Be a responsible person

To be a person must have a sense of responsibility, especially those who can take on great responsibilities, they must have a sense of responsibility. Gu Yanwu said: "The rise and fall of the world is the responsibility of the husband. "It's about a sense of responsibility.

There is only one life, and if you want to live a positive and meaningful life, you must be brave enough to take on the great responsibility of life. No one can lead you through a lifetime, as long as you live up to every day, there is a new harvest every day, and a better life depends on yourself to create.

Taking responsibility for oneself is a difficult and time-consuming challenge. Be able to understand yourself, discover your strengths and weaknesses, and then constantly adjust and correct. We must also be careful not to be influenced by subjective preconceptions, and to absorb our own beneficial experiences one by one.

Throughout one's life, if one has always developed a character: evading responsibility, being unable to make decisions. As a result, even if you want to do something, you can't do it.

Generally speaking, people always change and adjust their behavior in response to changes in their environment. As an official eunuch, with the high position and power, the tendency to protect his established interests is more and more serious. Hu Linyi once said: "Once a person enters the eunuch journey, he can't make his own decisions." Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty once famously said that the essence of scholars and doctors was penetrated: "When scholars carry the book (referring to books), it is easy to take the world; Falling into business, once entering a high position, it becomes a corpse. Zeng Guofan can be called a person with a higher position of power, a heavier sense of responsibility, and a more daring to be responsible.

Since the Qing Dynasty Jiaqing, the world has been declining, and the Daoguang Dynasty has become even more rotten. Bureaucrats, big and small, indulge in pleasure and decay to the bone, and no one is willing to tell the truth and do practical things. For example, Cao Zhenyong, the most trusted prime minister of Daoguang, said openly when talking about the way of being an official: "There is no him, but kowtow more and talk less." This kind of officialdom, in order to protect one's fame and wealth, is sleek and irresponsible, and has become a habit. So much so that Emperor Xianfeng scolded the ministers: "Let me ask the ministers at midnight, how can you bear it?" If you don't repent bitterly, there will be unimaginable people in the future! "Aren't you stupid to be a disloyal minister of the Great Qing Kingdom?" In contrast, at this time, the young Zeng Guofan seemed to be outstanding and did not follow the customs. He was born in an ordinary farming family in Xiangxiang, and sold vegetable baskets in Jiangshi Street in Xiangxiang in his childhood, which is far away from the city life of drunken gold; After entering Beijing, he studied in the Hanlin Academy for a long time, and he was less contaminated with officialdom and kept more scholars, so he was able to stand up and show his masculinity alone in the soft and slippery bureaucratic group when the court was in internal and external difficulties.

During his seven years in the Hanlin Academy, Zeng Guofan mainly studied and had little to do with political life. In June of the 27th year of Daoguang, he was promoted to a cabinet bachelor and a chamberlain of the Ministry of Rites, and only then began to get involved in politics. At the age of 37, his official fortune was not unsuccessful, but he was depressed, feeling that he was an official for the sake of being an official, and his political talents could not be displayed. In a letter to his younger brother, he even said: "I am close to officialdom, and I am quite tired of its vulgarity, but it does not contribute to the national economy and people's livelihood." Therefore, there is a sense of retreat.

