Historical figures series-left
Zeng Guofan can be a man, and his friends and disciples are all over the world; Li Hongzhang will be an official and play Tai Chi in the ruling and opposition circles with his smooth wrist. Zhang Zhidong is knowledgeable, and "Chinese style and western use" is all the rage; Zuo's nickname is "Left Mule". As can be seen from the nickname, this person belongs to the kind of person with strong personality and stubbornness.
18 12 years, Zuo was born in a "cold family" in Hunan. His father and grandfather are both scholars. Besides studying, they are also farmers. Born in such a family, Zuo was designed with a good life route from an early age: studying-imperial examination-being an official-glorifying ancestors.
Zuo took three consecutive exams in Beijing, and both failed in Sun Shan. 1838, 27-year-old Zuo Diqing left Beijing. On the way south, he made a lifelong decision: "Since I can't pass the exam, I won't take it." After the hardships of life, he finally found what he wanted. From then on, he stopped living for others and only listened to his inner voice.
Zuo began to read his favorite books, do what he wanted to do and meet the people he admired. Once you do what you like to the extreme, life is full of meaning.
1852, when the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom besieged Changsha, Hunan Governor Zhang sent someone to invite Zuo: "You are a cow, come out and work." From then on, Zuo, who was 465,438+0 years old, began his brilliant old age.
Zuo's work at that time was equivalent to the staff, but Zhang was generous, pushing all the work of the governor to Zuo and becoming the shopkeeper of cutting. Zuo didn't refuse, so who am I? He "adjusted rations day and night, waiting for documents", so that the Taiping Army could not enter Changsha for three months, and finally turned around and rushed to Wuhan and Nanjing. From then on, Zuo Yi became famous.
Two years later, Zhang left Hunan and became the staff of the new governor Luo. At that time, the governor could be replaced, but the left could not. Therefore, there is a famous evaluation: Hunan cannot be without Hunan for a day, and the left cannot be without Hunan for a day. In the following six years, he assisted Luo's "four districts in Inner Qing Dynasty" and "five provinces in aiding foreign countries" and served as the governor's staff, which convinced everyone.
Among the "four famous ministers in the late Qing Dynasty", Zuo had a bad relationship with Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang. However, Zeng Guofan's cultivation is very good and he can accommodate people.
1860, the Taiping army broke through the Jiangnan camp, and the rich land of Zhejiang was completely exposed under the blade of the Taiping army. At this time, someone must stand alone and lead troops to recover Zhejiang. At this time, Zeng Guofan was attacking Nanjing and had no time to take care of him, so he asked Zuo to form a "Chu army". In the second year, he was recommended as the governor of Zhejiang and recovered Zhejiang from the south.
Zuo, 49, seized the biggest opportunity of his life. In just four years, the army swept through Zhejiang, and the official position changed from a four-product idle official to a governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, and was named a second-class uncle, and later a second-class Hou.
1880, he is 69 years old. Due to acclimatization, he often hemoptysis in the morning and eczema all over his body. Such a body is no longer suitable for expedition, but if you want to go back to Yili, you must go through the customs yourself.
Zuo Tang Zong had the coffin carried behind him and embarked on the most heroic journey of his life. A 69-year-old man can't have fun with his grandchildren at home, and even it is very difficult at home. What does he want? Just because of this, I have done a lot of countries.
The following year, Ceng Jize signed the Sino-Russian Ili Treaty with Russia in an attempt to recover part of its sovereignty and territory. At that time, this was the best result. On the day of signing the treaty, Zuo has just arrived in Beijing, and he will feel a little gratified by the victory of weak country diplomacy.
Among the famous ministers in the late Qing Dynasty, Zuo was a different kind. The biggest difference between him and others is that he lit his whole body as a torch, illuminating the way forward and warming the whole world in muddy times.
At the age of 23, Zuo wrote a couplet: I don't have half an acre of land, and I care about my country and people; Read through thousands of books and make friends with the ancients. Its imposing manner is heroic, unlike young people with uncertain future at all. Nearly 50 years later, the old Zuo is still full of courage. Before the western expedition to Xinjiang, he wrote a letter to his family: "things in the western regions are extremely difficult and everyone is discouraged." I will bear it alone, and I will suffer, leaving some blessings and children and grandchildren, and leaving some examples in the world. "
When the lords of the Qing Dynasty were still living in a state of intoxication, did they know the struggle of this "coffin-carrying" old man in the Gobi Desert of Wan Li? When Zuo fought for his life and death, did he know that the mountain he was defending was corroded by a group of addicts and real villains?
He knows. In spite of this, Zuo still turned his back on glitz, faced difficulties, walked with one foot deep and one foot shallow, and dragged the old empire behind him with difficulty.
This is the real hero, who can't cool his blood after drinking ice for ten years. The world says Zuo is too stubborn, but I like him like a stubborn mule. At any time, what is lacking most is this kind of tough steel man, who is the steel backbone of the nation.
The content of this article is taken from the history of China, and it is addictive as soon as you read it.