The Complete Biography of Cao Cao

Chapter 12 Advocating Literature: Promoting Learning and Emphasizing Talents

A man of many talents, good at literature and martial arts, good at civil engineering
We have always called Cao Cao a statesman and military strategist, because he laid the foundation of Wei State by himself, and he is highly admired by future generations.In fact, all outstanding people in history are versatile people, and Cao Cao is no exception.

1. Good temperament

Cao Cao's music level is very high, on par with Tong Huan Tan and Cai Yong.Huan Tan, courtesy name Junshan, was a philosopher and Confucian scholar in the early Eastern Han Dynasty. His father was Tai Le Ling.It is known in history that "Tan Yifu was appointed as a man, because of his good temperament, he was good at playing the piano"; Cai Yong, courtesy name Bojie, was an official to Zuo Zhonglang general, a writer in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, and was known in history as "Miaocao's temperament".Huan Tan and Cai Yong are both famous musicians.

First of all, he likes to use the tunes of Yuefu poems to compose poems and tunes.There are more than [-] poems handed down from Cao Cao, most of which are written according to Yuefu tunes.For example, "Jing Lie" and "Moshang Sang" belong to Yuefu's "Xianghege·Xianghequ", "Autumn Hu Xing" belongs to "Xianghege·Qingdiaoqu", "Shanzai Xing" and "Step Out of Xiamen Xing" belong to "Xianghege" "Qing Shang Opera · Se Diao" and so on.Cao Cao "ascends to compose poems, and creates new poems, which are orchestrated by him, and all of them become music."It can be seen that his poems are songs that can be accompanied by Yuefu tunes.Cao Cao loves music, and he not only gets pleasure from it, but also inspires his passion to sing and sing.The reason why I can still see Cao Cao's majestic and majestic poems is that it is inseparable from his love of music.

Secondly, Cao Cao likes to express his will through singing.Cao Cao often said that "poetry expresses ambition".When he was depressed and happy, he often sang while drinking.For example, "Duan Ge Xing" said, "When you sing about wine, how much life is! For example, the dew in the morning, the past is bitter. Generosity should be generous, and worries and thoughts will be unforgettable. How to relieve worries, only Du Kang (wine)." It reflects the situation when you are depressed. ; "Shanzai Xing", "The morning and the sun are happy, and you don't know if you are drunk. The sad strings excite the new sound, and the flute blows the air. The stringed songs are touching, and all four people are happy." It reflects the situation when the mood is happy.He also likes to entertain guests with music, "I have guests, play the zither and the sheng".Cao Cao often mentioned in his poems that "songs express aspirations" and "songs express aspirations", which is also a reflection of his emotions.

Cao Cao not only liked music when he was alive, but even hoped to hear beautiful singing after his death.Therefore, he left a will during his lifetime: "My maidservants and concubines and prostitutes are all hard-working. They use the Tongque Terrace and treat them kindly. Set up a six-foot bed on the platform hall, set up a tent, and preserve the genus in the morning and evening. On the fifteenth day of the lunar month From dawn to noon, they often play music in the tent." It can be seen that he has a deep love for music.

Third, attach importance to musical talents.Cao Cao loved and cherished talents all his life, especially those who shared the same hobbies as himself, and he would reuse them even more.For example, Ruan Yu and Du Kui all received special attention from him.Ruan Yu, one of the seven sons of Jian'an, wrote excellent articles, as mentioned above.And because he is a student of Cai Yong, he is "good at interpreting sounds and can play the piano", so he is very musical.Once, when Cao Cao was entertaining guests, he was very upset because Yu didn't take the initiative to talk to him, so he "made the list of skilled people" and arranged him with his fellow skilled people.Unexpectedly, Ruan Yu sang while touching the strings, with a wonderful voice.Cao Cao was very happy after hearing this.

Du Kui, whose style name is Gongliang, was born in Henan. At the end of the Han Dynasty, he regarded his bosom friend as Ya Lelang, and fled to Jingzhou to escape the war. He is engaged in music creation, it can be said that people make the best of their talents.

