Detailed Explanation of Zeng Guofan’s Family Letters, Book Six
This letter is the longest one I have read in recent times, with a total of ten sections. When I first read it, I felt very impatient. Suddenly I thought that the reason why Zeng Guofan’s career was Success is largely determined by the unique character of Hunan people, that is, they can be domineering and patient. Especially when it comes to work, you need to be patient, so make up your mind to read it carefully.
The first and second sections are correspondence exchanges, but the first section focuses on the letters sent, and the second section focuses on the new messages received, analyzing everything in detail.
The third section focuses on the introduction of Peng Shanqi. This person is meticulous and serious in completing the things he has been told. He is really worthy of the great responsibility and entrustment. Therefore, Zeng Guofan can cooperate with him sincerely in the future. Peng Shanqi He also became Zeng Guofan's right-hand man.
The fourth section introduces the situation at home. It is worth noting that Zeng Guofan’s attitude towards his servants is that one is stupid and ungrateful, and the other is mature and prudent. Zeng Guofan is known for being good at recognizing people. Combined with the above discussion of Peng From Shan Qi's attitude, we can see that Zeng Guofan knew people and how he used them, which is worth learning from.
In the fifth section, he talks about his financial situation. He still needs to borrow money to survive in Beijing, but unlike his hometown, no one will force him to repay the debt. At this time, in the countryside of Hunan, someone would be forced to repay debts, and of course the incident involving Uncle Chu Shan happened. The charcoal money mentioned in the article was legal gray income in the Qing Dynasty. This was the social reality at that time. We don’t have to be harsh on the ancients.
In the sixth section, the feng shui of moving is mentioned. Feng Shui matters cannot be fully believed or disbelieved. The so-called Feng Shui place is a place suitable for people to live.
Section 7 provides an overall introduction to major events in the world. What happened in Guangdong and the Yellow River showed the turmoil in the world at that time.
In Section 8, regarding the matter of Chu Shan’s eighth uncle, Zeng Guofan repeatedly emphasized the ins and outs of the matter. His own thoughts showed that he was cautious in handling matters. He also emphasized that harmony is the most important thing in his family and he always thinks of others. Finally, he entrusted his mentor and friend Yao Jie, which shows that he knows people well and can definitely help him if he can grasp this person.
In Section 9, it can be seen from the letter that Zeng Guofan had heard about this person, so asking his family to inquire about this person shows that he cares about the political clarity of his hometown.
What is said in the article in Section 10 is that it is not enough to be happy about gains and not to be worried about losses. The main thing is to study hard. This sentence is about the mentality of learning. When reading history, you should read it every day. This sentence is about learning. It depends on daily accumulation. To review the classics, you must first study one classic. This is the method of learning. To learn a book first, you must first understand it, and then you can transform it by incorporating everything.
This section has a profound inspiration for my study, and I need to deeply understand it. I am always anxious to read other books before finishing one book, so my understanding of reading is never deep enough. Once you have read it, forget it, do not go into it deeply, and you should be careful in the future.
Of course, reading only one book will naturally feel boring. I think you can read several books at the same time, but you need to study them repeatedly until you understand them. And it is only right to take one book as the foundation.
Reflection? The reason why I am always anxious to read other books is that I am not careful enough when choosing books. After repeated selection of books, I will naturally not give up easily.
A letter to parents on the third day of August in the twenty-first year of Daoguang
Nan Guofan knelt down to tell his father Wanfu Jinan:
Get rich on May 18th Letter No. 8, I know I have received it at home. No. 9 was issued on the seventh day of June, containing a letter from a man to his grandfather and a letter from Guoquan to his fourth brother. Issue No. 10, the second day of July, contains yellow buds and cabbage seeds. Have you all received them?
The men received three letters from their father on his way back: one from Nianlipu in Hejian, one from Bianliangcheng, and one from Wuchang; he also received letters from Changsha. On June 29th, I received a letter from Uncle Dange. On the ninth day of July, Pengshan Qi arrived in Beijing and received a copy of the "Jingshi Wenbian" sent by his fourth brother in the province, a copy of Shen Yitang's "Four Books" and "Book of Changes", a small suitcase with three cloth covers and a dragon's beard. A straw mat and a letter, written in my uncle's handwriting. I learned everything: the genealogy has been compiled, Uncle Chu Shan's affairs have been settled, and forty thousand coins have been exchanged at the Pengshan Qi office. There is one letter from Uncle Shan, and one letter from father-in-law. On July 27th, I received two letters from home: one was written at home on May 15th, and the other was written in the province on June 27th. One letter from Ouyang Muyun, one letter from Zeng Xianghai, two letters from Xinzhai family, and one letter from Jing Qi were all received.
When Pengshan Qi went to Beijing, he was hit by rain and mud on the way. The Yellow River also rose, so he had a hard time crossing the river and his luggage and clothes were all wet.
