Give yourself a way out

People who are good at protecting themselves know this secret, and they must hide the secret in their hearts in the most secret place.

Zhang Liang, the word Zifang, is also called the Marquis of the fief. Born in a famous family, his grandfather and father were the fifth generation of South Korea. After Han was destroyed by Qin, he attempted to restore Han, and once assigned an assassin to hit Qin Shi Huang with a 120-pound iron spine but failed, so he was convicted and fled to hide in Xiapi (present-day Juningbei, Jiangsu). After Chen Sheng and Wu Guang revolted, Zhang Liang immediately gathered a crowd to respond, first voted for Xiang Yu's uncle Xiang Liang, and persuaded Xiang Liang to become a descendant of Korean nobles to become the king of Han, realizing his ideal of recovering Korea. Later, the king of Han was killed by Xiang Yu for defecting to Liu Bang, and Zhang Liang returned to Liu Bang and became Liu Bang's main adviser. He is far-sighted, and he is sure to win, and he is very appreciated and admired by Liu Bang, praising him as a hero who "strategizes and wins thousands of miles away". He made immortal contributions to Liu Bang's victory in the Chu-Han War, was a great hero of the founding of the Han Dynasty, and was one of the "Three Masters of the Early Han Dynasty" by historians.

Zhang Liang first defected to Xiang Liang to try to recover Han and "cooperate", and then the king of Han was killed by Xiang Yu, so he defected to Liu Bang, and "resented" Xiang and "cooperated" with Liu. The timely implementation of the art of resentment is the key to Zhang Liang's success.

Zhang Liang is good at seeking the country and good at living. Zhang Liang was not only a person with great ambitions and daring actions (such as the assassination of Qin Shi Huang), but also very modest and cautious, knowing how to stop in moderation. This is fully reflected in Zhang Liang's attitude towards Liu Bang and giving him meritorious deeds after being proclaimed emperor. Liu Bang respected him very much, so at the meeting on meritorious deeds, Liu Bang asked Zhang Liang to choose the 30,000 households of Qi State, but Zhang Liang did not accept it, but humbly asked for the land where he met Liu Bang for the first time (now Pei County, Jiangsu, only 10,000 households). Liu Bang was moved and agreed to his request. When he resigned, he said: "After the destruction of Korea, I was reduced to a cloth cloth, and a cloth cloth can be sealed ten thousand households, and I should be satisfied with the liehou." "Zhang Liang, who was born as a feudal scholar, not only does not take credit for his achievements, but also humbles himself after his success, which is really commendable!

Zhang Liang has a long-term plan for the country, and he knows his near-term worries. Although Liu Bang treats him well, he knows Liu Bang's personality very well. When he witnessed the tragic endings of Peng Yue, Han Xin and other meritorious officials, he couldn't help but think of the different choices and results of Fan Li and Wen Chong in history after helping Gou Jian to rejuvenate the Yue Kingdom. He deeply understood the philosophy of "the enemy country is broken, and the ministers are destroyed". He was unwilling to follow in the footsteps of Wen Chong, Peng Yue, and Han Xin, but wanted to protect himself. So he took the initiative to ask Liu Bang to retire, "resentful" and devoted himself to cultivating the Tao and cultivating his body, and wanted to become an immortal. Later, because Empress Lu felt Zhang Liang and tried his best to persuade him, Zhang Liangcai still ate the fireworks in the world. But he is no longer actively involved in major national affairs.

Regarding Zhang Liang's successful retirement, historians have many praises and disapprovals, and there are different opinions. But as a strategist, Zhang Liang knows how to weigh the pros and cons. Under the circumstance that the overall situation of the country has been decided, it seems that it is a wise choice to be in poor health, to retire in old age, and to give way to future generations.

Although a wise man has acquired a successful character, he must be able to leave a way out for himself, thinking of the embarrassment and discomfort when he has not obtained a successful character, so that he can cherish the successful character in front of him even more. Zeng Guofan does not want to obtain a successful character for a while, but wants to obtain a successful character for a lifetime. Therefore, he can rely on his sharp vision to see several paths in life. It's a wisdom that can't be matched.