2. Proficient in calligraphy

Cao Cao's calligraphy has always been praised by famous scholars.Yu Jianwu, a Liang native in the Southern Dynasties, divided calligraphers into upper, middle, and lower grades in "Book Pin", and each grade was divided into upper, middle, and lower, a total of nine grades. Cao Cao was included in the middle class, and he was praised as "Wei Zhu (operating) pen and ink Xiongzhan".Zhang Huaijin of the Tang Dynasty wrote "Shu Duan", which divided calligraphy into three grades: divine, wonderful, and capable.It can be seen that in the eyes of Tang people, Cao Cao's calligraphy is also highly praised.

Cao Cao liked calligraphy, which also influenced his sons.It is said that Cao Zhi's handwriting is very good, so Zhang Huaijin's "Shu Duan" stated that Cao Cao's son, Cao Zhi, "also works in calligraphy", and even affected the appointment and selection of subordinates.

At that time, there were two famous calligraphers, Zhong Yao and Liang Hu.Zhong Yao was already a servant of the minister before Cao Cao took over the Han Dynasty.After Cao Cao took control of the central government, he supervised the affairs of Guanzhong with a low profile, and made many contributions. He worshiped the former military adviser and later moved to the prime minister.It can be seen that Zhong Yao is a figure with great political achievements.Zhong Yao did not start with calligraphy, but his calligraphy has had a great influence on both the present and future generations.In the history of calligraphy, Zhong Yao and Zhang Zhi are called "Zhong Zhang" together, and Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty is called "Zhong Wang" together.Such calligraphy achievements will certainly make Cao Cao, who also likes calligraphy, look at him differently.

Liang Hu was good at calligraphy, and Cao Cao hung Liang Hu's characters in the tent and nailed them to the wall.He also asked him to inscribe all the plaques of Wei Palace.It can be seen how much he appreciates good calligraphy.

Cao Cao even imposed strict calligraphy requirements on officials.If the handwriting of the documents from the downstream to the upward is not well written, the relevant personnel will be punished.If Cao Cao's own handwriting was not a bit proud, Cao Cao, who has always been strict in law, would not have such a request.

Few of Cao Cao's characters survive, but since Tang people still commented on Cao Cao's characters, it is not difficult to see that there must have been many people studying and researching his characters at that time.

3. Good at civil engineering

Wang Shen's "Book of Wei" said that Cao Cao "constructed palaces, repaired and repaired equipment, and did everything according to the law, and did everything he wanted."This shows that he is a fairly good construction "engineer", and it is indeed the case.

In the winter of the 15th year of Jian'an (210 A.D.), Cao Cao built Tongque Terrace in Yecheng.The construction of Tongque Terrace was firstly to show that he would build Ye as a new important political center and his long-term residence; secondly, to show his power through the actual image.Therefore, he is also quite concerned about the construction of this station.

The Tongque Terrace is ten feet high, surrounded by 120 halls, and a large Tongque is built on the roof, with its wings as if flying.The exquisiteness of the building is no longer seen today, but Cao Zhi’s "Ode to the Stage" is full of majesty and grandeur. It can be seen that Cao Cao made real efforts on Tongque Terrace.

Tongque Terrace is Cao Cao's masterpiece of architectural art.In addition, there are Jinhu, Bingjing Ertai, and Jianshi Palace, which started construction in Luoyang in his later years, all of which were planned by him.It can be seen that Cao Cao also has a lot of research on civil engineering.

In addition, Cao Cao has many skills.He is good at martial arts, "extremely talented, shooting birds with his hands, bowing birds and beasts"; he is also very good at Go, and can compete with the world's masters;Not only that, but he can also combine what he has learned with the war and apply it to practice.When fighting, water and soil constructions are often made according to the time and place, or as tunnels, or ditches, or tree fences as corridors, or gathering sand to form barriers, all of which are perfect and useful.

The leader of the second literary circle, the leader of Jian'an literature

In Zhong Rong's "Poetry", there is: "Jian'an, Cao Gong and his sons, love gentlemen. Pingyuan brothers (Zhi Zengfeng Pingyuanhou), Yu is Wendong. Liu Zhen and Wang Can are their wings. The dragon entrusts the phoenix, and since it belongs to the car, there are hundreds of covers. The prosperity of Binbin is ready at the time." records.It can be seen that the literati group in Yecheng was already quite large at that time.