In the first month of the thirtieth year of Daoguang, Emperor Daoguang died of illness. The emperor, who was defeated in the Opium War, made a will on his deathbed: he said that he was immoral and incompetent, and discarded the face of his ancestors, so he decided that after his death, his spiritual position would not enter the Taimiao, nor would he need to worship in the suburbs, and his subjects would not be allowed to pay tribute to him. This is, of course, the most severe punishment for yourself. Because Emperor Daoguang's will was written in "Zhu Yu", that is, in his own handwriting, which had to make his heirs pay attention to it, therefore, Emperor Xianfeng immediately asked his subordinates to discuss after he ascended the throne. Before he played, the ministers of the court all thought that "the merits of the emperor are good, and it is not easy to worship in the suburbs, especially in the temple." After more than ten days of careful consideration, Zeng Guofan clearly stated: "Entering the Taimiao should be undoubted, but there is no one suburban ritual," there are two who dare not follow, and those who dare not violate have three." Zeng Guofan elaborated on two reasons why he did not dare to obey and three reasons why he did not dare to violate Emperor Daoguang's will. I still think that Emperor Daoguang is right to worship in the suburbs. This is tantamount to saying that Emperor Daoguang is not worthy of his subjects to pay tribute to him. Although the reason is Confucian etiquette, it takes a lot of courage. Because the dead Daoguang Emperor himself is probably pretending, and he doesn't really want to be like this, not to mention that his heir will not allow his father to depreciate himself, and it's too late to elevate himself! Moreover, the ministers already had a clear "public discussion", and Zeng Guofan was so "ignorant of current affairs" that he had to take a big risk. Therefore, the words "terrifying and trembling" at the end of Shangshu are also the truth of revealing their hearts. Although Emperor Xianfeng's imperial approval was positive, he was very dissatisfied with Zeng Guofan, the squire. But Zeng Guofan believed that it was the principle of the world, so he played one after another, and the criticism gradually escalated, and finally even the newly enthroned emperor had "three major shortcomings".

Emperor Xianfeng was forced to be in a critical situation, and he also issued an edict to ask for words and put on a show. Zeng Guofan mustered up the courage to pour out the great plan of saving the world and governing the country that had been held in his heart for a long time. The first is "Ying Zhao Chen Yanshu", which describes the problem of talents, pointing out that "today's party is falling into obscurity, which can be described as extreme, the rule of officials is getting worse, and the people's hearts are pouring day by day"; He also put forward his own views on how to cultivate talented people and rectify the rule of officials. Then, he published "Discussion on Matters and Affairs," "Discussion on the Elimination of Soldiers," "Preparation for the Suffering of the People," "Flat Silver Price," and so on, respectively, and put forward thorough views on the political, military, social, and economic issues of the time.

In "Preparing for the Suffering of the People", he put forward the grim reality that the people's discouragement will lead to chaos in the world: the minister heard that the country's poverty is not enough to be a problem, and only the people's discouragement is the biggest worry. The richest time in ancient times was the period of Emperor Wen of Sui, but it suddenly perished, and the reason was that it lost the hearts of the people. The poorest period was in the early years of Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty, but he gradually settled down because he could appease the people. …… The sincerity of my emperor's love for the people is much greater than before. It is only because those who are too obedient to the county orders or do not care about the sufferings of the people that the virtue and politics of the Holy Lord cannot reach the people, and the sufferings of the people cannot be reflected. Among the sparse affairs of Zeng Guofan, the most influential at that time was imitated by Sun Jiagan, a famous minister in the early years of Qianlong.

Sun Jiagan is the Yongzheng, Qianlong two dynasties of the direct advice of the famous ministers, when the twenties, the prime of Qianlong's accession to the throne, quite complacent, Sun Jiagan thought that this is unimaginable, so he risked death to write a book, pointing out the Qianlong Emperor's three nons: like and evil and straight; Likes to be soft and evil to be strong; Joy and disobedience. One disadvantage is that "being close to the villain and staying away from the gentleman", Sun pointed out that it is a common problem of autocratic emperors. It is gratifying that Emperor Qianlong was greatly moved, and during the more than 60 years he was in power, except for some neglect of government in his later years, he made great efforts to govern the country all his life, pushing the prosperous Kangqian era to the peak. Therefore, some historians believe that Sun Jiagan's contribution is really great. Now, Zeng Guofan imitated "Three Habits and One Disadvantages", wrote Xianfeng, pointing out that Chen was missing, and the first article pointed out that the emperor was only cautious in small places, but ignored big ones, and some were so cautious that they should not be cautious. Every day is observant of small things, and there must be some omissions in the country's big plans and there is no time to delve into them. What are the aspects of the so-called national plan? That is, in the case of Guangxi, the big issue is to arrange personnel, followed by examining and weighing local interests, and thirdly, to be cautious about military needs.