Zeng Guofan was originally a scholar who believed in Cheng Zhu Lixue, but unfortunately that era made him a generation of Zhongxing celebrities. From 1852, when he was ordered to organize regimental training, until the year or two before his death in 1872, he was engaged in military affairs. He imitated Qi Jiguang to create a new type of army different from the Green Battalion Army (officers and soldiers), which was strictly disciplined and had strong combat effectiveness, and made great achievements for him; However, just as it was at the height of its might, Tsang ordered its disbandment. He created an army for the imperial court, but disbanded it for himself.

Zeng Guofan has been at the forefront of the fight against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom since he raised an army reorganized from regimental training - the Hunan Army, and at this time he was completely blended by the sense of obligation to maintain imperial power and the desire to show off his achievements. However, in the subsequent conquest career, not only was the war thorny and repeatedly frustrated, but also often constrained by many parties from within the Qing government. When he returned home in 1857 to defend the system, he deeply reflected on the lessons he had learned since he led the Hunan army to the expedition, and later mentioned it in a letter to his younger brother: My brother was very conceited in the past, and he could bend and stretch, and he could hide it, but he saw that others were not. Since Ding Si and Wu Wu repented and realized, they knew that they had no skills at all, and they could see what other people were doing in everything, so nine years since Wu Wu was born, which is very different from before the age of forty. Therefore, when he went out again in 1858, he became very careful about self-restraint, and paid special attention to adjusting his relationship with the Qing court, especially to the problems of the ministers who had been responsible for their lives in history. In view of this, he regarded Zhou Gongdan as his role model, and often reminded himself that Li Deyu, Huo Guang and others were domineering and did not die well. It is not difficult to understand why he was overjoyed with such a high position after he became the governor of Liangjiang and controlled the military affairs of the four provinces. Zeng Guofan revealed his true intentions in his diary: those who have gained fame in the past and are worth the time are often not guaranteed to end. It's scary to think about it. will be a twist, thank the power, dare not control the four provinces, for fear of overthrowing the blame. Zeng Guofan often reminded himself to pay attention to the cruel historical lesson of "wealth and nobility often go into danger", and he was more aware of the feudal rule technique of "the cunning rabbit dies, the lackeys cook, the birds are exhausted, the good bow is hidden, the enemy country is broken, and the ministers are killed". Only by promoting the United States can we maintain our profits.

After the siege of Tianjing, Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang successively captured Suzhou and Hangzhou, but the 50,000 army Chen soldiers were outside Tianjing City, but it was difficult to capture Tianjing. In particular, the issue of competing with Shen Baozhen for Jiangxi Lijin aroused his vigilance, and he was very clearly aware that the imperial court deliberately favored Shen Baozhen and suppressed himself, putting him in an extremely difficult situation. Zeng Guofan expressed his views on this issue in a letter to Zeng Guoquan: In March and April last year, my brother was in great embarrassment, and the household department especially transferred Jiangxi Lijin, and the Jinling Siege Division broke up. Here, Zeng Guofan is not dogmatically clinging to fear, nor is he completely unfounded, because he has clearly realized that he is the most powerful Han in the Qing Dynasty for 200 years, and his every move will attract everyone's attention and suspicion. In a letter to Li Hongzhang, he said: There is hardly a boat in the 3,000 miles of the Yangtze River that does not display the banner of contemptible, and there is a suspicion that the military power and power are too heavy, and the power of the interests is too great. Its suspicions are not without cause. Zeng Guofan knows his brother Zeng Guoquan's temperament very well: energetic, resourceful and courageous, daring to act, and willing to be the first. At the same time, it is not arrogant and arrogant. As his power gradually expanded, Zeng Guofan became more and more worried about him, lest he be careless and cause trouble. Therefore, in the Tianjing Battle, which attracted the attention of the world, Zeng Guofan spoke bitterly and reminded Zeng Guoquan to be cautious and cautious.

Zeng Guofan has long known these rumors from the outside world. Those Qing army generals, who can't do it themselves, are the most jealous of talent, and they have long hated Zeng Guofan's group of scholars who are too strong in the limelight, and often think about punishing them. There was a high-ranking general in the Qing army, named Shengbao, who was bound to lose every battle and protect every defeat, which was called "defeat Bao" by the people of the time. He hated the Zeng Guofan brothers the most. Cai Shouqi has been with Shengbao for the longest time, so he first impeached Zeng Guofan, and Zeng Guofan first cut the Hunan army, so as not to give people a handle, this is the relationship.

