Struggle is like building a wall for yourself, and concession is like widening the road for yourself. Everyone will have a wise choice whether to build the wall higher and higher or to make way wider and wider.
only a person who knows how to seize the opportunity and know how to advance and retreat can finish the project well.
Zeng Guofan was re-used by the Qing government since he organized the Yong Tuan. At the beginning of organizing the Yong Tuan, Zeng Guofan experienced all kinds of ups and downs, but he still withstood setbacks and blows from all sides, stood firm in the face of difficulties and was tolerant of people everywhere, which enabled him to preserve his strength in factional contradictions.
Zeng Guofan once said, "It's hard to temper English difficulties, and you can be successful. Li Shenfu tasted that Yu sighed and never said it. He was patient and Xu Tu was self-reliant. " This sentence reflects Zeng Guofan's view of life in the difficult situation of contradictions and internal and external troubles, which can be said to be helpless for him as an official at that time.
In the imperial court where Manchu enjoyed political privileges, Zeng Guofan, as a Han Chinese, could be appreciated and reused by the Qing court, which was closely related to Zeng Guofan's officialdom philosophy of letting things go smoothly and making compromises. Zeng Guofan didn't want to have a conflict with others. When the conflict happened, he first took a concession attitude. Of course, Zeng Guofan did not make unprincipled concessions. Under the condition of "forbearance, forbearance", he was able to take the means of self-defense and fight for his rights.
Zeng Guofan knew that struggle is like a wall built for himself, and concession is like widening the road for himself. In the end, everyone will have a wise choice whether to build the wall higher and higher or to make way wider and wider. It's just that Zeng Guofan's officialdom has been ups and downs for decades, and he's never greedy for Rong Lu. It's a wise thing for him to be able to get rid of it.
"forbearance" is for people, and "retreat" is for yourself.
after only 18 days in power, empress dowager cixi ordered Zeng Guofan to take charge of military affairs in Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces, except the imperial envoys and governors of the two rivers, and all the governors and officials below the prefect were under his control. At the same time, Ceng Guoquan also "rewarded the top hat" with a registered provincial judge. Zeng Guofan's thought is complicated and contradictory because of this special experience. On the one hand, he feels deeply blessed, on the other hand, he knows the danger of being in a high position, and he has heavy troops in his hands. Benefits are based on this, while disadvantages are fatal.
after the Tianjing campaign started, Zeng Guofan's troops were in front of the charge. Therefore, Zeng Guofan wrote several times to emphasize not to rob the work. "Why do you have the reputation of being the best in the world?" "You don't have to do your own work, you don't have to do your own fame" and so on. What he is worried about is the political crisis after facing great achievements. Therefore, he should deploy in advance to protect himself and his family.
after Tianjing was conquered, he personally disarmed to dispel the doubts of the imperial court that he was heavily armed. At this time, he has achieved great success, but looking back at history, he has to worry about the ups and downs of bureaucrats in previous dynasties. Although you are in peace and prosperity, there are often times when you can be in danger. Zeng Guofan began to have the idea of no longer being an official, but after careful consideration, he thought that "to resign from the world is the policy of settling down; In troubled times, it is not a good policy. " The emperor will not agree to resign after a great victory, and he may be suspected of being disloyal and really unnecessary.
You still have to be an official. Since you want to be an official, try to be safe. On the one hand, he automatically relieved the military power, on the other hand, he continued to serve, just trying to get the word "rest assured" from the court.
When he and his younger brother Ceng Guoquan were knighted at the same time, he knew that this could not be trusted for long.
Zeng Guofan occasionally expressed his pride in his achievements in some letters, but most of them were wary. He expressed his worries in his letters, to the effect that he received fourteen letters from Chongqing within a week. I'm too noble and prestigious now, so I can't help but be frightened! It's really worrying that the family fortune is too prosperous and there are too many false names.
Zeng Guofan paid great attention to self-restraint, and paid special attention to adjusting the relationship between himself and the Qing court, especially paying attention to the problems of those ministers who took care of Gao Zhen in history. In his diary, he wrote: "Those who have gained a false reputation in ancient times and are worth the difficulties often cannot protect their end, and they are greatly afraid to think about it. With the throne, politely decline has great power and dares not control the four provinces, for fear of repeating the blame. "
He also wrote a letter to remind his younger brother: He often thinks when he is young, and when he goes on stage, he thinks when he goes off. Today's prosperity is hard-won, but in a high position, if you are not careful, you may wither and run down tomorrow. He said that if he was really blessed, he would stop work and go home, hoping that one day he could retire and enjoy real happiness. Zeng Guofan knows that "birds are exhausted, and good bows are hidden; A sly rabbit dies, and a running dog cooks; The feudal ruling technique of "the enemy is destroyed and the adviser is dead" can only be saved by retiring after success.
Zeng Guofan's life had ups and downs, but most of them were near misses, which was inseparable from his thought of preserving our sanity. Being a man in the world, don't strive for fame and gain, don't take credit for pride, but be wronged at the right time and act in harmony. Only in this way can you live a happy life without regret. The more people count in power, fame and fortune, the more they lose.