Can everything in the world be as good as it should be? Those who have become great things in ancient times are half heavenly and half reluctantly accommodating

Portrait of Zeng Guofan. (Public Domain)

In the late Qing Dynasty, the wind and rain are shaky, and the disasters are continuous. In a chaotic world, should we go with the flow and pass through the chaos? Or is it a step forward and a wake-up call? Zeng Guofan lamented that he was in a chaotic world, which was really unfortunate. In the face of bullying, slander, fame and temptation, he trembled and followed the tradition, diligently cultivating himself. After experiencing thousands of dangers and obstacles, he was unyielding and unyielding, and finally stood out in the chaotic world. He was the first of the Qing Dynasty to be enfeoffed as a Marquis of Wu as a civilian minister, and although he was an extremely popular subject and a high-ranking lord, he was still able to start well and end well. We collect Zeng Guofan's family books, diaries and historical manuscripts, from different levels such as wealth concept, self-cultivation thought, family wisdom, and health care, to present the traditional values adhered to by Zeng Guofan and reproduce the forgotten essence tradition for readers.

The Qing army fought against the Taiping Army for many years, causing the people to be hungry and the people to be restless. In the face of human suffering, Zeng Guofan had no choice but to sigh. He was only a chincha minister of the imperial court, not a saint. However, when the war situation was reversed, the Qing army was defeated and won one after another, and wherever the army of the governor of Zeng Guofan went, in the face of Li Min's destruction, he could no longer stand idly by and ignore it. Therefore, rice tickets were issued in the jurisdiction to help the people. The people exchanged rice tickets for relief food. However, when the rice tickets were recycled, Zeng Guofan found that there were more than 2,300 fake tickets. In such a difficult situation, local officials dared to openly falsify and compete with the people for profits. He sighed, "The badness of the human heart is so hateful." ”

After a long time in the official arena and witnessing the storms, Zeng Guofan also understood the human nature of the human heart more and more thoroughly. In the utilitarian officialdom, he hopes that he and his brothers can work diligently and be a "gentleman of Labor" who does not ask for merit.

The Zeng brothers are in the same official field, so it is inevitable that they will have different views and different political views. The brothers Zeng Guofan and Zeng Guofan have different ambitions and interests. Zeng Guofan's family letter once said that Zeng Guoquan was more outward-looking, close to the spring and summer breath of comfort; he was more introverted, close to the autumn and winter harvest. Zeng Guoquan believes that only with expression can there be vitality and exuberance. Zeng Guofan means that everything can be harvested in order to promote vitality and thickness. Therefore, he usually likes the saying of the ancients that "the flower is not fully bloomed and the moon is not fully round", and he feels that it is the way of cherishing blessings and the method of Baotai.

"Flowers are not fully bloomed and the moon is not round" is from the northern Song Dynasty famous minister Cai Xiang (1012-1067) poem "Thirteen Days of Auspicious Courtyard Exploration flowers", the whole poem:

"The flowers are not fully bloomed and the moon is not round, look at (a work of searching) flowers to wait for the moon to think about it."

Knowing that the flower moon is merciless, if it makes the amorous even more pitiful. [The original poem is found in the Northern Song Dynasty calligrapher Cai Xiang's "Shantang Poetry"]

To the effect that when the flowers are all in full bloom, it means that they begin to wither; when the moon is full, it begins to mutilate. However, when the flowers are not fully bloomed and the moon is not fully round, it will make people's hearts expect and yearn. Although he knew that Huayue was ruthless, wouldn't it be even more pitiful to be sentimental. Zeng Guofan admired this sentence "the flowers are not fully bloomed and the moon is not round", perhaps the implication is that life is the same. When you reach your peak, you're about to start going down. He named his study "Qiu Que Zhai", "so he kept what he lacked and did not dare to seek perfection".

Two brothers, one advocates expression, like a flower blooming perfectly; the other advocates harvesting, like a bud waiting to bloom. Different views and attitudes toward the world are also different, Zeng Guoquan once complained about his brother, and rumors of brotherly discord became increasingly popular. Zeng Guoquan often complained, he saw and heard some unsatisfactory things, but he pressed it in his heart, not knowing what the matter was? Zeng Guofan enlightened him, if he disagreed with his brother, he could open his heart to explain, and there was no need to be depressed and self-inhibiting.

In the spring of the first year of Tongzhi (1862), Zeng Guofan began to deploy the Battle of Tianjing, the capital of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and he entrusted the main offensive to Zeng Guoquan. Whenever the military camp led by Zeng Guoquan asked for silver money, ordnance, etc., Zeng Guofan would restrain it every time, which was also the meaning of "the flower is not fully bloomed at the end of the moon". However, whenever there was a critical crisis, Zeng Guofan saved the fire and drowned, and often made a very generous move. He knew that because he had not satisfied his brother's demand for military pay and weapons, his brother was resentful and indignant. Therefore, he took the initiative to say that he broke the knot in his brother's heart, hoping that he would not be depressed and have doubts.

