Zeng Guofan's Family Letters (Upper, Middle, and Lower)

Author: Zeng Guofan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-04-01
Features: The Family Letters of Zeng Guofan includes topics such as self-cultivation, social conduct, friendship and discernment, family education, and military and political governance, covering everything. Reading and reflecting on it brings great benefits. His life was rich, his personality complex, and he was both praised and criticized, with endless controversy. Yet, a thousand letters reveal his deep affection. Now, presented in a classical and modern parallel format, this book, which Chiang Kai-shek devoted his life to studying, is shown to its full charm.
Self-Cultivation and Temperament: Narratives of the Journey to Beijing and After Arrival [Original Text]
"Son Guo, kneeling before Father and Mother, reports:
Last December 16th, I sent a home letter from Hankou via the Xiangtan Ren and Paper Trading Company. I do not know if it has been received. Later, on the 21st, I departed from Hankou by train. We hired two carriages with two horses each, and I took three and a half of them. We traveled over 300 miles to Bālǐxī in Henan to spend the New Year. On the second day of the first lunar month, we set off, arriving in Zhōujiakǒu on the seventh. There, we switched to larger carriages. We hired two covered carriages with three sets each, costing 15,000 cash per set. I took four sets, and Zhu took two. On the ninth day, we set off, arriving in the provincial capital of Henan on the twelfth. I spent four days visiting guests and earned over 100 cash. On the sixteenth, we set off and crossed the Yellow River at three in the morning when the wind was calm. We arrived in Beijing on the 28th, with everything going smoothly and the weather being good, except for a light snow during the two days of the New Year. Upon arrival, we unloaded the carriages at the Changjun Hall Association. On the first day of the second lunar month, we moved to the Qianfo Temple in Nanheng Street. The house had four rooms, rented for 4,000 cash per month, and was very close to the residences of Mei and Chen. The three of us formed a study group, meeting every other day. Each session involved copying one prose and one poem. On the eighth day, it was the grand session under Teacher Tang Zhongtang. The topic was a prose titled Wisdom Like Yu’s Water Journey, with the rhyme When one acts without fuss, wisdom is great. The poem topic was Fish Blowing Willow Catkins on the Pool Surface, with the character blow as the rhyme. There will be one more grand session in March. Only one or two others arrived this year, Mei and Chen both came in the first lunar month. Daiyun’s journey to Jiangnan and Shandong was not particularly fruitful. Upon arriving in Beijing, he only managed to repay debts and saved no more than 200 to 300 cash, with an eight-member family. I spent 100 cash on the journey, and now my financial situation is quite good. Regarding the news of bringing the family over, Zheng Xiaoshan has not replied yet. If he agrees, it would be perfect; if not, we must devise a better plan, perhaps delaying it by one or two years, as my son is still too young. I do not worry about any affairs at home, except whether my brothers are making progress in their studies. Please send me one or two of your written works or poems. I also hope to receive the great works of Uncle Dange. I am cautious in everything in Beijing, and you can rest assured at home.
Additionally, Empress Dowager Da Xing passed away on the eleventh day of the first lunar month. For one hundred days, shaving was forbidden, and for a year, banquets and music were prohibited. Uncle He Xiancu passed away suddenly on the fifth day of the second lunar month. That day, I had breakfast at Uncle He’s house and did not hear of any serious illness. Yet, within moments, the news of his death arrived. After his passing, he was posthumously granted the title of Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent. His second son, He Ziyi, passed away in November last year. Since returning to Beijing, several fellow townspeople have died: the three assistant magistrates Xia Yiqing, Li Gaoqu, and Yang Baoyun, as well as Xiong Ziqian, Xie Jian’an, and the He family father and son, totaling seven. The situation has changed dramatically. I am now taking good care of my health, though my expenses are quite high. Teacher Ji Xianji was promoted to the position of Grand Secretary and appointed as the Education Commissioner of Zhejiang, leaving Beijing on the tenth. Teacher Liao Yufu was promoted to Minister of State. Teacher Wu Zhenfu was appointed as the Governor of Fujian. Teachers Zhu and Xu have already returned to the south with their coffins. The calligraphy of Zhan Youqian is now useless in Beijing, as the glue was too thick. I plan to send it back, whether to return it or use it is up to you. Regarding the news of bringing the family over, I received another letter home in March. When writing, please include details about your family and all relatives, listing each elder in the family. It is better to be thorough.
I respectfully beg for your golden safety and peace.
Written on the ninth day of the second lunar month."