As the saying goes, cutting off people's financial paths is like killing parents.
Li Xiucheng's confession was not just as simple as cutting off people's financial roads, it could almost kill Zeng Guofan!
How did Zeng Guofan get the title of "Half Sage"? Is it by defeat in battle? Shave your head by Yangzhou? Quit coloring by a diary? Governing the country by family letters?
Neither.
When Jinling was conquered, what was the state of the Great Qing Kingdom?
The regular army of the Qing government was almost wiped out, the Eight Banners were also destroyed, and even the garrison was beaten by the British and French troops. North of Qinhuai, the Qing government still had some influence; south of Qinhuai, it was almost the domain of the local army.
Among the various "local armies" in the south, especially the Xiang army of Zeng Guofan was the most powerful. If Zeng Guofan had set up another portal, in the state of the Qing government at that time, there would be no way but to scold the ancestors of the eight generations of Zeng Guofan in his heart.
However, Cixi in the Forbidden City did not admit it, and she bet that Zeng Guofan would not dare to "rebel against the Qing Dynasty". Although Zeng Guofan looked treacherous on the outside, in his bones he scrupulously adhered to the courtesy of a loyal monarch and a courtier. Therefore, when the news of Tianjing's conquest reached Beijing, Cixi was only briefly happy, and immediately analyzed the stakes, and then gave Zeng Guofan a message:
"Jinling City is broken, you don't advance and retreat with the soldiers, but rest in the Yuhuatai, what a system!" Fortunately, thanks to the blessing of your ancestors, the Xiang Army took Jinling, otherwise, it will take you as a question! ”
Cixi's edict reached the Xiang army camp and immediately angered the generals of the three armies.
Zeng Guofan attacked Jinling, quelled the turmoil, and returned the Qing Dynasty to a peaceful and prosperous world, which is a great merit! Instead of commending, Cixi beat a rake upside down.
Is it tolerable, or is it intolerable?
The generals of the Xiang Army, led by Zeng Guofan's younger brother Zeng Guoquan, jumped like thunder! They all asked Zeng Guofan to turn against his mother.
At this moment, Li Xiucheng's confession came out. The confession of 50,000 words was sprinkled with foreign words, and Li Xiucheng wrote it in only half a month. Zeng Guofan spent less than half an hour before he finished reading the thick stack of confessions. Zeng Guofan was in the sea of characters in Wuyang Wuyang, and he only saw that Li Xiucheng had written four big characters: I want to live.
However, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Great Qing Kingdom were inseparable, and Li Xiucheng was a remnant of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and the Great Qing Kingdom would certainly not spare him.
Li Xiucheng's only hope for survival is that Zeng Guofan established himself as king.
Fifty thousand words of confession, half crying, half exhortation. After Zeng Guofan read it, he almost trembled, because Li Xiucheng almost analyzed all the fate of Zeng Guofan thoroughly. This confession was handed over to the Forbidden City, and Zeng Guofan would undoubtedly die.
At this time, there were two ways in front of Zeng Guofan: one was to kill Li Xiucheng, revise the confession, and confess to the Qing court; the other was to leave Li Xiucheng and let him charge into the battlefield and dry the Qing court.
Li Xiucheng's confession undoubtedly coincided with Zeng Guoquan's ideas.
In fact, that's all there is to it. Zeng Guofan made an immortal contribution, and his merits were high, how should Cixi reward him? Can you really divide the country and mountains with him? Whoever sat in Cixi's position would be afraid of Zeng Guofan and fear that he would betray the Qing court.
But the generals of the Xiang Army didn't think so! These people followed Zeng Guofan in the east and west, risked their lives to fight the enemy, and survived with great fate. Everyone is so desperate, isn't it just a matter of getting promoted and getting rich and becoming famous?
Whether it is a promotion to become rich or a success, there is a premise: Zeng Guofan became emperor.
Thinking of this, Zeng Guofan finally understood why Zhao Kuangyin would be "added to the yellow robe", it turned out that it was forced by subordinates. It is said that Zuo Zongtang once wrote such a couplet to Zeng Guofan:
"God's dependence will be in virtue, and the weight of the crown seems to be questionable."
After Zeng Guofan saw the couplet, he sighed and changed the word "like" to "unless" with a pen. Word for word, the whole couplet has completely changed its meaning. At the same time, Zeng Guofan also expressed his attitude toward the matter of "winning the ding": he resolutely supported the leadership of Cixi and would never betray the Qing government.
Even, Zeng Guofan posted a couplet at his doorstep: "Relying on the sky to illuminate the countless sea flowers, the flowing water and mountains know themselves." ”
From then on, no one dared to mention the "self-reliance portal" to Zeng Guofan.
Zeng Guofan wanted to understand this truth, and the unlucky one was Li Xiucheng, who was still in prison waiting for Zeng Guofan to "rebel." However, Li Xiucheng did not wait for the news of Zeng Guofan's rebellion, but waited for the news that he had been killed alive--since Zeng Guofan had chosen to be loyal, Li Xiucheng was a disaster; since it was a disaster, it was advisable to get rid of it as soon as possible.
The 50,000-word confession did not save Li Xiucheng, but instead urged him to die early. It can only be said that Li Xiucheng slapped the horse's ass on the horse's hoof and was kicked.