The Complete Biography of Cao Cao

Chapter 13 Promoting Talents: Seeking Talents and Desiring to Recruit Talents

If you are looking for talents, if you are thirsty, you will recruit good men from all over the world

The battle of the world is actually a battle of talents.When heroes contend for hegemony, the final winner is often not the bravest, but the best at employing people.The most famous is Liu Bang. He has neither great talent nor great virtue, but he can make good use of Zhang Liang, Han Xin and others to seize the world.

Cao Cao is a far-sighted statesman and quite knowledgeable. He has learned a lot of experience and lessons from the classics of the ancients. Therefore, he pays more attention to the collection and use of talents. This is the reason why Cao Cao can be passed down as a hero through the ages one.

When Cao Cao first started the incident, his group was still small, and he could personally handle specific military and political affairs. At this time, he was both a commander and a counselor.Later, with so many soldiers and so many powers, it was impossible to cover everything, so he put himself in the position of commander-in-chief, and put his generals in the ranks of generals.The difference between a commander-in-chief and a general is that the former gives orders and the latter executes them.At this time, he became more aware of the importance and urgency of attracting talents and recruiting talents.In fact, the reason why Cao Cao was able to destroy Yuan Shao, Lu Bu and other large and small warlords, threatened Jiangdong, captured Xiliang, and achieved great success.One main reason is that he is better at recruiting and using talents than Liu Bei and Sun Quan.That is to say, Cao Cao wins in "seeking his people".

Cao Cao always regarded the recruitment of talents as a major event. Every time he got a talent, he often got carried away, and was even happier than winning a battle.

In the 13th year of Jian'an (208 A.D.), after Cao Cao occupied Jingzhou, he was rewarded one by one for his achievements, and 15 people including Kuai Yue were granted the title of Marquis.Kuaiyue, with a different character, was originally Dongcaoyu of General He Jin.He once persuaded He Jin to punish the eunuch, but He Jin was hesitant. Kuai Yue knew that he would be defeated, so he ran away to Liu Biao and became Liu Biao's important adviser.A person who loves talents like Cao Cao has long wanted to get Kuai Yue.After pacifying Jingzhou, he appointed Kuai Yue as Guang Luxun, and said happily, "I am not so happy because I got Jingzhou, but because I got Kuai Yidu." It can be seen that Cao Cao regards getting talents more than territory. More importantly, the so-called "getting a city and a pool is easy, but it is difficult to get a talent".

In addition, Jingzhou celebrity Han Song has also been reused.Han Song, courtesy name Degao, and Kuai Yue persuaded Liu Biao to join Cao Cao during the Battle of Guandu.Liu Biao couldn't make up his mind, so he decided to send Han Song to Cao Cao to find out what was true.Han Song declined and said:

"If the general really intends to join Cao Cao, you can send me there. If you don't make up your mind, but just listen to Cao Cao's tone, it is best not to send me. Because after I arrive in Xudu, if the court gives me an official position, I have no choice but to obey, in this case, I will no longer be able to serve the general. I hope the general will consider it carefully!"

Liu Biao still insisted that Han Song go. Sure enough, after Han Song arrived in Xudu, he was appointed as Shizhong and Lingling prefect.Liu Biao wanted to kill Han Song, but Han Song spoke first, and everyone pleaded for mercy, so he was only imprisoned in the end.After Cao Cao arrived in Jingzhou, he immediately released Han Song from prison.When Han Song was convalescing, Cao Cao had already granted him the seal of Dahongyu, and asked Han Song to comment on the merits of Jingzhou scholars, and all those recommended by Han Song would be appointed, which shows that Cao Cao attached great importance to and trusted Han Song.

It can be seen that Cao Cao's desire for talents is the first.With the expansion of the site and the gathering of talents, the effective management of many talented people has become a top priority.Cao Cao paid attention to the role of Dongcao and Xicao, that is, the personnel department.The smooth implementation of Cao Cao's "talent-based" employment policy is largely due to the officials of Eastern and Western Cao.

Cui Yan was the first subordinate selected by Cao Cao.Cui Yan is well-versed in Confucian classics and has an upright nature.He first followed Yuan Shao. After Yuan Shao died, he could not come out to assist Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan on the pretext of illness, so he was imprisoned.After Cao Cao pacified Jizhou, he appointed Cui Yan as Biejia.He proudly said to Cui Yan: "I checked the household registration of Jizhou yesterday, and it is estimated that there are 30 soldiers. It is really a big state!"

