Faced with the heavy obstruction of the feudal die-hards in the Qing court, Li Hongzhang once plausibly put forward that "it is sacred to talk about westernization today." In his view, in the process of pursuing self-improvement, we must adhere to the general program of westernization, that is, in the environment of being surrounded by foreign powers and increasing foreign aggression, we should make maximum use of the diplomatic means of "controlling foreign countries" to win as much peaceful time as possible for China's westernization-self-improvement. To this end, he spent his whole life as a diplomatic expert and handled many important diplomatic negotiations. At that time, Zeng Guofan suffered from lung disease, lived in a temple in the south of the city, and talked with Confucian scholar Liu about Confucian classics. Guobao Temple, also known as Ciren Temple, was once the residence of thinkers in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. In the face of internal and external troubles, Zeng Guofan's strong sense of participation made him self-evident. In addition to the three traditional academic standards of righteousness, rhetoric and examination put forward by Yao Nai of Tongcheng School, he clearly added "Jing", that is, the study of applying what he has learned. Li Hongzhang and Zeng Guofan not only "obeyed day and night, but also stressed the knowledge of justice and reason", but also ordered the editing and collation of miscellaneous notes on classics and history according to the new purpose of academic research. Therefore, Zeng Guofan called him a "gifted scholar" many times, and he was also called "Four Gentlemen of Ding Wei" with contemporary scholars Guo Songtao, Chen Nai and Shuai Yuanduo. Since the Taiping Army, Zeng and Li have successively returned to their hometowns to defect, and their experiences of training the Xiang Army have been solemnly reported to Li Hongzhang, which shows their ardent expectations.