The second deficiency is that since the beginning of last year's speech, there have not been one or two superior plans, but most of them have ended with the word "no need to discuss". Among them, there were special awards, such as issuing an edict to praise Wuren, but soon alienated him thousands of miles away, issued a decree to thank Su Tingkui, and soon denounced him as a disorderly stream, which is enough to show that the emperor lacks the true intention of asking for words, and only covers it up with false texts of advice.

Third, it is pointed out that the emperor is "self-explanatory": in the recent holy decrees, it is said that the power should be deposed and the emperor himself will be in control. The emperor's original intention was that there was no selfishness in the middle. Since ancient times, important ministers have not only made him famous, so they will use his medicine stone to damage the germ of the emperor's pride and luxury, cultivate his character, and nurture his prestige, in case of compromise, the so-called wind knows the strength of the grass. If this kind of person is not taken, he will inevitably be specially recruited for the kind of flattering person, and it is certain that this kind of person will never dare to say a word against the emperor's intentions. And a person with a slight edge will inevitably sharpen his edges and corners and damage his backbone. Once something happens, the whole dynasty is full of procrastination and deflatment, standing by and watching, and there is nothing to do. Usually do not reserve strong, upright and capable people, in order to cultivate their character and raise their prestige, when there is something to do, where can there be people to use!

This recital is a legacy of Mencius's criticism of autocracy. This kind of advice, not only those bureaucrats who are rich and noble every day dare not write it, but even Zeng Guofan, who is not afraid of tigers as a newborn calf, is also the first time he has the courage to do so. It is said that after Xianfeng read it, he began to get angry and threw the original to the ground; Then he said: "Too stubborn, pedantic"; Later, when his heart calmed down, he replied in order to show his open-mindedness.

These sparse visits were Zeng Guofan's main actions during this period. On the one hand, it shows his outstanding political ambitions and vision; On the other hand, it also shows the true character of a scholar who is not sophisticated and walks straight. Several exhortations earned him a political reputation both inside and outside the government and the opposition for daring to speak out and being loyal to the country, and many people from the Qing court to his hometown in Hunan praised Zeng Guofan's approach. Not long after Shangshu, his friend Hu Daren sent a letter to Zeng Guofan, praising him for disregarding his personal safety and going to the court, and talked about his thoughts in detail. Zeng Guofan was very impressed when he read the letter, and replied: I only know the heart of my old friend today. I admire you for being able to grieve for the suffering of the people, to save them from fire and water, and to bathe in sores.

When Zeng Guofan did not write to Xianfeng, his fellow villager Luo Zenan wrote to accuse Zeng Guofan of only talking about branches and leaves, not paying attention to the fundamentals, among which there are "those who are afraid but dare not speak, and the selfishness of the ministers and ministers are also greedy; Those who do not practice their roots and talk about the end in vain, and the future generations will learn from them", after Zeng Guofan read it, he was deeply touched. In fact, Zeng Guofan had already written to Xianfeng at that time, but Luo Zenan didn't know about it. When Zeng Guofan received a letter from a friend, he said, "It is incredible, consistent with my opinion, and it is incredible", and immediately excerpted the full text of the book and asked Luo Zenan to read and advise. And invite old friends in the mountains such as Liu Rong, Guo Songtao, Jiang Minqiao, Peng Xiaofang, Zhu Yaojie, Ou Xiaoling and others to read them one by one.

Sure enough, after the old friend learned the true situation, he was even more impressed by Zeng Guofan, and Zeng Guofan's fame was indeed much greater.