Before the conquest of Tianjing, Zeng Guofan had been fully mentally prepared for how to deal with the political crisis he faced after the great achievement, and after the news of the fall of Tianjing reached Anqing, he wandered around the room, thinking all night, predicting the various situations that might arise and making corresponding solutions.

By the time Zeng Guofan arrived in Jiangning from Anqing, the solution of holding Ying Baotai was fully mature.

Therefore, when the prestige of the Hunan army was at its peak, he resolutely asked the Hunan army to return to his hometown on the grounds that "the Hunan army has been fighting for a long time and the twilight is deep", clearly expressing his attitude of self-respect without coercing military power.

However, he insisted on "self-restraint" in disarmament, rather than "self-destruction" in disarmament, because in disarmament, Zeng Guofan's strategy and methods were superhuman. Before the war was over, he planned to dismantle the Hunan army. During his tenure as governor of Liangjiang, he had worked hard to raise money, and in two years, he had raised 5 million taels. The money is raised, and the plan is ready. As soon as the war ended, it was announced that the army would be reduced, and the court would not want a penny, and the army reduction fee had already been arranged.

The funds for the reduction of troops have been raised, and the methods for the reduction of troops have been drawn up, just waiting for victory to come. On June 16, 1864, Tianjing was captured, and in early July, the army was reduced, and in January, 25,000 men were first reduced, and then slightly reduced. People say that it is easy to recruit and difficult to cut troops, but in Zeng Guofan's view, because everything is planned and prepared, it has become easier to recruit and easier to cut troops. This is also where he is strong.

Zeng Guofan disarmed without resignation, and after breaking through Tianjing, the emperor named him a first-class marquis of Yiyong, a hereditary title. He was the de facto leader of the Hunan army, and all the generals from the Hunan army, whether they were in charge of military power or serving in Xinjiang, regarded him as a spiritual and ideological leader, and after the Hunan army was laid off, there were tens of thousands of people who were laid off, and it was inevitable that many people felt dissatisfied.

If Zeng Guofan asked for the dismissal of the official and the return of his hometown at this time, the emperor would certainly not be able to accept his request. But if after he returned to the countryside, he was suddenly held hostage by a group of scheming people and regarded as a leader, even if Zeng Guofan knew how to deal with it, it was still not a way to preserve his reputation for the Qing government. If the Qing government harbored excessive fear, believing that Zeng Guofan's resignation from his official position was an indication that he was unwilling to continue to serve the imperial court, it would be more likely to cause unnecessary suspicion.

Therefore, at this time, Zeng Guofan on the one hand automatically relieved the military authority, and on the other hand, he stayed in the Liangjiang Governor to continue to serve the Qing government, and never said lightly to stay, which was undoubtedly the best way to make the Qing government feel absolutely at ease. Try to see that during his tenure as governor of Liangjiang, he did not use hard work because of his orders, and when he suffered a military defeat, he immediately took the opportunity to recommend Li Hongzhang to replace him, which is nothing more than a practice of avoiding suspicion from a distant power, but it does not show much trace on the surface. At this point, of course, we must believe that Zeng Guofan's success and avoidance of the position are exactly his consistent style.

The dismantling of the Hunan army, Zeng Guofan's plan first, "prosperous often thinks when it is declining", a typical event.

Zeng Guofan has always advocated: "Prosperity is often a decline to think, when the game is in the end, the rich and noble, must not keep in mind these two words." ”

Life is mostly helpless and tactful

In "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", the section of "Cao Cao Cooking Wine on Heroes" adapted from historical stories is very exciting, and this story is recorded in the historical books of the time such as "Huayang National Chronicles" and "Notes on the Life of the Emperor". In the summer of the fourth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao coerced the Son of Heaven to order the princes, swept away Lu Bu, pacified Huaidong, and was very ambitious, in his mind, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, and Liu Biao were just puppets, only Liu Bei, who was bound by himself in Xuchang and had no strong soldiers to fear, was a hero among the people, if he let the tiger return to the mountain, he would be a powerful opponent for his hegemony in the world, but how he was, he didn't know the bottom in his heart, so he always tested him.

