Translation of the given content to English: Chinese Classical Masterpieces Translation and Annotation Series (Third Series) -- Zeng Guofan's Strategy

Author: Zeng Guofan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: Zeng Guofan's uniqueness lies in the decades he spent in public service, meticulously preserving all his documents—from official memorials submitted to the court to personal letters, diaries, and poems—both as originals and copies. He regularly sent these materials to his home in Xiangxiang. This unwavering dedication over decades has allowed us to be fortunate enough to encounter over 15 million words of his written works (Yuelu Shushe once compiled and published a 1.5 million-word Collected Works of Zeng Guofan), from which we can sense the fluctuations of the times, the personal teachings of a "revivalist minister" who never overlooked small acts of virtue, and the inner turmoil of Zeng Guofan, whose towering achievements left him feeling as if he were walking on thin ice and standing at the edge of a deep abyss. Due to space constraints, this book selects 107 letters from Zeng Guofan's vast and diverse family correspondence, organized into eight categories—self-cultivation, raising children, family management, friendship, personnel management, social conduct, military governance, and governance—and arranged chronologically. Annotations and translations are provided to present the essence of these letters, benefiting both the reader and others.