After a person obtains a successful character, he cannot only be for himself, but for everyone, and the taboo of being a man is that there is only one "self" in his heart. Zeng Guofan never forgot this, because he always believed that if you are responsible for others, others will also be responsible for you.

Keep the word "plain".

One of the key qualities of successful people is their down-to-earth and optimistic personality, who channel their thoughts and conversations into uplifting thoughts and opinions, who see the past as a reference and the future as a realm full of hope, joy and temptation. People with a down-to-earth and optimistic personality value the pleasant and valuable conditions they have, and come up with creative ways to strive to achieve the established goals; People with a down-to-earth and optimistic personality are able to solve problems quickly, minimize the negative aspects of their situation, and identify the positives, and they find opportunities for development and learning in their environment.

People with a down-to-earth and optimistic personality like to associate with others, whether they have gained something or helped others, they like to be in shape. They evaluate and talk about the activities they participate in in good terms and are enthusiastic about getting along with others. Even in the midst of severe circumstances and disasters, people with a down-to-earth and optimistic personality will find the positive factors and muster the courage to move forward and improve the situation.

When a person with a down-to-earth and optimistic personality is troubled, he or she will set out to turn the situation around. They know that they are responsible for having a good life.

People with a down-to-earth and optimistic personality are good at using an "emotional vacuum cleaner" to clear their worries and pessimism, and they also try to find the positive factors in adverse environments. They have in their minds words like "good, wonderful, kind, important, like, happy, great."

A dark mood will sow bad seeds in the bottom of your heart, so only bad effects are conveyed repeatedly, so it is better to try to work hard with a plain mood.

Although Zeng Guofan encountered many setbacks and blows in his life, he always remained calm and obedient in his heart, never discouraged, kept a clear head, and dealt with troubles with a normal heart, and finally achieved the final success.

In the face of this complex society, humility is the best way to do things. Be humble and respectful, the fight will stop, the resentment will be calmed, the resentment will be resolved, and no matter how great the disaster in the world will be melted into the word "let". If ordinary people can grasp it, they can be free from disasters and achieve happiness.

In the first half of his career as a scholar, he was promoted to the rank of scholar in the eighteenth year of Daoguang (1838), and two years later he was awarded the review of the Hanlin Academy, and after 7 years, he was promoted to the rank of bachelor of the cabinet and the squire of the Ministry of Rites, and after two years he was promoted to the right squire of the Ministry of Rites, and in the following four years, he was also a squire of the soldiers, workers, criminals, and officials. 7 moves in 10 years, jumping 10 levels in a row, which was rare at that time. For Zeng Guofan, who grew up in the mountains and was born in a "poor family", it can really be described as "the court is Tian Shelang, and the twilight is the Tianzi Hall". With a literati, the formation of the Hunan army, the pacification of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the achievement of martial arts, the official title of the first-class brave and resolute marquis, by the world known as "the first minister of Zhongxing". The Zeng family also became the first Han Chinese in the 200 years of the Qing Dynasty. People think he must have loved the wind and waves! But in fact, Zeng Guofan's philosophy in health care is different, and his understanding is particularly profound. Zeng Guofan wrote a letter to his fourth brother Zeng Guoquan on the 22nd day of the first month of the sixth year of Tongzhi: Settle down and live should be considered from the aspect of calm and calm, keep the heart calm and smooth, and never consider from the earth-shaking and turbulent place. Life experience is ever-changing, and we should always slowly work hard to be plain. "Work hard to be peaceful" and "calm and calm" are two important principles of Zeng Guofan's philosophy of life.

