins with rigor, and Zongtang wins with boldness.

Xu Zhongyue: Zeng Guofan’s statesmanship, character and personal accomplishment are rarely matched by anyone. He is perhaps the most admired and greatest scholar-official in nineteenth-century China.

People who read "Zeng Guofan's life story and evaluation" also read:

1. Zeng Guofan's success story

2. Zeng Guofan's classic quotations

3. Zeng Guofan's modern history essay

4. The secret of Zeng Guofan's success

5. The modern inspiration of Zeng Guofan's success