1 2 ▁in ▁a ▁land - hold ing ▁family ▁in ▁X i ang y in ▁County , ▁Hun an ▁Province . ▁His ▁family ▁paid ▁for ▁him ▁to ▁attend ▁a ▁local ▁private ▁school ▁starting ▁from ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁five , ▁where ▁he ▁master ed ▁the ▁Conf u cian ▁class ics . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 0 , ▁he ▁qualified ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Academy . ▁ ▁Zu o ' s ▁career ▁got ▁an ▁in aus p icious ▁start ▁when , ▁in ▁his ▁youth , ▁he ▁failed ▁the ▁imperial ▁exam ination ▁seven ▁times ▁( ca .   1 8 2 2 – 1 8 3 5 ). ▁He ▁decided ▁to ▁abandon ▁his ▁plans ▁to ▁become ▁an ▁official ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁his ▁home ▁by ▁the ▁X i ang ▁River ▁to ▁farm ▁sil kw orm s , ▁read , ▁and ▁drink ▁tea . ▁It ▁was ▁during ▁this ▁period ▁that ▁he ▁first ▁directed ▁his ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁Western ▁sciences ▁and ▁political ▁economy . ▁ ▁Ta ip ing ▁Reb ell ion ▁When ▁the ▁Ta ip ing ▁Reb ell ion ▁broke ▁out ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁Zu o , ▁then ▁ 3 8 ▁years ▁old , ▁was ▁h ired ▁as ▁an ▁ad visor ▁to ▁Z eng ▁Gu of an , ▁the ▁governor ▁of ▁Hun an . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁formally ▁offered ▁a ▁position ▁in ▁the ▁provincial ▁government ▁of ▁Hun an . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 0 , ▁Zu o ▁was ▁given ▁command ▁of ▁a ▁force ▁of