Zeng Guofan wrote:

The two provinces of Dike are indelible, and the foundation is extremely deep. But suffering cannot be reached, and suffering cannot be established; But suffering from instability, not suffering from instability. Since then, he has always settled down from the calm waves, and he has not thought about the sky and the ground. I am not willing to be a mediocre person, I have experienced a lot of changes recently, and I blindly work hard to be plain. Non-malaise also. The position is too high, the name is too heavy, it is not as good, it is all dangerous. What he means is: The fourth brother has recovered the two provinces, and the great merit will not be erased at all, and your position is also very stable. I am just worried that I can't achieve the goal of success by doing things, and I am not afraid that I won't be able to stand up if I succeed; I'm afraid that I can't be safe and comfortable, and I'm not afraid that my reputation will not be prominent. From now on, I want to settle down from the calm waves, don't always want to do something earth-shattering, I am not willing to be a mediocre and vulgar person, recently my experience has changed a lot, blindly to the peace and reality of the work. It's not that I'm sluggish, it's because my status is too high, my reputation is too great, and if I don't, I'm in danger of disaster. In fact, Zeng Guofan's calm health regimen method was forced out. Zeng Guofan had been fighting everywhere for many years, busy with military and political affairs, and from the age of 35 he was covered with a kind of psoriasis, which made him restless and miserable, so that he was mentally exhausted and extremely difficult, and he was not yet 50 years old, but he was weakened to such an extent. He thought that this was all due to the lack of natural qualifications, and the loss caused by all kinds of sorrow and devastation, coupled with years of depression and unhappiness, and resentment at injustice. Later, Zeng Guofan's friend Feng Shutang came to visit and discuss with him how to cultivate his mind and regulate his body. He said, "There is no better way to sit still." If you can meditate, then you can do everything in the world well. Psychological will and will and feelings are always inseparable. If the mind is a little impetuous, then the feelings will be impetuous, and the mood and feelings will be scattered, then the mind will also be scattered. The mind and will focus on a certain aspect, and the will and emotion will inevitably be diverted. In this way, Zeng Guofan has persevered.

Zeng Guofan grew up in the countryside of Hunan, which is known for its strong national character. Zeng Guofan is also a scholar, and he has seen many figures in history, and the condition for their success is perseverance and hard work. He often said, "If you don't have a will, there is nothing you can do in the world." Since he was a teenager, he has been "sleepy and reluctant, determined to extricate himself." "Painstakingly studying, to enter the Beijing in the Jinshi, and Tang Jinghai, U Gong Feng and other great Confucian exchanges, his thinking went one step further, at this time he wants to be poor and virtuous, do the kung fu of the sage, his career is to establish a person, has reached a person, and to Kuang Shi to save the world for the cause.

From this point of view, Zeng Guofan treats people plainly and well-being, and he rarely worries, which leaves some inspiration for future generations. For people with too many troubled personalities, they tend to take every fly in the ointment of their surroundings to heart, and the accusations and negative thoughts about the things around them tie their hands and feet, making it difficult for them to experience joy again. They think that everything is going to go bad, and they unconsciously push themselves to create unpleasant situations that make their prophecies come true.

People with troubled personalities are often overwhelmed by "emotional baggage". They always think about the problems and contradictions that have not been resolved in the past, and when they speak, they will be the disasters of the past, the difficulties of the present, and the bad luck of the future.

For losers, there is never a thing that is satisfying. When they finally got what they wanted, they didn't want it anymore; If they lose it, they must get it back. They keep repeating old negative and discouraged thoughts, making misfortune and troubles the main themes of life. Even when everything is safe and everything is going well, they are accustomed to thinking only about the negative and discouraged things in life, and they feel that they have too much time to be unhappy and angry. They always like to babble on and on about negative and discouraging remarks, and they say discouragements that are embarrassing and alienate others.

People with troubled personalities are often depressed, lose their vitality, fall into disappointment, and do nothing because of problems that seem difficult to solve. In times of trouble and distress, they tend to spend their energies blaming, whining, and complaining.

People with troubled personalities say a lot of things with the word "no", such as can't how, don't do, shouldn't do, and so on. Their most commonly used adjectives are bad, nasty, terrible, and selfish. They endlessly accuse others of why they didn't and how they didn't.

