Zeng Guofan's eight characters are false believers
If China is the most successful person in history, it is estimated that Zeng Guofan is ahead.
His student Li Hongzhang once called him "slow in Confucianism" in front of him, but his reaction was a little slow. To speak slowly is to be stupid.
But Zeng Guofan's "stupidity" actually includes Gan Kun.
Zeng guopan
18 1 1. 1 1.26- 1872.3. 12
"The First Minister of Zhongxing" in the Late Qing Dynasty
Neo-Confucianism, politicians, calligraphers and writers
Some people admire him as the first perfect person in history.
0 1
In the twelfth year of Daoguang, Zheng Xue, Hunan Province was marking the scholar's paper, and when he saw an article, he was so anxious that he cursed:
"What article is shallow in arts and sciences, even dare to take the exam!"
People around him quickly advised him that this person's grades are not bad, so it is better to hold a birthday party for him. Shu Sheng is half a scholar, so he can be exempted from county and government exams in the next exam. )
I haven't lost my temper yet: "I was born when I was born, but I must hang him out and criticize him!" " "
Therefore, in addition to the exam, there is also a unique criticism card, and the protagonist on the card is Zeng Guofan. Zeng Guofan turned red at the sight of his face.
This incident was later cited by Zeng Guofan as one of the five greatest humiliations in his life.
Zeng Guofan took the exam five times before, and now he has finally been admitted to the rear of the car and has been criticized in public.
Seeing this, it is estimated that all the students who failed the exam in the world are snickering in their hearts: what a Zeng Guofan, that was just the case.
02
Because Zeng Guofan knew that his qualifications were not high, he never had to be smart. He wants to work hard, including fighting.
His war strategy of "one move fresh, eat all over the sky" is: hard camp and fight a dull battle!
He led the children of the Qing soldiers to fight against the Taiping Army who stuck to Nanjing (then called Tianjing), and both sides could not hold on.
The soldier came to him and asked him, sir, we have surrounded the city. When shall we attack it?
Zeng Guofan said: No attack. Set up camp and build a village. Don't move.
Half a month later, the soldier asked him again and got the same answer.
A year later, the soldier asked again and got the same answer.
The Taiping army looks out of the city every day, and the Qing soldiers seem to have nothing to do. Although Beijing is nervous, it is not without exulting:
It seems that this Zeng Guofan is really as stupid as the legend. When our reinforcements arrive, you will know that it is awesome!
In fact, this is the genius of Zeng Guofan: no one can run fast in the face of these bandits of Taiping Army, and they are still in Nanjing, a famous place that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Therefore, he thinks that the best way is to support it day by day and wait for the opportunity to come.
As a result, his trenches became stronger and stronger, and he abruptly built an outer city outside Nanjing.
The reinforcements of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom tried to attack but couldn't get in, and the defenders of Tianjing couldn't get out and were suffocated in the city.
Zeng Guofan wiped out the chaotic party and became a hero in troubled times.
Stupid is not a bad word. Zeng Guofan used this moment to remind himself to be cautious and cautious. Even the most powerful enemy has no reason to contribute.
03
Zeng Guofan's way to overcome his "stupidity" is the simplest two words-diligence.
So he left the simplest and most useful motto: Nothing is difficult in the world.
One of the diligent characters contains five meanings: body diligence, eye diligence, hand diligence, mouth diligence and heart diligence.
Diligence means doing things yourself;
Diligence means to be diligent in reading and judging people;
Diligence means diligent writing, including keeping a diary and writing letters home;
Diligence is to exercise eloquence, not to hurt people;
Diligence is to constantly reflect and exercise your mind.
I have five diligence, which is available all over the world.
For example, eye care, for example:
Zeng Guofan's disciple Li Hongzhang once brought three people to see him.
Zeng Guofan only looked at the three of them and said to Li Hongzhang: "The man standing on the right is an honest and reliable person, and can delegate logistics supply; Standing in the middle is a man who does not obey risks and can only give him insignificant work; The person standing on the left is an expert and should be reused. "
Li Hongzhang was surprised: "Teacher, I haven't introduced them yet. You let them go to work so soon. "
Zeng Guofan said:
"Just now, when I came back from a walk and walked in front of three people,
The man on the right bowed his head and dared not look up. It can be seen that he is respectful and affectionate, so he can appoint replenishment work.
The man in the middle was respectful on the surface, but as soon as I passed by, I immediately looked around and showed that he was obedient, so it was not available.
