Zeng Guofan s courage and determination, the wisdom of swallowing the holy decree

Mondo History Updated on 2024-01-31

Zeng Guofan is known to be a famous politician and military strategist of the Qing Dynasty, who showed extraordinary courage and determination in the fight against the Taiping army. One of the sensational events was the holy decree issued by Emperor Xianfeng, and Zeng Guofan actually swallowed it in his belly. What kind of wisdom and consideration is behind this amazing move?

In the early years of the Qing Dynasty, the Taiping Rebellion threatened the foundation of Qing rule. The Taiping army captured Jiangning and renamed it Tianjing, and Emperor Xianfeng, in order to stabilize his rule, ordered Zeng Guofan to lead the Hunan army to suppress the Taiping army. However, the Anglo-French alliance invaded the capital, and Emperor Xianfeng issued a holy decree to Zeng Guofan at this critical moment, asking him to quickly lead troops into the capital. It was a dilemma, and Zeng Guofan made an incredible decision after careful consideration.

Zeng Guofan recorded the content of the holy decree in his manuscript: "The British and French foreign soldiers, who occupy Tianjin, will attack Gyeonggi in the near future, which is very dangerous. Zeng Guofan quickly led troops to enter Beijing within a time limit. No need to delay, admire. This decree became the fuse for Zeng Guofan's predicament. However, instead of doing what he wanted, Zeng Guofan made a very unexpected move - swallowing the holy decree into his belly.

Historians speculate that Zeng's move was to destroy the "evidence." He expressed his stance by destroying the Divine Decree, implying that he had never received any Divine Decree, and at the same time subtly demonstrating his determination to resist the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and his unwillingness to relinquish control of the battlefield. This strategy skillfully avoided the risk of direct disobedience and protected his military position on the front lines.

Tsang's decision also reflects profound political wisdom. He understood that generals who were fighting abroad sometimes had to disobey the orders of **, and he did not openly disobey the emperor, but handled complex political relations flexibly and skillfully by swallowing the holy decree. This wit and decisiveness have left him a mark on history.

Tsang's consideration also runs through the overall consideration of the situation. He was well aware of the threat posed by the Taipings, but he also understood the actual situation of the Anglo-French invasion. In his opinion, it is important to defend the capital, but it is more important to defend against the invasion of the Taiping army. Abandoning the fight against the Taiping army and returning to Beijing meant giving up territory to the enemy, which he could not accept. By swallowing the holy decree, Zeng Guofan expressed his resolute resistance to the Taiping army and maintained the foundation of Qing rule.

In the end, Zeng Guofan did not return to Beijing, and Emperor Xianfeng also chose to take refuge in the north, making the capital almost empty at the moment of the invasion of the British and French forces. While fighting against the Taiping army, Zeng Guofan succeeded in consolidating the Qing Dynasty's dominance. However, he may not have realized that this foundation had long since decayed, and that the decline of the Qing Dynasty was inevitable over time.

Zeng Guofan's wise move: swallow the holy decree and keep the peace.

This is a story about the wisdom of Zeng Guofan, who skillfully used his strategy in a difficult situation, swallowed the holy decree of Emperor Xianfeng, and defended his faith and responsibility.

Zeng Guofan's wise act of swallowing the holy decree of Emperor Xianfeng is a legendary story in Chinese history, showing Zeng Guofan's outstanding intelligence and way of dealing with the world at the political and military level. This incident profoundly reflects his deep insight into the overall situation of the country and his calm and decisive leadership style in difficult situations.

First, Tsang's decision demonstrates his remarkable political wisdom. Under the pressure of Emperor Xianfeng's holy decree to enter Beijing, Zeng Guofan was faced with a dilemma: whether to return to Beijing to meet his orders, or to insist on resisting the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The act of swallowing the decree is not only a clever political maneuver, but also a clever response to pressure from both sides. By destroying the decree, he skillfully avoided the risk of explicitly disobeying the emperor's orders, while also demonstrating his resolute attitude towards the Taiping army. Such wisdom and political skill enabled Zeng Guofan to find a last resort and extremely flexible way out of the predicament.

Second, Tsang's actions demonstrate his decisiveness and courage at the leadership level. Faced with the formidable threat of the Taiping army and the invasion of the Anglo-French forces, Zeng Guofan had to not only maintain the dominance of the Qing Dynasty, but also protect the livelihood of the people. He had a deep understanding of the situation, and understood that swallowing the Divine Decree would buy him time and space, so that he could better deal with the threat of the Taiping army on the battlefield. This decisiveness and courage were not only reflected in military decision-making, but also in the response to political pressure, laying a solid foundation for subsequent military operations.

In addition, Zeng Guofan's behavior also shows his deep insight into the overall situation of the country and his far-sighted strategic vision. He was aware of the threat posed by the Taiping army to the Qing Dynasty, and abandoning resistance to the Taiping army could lead to greater danger. By swallowing the decree, he subtly expressed his resolute resistance to the Taiping army and upheld the foundations of Qing rule. His decision-making was not only based on the immediate situation, but also took into account the country's long-term stability and security.

Taken together, Tsang's wise act of swallowing the Divine Decree is a classic case of a leader's wisdom, decisiveness, and insight in a difficult situation. His actions demonstrated both political skill and a deep understanding of the country's overall situation, laying the foundation for later military operations. This story inspires us to learn more about how leaders navigate complex situations and better understand the greatness of historical figures.

Disclaimer: The above content information is ** on the Internet, and the author of this article does not intend to target or insinuate any real country, political system, organization, race, or individual. The above content does not mean that the author of this article agrees with the laws, rules, opinions, behaviors in the article and is responsible for the authenticity of the relevant information. The author of this article is not responsible for any issues arising from the above or related issues, and does not assume any direct or indirect legal liability.

If the content of the article involves the content of the work, copyright**, infringement, rumors or other issues, please contact us to delete it. Finally, if you have any different thoughts about this event, please leave a message in the comment area to discuss!

Related Pages