If you are not broad-minded, how can you tolerate the world

To rely on a common medicine to cure heart disease, do you know where in the world there is such a "panacea"? In Zeng Guofan's secret book, there is such a pair of medicines, on which is written the word "vast". How so?

Based on his own experience, Zeng Guofan came to the conclusion that the word "vast" should be used as a "common medicine" to overcome psychological obstacles. And this vast should see themselves as small, he said: quietly ponder the past and present for hundreds of millions of years, there is no endless period, in the course of life, dozens of cold and summer, only need to be heard. The earth is tens of thousands of miles, undisciplined, people in it, sleeping and resting, only one room ear during the day, only one ear at night. The books of the ancients, the writings of recent people, are as vast as a sea of smoke, and those who can reach the eyes of life are only one of the nine cows; Events are endless, the reputation is a hundred ways, and the person who can do it in life is just one of the millet ears in Taicang.

Knowing the length of the sky, and the one I have experienced is short, then when the adversity comes, we should be less patient and wait for it; Knowing the land is big, and the people I live in are small, when they encounter the realm of competition for glory and profit, they should retreat to guard their females; If I know that there are many books, and there are few people I have seen, I dare not be complacent with one, but should think of the good and keep the covenant; The governor has changed a lot, but I have done a few, so I don't dare to make a name for myself, but think about it and plan together. If this is the case, selfishness and complacency can gradually be eliminated. Zeng Guofan often puts himself in a small position to maintain his mental balance. He always feels that "I am not as good as others", that is, "I can't be on the same page as the sages", and he also thinks that there are "unreachable two". The more people who can see their own shortcomings and have confidence, the more they can grow, the more they will be able to possess the strengths of others, and the greater the possibility of success.

Zeng Guofan's treatment of the mind is not simply a restriction on psychological desires, including both psychological activities and behavioral norms, in terms of scope, it is a combination of the mind, the body, and the mouth, both superficial phenomena and the origin from the heart, he used yin and yang as a metaphor. Anger means anger, anger, and emotion. Zeng Guofan called it "yang evil", that is, it is manifested in the language and behavior of the mouth, and the emotions are difficult to control. Zeng Guofan very much agrees with the Qing dynasty Shi Chengjin's summary of the harmfulness of anger in the "Careful Body". Shi Chengjin said: The seven emotions are biased, but the anger is especially great. Anger is like salvation, and the system is enduring. It is not in vain to harm people and things, but also to hurt people's lives. Those who live in official positions are angry and punished, and they are cool and unjust; If you are angry, you will be in chaos; Anger against others, and resentment and rebellion. It is necessary to cultivate their temperament and broaden their minds. The touch of irrationality, the mind is clear-minded; If you add it for no reason, you will worry about the opportunity to lurk. Think about things first, and forgive them. Such a tranquil and calm sea is not only free from trouble, but also can be healthy.

Zeng Guofan first entered the official career, and he did not have a deep understanding of the twists and turns of the Huan Sea, and he thought too highly of himself, so he was not used to this pair, and often complained and angry. His early diary is called "Shadow of the Gap", and there are many words in it that are self-examining: there is a sentence that is very unscrupulous when I am a guest! Because resentment is so deeply rooted in my heart, sometimes it is on the verge of erupting! After the meal, I talked about the little things in the past, and I lost my temper, blurted out angry words, and I felt like I had forgotten my identity and family affection. Although I was persuaded and persuaded by my friends, I still insulted me wantonly, and there was absolutely no taboo to be afraid of at that time. Shutang said yesterday: "The bad roots in my heart have not been removed, and after a long time, it will definitely break out once, and once it erupts, it will be out of control." "I have accumulated this anger myself, and I have only reflected on myself a few times, and the rest of me only knows how to blame others. I decided to be a new person this year, but only two days later, I broke with my ambition to this extent! Even if you cry bitterly and regret it, is it still of any use? I'm like what people say I'm like a beast! At the beginning of the war, this kind of indignation was still overflowing from time to time. He emphasized that angry behavior is the reason why a person's self-cultivation and strength are insufficient, and it also has a lot to do with taking on major matters and supervising oneself and others. In a letter to his younger brother Zeng Guoquan, he said: Probably taking charge of the world's major affairs depends on the mental state, and the accumulation is much more depressed, so he is stubborn, and he can't help but show some angry actions. In the future, when my brothers are angry, they should persuade and admonish each other, preserve stubbornness, and get rid of anger and excitement.