So, why is there such a group of literati with a long history?Cao Zhi mentioned in the "Book with Yang Dezu" to Yang Xiu that "Xi Zhongxuan (Wang Can) was unique in Hannan, Kong Zhang (Chen Lin) was famous in Heshuo, Wei Chang (Xu Qian) was good at Qingtu, Gonggan (Liu Zhen) vibrated algae in the corner of the sea, Delian (Ying Yu) made his fortune in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and his foot (referring to Yang Xiu) looked up to Shangjing. At this time, everyone claimed to hold the pearl of the snake, and every family said that Holding the jade from Jingshan Mountain, my king (referring to Cao Cao) set up a skynet to capture it, and covered it with eight holes, and now it is all gathered in the country."

That is to say, the reason why Yecheng is full of talents is inseparable from Cao Cao's extensive recruitment.Cao Zhi lamented that Cao Cao's method was to lay a net.Although it is a bit exaggerated, it is quite reasonable based on Cao Cao's acting style.Naturally, Cao Cao's two sons, Cao Pi and Cao Zhi brothers, also played a very important role in the formation of this group, but the relationship between Cao Pi and the seven sons is closer than that between Cao Zhi and the seven sons.Therefore, it is especially sad to read his articles on the memory of Zhuzi.Cao Pi wrote in a letter to Wu Zhi:

In the past, due to the disease and epidemic, many relatives and relatives were away from the disaster. Xu, Chen, Ying, and Liu all passed away in a short time. How can there be evil?In the past, when you traveled, you would travel with the same people, and when you stopped, you would receive the banquet.Every time the wine is popular, the silk and bamboo are played together, the wine is hot and the ears are hot, and the poems are written on the back.At this time, I suddenly didn't know that I was happy.It is said that a hundred years have been divided, and we can protect each other for a long time. It is sad to say that it has been scattered and completely exhausted in a few years.

The sentences in the letter are vivid and sincere, and Cao Pi's core role and organizational role can be said to be vivid on paper.Some scholars also said that they wrote poems together with Cao Pi all night long, such as Liu Zhen's poem "Zeng Wu Gong Zhong Lang Jiang" said: "The cool wind blows the sand and gravel, and the frost is so white. The bright moon shines on the curtain, and the lanterns disperse the flames." Hui. The poems are full of chapters, and I don’t know how to return all night. The prince (Cao Pi) is so brave and elegant. The little ministers believe in stubbornness, and the striders are able to chase them.” This shows that the scholars not only admire Cao Pi, but also feel the same as him. It is very happy to write poems together, so I consciously unite around him.

Cao's father and son and Jian'an sons jointly founded An Wenxue, and Cao Cao was the founder and leader without hesitation.Cao Cao surrounded these talented literati by his side and put them under his command. He not only provided them with the conditions for creation, but also taught them by precept and example, or asked them to write essays with his son, or to show their poems to the public.Therefore, we can clearly see that although the style of writing in the Jian'an era is fundamentally dictated by the times, it is closely related to Cao Cao's advocacy and invisible influence.Therefore, we might as well say that the so-called "Jian'an character" is first of all Cao Cao's poetic character.

Among the seven sons, Kong Rong is the eldest.He is knowledgeable and has the best literary talent.Although he was killed in the mid-Jian'an period, his literary influence was far-reaching.Cao Pi said, "Kong Rong's temperament is superb, and those who are superior to others can't argue, and the reasoning is so overwhelming that they are mixed with ridicule; if he is good at the time, Yang (Xiong) and Ban (Gu) are also." Cao Pi affirmed Kong Rong's article, but at the same time pointed out the major shortcomings of Kong Rong's article, that is, "too many words to reason".In layman's terms, although Kong Rong's articles are rich in rhetoric, he likes to use strong words to make sense, and "mixes them with ridicule".However, we can also see from the only surviving works that have been handed down that Kong Rong's poems are not lacking in straightforwardness and Jian'an style.

In the ninth year of Jian'an (AD 204), he wrote "On Sheng Xiao Zhang Shu" to Cao Cao, which is an outstanding prose work.

