The Chinese Secret to Evaluating People

Author: Long Zimin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-06-01
Features: Emperor Taizong of Tang believed he could unify the empire and achieve what previous emperors could not—subduing the Westerners and the northern ethnic minorities—due to five reasons:
1. Ancient emperors were often envious of talented individuals, but when I saw the virtue and ability of others, it was as if I had gained them for myself;
2. No one's actions can be perfect, so I always adopted the strengths of others while avoiding their weaknesses;
3. I respected the worthy and pitied those with shortcomings, ensuring they were placed where they belonged;
4. Rulers often hate upright people, resorting to open and secret persecution throughout history. Since my accession to the throne, I have never criticized or punished a single honest official;
5. Since ancient times, the Chinese have been considered superior, while ethnic minorities were deemed inferior. I held no such prejudice and loved the ethnic minorities as I did the Han people, which is why external tribes were loyal to me. It is clear that of these five points, four are about valuing and utilizing talent, containing a profound dialectics of talent. No wonder Li Shimin himself lamented, "Those who can stabilize the realm depend solely on employing talented individuals." Zeng Guofan's theory that "excellent talent is the key to victory" was the root of his rise. Initially, his Xiang Army had no more than 20,000 to 30,000 men, while Hong Xiuquan commanded a massive army of millions. After 12 years of confrontation, the former grew stronger until victory, while the latter weakened until defeat. In terms of weaponry, strategy, tactics, and logistics, both sides were roughly equal. This matter is too significant to be summarized in a few words. But it is clear that in the process of shifting strength, the two sides demonstrated entirely different attitudes toward the factor of "talent."
When Hong Xiuquan rebelled in Guangxi, he had the Eastern King, Southern King, Western King, Northern King, and Wing King, with numerous fierce generals, yet a civil war led to his loyalists either dying or fleeing, leaving him with almost no elder advisors. He distrusted the second-generation capable generals like Chen Yuancheng and Li Xiucheng, often holding them back, while favoring his older brothers Hong Renfa and Hong RenDa. As a result, treacherous people rose to prominence, wise individuals scattered, and local heroes switched sides.
When Zeng Guofan organized militia in Hunan, he constantly faced ridicule, exclusion, and attacks from his colleagues, even from his close friends Liu Rong and the brothers Liu Gongzao, who kept their distance from him. But with the unwavering determination of a hawk hunting its prey—never giving up until its goal was achieved—by the late Xianfeng era, he finally gathered a crowd of talented individuals around him, including such renowned strategists and generals as Li Hongzhang, Zuo Zongtang, Peng Yukun, and Liu Mingchuan. No wonder some said that half of the nation's wise and talented people were under his command at that time.
One side lost talent, the other gained it. Before the first year of the Tongzhi era, Zeng Guofan's words, "Victory lies in people, not in equipment," were indeed profound.