In the late Qing Dynasty, Zeng Guofan was a pivotal and wise leader, and his presence allowed the crumbling Qing Dynasty to continue, otherwise the Qing Dynasty would have fallen long before the Taiping Rebellion. At that time, although the children of the Eight Banners were prominent, they had already lost their combat effectiveness, but fortunately, there were military wizards like Zeng Guofan, who saved the Qing Dynasty from being destroyed by the rebels. Zeng Guofan assembled a powerful army, far superior in combat effectiveness to the Eight Banners Army, because he was extremely strict with his soldiers, selecting only loyal and reliable people.
He regarded loyalty as the first priority in the army, and knew that the slightest disloyalty could cause disaster to the entire army. Therefore, such people should never be allowed to enter the army, even if they are relatives. When Zeng Guofan suppressed the Taiping Rebellion, everyone saw the might of the Hunan army and tried to join the army, and even his nephew had the idea of joining, with the ambition of serving the country and achieving personal achievements. Zeng Guofan did not reject this, as long as he was a good person, he was willing to help him achieve his ambitions.
Once, his nephew came to defect, but Zeng Guofan saw his nephew's eating and behavior as a person, so he decisively rejected his defection. When setting up a banquet to entertain his nephew, Zeng Guofan discovered his nephew's every move, which made his favor with his nephew fall to freezing point in an instant, so he rejected his nephew mercilessly. It turned out that during the meal, the nephew was quite picky eater, picking out some rice that was not full.
Considering that his nephew is not from a wealthy family, he should cherish food instead of being so picky, and it is obvious that he has no reverence for food, which indicates that the nephew is misbehaving, and is likely to betray others for personal gain, and it is difficult for him to take on important responsibilities. Therefore, Zeng Guofan did not hesitate to send his nephew back and inform him that he was not suitable to join the Hunan army. The nephew was confused about this, and he didn't understand where he was offended, so he went around to inquire about Zeng Guofan's attitude. Zeng Guofan showed extraordinary insight and strict military governance in the Hunan army.
He does not judge heroes by status, but regards talent and diligence as the most important qualities, and gives due punishment to those who are lazy and unmotivated. This impartial attitude has attracted more and more people to join the Hunan army, and they are willing to protect the safety of the country and their families while they have the ambition of achievement. Zeng Guofan was full of encouragement to young soldiers, but he also attached great importance to character and quality, believing that ability can be cultivated, but character is difficult to change, so everyone's words and deeds can show clues.
After years of officialdom experience, this general has long been insightful, so he can screen the officers and soldiers in the army layer by layer, making the Hunan army invincible, and at the same time ensuring the inevitability of making meritorious contributions. Tsang was known for his civil and military integrity, never bluffing, and his strict approach to others and himself, a quality that made him stand out in the chaotic late Qing era.
From a modern perspective, Xiangjun is like a company, and Zeng Guofan, as a leader, has shown excellent knowledge and management skills, absorbing talented and potential talents, making the company stand above the market and achieve brilliant achievements, which is really admirable!