Zeng Guofan was able to achieve repeated defeats because of his state of mind and his unwillingness to do so. However, Zeng Guofan's heart was not made of iron after all. There would be times when he would be discouraged and feel depressed and downcast, as he did twice. Encountering an unprecedented failure, he once wanted to commit suicide by drowning, and once wanted to ride a horse into the enemy's formation and fight to the death, but was blocked by his subordinates and saved his life.
This time he came to see Li Zhen sincerely and determined to learn something.
What he didn't have but others had, he could learn from it. With this idea, Zeng Guofan put aside his age problem and acted from the heart, without any pretense.
Li Zhen waved his hands and said: "Brother Bohan, please sit down. I will definitely tell you everything I know. As a junior, I am also just starting out, and I have something to ask Brother Bohan for advice."
Li Hongzhang said: "Master Li, don't be humble. Among the Han generals in the Qing Dynasty, Master Li should be the leader. He can be regarded as the pillar of our Han people. Across the world, Master Li is also the leading general. This time I and I Teacher, we came together because we also want to learn from Master Li."
"Brother Shaoquan is too modest."
Li Zhen saw that Li Hongzhang was so humble, and he was very interested in it.
Think about it, two famous officials of the late Qing Dynasty sat in front of him and humbly asked him for advice. What an honor it was. Li Zhen did not refuse and said slowly: "Brother Bohan and Brother Shaoquan, how about marching and fighting?" As a person from the military, I do have some opinions on this matter, but it is limited to my own experience."
After a pause, Li Zhen said again: "If there is something wrong, please give me some advice from my two brothers. You two are both from famous families and have more knowledge than me. You are also older than me and have more experience in dealing with things than me." ; Moreover, I have been in the officialdom for a long time, and I know the officialdom even better than I do. When we communicate, there is no such thing as asking for advice."
Li Hongzhang said: "Master Li, regarding..."
Li Zhendao: "Brother Shaoquan, just call him by his first name. If you call him Master Li again, I will get angry."
"well."
Li Hongzhang also had a smile on his face. He felt that the person in front of him had no airs. He said: "Brother Hongyi, regarding being an official, my understanding is the emperor's favor. As long as you get the emperor's respect, nothing will be a problem. Just like Hongyi This is the key to my good brother being reused by the emperor. This is enough."
Zeng Guofan glared at Li Hongzhang and said: "Hongyi, don't listen to Shaoquan's words. These are half words. If you just invite favors, you may be a loyal minister or a sycophantic minister. Therefore, you have to check yourself three times. This is my current opinion. "
Li Hongzhang said obediently: "Teacher is right."
Li Zhen said with a smile: "Brother Bohan is indeed from a famous family, and he is extremely good in knowledge and conduct."
Zeng Guofan said: "Let's get down to business, tell us how you train troops."
Li Zhen nodded and said: "Brother Bohan calls it military training. In fact, I just have a little opinion. I think that for an army to be called an army, there are at least three conditions. First, an army can be united rather than scattered. , The head coach is an extremely important prerequisite. As the saying goes, an incompetent general will tire out the three armies. An incompetent general will definitely not be able to make an army. This army cannot become an army, it can only be said to be a piece of loose sand."
After Zeng Guofan heard this, he immediately began to think about whether he was capable or not.
have.
After Zeng Guofan thought about it, he affirmed without hesitation.
Li Zhen continued: "Brother Bohan is a great talent in the world. He has extraordinary abilities. He can lead soldiers and generals. So the first question I mentioned is not a question about Brother Bohan, nor is it a question about Brother Shaoquan. I think Under normal circumstances, the second most important condition is the weapons used by soldiers in the army."
"The ancients said that if a soldier wants to do his job well, he must first sharpen his weapons. If soldiers don't have sharp weapons to fight, it will be difficult for soldiers in the army to exert their tyrannical fighting power."
"Before the Ming Dynasty, and in fact, including the Ming Dynasty, most battles were fought with cold weapons such as knives, swords, and spears. The competition at that time relied on bravery and the sharpness of the weapons. Who was stronger and whose weapons were better The sharper it is, the more powerful it is. Now, it is no longer just strength or the sharpness of the blade that can win."
"The competition now is about the power of muskets and the advancement of weapons. This is the key to victory. No matter what martial arts you have practiced, whether it is a golden bell or an iron shirt, if I shoot out a bullet, you will be able to win immediately. Kill you. When the two armies fight, my soldiers all use muskets, and Brother Bohan's soldiers all use swords. Who do you think can win?"
Li Zhen had a smile on his face and his eyes fell on Zeng Guofan.
Zeng Guofan sighed and nodded.
Obviously, Zeng Guofan also agreed with Li Zhen’s second point.
Li Hongzhang said: "Brother Hongyi, my soldiers may not have very good weapons, but they still have morale. The morale of the army has improved, and it is also advisable to unite as one."
Li Zhen shook his head slightly and said: "Brother Shaoquan, you are overestimating yourself. Under the same circumstances, an army with high morale does have an advantage, but my first point is to make it clear that there must be a normal coach. When the commander of this side sees the other side boosting morale, wouldn't he try to boost the morale of his own army? Monks can do it, Taoist priests can do it too."
Li Hongzhang nodded and said, "Continue."
Zeng Guofan said nothing, waiting for Li Zhen to continue speaking.
Li Zhen continued: "The third point is also the most important point in my opinion and the most difficult point. I think an army must have a military soul so that all soldiers have morale towards the army. This is Only with this spirit can all the soldiers be united, so that they can give their backs to their comrades, so that they can fight desperately, so that they can fight with blood for the same goal. This, I think it is the most difficult and the key to why the army will not disband even if it fails."
"call,."
After Li Zhen finished speaking, he picked up the tea cup and took a sip of tea.
At this time, the people headed by Zeng Guofan were all deep in thought. Thinking about it carefully, what Li Zhen said was very simple and can be understood. However, it is not so easy to implement it in practice.
After a long time, Zeng Guofan sighed: "In the final analysis, the point is that the weapons are not powerful enough."
Li Hongzhang said: "If our weapons were powerful, we would have eliminated the bandits long ago."
Li Zhen rolled his eyes and had another idea in his mind, and said seriously: "If you want to change weapons, you must learn from foreigners. Nowadays, foreigners have strong ships and powerful guns and powerful firearms. This is what we need to study. Whether it’s foreign politics, economics, or culture, it’s all worth learning, and anything about foreigners can be studied.”
Li Zhen said this because he wanted to expose the two of them to more information and open their eyes to the world.
ps: Second update; I recommend a good fantasy book, "The Supreme Holy Lord". This book is a classic and worth reading.