The man on the left always stands up straight, his eyes are wide open, and he is neither supercilious nor supercilious. He is a general's material. "
The general's material was Liu Mingchuan, the governor of Taiwan Province Province who later made great achievements.
Zeng Guofan summed up his unique skills in reading people's fortune and wrote a wonderful book called Ice Guide.
It really doesn't matter how high your education is. The important thing is whether you have cultivated your own heart and insisted on training.
04
Because of his profound knowledge, Zeng Guofan never recommended talents to the court.
Only 23% of people were promoted under him. In the hands of other ministers, 20% or 30% of their subordinates have been promoted, so he always can't keep anyone in his hands.
This is also an aspect of Zeng Guofan's "stupidity". Of course, he became more and more sophisticated later.
In order to expand his influence, he continued to recommend talents. There are always hundreds of thousands of people in Wu Zhi who are recommended by him, even those who have never been to the battlefield.
He had never been confused by the wind of accepting gifts in officialdom before, but he found that bureaucrats had a hard time with him, so he began to set up a "small treasury" to engage in his own entertainment in officialdom:
Subordinate officials gave him gifts, and he took some at random, and the rest went back the same way.
Hong Rong is his chief of staff. Zeng Guofan once allocated 68,200 public funds to buy equipment for the American Westernization Movement. When Yung Hong returns to China, he will give a gift to repay his kindness in receiving him that day. Zeng Guofan told his son:
Don't refuse his gift, but don't ask too much. Just accept a gift like twenty taels of silver.
In this way, his "small vault" is full. But in fact, you don't need to use all the money in the small vault to make contacts.
What about the rest of the money? He wrote to his son: Give it to the poor, but keep it quiet.
This is the way to survive in a muddy world: pay attention to principle and contingency.
It may be a bit silly for others to realize their ideals. At this time, you can be smarter and sacrifice some irrelevant moral requirements.
This is the courage of people who do great things.
05
Zeng Guofan knew that those "bastards" in his officialdom could not be taken home, otherwise it would be a disaster for future generations. So his family precepts are notoriously strict.
Legend has it that Empress Dowager Cixi once asked Zeng Guofan, "What is your wife doing at home?"
Zeng Guofan replied: "Don't hide it from the Queen Mother, my wife is only 7788 at home."
"What is seven seven eight eight?"
"Seven is rice, oil, salt, sauce and vinegar tea, and eight is filial piety, faithfulness, courtesy and honesty."
And Zeng Guofan's rules for children and grandchildren are more clear, that is, the eight-character family precepts set by his grandfather:
Pigs, vegetables, fish, books, morning, cleaning, exams and treasures.
That is, raising pigs, growing vegetables, raising fish, reading, getting up early, sweeping the court, sincerely offering sacrifices, and being kind to neighbors.
These practices, in the eyes of others, really ask for trouble.
However, Zeng Guofan believes that only in this way can we truly have ample food and clothing and live a long life.
06
Zeng Guofan has a friend who is proficient in Feng Shui. He once helped Zeng Guofan choose a cemetery and finally chose Dongtai Mountain in Xiangxiang, Hunan.
A friend told Zeng Guofan that this land has excellent feng shui. If you are buried here, your family will be scholars and scholars for the rest of your life.
Zeng Guofan listened: "Oh, I don't have such a good place."
My friend was stupid when he heard it: "Why?"
Zeng Guofan said: "It is precisely because this land is good that it is related to the cultural movement of a county. When I occupied this place, the literary movement in Xiangxiang was monopolized by my Zeng family. I wouldn't do such a thing. You can choose another piece of land for me. Not so good. Just bless my children and grandchildren. "
It seems that Zeng Guofan didn't get rid of his stupidity in the end.
He has six commandments in his life, one of which is "Don't do things with long-term interests, and don't go to places where people contend".
He doesn't touch what ordinary people struggle to do; He had to do more seemingly thankless things.
But what about the result? After Zeng Guofan, the Zeng family continued for more than a hundred years, with talented people and endless incense.
This is called cherishing the accumulated blessings instead of enjoying them, but enjoying them for a long time.
In Jin Yong's novels, Guo Jing is a silly boy. But it is such a silly boy who finally achieved outstanding martial arts and top reputation.
The evaluation of him in the book is four words: the great man of chivalry.
Zeng Guofan, known as the perfect man in the history of China, not only achieved the ultimate in being an official, but also reached the point of being immortal in life.
Therefore, it might as well be called: the great Zeng Guofan.