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In the winter of 1849, Lin Zexu passed through Changsha on his way back to Fujian after illness, and many eunuchs came to visit, but he only saw a young man. The two hit it off at first sight, discussed the major affairs of the family and the country, discussed "coastal defense" and "plug defense", and talked freely until dawn. This encounter is the famous "Xiangjiang Night Talk", this young man who made Lin Zexu "fall in love at first sight and be surprised by a peerless genius" is Zuo Zongtang.
Zuo Zongtang when he served as the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu
Zuo Zongtang, a military strategist, politician, famous general, and the founder of Fujian Shipbuilding, he has experienced a series of major events such as the Westernization Movement and the recovery of Xinjiang in his life, not only for his military talent and eternal achievements, but also for his spirit of advocating thrift and benefiting the family.
Prime Minister's Harbour Authority
At the beginning of Emperor Yongzheng's accession to the throne, he established a system of high salaries and incorruptible pensions, and in the late Qing Dynasty, the governors and ministers of military aircraft raised up to 20,000 taels of silver per year, while Zuo Zongtang only took hundreds of taels as a household every year, which made people ask without asking:
Where did all his money go?
In 1866, Zuo Zongtang came to Fuzhou as the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, and he was determined to fulfill Lin Zexu's last wish of "running a Western-style school and establishing a sailor for the country", and established the Fujian Mawei Shipyard and the Shipbuilding School.
Overlooking the Harbour Master's School
Everywhere he went, he opened bookstores in Hangzhou, Yanzhou, Fuzhou, Hankou and other places, with low prices and many beneficiaries, and the cost gap was filled with his own cheap money. Zuo Zongtang also often participates in disaster relief activities, and there are as many as 66 places in the family letter that only mention "helping to help".
Zuo Zongtang, who has a high salary, lives a thrifty and simple life. Because of the long-term desk work, the sleeves are often worn out, so he covered the sleeves with a layer of sleeves, this unique costume is respectfully known as "Gong Bao Sleeve". There are more than a dozen people in the family, and he only sends two or three hundred taels of silver every year, which is not much at all.
Image of Left-hand Sect
Rong Ma for life
Zuo Zongtang has always adhered to the principle of integrity
It is known for its strict and upright family style
When he was the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, the only time his wife brought her children to visit relatives, passing through Chong'an County, Fujian, and the county magistrate received him as usual. Soon, he was transferred to the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and on the way to his post, he went to Chong'an and paid off the reception expenses.
Zuo Zongtang's official Gao Juexian, clansmen, relatives, and fellow villagers are endless, all want to seek an official and a half position, and Zuo Zongtang never agrees to their request.
In his family letter, he instructed his son: "To be an official does not need money, it is a duty", "do not take a mustard, and be spotless", and the couplet he inscribed, "Be cautious in making friends, study diligently, and be honest in the roots, and go to flashiness" is the family education motto that Zuo's descendants keep in mind.
Luoxing Tower at sunset
Not only did he cultivate his family with honesty and integrity, Zuo Zongtang also applied traditional virtues such as "filial piety, loyalty, courtesy, righteousness, honesty and shame" to the practice of official governance, advocating "official governance" and "virtuous progress". When he was the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, he strictly impeached the corrupt officials, and angrily pointed out: "The country is a good place, and the people are good, and they are all ruined by their generations, which is very outrageous!"
I don't have half an acre, and I am worried about the world
Read through 10,000 volumes, and God handed over to the ancients
This is the 23-year-old Zuo Zongtang's self-encouragement, but also a portrayal of his life, more than 70 years of life, he has always been "selfless", "worried about the world", to stand up, such a character and feelings, is worthy of future generations to learn, inheritance of the immortal power.
Contributed by丨Fuzhou City failed and Mawei District failed
Picture丨Fujian Shipbuilding Culture Management Committee, Fujian Shipbuilding Culture Development and Protection Co., Ltd