But the books sent by the man were not damaged by moisture in the storage box, which is really impressive! When he arrived in Beijing, he was given bacon, lotus seeds, and tea as gifts. He arrived on the evening of the ninth day of the lunar month, and the man invited him to drink on the 13th. On the 16th, he handed over 40,000 yuan to Chu. On the 18th, he rented a house in the black market, 18 miles away from the city. It was the place where the martial arts examination was held, and the men had to go to take the examination.
The man is in good health in Beijing. Guo Tsuen is the same as usual. The man caught a cold on June 23rd or 4th. He took several pills and recovered. He also took several pills to treat the fetus. After Sun Jize recovered from his illness, he took more than ten supplements and Chen's lower body recovered. He walks and cheers every day. Although he cannot speak, he already knows everything. He eats a big bowl of porridge and no snacks. The servants and maids are all as usual. Zhou Gui has recommended that he should follow Chen Yunxin back to the south. He is stupid and ungrateful. Xiao Xiang was already with someone else. Seeing that he was mature, the man paid more money to call him back.
The man's situation is getting worse and worse, and he has just enough money to continue his salary. In the winter, he looks forward to sending money to foreign officials. It can be barely supported this year, but it will be even more difficult to plan for next year. It is difficult to borrow money. The capital is similar to the hometown, but there is no pressing. The last time I sent a letter home, I said that in the Ziping debit account, Uncle Songxuan actually contributed 40,000 yuan on his behalf. The man could send money home to clear this item. Due to the recent completion of Pengshan's hunting expedition and the relocation of houses, the money has been increasing day by day, and it may be difficult to pay the money and return home.
The man is looking to settle into a house on the east side of Beitou Road, Shengjiang Hutong, and is scheduled to move on the 6th of August. On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the incense case has been moved, which is an auspicious day. Wang Hancheng said that the house in Mian Liutiao Hutong was extremely unlucky in winter, and that people living in Chongqing were not suitable for living in a house with three suspended sides, so he moved to the house in Shengjiang Hutong. The monthly salary was ten thousand, and more than ten thousand were needed to clean it up. Xin Zhai borrowed a lot of money from him, and his family paid him five hundred and fifty taels of silver, and he had various prospects. He said that he still needed to borrow money to leave Beijing, but he didn't know whether he believed it or not.
The situation in Guangdong has calmed down beforehand, but there are rumors recently that Counselor Long Wen has died of illness and Yang Fang has reported illness and returned to Hunan. In July, the Counselor Te Yishun was ordered to go to Guangdong to investigate and deal with the matter. On August 1, Yuming was sent to Tianjin and Ha Wei'a was sent to Shanhaiguan. The Yellow River opened its mouth on June 14, and Bianliang was surrounded by water on all sides. Fortunately, the city was not flooded. On July 16, Wang Ding and Huicheng were ordered to go to Henan to investigate. It is now heard that it is spreading thousands of miles away, and I am afraid that it will flow directly into Hongze Lake. I also heard that a donation named "Henan Engineering" was about to be made to carry out the Henan project.
The man grew a beard in July. Uncle Chu Shan sent a letter to the man, written in April, to express his suffering. I recently heard that the farmland in Hengyang has been sold, so I should be able to make ends meet. He borrowed 1,200 yuan in the winter of 1898. The man had promised to help him and reported it to his uncle, but he failed to report it to his grandfather. It was the man's fault, not his fault. The rest of the details are subtle twists and turns, sometimes it is done and sometimes it is not, sometimes it is bought by friends, sometimes it is bought alone, the uncle's letter is not very detailed, the letter from Chu Shanshu is very detailed, the man dare not believe it all. In short, it is a benefit for him not to be chased by his creditors. Secondly, he has no house to live in and doesn't know where to live? It would be especially pitiable if the elderly, relatives, and young children had no place to stay and were displaced from place to place. In my humble opinion, I can still let him live nearby, but he must not live in Hengyang. I ask my grandfather to find a safe place for him. If there is a surplus of money, they can cultivate the land on a sharecropping basis. He also asked his father to send a letter to Zhu Yaojie, mentioning the hardships of Chu Shan's situation and his concern, and asking whether the property he managed could be shared with Chu Shan. If he agrees to comply, then the man has faith in Yao and must be especially lenient in renting grain. But the road is too far, and at least sixty acres must be cultivated before we can eat it. Yao Jie Shou Ping asked Xin Zhai to bring it back.
Yan Lisheng had a bad reputation in Xiangxiang because she ignored official duties and behaved disobediently. If there are real misdeeds, or if there is a case filed, you may wish to copy it and send it to Beijing, because there are censors who are inspecting the men's offices, but they must be kept confidential.
I don’t know how the fourth brother and sixth brother will do in the exam? If you don't feel happy about your gains and don't worry about your losses, you should always focus on studying hard. It is advisable to read history every day without interruption. The ninth brother read "Yi Zhi Lu" and has now read it to the Sui Dynasty. To warm a meridian, you must first clear one meridian, and then treat other meridian after clearing it. You must not try to do both, and gain nothing. Houer always focuses on book proficiency and reads one poem every day.
Dear parents, I would like to send you my best wishes!