Zeng Guofan was a modern celebrity, the head of the Qing Dynasty's Zhongxing famous courtiers, and his lifelong literary and martial arts were praised by posterity. Zeng Guofan is known as a politician, strategist, theoretician, a writer, a calligrapher, among these "families", if Zeng Guofan chooses one, I think he values nothing more than a theoretician. Zeng Guofan paid special attention to self-cultivation, and as for serving the imperial court, that was the right thing to do, he once controlled half of the Qing Dynasty, but he did not think about it in the slightest.
Before Zeng Guofan trained the Xiang Army to suppress the rebellion of the Tianping Heavenly Kingdom, he attached great importance to the study of science and took the study of science as his mission. Song Ming Theory is the "Study of Sexual Theory", which can also be called the "Study of Mental Nature", and this kind of study of mental nature is the study of inner saints. The inner self lies in the individual, consciously doing sage work and moral practice to perfect his own virtues and complete the study of personality.
After Zeng Guofan put down the rebellion against the Tianping Heavenly Kingdom, he controlled the most elite and effective army of the Qing Dynasty, hundreds of thousands of troops, the Yangtze River was full of Xiang Army warships, and the southeast half of the wall was full of Xiang Army. At this time, someone came out to persuade Zeng Guofan that the Qing Dynasty was already terminally ill and had been exposed to vulnerability after the two Opium Wars.
According to the "Long Talk of Throwing Pens", before the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was completely destroyed, Hu Linyi asked Zeng Guofan: "The southeast half of the wall has no owner, do I care about it?" Coincidentally, Zeng Guofan's aide Wang Minyun also advised Zeng Guofan to divide and establish himself. After the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was completely destroyed, Zeng Guofan's generals even persuaded him to establish himself as emperor, and even Zeng Guofan had advised him, on the grounds that if the merits were high and the lord was shocked, the merits that were not rewarded would sooner or later be cooked by rabbits and dead dogs, stretching out a knife, shrinking the head or a knife, it was better to take the room and replace it.
Empress Dowager Cixi took precautions against the "people's hearts and minds" of the Xiang army, and according to Xianfeng's promise when he was alive: "He who destroys long hair can be crowned king." "But Empress Dowager Cixi only made Zeng Guofan a marquis. Zeng Guofan not only did not have the ambition to become emperor during this period, he had long studied science, and only knew zhongjun, where there was this courage and boldness. During this period, Zeng Guofan was terrified and cautious every day, and offered to disarm the Xiang army.
Liang Qichao believes that Zeng not only attaches importance to personal moral cultivation, but is also good at pushing himself and others, "pawn is to change the atmosphere of the world, and save the momentary catastrophe." Liang Qichao said: "Zeng Guofan is a man who can be called a gentleman, always using the creed of conscientiousness, holding the profit and guaranteeing the Tai, and retreating from the rapids to carry out self-encouragement." Liang Qichao also said that Zeng Guofan and other cadres were readers and soldiers, like nerds: "Zeng (Guofan), Hu (Lin Yi), Jiang (Zhongyuan), Luo (Zenan), ordinary nerds, were actually done by them to do this great cause (referring to the leveling of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom). ”
In short, Zeng Guofan did not replace the Qing Dynasty as emperor. But it should be true that his subordinates encouraged him to call him emperor, and as soon as he called the emperor the founding of the country, his subordinates were all founding generals. Regarding Zeng Guofan's claim to the title of empress, Zeng Guofan's granddaughter Zeng Guangshan once said something.
Zeng Guangshan
Zeng Guangshan (1871-1949) was influenced by family culture since childhood, loved to sing poetry and fill in words, and can be called a famous female poet of the Qing Dynasty. He had an older brother named Zeng Guangjun (1866-1929), who was the eldest grandson of Zeng Guofan. Zeng Guangjun is also a literary prodigy, his poetry is beautiful and beautiful, the level is very high, belongs to the "Wen Li" faction, Wang Minyun called him a "holy child"; Liang Qichao praised him as the eight sages of the poetry world.
At the same time, some people say that Zeng Guangjun is like the prodigal son Yan qing, because Zeng Guangjun is a gentleman. Therefore, Zeng Guangshan once said that if his grandfather Zeng Guofan replaced the Qing Dynasty as emperor, what would happen? She said that it was nothing more than one more Li Hou Lord (referring to Zeng Guangjun). The metaphor will not enjoy the country for long, and may be destroyed by the third generation, because the ability of the descendants cannot be compared with zeng guofan, and the descendants will sing more poetry and indulge in pleasure.