Preamble:
In the autumn of 1860, 6,000 British and French troops invaded Beijing with great momentum.
In this invasion war, the Old Summer Palace, known as the "Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens", was also reduced to ashes in the war.
Just before the Anglo-French army invaded Beijing, Zeng Guofan received an order from Emperor Xianfeng to lead an army of 120,000 to King Qin.
Receiving an order should have been incumbent upon a patriotic general.
However, Zeng Guofan chose to stay out of the matter and turned a deaf ear to it.
So, what is the reason why Zeng Guofan is not saved when he sees death?
Zeng Guofan did not move
On September 21, 1860, 6,000 British and French troops fought a large-scale battle with 28,000 Mongolian cavalry led by Seng Lingqin at Bali Bridge on the outskirts of Beijing.
In the confrontation between the Anglo-French and Qing forces, the difference in tactics became a fatal factor.
Emperor Xianfeng's tactical arrangement seemed to be perfect, but in fact it did not have the desired effect on the real battlefield.
The advanced firearms of the Anglo-French forces cost the Qing army dearly, and Zeng Guofan's miscalculation of the situation of the war put them in a desperate situation.
The Hunan army led by Zeng Guofan did not have a high status, and they were regarded as local regimental training, which had a clear gap compared with the regular army.
Coupled with Emperor Xianfeng's partiality and distrust, Zeng Guofan's attitude towards the imperial court gradually changed, and he finally chose to die rather than save him.
An important reason why Zeng Guofan made this choice was that the threat of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom caused the Qing Dynasty to worry about internal and external troubles, and Zeng Guofan had to weigh the pros and cons, and finally chose a conservative attitude and gave up the rescue of Beijing.
At the beginning of October 1860, an urgent document was sent to the Hunan army camp, carrying the flames of war and life and death.
The document reads an order from Emperor Xianfeng, asking Zeng Guofan to go north to King Jingqin.
However, Zeng Guofan made a shocking decision in the face of this order - to stand still.
Behind this decision is the dilemma and trade-offs of Zeng Guofan, as well as the political situation at the end of the Qing Dynasty.
The pros and cons of Zeng Guofan's northward movement and support for Anqing
The Hunan Army, nominally an army, is actually just a local regimental training force.
The word "soldier" is not written on their uniforms, but the word "brave", which is clearly different from the regular army.
This meant that the Hunan army did not have a high status in the Qing Dynasty's military system, lacking the formal establishment and support of the imperial court.
In the relationship between the Hunan army and Emperor Xianfeng, the emperor's partiality and selfishness were revealed.
Xianfeng not only did not pay attention to the Hunan army, but also allowed other regular troops to enjoy the spoils of war after the Hunan army had fought.
He often scolded the generals of the Hunan army, which exacerbated the low morale of the Hunan army and its dissatisfaction with Xianfeng.
The reason why Emperor Xianfeng had to rely on Han generals such as Zeng Guofan was because the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement had reached a point where it was out of control.
Under these circumstances, even though Xianfeng was suspicious of the Han generals, he had to give them the task of dealing with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
This is a political trade-off of the way the country survives.
The Taiping Rebellion brought great internal and external troubles to the Qing Dynasty.
The fall of Anqing would severely weaken the Qing Dynasty's strength, so Zeng had to weigh the pros and cons of advancing north to Beijing and supporting Anqing in order to decide on the final action.
In the end, Zeng Guofan chose to stand still rather than quickly go north to King Qin.
He was well aware of his responsibility, not only to protect the country from foreign troubles, but also to safeguard the interests and survival of the Hunan army.
His decision is a trade-off between the state and the individual, the state and the local, and the state and the ruler.
Another reason why Zeng Guofan refused to go north
In the letter requesting support, Xianfeng did not explicitly ask Zeng Guofan to lead the Hunan army to the north, but asked Bao Chao to lead 3,000 elites.
Bao Chao, as the main general of the Hunan army and a close confidant of Zeng Guofan, was assigned to go north to King Qin, which seemed to be a reasonable choice.
It is worth noting, however, that Xianfeng demanded that all of these soldiers be handed over to another general named Katsuho.
Although Katsuho has the word "victory" in his name, he is a often defeated general with almost no record of winning.
Although his combat ability has been questioned, he is still highly used by Xianfeng because of his status as the Eight Banners.
This arrangement made Zeng Guofan worried about the safety of the Hunan army, and he was reluctant to hand the Hunan army into the hands of a general like Shengbao, who had been defeated repeatedly, and was worried that the strength and future of the Hunan army would be threatened.
