Facts have proved that Li Hongzhang was indeed the God of Wealth in the Qing Dynasty, but that was another "aspect". He is a "God of Wealth" who can't make money but can "save money".
Like Zeng Guofan's ancestors, Li Hongzhang's grandfather Li is also a rural scholar who is known as "not going to the city for fifty years". Although he suffered setbacks in the examination room and failed in his career, Li was in high spirits. He must let future generations study and be an official. Therefore, he did not hesitate to spend huge sums of money to hire Li Shifu to help his son overcome the imperial examination.
Under the careful cultivation of Li, his youngest son finally realized his ideal. Won the first place in Jiangnan, and was admitted to Jinshi four years later. From then on, the Li family began to live a rich life. I dare not say that Li Hongzhang is a rich second generation who grew up with a golden spoon, but his career path is certainly much smoother than others.
In the twenty-seventh year of Daoguang, 24-year-old Li Hongzhang successfully became Jishi Shu and entered imperial academy with the 13th place in the second grade. In addition, under the recommendation of his father Li Wenan, Li Hongzhang met Zeng Guofan, a teacher who had a great influence on his life. Admitted to the Hanlin Academy, there is such a super awesome teacher. At this moment, it is this Yangguan Avenue that presents itself to Li Hongzhang, a promising career path.
However, with the turmoil of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Li Hongzhang finally deviated from this road and embarked on a completely opposite road. Seeing the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement intensified, Li Hongzhang, like Zeng Guofan, is eager to make contributions and remember his ancestors! To this end, Li Hongzhang encouraged fellow countryman and assistant minister Zuo Lu of the Ministry of Industry to do Yong ying to show his loyalty.
According to the current definition, an assistant minister is a contractor. As a contractor, how can Lu beat it! But Li Hongzhang doesn't care about this. He wrote an article on behalf of Lu, asking for a memorial service. According to Lu's idea, he just wanted to show his loyalty, but he didn't really want to do it. But the memorial written by Li Hongzhang is full of literary talent and passion. Emperor Xianfeng was moved to tears and immediately sent Lu back to his hometown to organize.
Faced with such a result, Lu was so angry that he hit his head against the wall. According to historical records, that night, the Lu family all wore plain clothes and wept bitterly. Faced with this situation, Lu was incoherent with anger. He thinks he is just asking for it, and when he is full, he will go looking for trouble!
Finally, the furious Ji Xianlin said to Li Hongzhang, "You curse me and I curse you." That is to say, "it's all your bad idea. If you let me go to the front, I will tie you up and we will go home together. " In this way, when Zeng Guofan organized in Hunan, Li Hongzhang and Lu returned to Hefei, Anhui, and started.
Maybe Lu's words have come true. At the end of the same year, Lu was killed by the Taiping Army. Although Li Hongzhang had Zeng Guofan's trust and worked hard for him, he never achieved the same results as Zeng Guofan in managing Yingyong. Facing the main force of Taiping Army, Li Hongzhang was careless, reckless and had no chance of winning. He had an amazing record of being attacked by 18 battalion in one day. It was really a fiasco. Thanks to the timely rescue of Anhui Governor Fu Ji, Li Hongzhang saved his life.
It is said that although Li Hongzhang had a narrow escape, but he was stubborn and proud by nature, he still wanted to save some face, so he respectfully said to Fu Ji, "The prestige of the earthquake should be the highest in the army." Faced with these words, Fu Ji responded viciously: "If you dare not escape, take the adults away first." This conversation not only became a stain on Li Hongzhang's life, but also became a joke of Anhui people after dinner.
Although destroyed by good or bad luck, Li Hongzhang still regarded it as his second backer. With such a Manchu official as the backstage, Li Hongzhang should not worry about eating or drinking now. Unfortunately, not long after, due to the ineffective suppression of the peasant army uprising, Fu Ji was dismissed. A backer was killed and a backer was dismissed. How unfortunate it is for Li Hongzhang! But his misfortunes are still endless. In the eighth year of Xianfeng, Li Xiucheng led an army to capture Hefei, and Li Hongzhang's family was killed.
Facing the hometown destroyed by Taiping rebels and stroking the cold bodies of relatives, Li Hongzhang really wanted to cry with pain. Now, there is no place for Li Hongzhang in Anhui. Just when Li Hongzhang was cornered, his brother Li Zhanghan wrote him a letter, hoping that he could come to work in Xiang Army. In the face of this invitation, Li Hongzhang did not hesitate. He directly obeyed Zeng Guofan, which also opened a "golden partner" for teachers and students for more than ten years.
In the following four years, from government affairs to military affairs, Li Hongzhang benefited a lot from Zeng Guofan's training. Zeng Guofan also saw that Li Hongzhang was a good prospect and a master who could achieve great things. In addition, in terms of decision-making, Li Hongzhang's unique insights have been appreciated by Zeng Guofan. So that in the end, when Zeng Guofan was hesitant about some major events, he would discuss with Li Hongzhang, and he was often able to "make a decisive decision."
So teachers and students, each with his own strengths, are fast and slow, urgent and slow, and really complement each other. But there is a problem here. You know, Xiang generals are mostly from Hunan, and their fellow villagers have deep friendship, while Li Hongzhang is from Anhui. Even with Zeng Guofan's appreciation and reuse, he could not gain the relieving power, and even caused the envy and dissatisfaction of the Hunan gang. It is no exaggeration to say that Li Hongzhang was walking on thin ice in the Xiang army camp.
According to historical records, Li Hongzhang made bad friends with Zuo and Hu Linyi during Zeng Guofan's period. This unpleasant experience every day makes Li Hongzhang feel that he is a sponsor. He wrote gloomily, "Yesterday's dream was sealed, but now it has disappeared, and there is no home in the difficult place." Why did Goma fall? Castle Peak has fallen for more than ten years. So when Shanghai officials and gentry came to call for help, the sensitive Li Hongzhang immediately realized that the opportunity that No.1 had been waiting for had finally come.