Author/Zhou Yunwu "Zuo Zongtang's Personality"
Editor/Liu Jing
In China's modern history, whether it is a famous minister of ZTE or a celebrity, zuo Zongtang is probably the most distinctive one in terms of personality.
One
When he was young, Zuo Zongtang compared himself to Zhuge Liang, known as "Jin liang", and his heroic and arrogant personality was frankly revealed.
However, it is not surprising that all the young people who are a bit "two pounds" are a bit crazy. But there are not many people who directly call themselves "This Bright". It shows that Zuo Zongtang's madness is more ostentatious than that of ordinary youth.
In ancient times, when the imperial examination came to the Qing Dynasty, it was a relatively complete system of selecting talents. Zuo Zongtang called himself "Jinliang", of course, he was still a bit emboldened. At the crucial time, Wu Rongguang, the inspector of Hunan, asked someone to open the seal, saw that the candidate's name was Zuo Zongtang, and spoke: When I was lecturing in the xiangshui school, this student took the first exam seven times.
Usually the results are so excellent, this exam is not bad, and it is a student of the "governor", of course!
However, when it came to the meeting, Zuo Zongtang did not take the first 3 times, which may be the biggest and most unasspiring pain in his heart in his life.
The first time I tried to fail the list, I couldn't stand it. The second time, he originally stepped into the door of the jinshi, but because of the low ranking in the balance of personnel in Hunan and Hubei provinces, he was brushed off, and in order to take care of the "emotions", he gave a "transcription". What does it mean to transcribe, that is, the person who specializes in copying materials, equivalent to the "secretary" of the secretary under the official, or arranges a county order, etc. Zuo Zongtang could bear this "low position" and directly lost the "transcription notice".
The third test, full of preparation and confidence, but once again fell behind Sun Shan. What is even more infuriating is that Zeng Guofan, who is also a Hunan national, has repeatedly failed to pass the examination before xiucai, but he is on the list.
In a fit of rage, he vowed never to take the exam again!
At the age of 22, he once wrote a joint on his own door: he has no half an acre, and his heart is worried about the world; reading ten thousand volumes, God has handed over to the ancients.
Now that he is 26 years old, he will fail the test 3 times, and in addition to being angry, he actually gave himself a pair of self-titled links:
Riding the whale west on this day, the seven-foot body was covered with grass, and the blood was sprinkled into the empty forest. Ask who will sing the song of Artemisia, drum and pipa, hang the branches of the sword, and hang the soul of the pine tree, and strive for thousands of years. Indulge in the burial of loess and call the male ghost;
If he returns to the east of the crane in an annual age, a clove of incense wishes a cost, and a golden body appears in ten months. I wish to be a fisherman from now on, visit the deer friends in the mountains, book the gulls on the water, consume the heart of the splendid embroidery, and get away with half a life. But I am afraid that the heavens will bear me, and I will work again.
Although this couplet is a joke about their own advance tie, it is difficult to suppress the high spirit of the sky and it is difficult to hide the talent of the world!
The core meaning is basically this: a genius like me, even if the imperial court does not use it, is still a great hero; even if I plan to be a woodcutter fisherman and a crane, I am afraid that the country will not be able to lack me, and then it will still come to disturb me.
It was his madness.
Two
Zuo Zongtang's life, fate met many nobles. Tao Shu, Lin Zexu, Hu Linyi, Guo Songtao and many other famous ministers of the late Qing Dynasty, Hongru, had recommended or entrusted him with "loneliness".
In 1852, on the recommendation of Hu Linyi, the governor of Hunan, Zhang Liangji, and the 40-year-old Zuo Zongtang finally went out of the mountains for the first time and entered the Hunan shogunate.
Two years later, the 42-year-old Zuo Zongtang was invited by the new governor Luo Bingzhang to go out of the mountains for the second time and enter the Hunan shogunate.
Since then, I have truly embarked on the road of career.
The shogunate, no matter how powerful it is, is still the senior staff officer of the inspector, and it is impossible to make a decision. But Zuo Zongtang is different, he must be assertive! Luo Bingzhang, a person with connotations, a broad-minded, and far-sighted person, not only relinquished his great power to be idle, but also wholeheartedly did his best to do a good job in logistical support services for the left shogunate, and also completely disregarded the provocations and arguments of others such as "the fall of great power."