In March of the second year of Tongzhi (1863), the war between the Qing army and the Taiping army was in full swing. As a fierce general, Zeng Guoquan made many military achievements in order to protect the Qing Dynasty. Zeng Guofan said to Zeng Guoquan and others: "We are now handling military affairs, which is precisely in the field of utilitarianism, and we should always remain diligent and prudent. He gave a few examples in a row, such as farming hard like a farmer, pursuing profit like a merchant, and pulling fiber on the upper beach like a shipwright with a back. Working so hard to make a living, working hard during the day and thinking hard at night, in order to get a good result. Zeng Guofan asked someone to engrave a seal of "Lao Qian Junzi" and gave it to Zeng Guoquan. In April of the same year, Zeng Guoquan wrote to his brother to complain that "it is especially difficult when the world is in turmoil." Which of these difficulties refer specifically to is not mentioned in the epistles. But judging from Zeng Guofan's reply, Zeng Guoquan's ten words also spoke to his heart. Perhaps because of their great power, they have aroused the envy of others. Therefore, Zeng Guofan advocated the decentralization of power, handing over the governor's office, and selecting another senior officer to serve. He hoped that the brothers would remain conscientious and if they encountered a suitable opportunity in the future, they would immediately withdraw and retire, perhaps so that they could start well and end well, so as not to cause great calamities!

The Qing army besieged Jinling with heavy casualties and still failed to capture Jinling. Coupled with the shortage of military salaries and the fact that things were not going well, Zeng Guofan became depressed, and his younger brother Zeng Guoquan, as the main general, was even more hard-working and laborious. In a letter in November of the second year of Tongzhi, Zeng Guofan comforted Yuandi (Zeng Guoquan): "Since ancient times, whenever there has been a great war and a great cause, human strategy accounts for only three-tenths, and Providence accounts for seven-tenths. People who are often tired for a long time are not famous people? Isn't the person who becomes famous a person who enjoys happiness? Zeng Guoquan led the Qing army to recover Wuhan, Jiujiang, Anqing and other places, zeng Guofan believed: "A person who accumulates labor is a person who becomes famous, and from the perspective of providence, it is naturally a very fair thing." However, this cannot be relied upon. Our brothers put more effort into the word "accumulation of labor", and the word "fame" does not need to be asked; the word "enjoy happiness" does not have to be asked. He believes that as long as you have worked hard enough, you don't have to ask for the name of the merit, and it will naturally come to fruition.

The situation was difficult and the military affairs were cumbersome, but Zeng Guofan still insisted on reading poems and ancient texts every day, reading a volume of scripture history, and compiling it into four articles, namely: one is the way of sex, the second is the great defense of honesty and festivals, the third is to resist the high hopes, and the fourth is to cut oneself and seek back. These four points involve self-cultivation, taking care of oneself, self-promise, and reflexiveness, and not blaming others when encountering setbacks, but first finding out one's own problems and correcting them.

When the Qing army conquered Jinling, Zeng Guofan lamented that this was indeed "the great honor of this dynasty and the great name of the ages.". Although his brother Zeng Guoquan repeatedly built Qigong, he did not count all the Qigong on his younger brother, but believed that "all by Providence", which was completely caused by Providence. He said, "Can everything in the world be as good as it should be?" Those who have become great things in ancient times are half heavenly and half reluctantly accommodating. Zeng Guoquan conquered Jinling and eliminated the whole territory of Jiangsu, and the Zeng brothers eliminated the serious problems of the Qing court. After that, although his reputation was reduced, he would not be discredited; although he had led the army for a long time, the imperial court did not have any disparaging remarks, and there were no other changes in the overall situation, and Zeng Guofan believed that this was already a blessing for the family and a blessing for his brothers. At this moment, we should only fear Heaven and recognize the Mandate of Heaven, and we should not blame Heaven and blame others.

When he and his brothers made great contributions to the community, he did not live up, but instead pleaded for vacancies, or requested that the knighthood be removed, and as far as possible, the merits were attributed to colleagues or subordinates. At the peak of his life's work, Zeng Guofan wrote the Book of Readings for Que Zhai. Ask, blame, ask; que, means fault. Throughout his life, he was strict with himself, reflecting on himself and constantly seeking. Until the end of his life, he had nothing to lose, but everything. In the chaotic world, the flower that has not fully bloomed has always maintained an open posture and has been undefeated for a hundred years.

References: The Book of Zeng Guofan, The Diary of Zeng Guofan, The Complete Works of Zeng Guofan (XII)

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