Liu Bei waited quietly with Tao Xuan's strategy, pretending to be foolish every day, just planting vegetables and flowers, and pretending to have no ambitions. Cao Cao was still very worried about him, and one day, he decided to invite Liu Bei to his home for a small banquet to observe Liu Bei's reality and reality.

The wine was half-drunk, and suddenly the sky was cloudy and deserted, and the showers were coming. Cao Cao asked Liu Bei: "A dragon is a divine thing, comparable to a hero in the world. Liu Bei, you have been in all directions for a long time, you have seen a lot, you must know the heroes of the Quartet, please give one or two instructions. Liu Bei excused himself: "I am a mortal with the naked eye, how can I identify heroes and mediocre talents, or please ask the prime minister for advice." But Cao Cao didn't give up, Liu Bei had no choice but to be false and wrong, and Cheng Cheng cited Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao, Liu Biao and others, but refuted them one by one for Cao Cao. Liu Bei couldn't, pretending not to know who the hero was, so he asked, "Who does the prime minister think can be called a hero?" Cao Cao suddenly pointed at Liu Bei, and then pointed at himself, Lang Lang said: "Today's heroes, there are only you and me!" "It's amazing!

is a good Liu Bei, but he was taken aback when he heard the words, and the spoon and chopsticks in his hand fell to the ground in fright. Liu Bei calmly picked up the spoon and said, "What a loud thunder, it scared me a lot!" Cao Cao smiled: "Is the eldest husband still afraid of thunder?" Liu Bei said: "Lightning and thunder, can you not be afraid?" The gaffe just now was gently disguised.

Here, Liu Bei used the "reaction technique" to bounce the pipa and deal with Cao Cao, so that Cao Cao did not doubt Liu Bei from then on.

In Zeng Guofan's life classics, there are roughly four attitudes towards the supreme ruler who can decide his life and death, that is, the emperor: 1. Accept the opposite. 2. Loyalty to death. 3. When you are helpless, "ease" and "delay". Fourth, when you have a desire, to put it mildly.

In Zeng Guofan's life scriptures, there is such a rule: when there is a desire to be superior, it must be tactful. Zeng Guofan tried to avoid putting forward his own demands head-on, but knocked on the side to achieve his own goals. In this way, you can not only get what you ask for, but also keep your dignity. In January 1857, Zeng Guofan's "Attached to Chen's Recent Military Situation and Urging the Provinces to Cooperate with the Provinces" was published in Jiujiang after he was a laborer, which is such a typical work. In the first point of the compromise, he repeatedly emphasized that the Hunan Army Marine and Land Division under the command of Li Xubin and Yang Yuebin was originally Zeng Guofan's troops, and was seconded to Hu Linyi because of the urgency of the people to reinforce Hubei. Now not only Wuchang, the capital of Hubei Province, has been recovered, but also the cities along the river such as Qizhou and Huangzhou in Hubei have also been recovered. The implication was to ask the Qing government to return the Hunan army and land divisions led by Li and Yang to Zeng Guofan's temperance and dispatch. The second point in the compromises is aimed at publicizing the great military exploits of his own old division Li Xubin and Yang Yuebin's land and water divisions, smearing grease and whitewashing the Hunan army, and pasting gold for himself. The third point in the compromises was to emphasize the strength of the land and water divisions under Li and Yang, so as to elevate their own status. The fourth point in the compromise is the key point in the compromise. He did not say that he was the commander of the land and water divisions under Li Xubin and Yang Yuebin, but in the course of the compromises, he asked for and urged the Hunan troops of Li and Yang's subordinates, which was tantamount to pretending to be the commander of Li and Yang's subordinates.