After this state of affairs for a long time, Zuo Zongtang began to go wild again, and once said to Inspector Luo: "Gongyu puppet, there is nothing to hold, how can he move?" "It's a joke, and it's a little too much. Luo Bingzhang was not angry at all, and he played a haha and passed.
But Inspector Luo let him and tolerated him, not necessarily everyone will be like this.
Soon, the character of the left shogunate still caused trouble, and almost lost his head!
There was a general soldier in Yongzhou, Hunan, named Fan Xie, who once came to Zuo Zongtang's office and waved his hands, which was a salute.
The left shogunate shouted: When the military attache sees me, no matter how big or small, he will kneel down and ask for peace, why don't you ask for peace?
This Fan Xie was a erpin military attaché of the imperial court, who had been the king of Yongzhou tuba for a long time, and did not take the shogunate seriously, but loudly replied: Where is the precedent for the erpin military attaché to ask xiaoju people for peace?
These words stabbed Zuo Zongtang's sore spot at once, coupled with his already fiery temper, rushed up to a mouth, and roared: Wang Baguo, get out!
Immediately, Luo Bingzhang ordered that Fan Bengjun be dismissed from his post on the spot.
Fan Zongbing naturally harbored a grudge in his heart, and if the front could not win, he would come to the back. He began to collect Zuo Zongtang's "black materials" extensively.
Fan Zongbing had a well-connected backstage, the governor of Huguang, Guan Wen, who was personally appointed by the Xianfeng Emperor. Fan Zongbing then directly reported the "complaint" to the emperor through the official text, and Xian Feng saw the official text and immediately gave instructions: If Zuo Mou has any illegal affairs, he will correct the law on the spot.
Zuo Zongtang still didn't know that his head had already been deposited!
Immediately, a thrilling action to save Zuo Zongtang's head was launched in full swing.
Until the crisis turned into safety, because of the misfortune and blessing, suddenly summoned by the Xianfeng Emperor and entrusted with heavy use, Zuo Zongtang was always unaware, never thought that this matter also affected the existence of his own head. Later, after learning the truth, he was scared out of a few cold sweats, and he also thanked Hu Linyi, Guo Songtao, Luo Bingzhang, Pan Zuyin, and even SuShun and other ministers for their rescue from the bottom of their hearts, and sighed at the true feelings of their friends.
It is said that talent nourishes personality, in fact, friends also cultivate personality. With an iron-hearted friend letting him, spoiling him, and protecting him, the natural personality becomes more and more prominent and less restrained.
Zuo Zongtang has been this personality until he is old.
In 1882, it was a time when the country was weak and the country was weakened. Zuo Zongtang, who was then the governor of Liangjiang, went to Shanghai to inspect his work and wanted to enter the Shanghai Concession, and according to the regulations of foreigners, Chinese had to go to the Ministry of Works bureau to get a "note card" before he could enter the concession. Zuo Zongtang was furious: Shanghai is China's land, foreigners just lease it, Chinese soldiers go on China's turf, who said they wanted what bullshit note! Immediately order the soldiers, load the bullets, open the way with a large knife, and whoever dares to block it, shoot and kill!
He was so fierce that he did not provoke an incident, but won the compromise and respect of foreigners - to revoke the obstruction, bi respectful! The second time, he took the initiative to replace the concession flag with the Chinese dragon flag and fired 13 salutes.
This year, he was just 70 years old.
Thinking of li hongzhang in 1895 when he went to Japan to negotiate, he was shot in the left cheek by a Japanese named Toyotaro Koyama at the entrance of the pavilion, and when he woke up, he looked at the clothes stained red with blood, caressed the wound and sighed: This blood can repay the country!
Although this story is sad, it seems to be able to see Li Hongzhang's patriotism and helplessness in serving the country, and it also allows us to see the cowardly side of Li Hongzhang's personality.
If it is Zuo Zongtang... Of course, history did not have ifs, that year, Zuo Zongtang had also been dead for 10 years.
"Never talk about peace and deliberations, Qianqiu is unique to Zuo Wenxiang." This is his gang.
(To be continued)
About the author: Zhou Yunwu
Editors/Liu Jing, Lü Lu