The years do not live, the seasons flow like a stream, and the fifty years have come suddenly.The public (practice) is the beginning of fullness, and the second is the end of Rong.Domestic knowledge (referring to people who know each other) is scattered, but Sheng Xiaozhang in Kuaiji still exists.

Although there are not many words, the feeling of lamenting the vicissitudes of time passing by like a fleeting horse and the sudden arrival of old age is vivid on the paper.Kong Rong's article was three years earlier than Cao Cao's "The martyr is old and full of ambition", and Kong Rong is two years older than Cao Cao.In other words, both of them expressed similar emotions when they were 50 years old, which makes people unavoidably think of their similarities in thought.

Wang Can, whose courtesy name is Zhongxuan, "is good at prose, and it can be done by just lifting a pen, without any modification. People at that time often thought it was a long-term structure, but it can't be added if he is correct and refined." His poems and essays are more expressive than Kong Rong's. It has more "sadness and vicissitudes" atmosphere, so it is more connected with Cao Cao's works, or is greatly influenced by Cao Cao.Wang Can's representative works include "Poem of Seven Sorrows" and "Fu on Climbing the Tower".

There is no chaos in Xijing, and jackals and tigers are in trouble.Abandon China and commit myself to Jingman.My relatives feel sorry for me, and my friends chase after me.When you go out, you can't see anything, and the plain is covered by bones.There is a hungry woman on the road, her baby is abandoned in the grass.The consultant cried out, and she didn't return her tears.How can the two phases be completed without knowing the body and death?I can't bear to hear this when I drive my horse away.Going south to the bank of Baling, looking back at Chang'an, realizing the people in the spring below, I feel sad. ("Seven Lamentations")
Wang Can has the greatest achievement among the seven sons of Jian'an, but his style is also the most similar to Cao Cao.There are of course many reasons. Xie Lingyun, a Song native of the Southern Dynasties, once analyzed in "The Preface to the Poems of Wei Prince Yezhong": "Wang Can, whose family origin is Qinchuan, and the descendants of the noble son, lived in turbulence, and suffered a lot of self-inflicted injuries." This shows that It is determined by the characteristics of the times and its own experience.Second, it should be the common "strength of character" of the literati in Yecheng, which was a kind of ethos at that time, and Cao Cao, with his consistent domineering and supreme authority, naturally exerted the greatest influence on this literary ethos.

Ruan Yu, courtesy name Yuanyu, once served as a sacrificial wine for Cao Cao's Sikong with Chen Lin. "The Taizu tried to make Li write a book with Han Sui. At that time, the Taizu came out and accompanied him. Because the horse had grass, the book was presented. The Taizu wanted to have a certain decision, and the competition could not increase or decrease." This shows that First, Ruan Yu's articles are well written, concise and clear, and it is not easy to add or delete a word; second, Ruan Yu can deeply understand Cao Cao's thoughts, and is quite good at Cao Cao's writing style.

Chen Lin, courtesy name Kong Zhang.About him, he first followed Yuan Shao and then returned to Cao Cao. He was appreciated by Cao Cao for his work on "Discussing Cao Xiwen".Chen Lin's famous poem should be the ancient Yuefu title "Drinking Horses and Walking in the Great Wall Caves":
The Great Wall stretches for three thousand miles.There are many healthy people in the border towns, and there are many widows in the inner houses.Write a book and house in the house, "Marry and don't keep it. Good deeds for the new girl, always think of my old wife." The newspaper went to the border, "How despicable is the king's words now!" Detain his family’s children? Be careful not to give birth to a boy, but to feed a daughter. You don’t see the bones of the dead at the Great Wall!” Complete?"

The words of this poem are handsome and refreshing, like a lone crane in the sky, soaring to the sky, and its sound is heard in the sky.It can be seen that Chen Lin's writing and poems are almost as famous as Han Dynasty, and also have the style of Ye Xia, because there are many rhymes of Cao's family.

Liu Zhen, styled Gonggan, and Yingcheng styled Delian, both had literary names, so they were all highly valued by Cao Cao, and both were appointed as the prime minister's vassal.

