In March of the fourth year of Xianfeng (1854), Zeng Guofan was defeated and defended Changsha, and the Taiping Army divided its troops to capture Jinggang and Xiangtan, forming a horn and preparing to besiege Changsha. On April 2, at the suggestion of the officials and gentry of Changsha, Zeng Guofan personally led the Xiang army to attack Jinggang in an attempt to save the situation, who knew that he had encountered a rout, and he was ashamed and afraid, and prepared to close his eyes and stomp his feet and jump into the Xiang River.
This was the first time Zeng Guofan led troops to fight, before he went out on the expedition, he also secretly wrote a suicide note, and his two guests were very worried after finding out, and wanted to go with Zeng Guofan, zeng guofan did not agree. The two curtain guards then found another curtain called Zhang Shoulin and asked him to hide in the rear cabin of Zeng Guofan's ship, and at that time, he would respond to changes and ensure zeng Guofan's personal safety.
Therefore, when Zeng Guofan threw himself into the river, Zhang Shoulin rushed out to save people at the first time. Zeng Guofan asked him why he was here, zhang Shoulin had the wisdom to make up a lie, and said: "I have come to report a good news, our army has won a great victory in Xiangtan, the vanguard troops will come to this side later, the situation can be cleaned up, you must not seek death." Zeng Guofan listened, stopped committing suicide, and boarded the ship with Zhang Shoulin.
After Zeng Guofan came ashore, there was still no letter of success or defeat on the Xiangtan side. Zeng Guofan asked Zhang Shoulin again, only to learn that he had been deceived. Depressed, he decided to commit suicide again, and since he had to do the handover before his death, he set his death date for April 4.
At this time, Zuo Zongtang came to comfort Zeng Guofan, and when he saw that Zeng Guofan was still wearing the robe when he fell into the water, he was dejected, and he couldn't help but laugh and said, "Di Gong (Zeng Guofan No. Di Sheng), things are still possible, you have to cheer up." Zeng Guofan did not say a word, but only handed over the handover list and account book, signaling Zuo Zongtang to handle the handover for him. Zuo Zongtang couldn't regain his heart when he saw it, so he took out a letter—a letter from his great-father to Zeng Guofan. It turned out that the old man knew that his son had lost the battle in Jinggang, so he wrote a letter of consolation, and in the letter he also used the radical method, saying that Zeng Guofan played suicide in Hunan Territory, and he did not look up to it, and if he wanted to die, he would die in another province. But Zeng Guofan came up vigorously, and the old father did not listen to his words, and he still wanted to die.
Coincidentally, on the night of April 3, a good news came from Xiangtan, the Xiang army won a great victory, and it was not necessary to return to Changsha in the near future—Zeng Guofan did not have to die.
Ten years later, the Xiang army quelled the chaos, and Zeng Guofan was made a marquis. According to common sense, he should repay Zhang Shoulin, who had saved his life, and Zhang Shoulin was doing Zhi County in Zeng Guofan's jurisdiction, and it was convenient to help him. But until his death, Zeng Guofan did not take care of Zhang Shoulin.
Zhang Shoulin felt that his career could not be mixed, so he told the old man to return to his hometown, and when he passed across the Jinggang river, he painted a painting and wrote a preface. In the preface, Zhang Shoulin is very modest, saying that Zeng Guofan was born to calm this great chaos, this is the destiny of heaven, even if he does not save him, he will not die. He did not complain at all about his many years of floating and sinking low and not getting the reward of Zeng Guofan.
Zhang Shoulin certainly has a high posture, but what do others say about it? More than a hundred celebrities in modern history have written articles and poems for this painting, and the most eye-catching of all the comments is Zuo Zongtang's comments.
Zuo Zongtang believed that Zeng Guofan's deeds were not enough, but he respected Zeng Guofan's personality and spirit, and did not get anything in return for Zhang Shoulin, saying: "Zeng Guofan has long ignored the loss of life and death, and he is a person who aspires to 'not be a sage, but a beast'. It is a fact that Zhang Shoulin saved him, but it is not a fact to say that saving him has added something to Zeng Guofan's life. Therefore, to some extent, it is too unorthodox to discuss whether Zeng Guofan has returned or not, and whether Zhang Shoulin should return it. ”
Interesting, informative, with depth The author | Tan Bo Niu Source| Hundred Tribunes magazine