In 1833, Zuo Zongtang, a spirited Hunan Xiangyin man, entered Beijing for the first time to participate in the examination and met his fellow villager Hu Linyi. Their fathers had a good relationship, they were the same age and personality, and they became good friends who talked about everything.
Although they are good friends, their fate in life is very different.
Hu Linyi was born in a family of official eunuchs, and as a teenager, he was favored and appreciated by Tao Shu, the governor of Liangjiang, very early on, and became Tao Shu's son-in-law and protégé. Hu Linyi entered the military at the age of 24 and entered the official field. He performed well in the war against the Taiping Army, winning many promotions, and at the age of 44 he was promoted to inspector of Hubei. Hu Linyi's time of becoming a feudal official was even earlier than zeng guofan. When Zeng Guofan led the Xiang army to fight in Hubei, he was also subject to the control of Hu Linyi.
Zuo Zongtang went to Beijing three times to participate in the examination, and all of them were named Sun Shan and returned home. When he successively accepted the employment of Zhang Liangji and Luo Bingzhang, the governor of Hunan, as their staff, he was killed because of the "Fan Xiejing prosecution case"...
When Zuo Zongtang fell into a low point in his life, Hu Linyi did not stay out of the matter, but fully recommended him. According to the data, Hu Linyi recommended Zuo Zongtang on various occasions a total of 5 times.
Hu Linyi first recommended Zuo Zongtang in 1835.
This year, Zuo Zongtang had just experienced the defeat of the second meeting and was disheartened by Shitu. Hu Linyi did everything he could to persuade him, and then wrote to his father-in-law Tao Shu to recommend Zuo Zongtang. In 1836, when Tao Shuyijin returned to his hometown, he met Zuo Zongtang at the Shujiang Academy and admired him very much. Later, Tao Shu offered to let his only son Tao Shu and Zuo Zongtang's eldest daughter Zuo Xiaoyu be married to their children.
In 1839, before Tao Shu died of illness, he entrusted Zuo Zongtang to take care of and raise the young Tao Shu. It can be seen from this that Tao Shu's trust in Zuo Zongtang.
Hu Linyi recommended Zuo Zongtang for the second time in 1848.
At this time, Hu Linyi had already come to Guizhou to serve as the prefect. At that time, the viceroy of Yungui was Lin Zexu, a famous minister of the late Qing Dynasty. Hu Linyi wrote to Lin Zexu and recommended Zuo Zongtang. The letter reads: "(Zuo Zongtang) has different talents, and his character is the first in the class of sergeant Xiang. Lin Zexu is also a person who cherishes talents and invites Zuo Zongtang to come to meet. Unfortunately, Zuo Zongtang was raising Tao Shu at Tao Shu's home and could not leave, missing this rare opportunity.
In 1850, Lin Zexu fell ill and returned to his hometown. When he was passing through Changsha by boat, he invited Zuo Zongtang to meet. Zuo Zongtang heard the news and rushed to the boat to meet Lin Zexu. The two saw each other and talked all night.
Hu Linyi recommended Zuo Zongtang for the third time in 1852.
In 1852, the Taiping Army launched a major attack on Changsha, Hunan. Changsha is in danger. Hu Linyi sent a letter to Zhang Liangji, the governor of Hunan, recommending Zuo Zongtang. Zhang Liangji then invited Zuo Zongtang to serve as his staff. Zuo Zongtang then went out of the mountains and came to Changsha to assist Zhang Liangji in defending Changsha.
In terms of identity, Zuo Zongtang is only an aide. But Zhang Liangji obeyed him and finally forced the Taiping Army to withdraw its encirclement and go around the city.
Hu Linyi recommended Zuo Zongtang for the fourth time in 1856.
Zuo Zongtang helped Zhang Liangji win the changsha defense war, and Zhang Liangji was transferred to the governor of Shandong. Luo Bingzhang, the successor governor of Hunan, invited Zuo Zongtang to continue his staff. As an aide, Zuo Zongtang has some power in his hands, but he faces the problem of embarrassing identity. Because he was not an official official of the imperial court, he was an assistant hired by the inspector.
In view of this situation, Hu Linyi reported to the Xianfeng Emperor and strongly recommended Zuo Zongtang. In the middle of the recital, Hu Linyi said: "I know very well that Zuo Zongtang has learned from people, and he is particularly concerned about the military and political opportunities and the dangers of mountains and rivers. Former Tao Shu and Lin Zexu were both called wizards, and Zong Jichen had also recommended them, and this member was loyal and good-natured, and he was able to change, be virtuous, and be too aggressive. Face folding people, many wide holidays. Hu Linyi not only pointed out Zuo Zongtang's advantages, but also pointed out his character flaws. As a result, the Xianfeng Emperor was deeply impressed by Zuo Zongtang.
Hu Linyi recommended Zuo Zongtang for the fifth time in 1860.
At that time, Zuo Zongtang was serving as an alternate in sipin jingtang and accompanied Zeng Guofan, the minister of Chincha and the governor of Liangjiang, to run military affairs. This kind of identity is no different from that of the staff. Zuo Zongtang did not want to send people under the fence, and had the idea of leading the troops to fight independently. After Hu Linyi learned of Zuo Zongtang's idea, he once again recommended Zuo Zongtang in front of the Xianfeng Emperor, hoping that the imperial court would appoint him to raise an army to relieve the predicament in Jiangxi, Anhui, and Zhejiang.
The Xianfeng Emperor had great hopes for Zeng Guofan, but the Taiping Army fought everywhere, and Zeng Guofan had limited energy, so it was inevitable that he would be exhausted. If Zuo Zongtang had raised another army and fought independently, it would not be a good thing. Therefore, the Xianfeng Emperor ordered Zuo Zongtang to raise an army. Since then, Zuo Zongtang has opened a new chapter in his life.
Zuo Zongtang was extremely grateful for Hu Linyi's recommendation.
On September 30, 1861, Hu Linyi died of illness in Wuchang at the age of 49 due to overwork. Zuo Zongtang heard the news, grief-stricken, and wrote down the "Sacrifice of Hu Wenzhong's Official Documents" with a stroke of his pen: "When the Gong gong was young, he wept for his teeth." Since the death of the public, nothing is good. Who saves me from being poor, and who saves me? What am I worried about, and what am I happy to say? How bitter am I, why am I dying? Tracing the past, thirty years. The more you smile, the more you think about it. ”
In the eulogy, Zuo Zongtang revealed his true feelings, wept blood, and vividly showed his regret for the death of his good friend.