Xu Gan, courtesy name Weichang, is the only one of the "Seven Sons of Jian'an" who did not become an official.Therefore, Cao Pi said in "Book with Wu Zhi": "Looking at the ancient and modern literati, they do not care about their deeds, and they are rarely able to stand on their own. But Wei Chang, who is alone in his writing and quality, calm and few desires, has the ambition of Jishan, he can be called a gentle gentleman. He has written more than [-] chapters of "Zhong Lun", with elegant diction and meaning, enough to be passed on to later generations."

In addition to the well-known Jian'an Seven Sons, the articles of Yingchuan Handan Chun, Fanqin, Chen Liulucui, Peiguo Dingyi, Ding Zhen, Hongnong Yangxiu, and Hanoi Xunwei are all outstanding.In addition, brothers Ding Yi and Yang Xiu are also quite famous.

In short, the Jian'an period was a golden age in the history of Chinese literature, and achieved remarkable achievements.The country has never been unified, and Cao Cao has made great achievements in the period of continuous war. Cao Cao is recognized as the organizer and leader of Jian'an literature.

Three good at poetry
Cao Cao was not only the advocate of Jian'an literature, the organizer of Jian'an literati, but also the leader of Jian'an literary circles.He has a high literary and artistic accomplishment, especially in poetry, his attainments and achievements are more prominent.

In the Han Dynasty, poetry mainly used four characters.Cao Cao was not only good at writing four-character poems, but also advocated writing five-character poems, which established the status of five-character poems in Chinese classical poetry.

Cao Cao's "Guan Canghai", "Gui Shishou" and "Duan Ge Xing" ("Singing to Wine") are masterpieces of four-character poems.In addition, the second part of "Autumn Hu Xing" is also a positive work.The poem says:

Don't mourn the past (don't mourn because of old age),

Worried about the world (just worried about this chaotic society).

life and death (life and death are natural things),
Think about it as evil (if you keep thinking about such things, it is very stupid).

This poem was probably written in 215 AD when Cao Cao was 60 years old when he was conquering Zhang Lu.These few poems express Cao Cao's spirit of helping the world, worrying about the people, being ambitious, disregarding life and death, and actively striving.

Cao Cao was the first poet in Chinese history who focused on using five-character poems to reflect social reality and express his feelings and ambitions.As mentioned in the relevant chapters above, "Scallion Dew", "Que Dongximen Journey", "Bitter Cold Journey", etc., are all excellent works with profound content, powerful artistic conception and simple language.

"Xielu" (the second half) describes the serious consequences caused by Dong Zhuo's rebellion; "Que Dongximen Xing" describes the suffering of wandering and nostalgia for joining the army; and inner feelings.They are all realistic poems that reveal social chaos and describe military life.In particular, the two poems "Haoli" and "Xielu" can be said to be masterpieces of Cao Cao's poetry.

The content of the poem "Haoli" is:

There are righteous men in Kanto, and they raise troops to fight against the gangsters.

In the early days, when I met with Tianjin, my heart was in Xianyang.

The army is not in the same strength, hesitates and walks wildly.

Snobbery makes people fight, and heirs kill each other.

The title of Huainan's younger brother is engraved in the north.

Armor gives birth to lice, and thousands of surnames die.

The bones are exposed in the wild, and there is no cock crowing for thousands of miles.

Life and people are left with one hundred, and the thought of it will break the human gut.

This poem truly reflects the historical facts of the late Han Dynasty, from the struggle of relatives and eunuchs to Dong Zhuo's rebellion and warlords' melee, which caused serious disasters to the society and the people.In the struggle for hegemony, there are few people who are sympathetic to the people and think about the common people. Cao Cao is one of them. The poem "Haoli" is a reflection of Cao Cao's true inner feelings, expressing Cao Cao's determination and desire to wipe out all heroes, stabilize the society, and maintain unity. It is a true historical portrayal of the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

This poem closely combines the description of Cao Cao's personal experience and thoughts with the revealing description of objective reality, which is a notable feature of Cao Cao's realistic poetry.

"Bitter Cold Journey" is one of Cao Cao's most popular poems.