The Hunan Army, an army of 120,000 people formed by Zeng Guofan, became an important force in the Qing Dynasty.
Bao Chao and his subordinates were the main force of the entire Hunan army, and Zeng Guofan was reluctant to hand over his subordinates to the often defeated general Shengbao, because he knew that the growth and development of the Hunan army was inseparable from his own responsibility.
If Bao Chao had an accident when resisting the British and French forces, the great cause of the Hunan army to conquer Anqing and take Jinling directly might come to naught.
If the Qing court fell because of this, who would guarantee that the Hunan army could retreat in its entirety?
Zeng Guofan's sense of responsibility to the Hunan army made him consider more factors when making decisions.
Zeng Guofan delayed the dispatch of troops to protect the Hunan army
As a courtier, it was impossible for Zeng Guofan to blatantly refuse the emperor's request.
In order to tactfully refuse, he resorted to clever delaying tactics.
He sent a letter to Xianfeng, suggesting that Bao Chao was not the best candidate because he lacked the mind to lead his troops into battle.
In order not to let Xianfeng find out that he was shirking this task, Zeng Guofan also said in the letter that he would let the emperor choose between him and Hu Linyi to go to King Qin.
By sending letters back and forth, Zeng Guofan successfully bought time.
In ancient times, when communication and transportation were inconvenient, even if the 800-mile expedited method was adopted, it would take a considerable amount of time.
Such a strategy gave Zeng Guofan more room to think, and also bought valuable time for the Hunan army.
However, at the same time as Zeng Guofan and others were using their tactics, the British and French forces had already invaded Beijing.
The Old Summer Palace, known as the "Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens", was burned, and the Qing government was forced to sign an unequal treaty.
In this series of turbulent events, Bao Chao, Zeng Guofan and others also got the news that Xianfeng told them not to go north.
The decisions and intrigues in this political whirlpool shaped the course of history at that time.
Zeng Guofan's achievements
We must think in our hearts, Zeng Guofan has 120,000 Hunan troops but does not save the capital when he sees death, why is he called "the first perfect person in the ages"?
Although Zeng Guofan was known as the "first minister of the late Qing Dynasty", he experienced the setback of failing in the imperial examination six times, but he was not knocked down by defeat.
On the contrary, he persevered with tenacious perseverance and unyielding will.
Finally stood out in the seventh imperial examination and successfully won the show, this bumpy experience forged his indomitable character and became the cornerstone of his brilliant achievements in the future.
The Taiping Rebellion swept through China, and Zeng Guofan stepped forward and formed the Hunan Army, which became an important force in the fight against the Taiping Army.
Although the Hunan army was repeatedly defeated on the battlefield, Zeng Guofan led them to be indomitable and persevere to the end.
After many fierce battles, he finally captured Anqing, pacified the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and became the representative of the famous generals of the late Qing Dynasty.
Throughout his life, Zeng Guofan was known for his incorruptibility and humility.
He refused to accept bribes, was not moved by personal interests, and thought about the people's livelihood of the country wholeheartedly.
Before Zeng Guofan died, he left a will for his family, and did not accept gifts or cash gifts from those who came to mourn.
It is said that he even took the initiative to weaken his own power, in order to reduce the court's suspicion of him, in order to show loyalty to the court.
His actions have won the respect and love of the people and become a model for a generation of politicians.
Zeng Guofan not only had outstanding military talents, but also played an important role in promoting China's modernization.
He presided over the Westernization Movement, introduced Western science and technology, and promoted China's modernization process.
The first modern arsenal he founded, the construction of the first steamship, the first ordnance school, and the first arrangement for students to study in the United States have all become important milestones in China's modern history.
The first modern arsenal
The first steamship of the Qing Dynasty
The first Ordnance Engineering School
Epilogue:
In the face of Zeng Guofan's life achievements, people often speak highly of him.
However, some of his decisions have been questioned, such as his inaction when Emperor Xianfeng asked for help.
If he sent troops to go at that time, he would only send him to death, and he just made the most beneficial choice for himself and the Hunan army.
Zeng Guofan did not choose Mingzhe to protect himself, but protected the Hunan army, weighing the pros and cons to ensure that the imperial court had soldiers available, and soldiers could be used!
Judging from the above, it is not an exaggeration to say that Zeng Guofan was "the first minister of the late Qing Dynasty" and "the first perfect man in the ages"!