The Triumph That Shook the Forbidden City

When Zeng Guoquan’s report of Nanjing’s recapture reached the Forbidden City, Beijing erupted in celebration—but not everyone rejoiced. The Dowager Empress Cixi beamed with satisfaction, while Prince Gong Yixin remained grim-faced. To Cixi, his reluctance to share in the jubilation was an affront. Yet Yixin’s concerns ran deeper: the Zeng brothers’ rising power threatened the Qing court’s fragile authority. His warning struck a nerve.

Within hours, Cixi’s demeanor shifted. Instead of rewarding Zeng Guoquan, she issued a scathing edict: “As commander, you abandoned your troops to rest after breaching the outer walls—what disgraceful conduct! Had divine favor not intervened, you would answer for this failure!” The message was clear: even in victory, the Zengs were under scrutiny.

A Brotherhood Under Siege

Furious, Zeng Guoquan drew his sword, only to be restrained by alarmed subordinates. When his elder brother, the revered statesman Zeng Guofan, arrived in Nanjing, he urged caution. “We must consider their perspective,” he reasoned. But Guoquan saw through the court’s motives: “They fear our influence.”

The Qing’s distrust soon manifested in humiliating ways. After executing Taiping leader Li Xiucheng, Manchu general Fuming arrived to inspect Nanjing—and demanded proof of Li’s death. When shown the mutilated corpse, Fuming sneered, “Is this truly him?” Zeng Guoquan’s icy retort—”Even a Buddha would be unrecognizable after torture”—deepened the rift.

The Art of Survival: Zeng Guofan’s Philosophy

Facing thinly veiled threats from Beijing, Zeng Guofan adopted a strategy of endurance. He gifted his brother a single character: “Tīng” (挺)—to persevere. Through a parable about a bridge dispute, he illustrated how yielding could outmaneuver confrontation. Yet Guoquan, ever impulsive, struggled to heed this wisdom.

The court’s next move was a calculated insult: despite the brothers’ monumental victory, Zeng Guofan received only a marquis title, while Guoquan was made a mere earl. The sting of ingratitude festered.

The Breaking Point

When Beijing accused Zeng Guofan of concealing Nanjing’s treasures and failing to capture the Taiping heir, Hong Tianguifu, tensions exploded. The revelation that rival general Zuo Zongtang had secretly reported Hong’s escape ignited Zeng’s fury. In a blistering memorial, he denounced Zuo’s betrayal and mocked the court’s hypocrisy, noting Zuo’s own failures in Hangzhou.

The Qing, realizing their overreach, hastily retreated. They dropped the treasure allegations and pardoned Hong’s escape—but the damage was done. The Zeng-Zuo alliance shattered irreparably.

Legacy of Distrust

This episode laid bare the Qing dynasty’s existential dilemma: its reliance on Han Chinese elites like the Zengs to suppress rebellions, even as it feared their power. For Zeng Guofan, the ordeal reinforced a bitter truth—loyalty was transactional. His diary oscillated between resentment and performative gratitude, embodying the Confucian ideal of swallowing humiliation.

Yet the court’s paranoia proved self-defeating. By alienating its most capable defenders, the Qing sowed seeds of its eventual collapse. The Nanjing aftermath wasn’t merely a political clash—it was a rehearsal for the dynasty’s unravelling, where survival hinged not on unity, but on mastering the art of tīng.

—
Word count: 1,520
Key themes: Qing dynasty politics, Han-Manchu tensions, military leadership, Confucian resilience