Zeng Guofan's request has its own merits. Since October 1855, when Zeng Guofan sent Luo Zenan from Jiangxi to the periphery of Wuchang to reinforce Hu Linyi, soon after, Yiwang Shi Dakai used troops in Jiangxi to open up a base area in Jiangxi Province, and the Hunan army of Zeng Guofan's army was repeatedly dealt heavy blows. He endured many winds and waves, experienced hardships and dangers, and even retreated to Nanchang, sitting in a dangerous city day and night, looking forward to Luo Bingzhang and Hu Linyi sending troops to come to relieve the urgency of Jiangxi, especially hoping that Hu Linyi could command the Hunan and Chu armies, capture Wuchang as soon as possible, and then go east by land and water, and join himself on the Xunyang River. Now Hu Linyi has finally occupied Wuchang, and the main force to capture Wuchang is the Hunan Army Marine and Land Division, of which the Hunan Army under the command of Li Xubin was transferred by Hu Linyi; The Waijiang Naval Division commanded by Yang Yuebin was sent by Zeng Guofan to reinforce Hu Linyi on the periphery of Wuchang. Therefore, Zeng Guofan believed that the Qing government should return the Hunan army and land divisions under Yang and Li Suo.

Hu Linyi is a smart man, and he intends to order the Hunan Army Marine and Land Division under the command of Li Xubin and Yang Zaifu to go east, but he does not command with the army. Hu Linyi kicked the ball over, Zeng Guofan understood it and immediately took the ball. On January 15, 1857, he rushed from Wucheng to Jiujiang Labor Division to meet with Li Xubin and Yang Yuebin. Their respect for Zeng Guofan remained the same, which was the greatest comfort to Zeng Guofan, because it showed that the strong cohesion surrounding him in the Hunan army had not been weakened.

Zeng Guofan said: This time, the Jiujiang Labor Division was very pleased to see that the Hunan Army's Marine and Land Division was very prosperous and strong. What he really felt comfortable with was that Hu Linyi had been developing and expanding the Hunan Army's land and water divisions in Hubei for a long time, and he was able to always adhere to the Hunan military camp system, and it was Zeng Guofan's "heart" who was promoted and reused.

Looking at the above four articles of Zeng Guofan, none of them clearly stated that he still wanted the imperial court to return Li and Yang's subordinates, but went around and around, showing his intentions.

Learn the way to be "idle".

Zeng Guofan's brave retreat shows that he has seen through life. Zeng Guofan in his later years was very conflicted, he didn't want to be in politics, but he couldn't help but do it, he wanted to resign, but his tone couldn't be too hard, his tone was not hard, how could he get permission? Even if he was granted, wouldn't he still be called up if war broke out again? If you can't go back and forth, you are in a dilemma, what should you do?

Zeng Guofan is reluctant to be in politics, he has three reasons: First, "It is not easy to supervise and do, and it will be eventful in the near future, so it is necessary to raise troops and salaries." Raising troops is afraid of attacking and frustrating and slandering, and raising salaries is afraid of looting and resentment. Both are prone to bad reputations." The second is that I have been working for too long, and I am afraid that I will be suspected that my power is too heavy, and my interests and power are too great, so I can't help but shrink my hand to relieve the suspicions of the masses." The third is that he believes that "whoever is a big official and is in a state of peace and glory, there is a way to be dangerous and humiliating from time to time, and the so-called wealth and nobility of the ancients often go into crisis." …… Resignation and resignation is a good way to settle down. It is not a good policy to resign from the throne in troubled times."

Li Hongzhang wrote to the teacher after hearing about it: "The tone of the song should not be too resolute, so that it is useless except to make people feel that the traces are too heavy, and it may not be able to retire immediately, even if he retires for one or two years, if there is a war in other places, he will still inevitably be called by the emperor, and then it will be even more dilemma." Zeng Guofan felt that his student's words were to the point, which made him fall into thought. He thought of such a solution, and he wrote in a letter: "I have decided not to be an official in the future, nor do I plan to return to my hometown to enjoy the blessings of Qingfu, but only to take care of chores in the barracks and maintain the morale of the army." If you don't hold a high position and don't enjoy a great name, you may be able to avoid great disasters and slander. If there is a small culprit, I will just let it go. ”

In a letter to his younger brother Zeng Guoquan, he also stated his unavoidable view: Our brother has received great favor from the country and enjoys great fame, but after all, he cannot retreat to Tibet to avoid trouble. Zeng Guofan only wants to be able to idle himself, not to advance or retreat, not to show up, so that he can eliminate the worries of his henchmen (the reason why Li Hongzhang does not want Zeng Guofan to retire is not because he is afraid of losing his teacher's backer), and can also avoid the gossip of other colleagues, neither to embarrass the emperor, nor to let himself be passive, it is really a few birds with one stone!