Zeng Guofan also used Lin Zexu's allusion to "control anger" to educate himself. Lin Zexu has an anxious personality, and he often gets angry with others when he encounters injustices, which often backfires. After serving as the governor of Jiangsu, Lin Zexu was painfully aware of this weakness, and also deeply realized that if he could not restrain himself, he would be even more delayed. Therefore, on the first day of stationing in the governor's yamen, he personally wrote the word "control anger" and hung it in the listening hall, first, for self-supervision, and second, for his subordinates to supervise him. "For a long time, people also serve elegance", and eventually become a generation of famous ministers.

The further development of anger is irritability, which is ostensibly hurtful with words and emotionally suffocating, but irritability not only hurts others, but also hurts one's own body. Zeng Guofan said that irritability is most likely to hurt the spleen and liver, and it is the most harmful to the body. Therefore, he called "violence" the "masculine evil" of curing the body. Once, Sui observed that because of the person's weak ability to do things, Zeng Guofan was furious, "his words are very strong". After the reprimand, Zeng Guofan blamed himself in his diary that night, "retreating and regretting it". said that he "has been unsatisfactory recently, and he is very depressed", and often loses his temper, which shows that "his own measure is not tolerated, and his heart is not deep".

Tsang further believed that a person's constant kindness to himself was a sign of auspicious blessings, and that if he was always perverse, he would invite trouble. He has repeatedly reviewed his angry temper during his mourning at home, saying that this is why Zeng Guohua died. Zeng Guofan was very conceited in his life, and when he wanted to do something big in the troubled autumn of the country, the Qing court ordered him to hold a funeral for his father at home. This made Zeng Guofan feel very uncomfortable. Originally, his father had just passed away, and Zeng Guofan should be filial piety and mourn with peace of mind, but in the days of the family system, Zeng Guofan had a very bad temper, and often angered his younger brothers because of trivial matters, and had quarrels with Zeng Guoquan, Zeng Guohua, and Zeng Guobao in a year. In the Battle of Three Rivers, Zeng Guohua suffered misfortune, which caused Zeng Guofan to fall into deep self-blame. In subsequent letters to his family, he repeatedly reviewed his actions while at home. For example, in a letter dated November 12, 1858, 1858, he wrote: "Last year at home, I was disgusted by trivial matters. I am ashamed and regretful, what can I say! …… Last year, my brother had a disagreement, and now I have a big change from Brother Wen. Harmony is auspicious, obedient and vicious, and there is clear evidence. On the third day of the twelfth month of the eighth year of Xianfeng (1858), he wrote: "I was at home last year, and I was in a hurry with small things, and everything I said was fine. It's not worth laughing at when you think about it. Bear my brother Wen, and be ashamed of my ancestors and fathers, how remorseful! When trying his best to compose a few poems, in order to redeem the remaining sorrows, begging Brother Yuan to write a stone inscription. …… It is enough to express the depression and regret in my heart. ”

During the period of defending, Zeng Guofan was worried, which led to insomnia. My friend Ouyang Zhaoxiong knew the root of his illness very well, on the one hand, he recommended a doctor to diagnose and treat insomnia, and on the other hand, he prescribed a prescription for treating heart disease: "Qi and Huang can cure physical diseases, and Huang and Lao can cure heart diseases." Ouyang Zhaoxiong borrowed Huang and Lao to satirize Zeng Guofan, alluding to his past practices, which is inevitably biased.