After hearing this, Cui Xuan did not cater to Cao Cao, but said sadly: "The world is in chaos today, and the bones of the people in Jizhou are still exposed in the wilderness. I didn't hear that our soldiers condolences to the people and saved the lives of the people, but Minggong is here to calculate the harvest. , Is this what the people are looking forward to?" Cao Cao restrained his complacent face after hearing this, and expressed his apology and thanks to Cui Yan.

Cui Yan has both virtue and talent, and is upright and honest, knowing people and making good use of them.Cao Cao became the queen of Wei and promoted Cui Yan to be a minister, taking full charge of the personnel work of the central government.

Mao Jie, courtesy name Xiaoxian, was born in Pingqiu, Chenliu.He proposed to Cao Cao very early on the suggestion of "serving the emperor to order all the ministers, and cultivating and planting to accumulate military funds", which was adopted by Cao Cao.He is honest and fair, and he is also an official with both ability and political integrity. Cao Cao appreciated him very much and arranged him in the position of Dong Cao.

Mao Jie acted impartially, performed his duties conscientiously, and did not show favoritism.Like Cui Yan, he chose Xiaoshao who has real talents and knowledge, and is honest and upright.Mao Jie also particularly emphasized the integrity of officials and advocated thrift.All the officials of the Manchu Dynasty under his management were honest, thrifty and self-disciplined.Even Cao Cao said with emotion: "Manage people to such a degree that everyone in the world will fulfill their duties and manage themselves well. I have nothing to do!"

Cui Yan and Mao Jie's work in the personnel department can be described as impressive, and they have lived up to Cao Cao's expectations. It can be seen that Cao Cao's vision and ability in selecting talents and appointments are very prominent.It can be said that Cui Yan's success is a microcosm of Cao Cao's success in employing people.

Not only that, Cao Cao mentioned in his poem "Duan Ge Xing": "I have guests, drum music and sheng", which is also a manifestation of his thirst for talent and "poetry expresses his ambition".

The second meritocracy has given many edicts to those who can
Cao Cao emphasized meritocracy, and he appointed all those talents who "sulphured the name, acted in a joke, or were unkind and unfilial but had the skill of governing the country and using soldiers".

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, when the imperial court selected and employed talents, they first paid attention to fame, morality and family kinship, rather than whether it was beneficial to the country.In addition to being famous, he has no political achievements and has made no contribution to the country.Cao Cao saw through the consequences of this phenomenon, so he put forward bold and extraordinary employment standards in several "seeking talents" he issued. "Three Kingdoms · Emperor Wu Ji" records: "If you must be honest and then use it, then how can Qi Huan dominate the world... Only the talent is used, and I will use it"; Scholars may not be able to do well”; “If you are not benevolent or filial, but you have the art of governing the country and using soldiers, your name is known, so don’t forget it.”

The core of Cao Cao's employment is talent-based, that is, regardless of their virtues, as long as they are talented, they will be appointed.This was indeed a subversion of the tradition at the time, and it had an advanced significance.Cao Cao's thinking of employing people is well suited to the atypical period-the eclectic way of selecting and employing people in troubled times, which shows that he is indeed a hero who is good at knowing the current affairs and changing with the times.

The employment policy of "only talent" has indeed brought together a lot of talents for Cao Cao.Some of his main generals were promoted in the army (such as Yu Jin, Le Jin), some had served in the enemy (such as Xun Yu, Guo Jia), and some were found in the surrendered army (such as Zhang Liao, Xu Huang ).It can be said that the sources are extensive and varied.

Guo Jia, styled Fengxiao, was born in Yangzhai, Yingchuan. He had just started working under Yuan Shao's tenure. Unexpectedly, Yuan Shao was short-sighted and indecisive. He was good at planning but difficult to make decisions.Following him was tantamount to ruining his lifelong desire to live in the world, so he resolutely left Yuan Shao, joined Cao Cao on Xun Yu's recommendation, and continued to act as a counselor for Cao.Cao Cao valued him very much, and repeatedly made ingenious schemes to reverse the situation and make the war favorable to Cao's army.Unfortunately, unfortunately, he got sick and died early.As a result, after the failure of the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao cried bitterly to Guo Jia: "If Feng Xiao was there, he would not have been defeated so badly." It can be seen that Cao Cao regretted the rare and early death of a talent like Guo Jia.