Settle yourself down

At any time, there are treacherous people who are good at drilling camps and flattering and are reused, and such people are hollowing out their hearts to seek personal gain, and they attack and suppress capable people in order to elevate and protect themselves.

Zeng Guofan knew everything about those mediocre officials and laymen who formed parties for personal gain, survived, and greedy for pleasure, and he wanted to do something for the benefit of the country and the people, but he also didn't want to offend others, so as not to cause gossip. In addition, the Qing royal family was the royal family of the Manchu bannermen, and there was a strong rejection and squeeze of the Han people, which made Zeng Guofan vigilant. In order to avoid the power struggle, Zeng Guofan became more cautious, cautious and cautious, thoughtful and thoughtful, lest it be inconsiderate.

In the second leap month of the tenth year of Xianfeng (1860), Emperor Xianfeng appointed Liu Changyou as the governor of Guangxi, which was the harbinger of this change. In March and April, when the news reached Beijing that the camp in Jiangnan had completely collapsed and that southern Jiangsu was disintegrating, people felt that the problem was very serious and there was a lot of discussion. As early as the last years of Daoguang, Mo Youzhi, who established friendship with Zeng Guofan, "discussed with two or three celebrities that Jiang Du Fei Gong (that is, Zeng Guofan) must be, and his servant was Shangshu Sushun, and Gao Bimei (i.e., Gao Xinkui) Pavilion at Hukou was at his home, so he went to Shangyan." Gao Bai is more obedient and solemn. The next day, we went to the high hall, shook hands and said that it was done". In April, it was announced that Zeng Guofan would be appointed acting governor of Liangjiang. He was the founder of the Hunan Army and the person Emperor Xianfeng distrusted the most. Whether he can serve as the governor and take charge of both military and political power has become the key to whether the relationship between the Hunan military clique and the Manchu aristocracy can enter a new stage. Su Shun took advantage of the time to break through the barrier, and it was not difficult for others to succeed Zeng as the governor. That is to say, the Manchu aristocracy finally abandoned the old policy and adopted a new policy, that is, from use and restriction to comprehensive dependence. This shift is also evidenced by the facts. In June, he was not only appointed as the governor of Liangjiang, but also given the important task of minister. Since then, there have been many appointments to Zeng Guofan's subordinates. This was obviously a good hand to Zeng Guofan, and the real power and benefits he gave to the Hunan military group were also unprecedented. Although Zeng Guofan had long coveted this, he remained silent, and only tacitly relied on celebrities and friends to communicate indirectly. Later, Su Shun was executed by Cixi in a coup d'état, and when he wanted to further purge his henchmen, he naturally did not have any influence on Zeng Guofan.

Although the sixth son of Emperor Daoguang, who was later named Prince Gong, did not inherit the throne, he played an irreplaceable role in the Xianfeng, Tongzhi and Guangxu dynasties. Yi was born in the 12th year of Daoguang (1833), 22 years younger than Zeng Guofan, who was born in the 16th year of Jiaqing (1811). Yi was the prince, and from the end of Xianfeng to the Tongzhi period, he was one of the main decision-makers of various major policies of the Qing court. Zeng Guofan left Beijing in the second year of Xianfeng, and he was absent for 14 years. There is a big gap between the two in terms of age, position, etc., and if it weren't for the great changes in history, they would probably not have dealt with each other for the rest of their lives. But history, which likes to play tricks on people, has made the relationship between these two heavyweights inseparable on many major issues. In the last years of Xianfeng, due to Su Shun's strong recommendation, the Qing court began to consider handing over the task of suppressing the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to Zeng Guofan and other Hunan army leaders. However, Zeng Guofan had the unique alertness of the Hunan people, and did not show any reuse of Su Shun, so that when Cixi and Yi launched a coup d'état and confiscated Su Shun's family property, they found many letters from the ministers of civil and military affairs of the government and the opposition to Su Shun, but did not find a word written by Zeng Guofan to Su Shun, so that Cixi issued a praise of "Zeng Guofan is a loyal minister".