How difficult it is to go north to the Taihang Mountains!Yang Changban heckled and bent, and the wheels were destroyed.How bleak the trees are, how sad the north wind is!Xiong Wei squatted at me, and tigers and leopards squatted on the road.There are few people in the valley, and the snow falls He Feifei!Extending the neck and sighing, traveling far is full of thoughts.Why am I depressed?Thinking about returning home.The water is deep, the bridge is dead, and the middle road is wandering.Confused and lost the way, no place to live in the evening.The day of the journey is far away, and the people and horses are hungry at the same time.Take the bag to get the salary, and hold the ax and ice to make money.Sadly, the poem "Dongshan" makes me sad.

This poem is written in the first month of the 11th year of Jian'an (AD 206), and it is about Cao Cao's departure from Ye and going north to Taihang Mountain to conquer senior officials.The description of the pain of recruiting people in the poem reveals a realistic style. The combination of chilling weather, steep terrain and people's mood makes people feel like they are on the scene.The end of the poem expresses the author's sense of the suffering of the war and his desire to end the war with war.

It can be seen from this that Cao Cao is very good at extracting materials from chaotic and complicated events and changing personal relationships, concentrating on typical examples, and his writing is simple, close to the facts and not lacking in literary talent.Therefore, it is said that Cao Cao advocated realism and had a positive influence on the literary creation of later generations.

In addition, Cao Cao also has quite romantic poems handed down.Most of his poems expressing ideals and fairy tales express his ideals and moods in a romantic way, thus enhancing the appeal of his poems.For example, "Dairy Wine" expresses one's own ideals, making a beautiful society where officials do not call the door, leaders are virtuous and ministers are good, people do not fight, do not pick up lost things on the road, and benefit all things in the world.And in "Singing out of Qi · [-]", "Driving six dragons, riding the wind, the eight countries under the road. After climbing high mountains and facing valleys, traveling by clouds." Soaring clouds and fog, traveling in all directions, how carefree.These descriptions are all illusory, but it reveals a yearning for life.A feeling of worry and indignation that cannot be rewarded is hidden in it, which is quite artistic.

Cao Cao also often "expresses his aspirations in poetry".In his poems, "songs express aspirations", "fortunately, even a song expresses aspirations" and so on are not empty words, but contain actual content.First, it shows that what is said in the poem is completely from the heart; second, it reflects the poet's literary thought, that is, to promote the traditional view of "poetry expresses ambition" that has existed in China since ancient times, and implement it in his own in his poems.We can clearly see or experience this point in all Cao Cao's poems, even including Xianyou poems.Among them, the one that best embodies his expressing his aspirations in poetry is "The Life of a Turtle":
old man,

Aim for thousands of miles.

martyr old age,

Ambitious.

Here Cao Cao has achieved the perfect unity of content and form, which has a great appeal.

Si Wenji Returns to the Han Literary Circles in the Past Dynasties

During the Jian'an period, there was a famous female writer, Cai Yan, named Wenji, who was born in Chenliuyu (now south of Qixian County, Henan Province).Cai Yan is proficient in temperament, erudite and talented, especially in poetry.

Once, Cai Yong was playing the piano, and Cai Yan was listening in another room.Cai Yong accidentally broke the second string, Cai Yan immediately said: "It is the second string that is broken." Cai Yong deliberately broke another string, and she immediately said: "This is the fourth string." The root string is broken." Cai Yong was very happy, so he focused on cultivating her talents in literature and music.

After Dong Zhuo was killed by Wang Yun, Cai Yong felt that although Dong Zhuo was a traitor, he treated him well, so he couldn't help sighing.Wang Yun immediately arrested him when he knew about it. Cai Yong admitted his mistake and was willing to complete the writing of the history book "Records of the Later Han Dynasty" as a prisoner. Many ministers in the court also interceded for Cai Yong, but Wang Yun disagreed. , It is also wrong to even think that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty did not kill Sima Qian and let "slander books" like "Historical Records" be passed on to later generations.Cai Yong eventually died in prison.