In order to recruit talents, Cao Cao issued orders to seek talents many times.In the 11th year of Jian'an (AD 206), Cao Cao ordered local governors to recommend people, whether it was a genius with "beautiful jade" like Jiang Taigong, or a down-and-out capable person like Chen Ping, who could assist in governing the country.Heroes do not dislike low birth, as long as they have the ability, he said that they will be appointed according to their merits.

After the promulgation of this decree, talented people such as Kong Rong and Mi Heng came one after another to offer advice to Cao Cao.Cao Cao also ordered the distribution of "comment forms" to encourage everyone to raise more opinions and accept good words.

In December of the 14th year of Jian'an (209 A.D.), Cao Cao issued his second decree specifically targeting "talent-only promotion": "Decree on Selecting Scholars without Abandoning Short-term Orders", in which he was right about "talented and talented people". The utilitarian policy of employing people without morality has been further elaborated:

Real "talents" will have various shortcomings, and they must not be neglected because of their "average virtues".The officials responsible for the selection and recommendation of talents should deeply understand my heart, so that talented people will not be missed, and the country's major policies can be implemented smoothly.

Cao Cao also gave specific examples: Su Qin has always been despised by scholars of traditional Confucianism in history, mainly because of their bad family background and bad moral character.But Cao Cao publicly stated that such people are urgently needed talents.

In August of the 22nd year of Jian'an (217 A.D.), Cao Cao issued the decree of "not restricting the conduct of the virtuous", and continued to pursue the employment policy of "emphasizing talent and ignoring family background".

It is ideal to have both talents and virtues, but times of war are different from times of peace, and people with "talents but no virtues" can serve the country as long as they are good at using them. Why not make good use of them?Such people are still entrusted with important tasks in special times, and they will cherish the kindness of knowledge and encounter, and bow to their best.Cao Cao's entrustment of people who are "unbenevolent and unfilial but have the skills to govern the country and use soldiers" does reflect his consistent style of "to achieve the goal, never give up".

These three orders for seeking talents are more specific than one, and the mood of seeking talents is becoming more and more urgent.The reason is that, on the one hand, Cao Cao is getting older and older, and the difficulty of completing the task of national reunification seems to be far away (Soochow and Shuhan).Therefore, his mood is vividly displayed in the order of seeking talents.On the other hand, the three countries all attach great importance to talents, and they are constantly competing for talents. Coupled with the passage of time and the devastation of war, talents are becoming more and more difficult to find.Therefore, Cao Cao had to order all his subordinates to try their best to discover and recommend talents, especially the recommendation, and found those wizards and masters who were not used because of such and other problems before, but now hidden among the people.Its ultimate goal is to maximize the development of human resources to meet the ever-expanding needs of talents.

Of course, Cao Cao's "talent-only promotion" does not really abandon tradition, has no bottom line, and does not need morality and personal qualities at all.In the third year of Chuping (192 A.D.), Cao Cao entered Yanzhou. After he became the governor of the state, he appointed Bi Xun from Dongping as a separate driver. Later, Zhang Miao rebelled and detained Bi Xun's mother, younger brother, wife, children and other relatives.When Cao Cao found out, he said to Bi Yan, "Your mother's family has been detained by Zhang Miao. You can go to Zhang Miao's side."

Bi Xun hurriedly thanked him, and said that he had no other intentions, but left as a last resort.Cao Cao was very moved and let him go to Zhang Miao, who knew that Bi Xun went to Zhang Miao immediately.Later, Cao Cao captured Bi Xun alive, and everyone thought that Bi Xun would surely die.But Cao Cao said: "A person who respects his parents will definitely be loyal to his lord. This kind of talent is exactly what I need!"It can be seen that Cao Cao still attaches great importance to traditional morality in employing people.

All these, it is not difficult for us to find that Cao Cao's "only talents" policy has been earnestly implemented in reality.In this way, a large number of people from humble backgrounds who even opposed Cao Cao gathered around Cao Cao and became Cao Cao's important think tanks and generals.Not only has it strengthened its own strength, but it has also played a role in stopping the monopoly of power by the big clan landlords, giving more enlightened people in the middle and lower classes the opportunity to participate in politics, and played a role in promoting the process of reunification in the north.

