Academic qualifications are the heart disease of Zuo Zongtang's life.
Among the famous ministers of the late Qing Dynasty, Zeng Guofan, Hu Linyi, Li Hongzhang, Zhang Zhidong, etc., were all well-known scholars. Only Zuo Zongtang's three meetings were named Luosun Shan, and he rubbed shoulders with Jinshi. Zuo Zongtang was ashamed and indignant: No exam! Go back to your hometown to farm! If it were not for the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Movement, Zuo Zongtang would have spent his whole life in the countryside of Hunan and ended up as a worthless person.
Zuo Zongtang admired Zhuge Liang, a celebrity of the Three Kingdoms, and gave himself a resounding name of "Jinliang". Meaning, Today's Zhuge Liang. In fact, Zuo Zongtang's personality was much more ostentatious than Zhuge Liang's. At that time, he carried a lantern and walked on the streets of Changsha. The lantern is written with the words "Old Liang", which is very eye-catching.
Compared with the established merits, Zuo Zongtang was not inferior to Zhuge Liang. As a scholar, he threw himself into the pen, reorganized the rivers and mountains, recovered the land, and made many meritorious achievements. Li Hongzhang, who has always looked down on Zuo Zongtang, also wrote down the Bang Lian after Zuo Zongtang's death, and the eight words of "Wen yi zhi internal, wu yi zhi outside" are highly evaluated, and it is also a true portrayal of Zuo Zong tang's life. It was Zuo Zongtang who said very conceitedly: "It seems that this bright is better than the ancient light." ”
The only thing Zuo Zongtang couldn't conceit up was his status as a person.
The "Notes of Wang Yongqing" by the modern publisher Wang Kangnian recorded such an anecdote.
During Zuo Zongtang's tenure as governor of Liangjiang, the chief examiner of the year came to his post. What kind of person would Zuo Zongtang let go of such a wonderful opportunity? He immediately called the examiner and memorized the test article himself. Every time I memorized a paragraph, I asked the examiner viciously: "What is wrong with this article?" Like Zuo Laosan (Zuo Zongtang is the third in the family, known as "Zuo Laosan"), such a talented person you do not admit as a protégé, who else do you want to admit? He also called around: "He once served as an official in Henan, did you go to Henan to investigate what bad things he did?" ”
The poor chief examiner, frightened enough by Zuo Zongtang's shouting, resigned his official post on the grounds of illness.
In the exam article decades ago, Zuo Zongtang still remembers it clearly, which shows that repeated attempts have hit him a huge blow. Even Li Hongzhang sneered at Zuo Zongtang's identity as a person.
After Zeng Guofan's death, he received the courtesy name of "Wenzheng". In ancient times, this was the highest honor a courtier could receive. Zuo Zongtang was a man who could never obtain the title of "Wen" character. Therefore, Li Hongzhang said to people: "Liu Zhongjing said that after a hundred years of King Yan, he could not escape a 'usurpation' word. I said that a hundred years after Zuo Gong, he escaped a 'wen' word. ”
"King of Yan" refers to Ming Chengzu Zhu Di, and "Zuo Gong" is of course Zuo Zongtang.
This kind of sarcasm must have entered Zuo Zongtang's ears. Even if Zuo Zongtang was furious, he had no choice. There is no way, the painful foot is pinched by others, and can only endure it.
In 1874, Zuo Zongtang, who had quelled the rebellion in Shaanxi and Gansu as the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, reported to the imperial court that he wanted to enter Beijing to participate in the examination of that year. At that time, Zuo Zongtang was already 62 years old. Empress Dowager Cixi read Zuo Zongtang's recital and cried and laughed. You are a high-ranking official of the frontier and an important minister of the country, what will you participate in?
Empress Dowager Cixi thought about it and passed down an edict to Zuo Zongtang and promoted him to a scholar of Dongge University.
An edict finally fulfilled Zuo Zongtang's dream of entering the army for many years.
Of course, this kind of jinshi rewarded by the imperial court, after all, has a limited gold content, and cannot be compared with the jinshi who has been admitted by relying on real skills. Shi Ren made up a paragraph and also pulled zeng guofan, who had died, to sit with him.
The paragraph said that once Zuo Zongtang went to see Zeng Guofan, Zeng Guofan came out late. Zuo Zongtang remembered that Zeng Guofan had recently married a concubine, so he made a joke with him and said 6 words: "Wash The feet of Lady Ru." ”
Zeng Guofan was unambiguous and came casually: "Give Tong Jinshi origin." ”
It was hard to get a "tongjinshi" status, but it was only equivalent to "Ru Madame". Zuo Zongtang felt bored and turned away.
[References: Draft History of the Qing Dynasty, Notes of Yong Qing, etc.]