Cai Yan's life was full of ill-fated fate.She first married Wei Zhongdao, a native of Hedong, and Wei Zhongdao died soon after.She had no children and was young and widowed, so she had to return to her natal family.After the death of his father, the Guanzhong warlords fought.The people migrated everywhere.Cai Wenji also fled with the refugees, was captured by the "Hu Bing" in the Liangzhou Army, and was exiled to the Southern Huns. She married the Zuoxian King of the Southern Huns and gave birth to two sons. She stayed in the Southern Huns.

In the 12th year of Jian'an (207 A.D.), Cao Cao sent envoys to the Southern Huns and proposed to take Cai Wenji back with generous gifts.Cai Wenji was very excited when she found out, and she wished she could go home right away.But King Zuo Xian only agreed to let Cai Wenji go back to the Central Plains, but he did not allow his two sons to go with him.Cai Wenji is of course very happy to have the opportunity to return to her hometown in the Central Plains, but she is saddened to have her leave her own flesh and blood.But in the end she returned to the Central Plains resolutely.

After Cai Wenji returned to Yecheng, Cao Cao saw that she was lonely, so he married her to Dong Si, the governor of Tuntian, and re-established a family for her.

Later, Dong Si was arrested for breaking the law and was sentenced to death according to the law.Cai Wenji ran to Cao Cao desperately to intercede.At that time, Cao Cao was having a banquet in the mansion, and the officials and celebrities gathered together.Cao Cao heard that Cai Wenji asked to see him, and knew that many people present knew Cai Yong, so he said to the guests: "Cai Bojie's (Cai Yong's word Bojie)'s daughter wants to see me outside, so I just invite her in for everyone to meet." Meet."

When Cai Wenji came to the hall, her hair was disheveled, her face was pale, her body was thin, and her feet were bare. All the guests were surprised when they saw her.She knelt in front of Cao Cao, kowtowed to plead guilty, and her words were mournful.Cao Cao nodded after listening to her complaint, and said, "Your complaint is sincere and sympathetic, but the document of conviction has already been approved. What can we do?"

Cai Wenji saw that Cao Cao's attitude had softened, so she continued to plead, "Minggong raised tens of thousands of horses and had many soldiers, why didn't he send someone to chase them back on fast horses?" Cao Cao was deeply moved when he heard this, and immediately wrote a pardon order, He sent people flying horses to recover Wen, and pardoned Dong Si's capital crime.

Cao Cao paid special attention to Cai Yong's original collection of books, so he asked Cai Wenji: "I heard that my wife's family used to have a lot of books. After several wars, how many are still preserved? Can you still recall the contents of those books?"
Cai Wenji replied: "My father left me more than 4000 volumes of books during his lifetime, but after many disasters, none of the volumes were lost. Now I can only memorize more than 400 volumes."

Cao Cao has always liked reading, and it is a pity to hear that so many books have been lost.Hearing that Cai Wenji could recite so much, she happily said: "Okay, okay, I will send someone to my wife's house right away to help you copy down all the recited content and pass it on to future generations."

Cai Wenji replied: "The "Book of Rites" says, 'Men and women are different, and the etiquette cannot be taught personally'. Please ask Minggong to give me some paper and pen, and let me copy it at home. I will definitely present it after I write it." Cao Cao Nodding in agreement.Soon, Cai Wenji copied all the hundreds of documents she memorized and gave them to Cao Cao. Cao Cao was very satisfied after reading them.

Cai Wenji is not only an erudite and intelligent woman in ancient my country, but also a famous female poet in the Jian'an period. Her representative work is "Poetry of Sadness and Indignation".