The three talents are rare. Cao Cao sincerely invited Xun Yu

We often hear the saying: Thousands of soldiers are easy to get, but one general is hard to find.From this we can see the degree of desire for talented people.History shows that in order to achieve a career, you must have the help of sages and great talents.However, since ancient times, talented people are often willing to hide in the mountains and rivers, keeping their faces hidden, waiting for the real insightful people to seek them sincerely.Sometimes they even deliberately make things difficult for the person who is seeking each other, first to observe their firm determination to achieve great things, and second to examine the sincerity of the other party.

In this way, the bigger the talent, the rarer it is, the rarer it is, the more precious it is, the more you want to have it.Only in this way can we make an extraordinary career.For a rare talent, there must be a coveted tenacity. The most famous in the Three Kingdoms is Liu Bei who visited the thatched cottage and asked Zhuge Liang to come out of the mountain. In fact, Cao Cao is also such a person.In practice, Cao Cao always sincerely longed for the famous scholars who had heard about him for a long time, and hoped that one day he could recruit them.

Liu Bei visited the thatched cottage three times and asked Zhuge Liang to come out of the mountain, which has become a beautiful story through the ages.In fact, long before Liu Bei, Cao Cao already had the act of "three visits", but he did not invite Zhuge Liang, but Xun Yu from Xu County.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, after Cao Cao's army grew stronger in Shandong, he was full of joy when he saw his large number of troops.However, he gradually realized that only soldiers who can charge forward are not enough, and there must be intelligent people with extraordinary talents to make suggestions.But where to find such a person?He was determined to go to Mount Tai to ask an expert.

There was an eminent monk named Ming Jing in Mount Tai, who heard Cao Cao's intention.He didn't say anything, just gave him a kit with the words "If you get angry, tear it down" written on it.Although Cao Cao was puzzled, he didn't dare to disturb him, so he had to go down the mountain.

Soon, Cao Cao led his army into the Central Plains.When he passed through Xu County, he felt that this was a place where dragons and tigers were hidden, so he ordered the army to set up camp.He set up the Chinese army tent in a temple outside the north gate of Xuchang City, and ordered the soldiers not to harass the place.But he didn't expect that many newly recruited soldiers remained wild, and even his cousin Cao Ren secretly led troops to rob businesses and people.For a while, Xu County was disturbed, and the people were panicked.But Cao Cao was kept in the dark and didn't know it at all.

On this day, Cao Ren rushed into the tent of the Chinese army, holding a post in his hand and presenting it to Cao Cao.Cao Cao unfolded it and saw that it read: "Cao Mengde has come down, and thousands of families will be affected!" The inscription below is "Xun Yu in Xu County".Cao Cao couldn't help bursting into anger: "What kind of person is this Xun Yu? He is too courageous! If you don't punish others severely, you can't warn others. I can't gain a foothold in Xu County!" Just as Cao Ren was about to search and arrest him, he suddenly remembered the eminent monk on Mount Tai who "meet him If you are angry, you will break" the kit, quickly find out and take it apart.I saw a few lines of big characters written on a piece of white paper:

It's noon when you open your mouth, and the sun sets on the moon.

Grass grows on the head of ten days, or next to the word three.

Just passed Jiang Ziya, and his depth is like an ovary.

This is a Tibetan poem.Cao Cao looked left and right, and after tossing and turning for a long time, he finally solved the secret: when he opened his mouth, it was noon, and when he opened his mouth, he spoke, and noon was taken from noon, and noon was the word "Xu"; , like a "Chang" character; ten days of grass, ten days for a Xun, Xun plus grass prefix, is a "Xun" character;Suddenly he came to his senses, and said happily: "Xuchang Xunyu, it turns out that he has the talent of Ziya and Zifang! I must invite him out."

Xun Yu is from Yingchuan County. Because he was dissatisfied with the imperial court, he could not display his talents, so he simply lived a hermit life at home.He heard that Cao Cao had great talents to rule the world, and made good use of them, so he wanted to join him for a long time, but he was afraid that the rumors would be false, so he came up with this plan to find out the truth.Since ancient times, it has been difficult to recruit high-ranking people, and Xun Yu is no exception.