Eighteen days after the coup, Yi asked the Empress Dowager of the Two Palaces to formally appoint Zeng Guofan, the governor of Liangjiang, to control the military affairs of the four provinces in the south of the Yangtze River. The Jiangnan Military Affairs Commission was assigned to Zeng Guofan, which was decided by Xianfeng in ten years. Now Yi has explicitly entrusted the military affairs of the four provinces south of the Yangtze River to Zeng Guofan, in order to show that the new regime has more trust in Zeng than in the Sushun era. It is said that Su Shun pushes "Xiangxian", and this matter is true. However, when Su Shun was in power, he also set up camps in Jiangnan and Jiangbei to share the merits with the Hunan army. After Yi came to power, he no longer rebuilt the camps in Jiangnan and Jiangbei, but ordered Zeng Guofan to control the military affairs of the four provinces, which shows that he admitted that the regular Eight Banners and Green Battalion armies were no longer of great use, saw the huge potential hidden in the Han landlord army, and was determined to tap it.

The reason why Zeng Guofan controlled the military affairs of the four provinces south of the Yangtze River was that he realized the seriousness of the battlefield in central and southern China. There, the Taiping army occupied Luzhou, an important town in the north of the Yangtze River, and fought in coordination with the Zhang Lexing Department and Miao Peilin Department of the Twist Army. In the south of the Yangtze River, the Taiping army was seeking to develop into Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the areas of wealth, and had already occupied Suzhou and Changzhou; and the famous cities of Yanzhou, Shaoxing, Ningbo and Hangzhou; Warnings were also raised in places such as Wusongkou and Songjiang near Shanghai. Therefore, although the Hunan army occupied Anqing in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River during the funeral of Emperor Xianfeng, the situation still cannot be taken lightly, and the former enemy armies must take into account the overall situation and change the previous habit of not being subordinate to each other and not rescuing each other. Ordering Zeng Guofan to control the military affairs of the four provinces was to give the former enemy the command power.

Another important change at the beginning of the Tongzhi period was that the imperial court let the generals of the Hunan army serve as local governors, and at the same time gave Zeng Guofan and others great military bargain disposal rights. In the past, when the generals had taken action, they had to report every day and obey the decree of the court. On the twelfth day of the first month of the first year of Tongzhi (February 10), Yi expressed the concern of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor of the Two Palaces to the former enemy generals, and sent an edict saying that the Empress Dowager of the Two Palaces "discussed military affairs with the Minister of Military Aircraft of the King of the Council on a daily basis, and every time the minister reported to the court, he made a detailed review, made all plans, praised them deeply, and obeyed his words", and asked the generals to report to the court in a timely manner the "old plan of victory" that was useful for military affairs. This means that the new administration is paying close attention to the movements on the battlefield ahead and giving the generals the necessary sense of trust.

However, during this period, Zeng Guofan repeatedly asked for the retraction of the order to control the military affairs of the four provinces, saying that "the position of power is too heavy, and I am afraid of opening up the wind of competition for power, and prevent him from becoming more and more important outside and light on inside." Zeng Guofan is a physicist, and familiar with the history of the Qing Dynasty, he knows that the Aixin Jueluo Dynasty has always restricted the use of Han officials, although Han officials can be governors, can be governors, but in the four provinces of the military has not been a person. "Weight is enough to cause trouble", he not only deeply understands this, but also has a painful experience.

Now it is understandable that Zeng Guofan has concerns. However, Yi knew very well that after the coup d'état, Qi Junzao, Weng Xincun, and Peng Yunzhang were used, but they only borrowed their prestige, did not pay real power, did not let them return to the military aircraft, and really relied on the Han Chen and Han landlords' armed forces, and implemented a policy of sushun without sushun. The base of this policy should be handed over to Zeng Guofan. He expressed to him the meaning of the imperial court to make an exception and relied on it, so that he was grateful for the picture. Yi specially asked the Empress Dowager of the Two Palaces to send an edict of encouragement: "If it weren't for Zeng Guofan's sincerity, how could he deceive the power?" "I hope to give priority to military affairs, try to conquer and suppress, and save the people from fire and water", and Zeng Guofan was not allowed to resign.

Zeng Guofan "reluctantly" accepted the military power of the four provinces, but at the same time hurriedly said that in the future, he would work harder to serve the country loyally, and report every 10 days with a twist and turn, so as to avoid the state of "imperial court thoughts" and "sincere fear" overflowing.