Zeng Guofan's Letter, a Classic Life Treasure of Chinese Studies

Zeng Guofan was the first minister in the late Qing Dynasty and an important historical figure in the modern history of China. He was the founder and commander-in-chief of the Xiang Army, and later generations once called him "the eternal perfect man".

He launched the "Westernization Movement", opened the first "Dai Jun Factory" in China, built the first ship in China, established the first large-scale multi-functional industrial base in China, established the first translation hall in China, sent the first batch of overseas students, and enjoyed the reputation of the father of the Westernization Movement.

The five Zeng Guofan brothers, as the eldest brothers in the family, are fully responsible for the study, cultivation and life of their younger brothers.

He mentioned many times in his family letters that his grandfather Zeng Yuping's legacy of managing the family fully reflected his demeanor as an elder brother by inculcating in life, politics, maintaining family style and maintaining body and mind.

Zeng Guofan was not very clever when he was a child, even a little stupid. There is a story about his reading, which can illustrate his stupidity.

At school, the teacher asked him to come back and carry it. This is a very simple lesson. He can't review and recite from night till early morning.

That night, the thief happened to be lurking on the roof of his house, trying to wait until the owner finished reciting the book and went to bed before stealing it. But because Zeng Guofan was so stupid, he read the article again and again, forgetting the front and the back, and didn't recite it until the early morning.

The thief who climbed the beam will recite it after listening to it so many times. Angry at dawn, he jumped directly from the beam and recited the article to Zeng Guofan from beginning to end. He scolded me viciously and then left.

Zeng Guofan was a controversial figure in the late Qing Dynasty, but both those who appreciated him and those who despised him praised his letters from Zeng Guofan.

Today, there is a saying among the people that "you should learn from Zeng Guofan as an official and Hu Xueyan as a businessman".

"A Letter from Zeng Guofan" is not only a collection of letters recording family background, but also a book containing life wisdom of dealing with people and being a parent.

It is also a record of Zeng Guofan's main activities in his life, reflecting his important thoughts on politics, life, housekeeping, scholarship and military management, which is enough to become a classic of Chinese studies and a treasure of life.

Zeng Guofan's letters cover an important period in his life from 3 1 to 57 years old.

He experienced four emperors: Jiaqing (10), Daoguang (40), Xianfeng (5 1 0) and Tongzhi (62). It can be roughly summarized as follows: childhood is in Jiaqing, maturity is in Daoguang, waves are in Xianfeng, and harvest is in Tongzhi.

There are more than 330 letters from Zeng Guofan, which is the most complete one in history. The book is divided into six categories: housekeeping, self-cultivation, persuasion, financial management, emergency, making friends, employing people, marching, traveling and chores.

Every letter from his family is full of Zeng Guofan's concern and emotional expression for his family. A hundred years apart, it feels so kind and real, just like reading a letter written by his family.

Zeng Guofan, as a son, filial to his parents, as an elder brother, taught considerate brothers, as a father, set an example for his children.

The Tseng family has always been strict and well-behaved. Influenced by family style, Zeng Guofan was strict with his younger brothers and taught them earnestly.

There are many merits in his guiding ideology of education for his younger brother, such as teaching his younger brother to read, study, be diligent, self-reliant, persistent, cultivate one's morality and be an official. At the same time, he inherited and developed the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation.

His letters from home emphasize the ideal of life, spiritual realm and moral cultivation. In the modern society where family ties are becoming more and more indifferent and neighbors are strangers, they really have the value of persuading the world to change their customs and are worth reading.

Zeng Guofan's letters mainly have the following points.

The way of keeping in good health:

Zeng Guofan attached great importance to preserving health and prolonging life. In many letters, he mentioned "following the father's training to strengthen the body" and "saving work and abstinence from food", taking health as the first priority.

The way to be an official:

Zeng Guofan is familiar with the history of China and knows the way of officialdom. He accumulated a set of unique skills in officialdom, and applied them to officialdom in China, which was invincible.

In frequent correspondence with his brother Ceng Guoquan, he often educates and admonishes his brother on how to be an official. Since ancient times, the officialdom has been sinister, and the companion is like a tiger.

Most officials are willing to get along, speculate and profiteer. Honest people rarely fail, but Zeng Guofan did it.

The way to run the army:

Zeng Guofan and his younger brother mentioned many times in their letters that the way to run the army is based on the system, and no one is allowed to violate the system. System first, clear rewards and punishments, but also love the people. In order to win the support of the people, we must work together to win the battle.

The way to be a man:

In his letter, he also told his younger brothers about the method of reading and self-cultivation, which was very infectious. He believes that reading needs the essence of the industry and there is no other way.

Zeng Guofan not only said this, but also did it himself. In his life, he also achieved diligence, humility, arrogance, tolerance, thrift, perseverance and self-improvement, which are common in his letters.

Ways to run a family:

Zeng Guofan's 16-character famous saying, frugality is prosperous, thrift is healthy, thrift is frugal, and you will never be poor.

In his family letters, he also taught his son how to study, tirelessly taught him family rules and family instructions, taught his son to speak slowly and walk steadily, which showed his image of strict father and his deep fatherly love.

Self-cultivation articles:

Confucianism advocates self-cultivation, keeping the family in order, governing the country and leveling the world, among which self-cultivation is the foundation. Zeng Guofan believed that people should be ambitious first, knowledgeable second and persistent third.

Moreover, he also strictly demands himself to do it. He keeps a diary every day, reflecting, feeling and correcting his mistakes, increasing his knowledge and skills and cultivating good psychological quality.

He did it himself and hoped that his brother and children would follow suit. His views are that modesty makes people progress and pride makes people lag behind, and these views are also of guiding significance to future generations.

Zeng Guofan's letters are worth reading by everyone with lofty ideals. In the process of reading, we can re-recognize ourselves, shape ourselves and examine our hearts.

"A Letter from Zeng Guofan" is not only a collection of letters recording family life, but also a book of life wisdom containing ways of dealing with people and educating children. Contemporary family education should absorb the essence of traditional culture, and the knowledge in this abyss is worth learning from each of us.