Cao Cao sent Cao Ren to invite Xun Yu, but Xun Yu deliberately refused to come out.Cao Ren was very angry. When he came back, he added more details and said how Xun Yu despised Cao Cao, and suggested that he be killed.Cao Cao said with a smile: "No! Killing him is equivalent to cutting off my left and right arms, do you know that?"

It was the twelfth lunar month at this time, and the wind was bitter, and the dripping water turned into ice.Cao Cao was eager to seek talents, braved the severe cold, and rode to Xun Yu's mansion in person, only to see that the gate was locked.After waiting for a long time, no one came in or out.

Cao Cao hurried to another house of Xun Yu.The steward told him that the master had gone hunting.Cao Cao didn't meet him during his two visits. He only lamented that he didn't meet a great talent, but he didn't worry about it. He still waited patiently for news.

One day, Cao Cao visited Xun Yu to visit the ancestral grave of Babai in the northeast of the city, so he prepared generous gifts and went to pay his respects.When Cao Cao came to the grave, he saw a young man in his prime, with a dignified appearance, who was concentrating on his study.

Cao Cao stepped forward to salute respectfully and said, "Xun Gong is healthy!" Xun Yu didn't even raise his head, and asked, "Who is sir? What are you doing here?" Cao Cao said, "I am Cao Mengde from Qiaojun. Please ask Mr. Xun to help the Han Dynasty. I have visited several times, but I don’t want Meng Defuqian, and I have never been lucky enough to see him.” Xun Yu sneered and said, “I am an ordinary person, and I don’t know much about governing the country. Sir, please be wiser!” Cao Cao apologized. Said: "Mr. Jiuwen has the knowledge of heaven, latitude and earth in his chest, and the strategy of bringing peace and stability to the country is hidden in his belly. I am not a gentleman." Xun Yu said, "Aren't you angry when I scold you?" Cao Cao nodded quickly and said, "I always respect The more you can point out my shortcomings, the better.”

Xun Yu reasoned that he suffered from a leg disease and had limited mobility.Cao Cao personally brought a good horse, helped Xun Yu ride it, and returned to the army.Since then, Cao Cao and Xun Yu have been inseparable all day long, talking freely about how to manage the world.From Cao Cao's suppression of the rebellion in Yanzhou, the westward welcome of Emperor Xian, the great victory at Guandu to the pacification of Jizhou... Xun Yu has put forward constructive suggestions on all major military and state affairs, especially in the battle against Yuan Shao's group, his strategy played a key role.Cao Cao called him a "great virtuous gentleman", and he was listed on the table several times, and he was promoted to rank.

The story of Cao Cao's invitation to Xun Yu reflects Cao Cao's style of attaching importance to talents and respecting corporals from one aspect.From a historical point of view, Cao Cao respects talents three points. This is also confirmed by the example of Xu You abandoning Yuan Shao to run in the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao had no time to put on his shoes, and rushed out barefoot to greet him.

Four kinds of means do everything possible to dig talents

We mentioned earlier that the more capable a person is, the less likely he is to show his face.But these people are the key forces that drive the cause forward.Having them will undoubtedly help the cause.Cao Cao is a very purposeful person, and he also has his own skills in this regard.

1. Solicit in the name of the Son of Heaven

Since Cao Cao "took the emperor to order the princes", he has the political advantage of recruiting wise men from all over the world.Yuan Huan, Zhang Fan, Liang Mao, Guoyuan, Tian Chou, Bing Yuan, Mao Jie, Xu Yi, He Kui, Xing Yong, Bao Xun, Hua Xin, Wang Lang, Cheng Yu, etc., all recruited for posts.

2. Mutual recommendation
Xun Yu knew people, and he played an indispensable role in building Cao Cao's think tank.Xun Yu mentioned before and after, "The great talents of the world are appointed, Xun You, Zhong Yao, and Chen Qun are in the country, and Sima Xuan Wang is in the country, and he is famous for Chi Chi, Hua Xin, Wang Lang, Xun Yue, Du Xi, Xin Pi, and Zhao Yanzhi. I will eventually be minister of state, with a dozen of them." Yu also recommended Xi Zhicai, Guo Jia, and Du Ji, all of whom were great talents and would be of great help to Cao Cao in his southern and northern campaigns.