The Han Dynasty lost power, and Dong Zhuo was in chaos.If you want to usurp and murder, you will first kill all the virtuous.Forced to relocate to the old state, and support the master to strengthen himself.Overseas Xingyi teachers want to discuss the ominous together.Zhuo Zhong came to the east, and the golden armor shined in the sun.The Pingtu people are weak, and all the soldiers who come are Hu and Qiang.Lie Ye besieged the city, and everything was ruined.Cut off without leaving any remains, and the corpses support each other.The man's head hangs beside the horse, and the woman is carried behind the horse.Drive west and enter the pass, the road back is dangerous and obstructed.Also Gu Miao Mingming, the liver and spleen are rotten.There are thousands of plans, so they are not allowed to gather together.Or have flesh and blood, want to speak but dare not speak.Frustrated for a few moments, he often talked about disadvantages and surrendered to captives.If you want to use a pavilion blade, I will not live with you.How dare you cherish your life, you can't bear the scolding.Or add a stick, poisonous pain and pain.At dawn, weep and walk, at night, weep and sit.If you want to die, you can't get it, if you want to live, you can't have anything.He Gu, who is in the sky, suffered from this disaster.Frontier barrenness is different from China, and human customs have little meaning.There is a lot of frost and snow in the place, and Hu Feng starts in spring and summer.Lightly blowing on my clothes, solemnly into my ears.When I miss my parents, I lament endlessly.There are guests from outside, and they are always happy to hear.When I asked about his news, I was no longer in the village.When I meet you, I would like to welcome myself with my own flesh and blood.If you have to save yourself, you should abandon your son.Heaven belongs to people's hearts, and there is no meeting time for thinking about others.Life and death are always separated, and I can't bear to say goodbye to him.He hugged my neck in front of my son and asked what my mother wanted.People say that the mother should go, and there is no time to return.Grandmother is always kind and sympathetic, so why not be kind now.I'm not yet an adult, so I don't care about it.Seeing this collapse within five years, I am in a trance and become mad.Boohoo hand caresses, when you send a reply.Both have contemporaries, and say goodbye to each other.I am alone to return, and the wailing is broken.A horse hesitates to stand, and a cart does not turn.The viewers are all hesitant, and weep as they walk.Go and cut love, Trent conquers the sun.Three thousand miles away, when will the rendezvous be resumed?Thinking that I am out of my belly, my chest is destroyed.Even when the family is exhausted, there is no Chinese or foreign.The city outline is a mountain forest, and the courtyard is full of thorns and moxa.The bones of the dead don't know anyone, and they can't cover them vertically and horizontally.There is no sound when you go out, and the jackal howls and barks.Standing alone against the lonely scene, swaying the liver and lungs.Climbing high and looking far away, the soul and spirit suddenly fly away.If you are at the end of your life, others will be lenient.In order to re-strengthen the interest, what is the use of life.Entrust your life to the newcomers and do your best to encourage yourself.Displacement becomes despicable, often fearing that it will be donated again.When is your life, worry about your age.

The long poem begins with the cruelty of Dong Zhuo's Liangzhou army and Cai Yan's capture by the Liangzhou army's rebellious soldiers, and then writes about the tragic situation of being captured by the Huns, thus exposing the cruelty of the Liangzhou army and the Huns, and reflecting the cruelty of being captured by the Liangzhou army. The tragic experience and inhuman life of the captives.In the poem, he also wrote about his homesickness when he was in the Huns.And when he heard that Cao Cao wanted to redeem her to return to Han, and Zuo Xianwang did not agree with the child's return, he used the words "Seeing this collapse, I am in a trance, and I am in a trance. Weeping and stroking her hands, I should send a reply to answer the question." The pain and ambivalence of parting from one's own flesh and blood is vividly displayed.In the end, it is written that she married Dong Si again, and she had a destination, "entrusting her life to the newcomer, and doing her best", but it also faintly revealed the meaning of being afraid of being abandoned because she felt "humble".The description of the whole poem can be described as sincere and sincere, and every sentence is made of the author's blood and tears.

"Poetry of Sorrow and Indignation" reflects the turbulent social situation in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the tragic fate of the people who were displaced and their families were destroyed in the turmoil through the review of their own tragic experiences.It is a lyric poem with strong touching power and high artistic level, and it is a masterpiece of realism in Jian'an literary world.

Cai Wenji's poems embody sincere feelings. When she is sad, she is crying like complaining, and when she is angry, she is surging.This style also had a profound influence on later generations.

Cao Cao's redemption of Cai Wenji was not only his consistent style of loving and cherishing talents, but also made a contribution to the preservation of ancient classics and documents because he felt sad that Cai Yong had no descendants.And Cai Wenji has the opportunity to become the first outstanding female poet in the history of Chinese poetry development, which cannot but be said to be the credit of Cao Cao.Therefore, "Wen Ji returned to Han" was passed down as a good story in history.

(End of this chapter)