3. Recruitment by means of coercion
This is a way that best reflects Cao Cao's strong character.Cao Cao dismissed Sima Yi, but Sima Yi made excuses to come out.In the 13th year of Jian'an (208 A.D.), Cao Cao was turned into a literary school again. The emissary said: "If you return to lingering, you will accept it." Sima Yi was afraid of Cao Cao's power and took office.Cao Cao appointed Ruan Yu, and Yu fled into the mountains. Cao Cao "made people burn the mountains, got them, sent them, and called them in."Although forced recruitment of scholars was a common method of obtaining talents in ancient times, Cao Cao's actions did reflect his determination to love talents.

4. Don't mind accepting the drop
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were constant wars, and "a wise man thinks of the Ming Lord".There are many intelligent and strange people in the world who know the Lord with their eyes and take the initiative to take refuge in Cao Cao.

Before the Battle of Guandu, when Cao Cao's strength was still weak, Guo Jia, Huan Jie, Jia Xu and others had already defected to him.The two great talents, Xun and Guo, both voted from Yuan Shao's camp with strong soldiers and horses, a vast land and a large population.When Guo Jia saw Cao Cao for the first time, he fell in love with him and said, "My lord is true." Huan Jie lobbied Zhang Xian, the prefect of Changsha, to oppose Liu Biao, and Jia Xu persuaded Zhang Xiu to vote for Cao Cao. Time.Their deep insight is also a manifestation of their profound resourcefulness.How could Cao Cao not prosper with the help of these wise men!
In addition, Cao Cao also used some "deceitful techniques" to win talents, the most famous of which is "making money from Xu Shu".

Xu Shu, with a straight character, had a close relationship with Zhuge Liang.His talent is comparable to Zhuge Liang.Liu Bei was assisted by Xu Shu in Xinye, who advised him and defeated Cao Cao several times.Cao Cao hurriedly asked his subordinates who was planning for Liu Bei.Cheng Yu reported to Cao Cao: "This man is Xu Yuanzhi from Yingchuan. He has been fond of fencing since he was a child. In the last years of Zhongping, he once avenged and killed others. He evaded the government with his hair and face covered. He was caught and tied up by the officials. He was paraded around the street in a car, and was later rescued by his companions, who changed his name to Shan Fu. Since then, he has been more diligent and studious, visited famous teachers, and learned a talent for changing the world." Cao Cao asked Cheng Yu again: "How is Xu Shu's talent compared to yours?" Cheng Yu Said: "I am ten times stronger." Cao Cao said angrily: "It's a pity that such a wise man was acquired by Liu Bei. What can we do?" "

Cheng Yu laughed and said: "My lord, don't worry, I have my own way to get him to join me. Xu Shu is extremely filial. He lost his father since he was a child, and only his old mother is alive. His younger brother Xu Kang also died, and his old mother has no one to support her now. But if he deceives his mother and asks her to write a letter to recall her son, then Xu Shu will definitely come."

Cao Cao was very happy, so according to the method Cheng Yu said, he sent someone to lure Xu's mother to Cao Ying.However, Xu's mother not only refused to write a letter for Cao Cao, but also beat Cao Cao angrily with an inkstone, calling him a traitor of Hanchen.Helpless, Cao Cao had no choice but to have someone imitate Xu's mother's handwriting and write a letter to Xu Shu, to the effect that: I am now being imprisoned by Cao Cao, and I can only be saved if you come to surrender. Then find a way to go home and farm to avoid catastrophe.

After Xu Shu read the letter, he wept bitterly, so he resigned from Liu Bei and came to Caoying to serve his mother.As a result, he was severely scolded by his mother who was loyal to the Han Dynasty, saying that he had thrown himself in the dark, and finally hanged himself to death.

Although Cao Cao kept Xu Shu by his side, Xu Shu hated her mother for hanging herself to death all her life.

This story has a lot of controversy in later generations. Some people say it is a manifestation of Cao Cao's treachery, and some people say it is a typical example of Cao Cao's love for talents.It is difficult to tell right from wrong.Cao Cao is thirsty for talents, and in order to compete for talents, he will do anything.Although it cannot be used by me, it cannot fall into the enemy's hands either.This is why Cao Mengde, who commanded thousands of troops, did not give the world an image of an upright gentleman, but instead an image of a selfish, self-advocating treacherous minister.However, its practice of using extensive means to acquire talents is worthy of recognition.

(End of this chapter)