The Complete Biography of Cao Cao
Chapter 17 Perseverance: A hero who can bend and stretch
Chapter 17 Perseverance: A hero who can bend and stretch
One self-positioning Cao Mengde has great ambitions
People live in the world, and no one wants to be unknown and do a great job.However, success often only favors a small number of people with direction and brains, and not everyone can become a hero.Therefore, the most important thing is to grasp your true level, find your own goals, step by step, and gradually achieve your goals.
When Cao Cao first entered his official career, he was just a small Luoyang northern lieutenant, but he was very good at being an official, used his power properly, knew how to act according to the law, was not afraid of power, dared to commit crimes against others, and moved towards his ideal goal.There is a good explanation of Cao Cao's behavior of being able to exercise power and subdue power, "Zhuge Liang Ji Jiang Wan Military Power".Wen said: "The one who has the power of soldiers is the commanding officer of the three armies, the prestige of the general. The general can wield the power of the army, use the important position of the army to face the subordinates, just like a fierce tiger, with its wings, it can soar across the world, and it can do whatever it wants. If you lose power and don't exercise it, you are like a fish and a dragon fleeing the rivers and lakes, seeking the power to swim in the ocean, rushing to play with the waves, how can you get it."
It means that military power is an important power to control the fate of the three armies. How to grasp and use it directly reflects the majesty and momentum of the general.If the general can master and use it well, he will be like a tiger with wings added to the world, and he can use it freely.If you have power but don't know how to use it, you will not be able to command the three armies well, and it will be like a fish out of water, and it will be difficult to survive for a long time.
We often find that some people have power but lack the majesty, making it difficult to fully exercise power.Some people are different. Even if he has the right to use it, he will have a sense of deterrence to others, which is the so-called prestige without anger.What is the reason?The fundamental question is whether those in power will use the power in their hands.In fact, power itself has a kind of majesty, but if it is not brought into play when it is used, power will lose its majesty along with its users.Cao Cao has a natural talent for wielding power, so he can often use his power well, which not only enhances the majesty of power, but also uses the majesty of power to establish his own authority.
The deeds of life are often closely related to the times. If the role you set in life deviates from the main needs of the times, then your contribution to historical progress and your impact on history will be relatively Weak.Isn't there a sigh in history that "the rulers in the past were good civil servants and military officials, but the rulers who are good military officials are old now"?From a broad perspective, the era of "governing the world" has the main needs of the era of "governing the world", while the era of "troubled times" has the main needs of the era of "troubled times", such as eliminating the strong and helping the weak, and stabilizing the world.Therefore, the characteristics of the times are different, and the roles of heroes required are also different.
Cao Cao was born in an era when "every family wanted to be emperor and everyone wanted to be a lord". Celebrities and heroes emerged in large numbers.Only Cao Cao was able to stand proudly among the heroes in the end and became a generation of heroes.So, how did Cao Cao rule the roost in troubled times?His experience of becoming a Baye clearly tells Zhaozhi: If you want to achieve something, you should first grasp the characteristics of the times, position yourself accurately, and move towards success step by step accordingly.
Cao Cao was born during the reign of Emperor Huan in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and spent his youth during the reign of Emperor Huan. When he entered the "weak crown" year, it was at the beginning of the reign of Emperor Ling (Liu Hong) and was awarded the Northern Captain of Luoyang.The second half of his life was in the period of Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty.
The characteristics of the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty in which Cao Cao lived were very obvious: First, the supreme ruler, the emperor, lost his power and was lonely and incompetent.The three generations of Emperor Huan, Emperor Ling, and Emperor Xian are not as good as each other.Either the relatives were in power (such as the relatives headed by Liang Ji in the early days of Emperor Huan's reign), or eunuchs were in charge (such as during the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling), or the power was controlled by warlords (such as the warlords in the early days of Emperor Xian's accession to the throne). Dong Zhuo manipulated the real power) The emperor has actually become a puppet.Second, the struggle among various forces of the feudal ruling group was extremely fierce and cruel.During the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling, the "disaster of the party's imprisonment" occurred, and group forces such as foreign relatives, eunuchs, and "party members" all conspired to kill dissidents and monopolize power with one hand.The third is that a large number of people went bankrupt and could not survive due to the excessive expropriation by the government.Therefore, the contradiction between the ruling power and the ruled has become increasingly acute.Fourth, the big and small separatist warlords not only tried to dominate one side for a long time, but also dreamed of expanding their territory, so they fought endlessly for years.
In the later period when Cao Cao took over the military and political power, the "Three Kingdoms" has taken shape.Although there are still wars, it is a relatively stable period after all.At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the imperial court was corrupt, the warlords were fighting, the society was violently turbulent, and the people were in dire straits. All social strata had a very strong desire for the country to get rid of the chaos as soon as possible and achieve reunification; Cao Cao set it in the face of "troubled times". his role in life.
Cao Cao believes that such a turbulent world should be an era of heroes who need to help the weak and overcome the strong, rule the world, stabilize the society, and "take power and establish hegemony".Therefore, Cao Cao strictly demanded himself according to the standard of a hero from the beginning.From the beginning, Cao Cao only dreamed of being a general, gradually adjusted and improved his ambitions, and finally wanted to help the world and become a generation of overlord.It can be said that the correct positioning gave him an upward momentum.
Two, relying on flexion and extension to achieve great things through thick accumulation
"Yang Xiong Zhuan" has: "A gentleman will be great when he gets the time, and a dragon and a snake if he is out of time." It shows that only by being able to bend and stretch can he become a powerful figure.Bend is for better stretching and to accumulate the strength of stretching.Unyielding is difficult to stretch, and where does strength come from if unyielding?Stretching by bending is the way to victory in the weak and adversity.
From ancient times to the present, no matter how much a person has achieved, it is impossible to always be high and bossy, and there are times when he bows down.As far as bowing is concerned, some people only bow to the few who play a decisive role in his success or failure, while others may bow to the interests of the majority.You can admire or despise a certain kind of "bending" behavior, but you must learn to distinguish different "bending" behaviors, because this is the key factor that distinguishes whether a person can make a difference or achieve something.
Compromise may be due to the situation, or it may be a strategy adopted to improve one's career.Cao Cao's humiliation can be said to have both.
When the princes from all walks of life attacked Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao had no base of his own, but he did not feel downcast because of this. Instead, he bowed to the side of Zhang Miao, the prefect of Chenliu. At the beginning, Cao Cao was restrained and took the initiative to accept the restraint.Soon, Cao Cao followed Zhang Miao to the front line of Suanzao, acting as General Fenwu.Like other people who became great things later, Cao Cao bowed to Zhang Miao on the one hand and was under his leadership and restraint. On the other hand, he also took the opportunity to accumulate his own strength, thinking that he would later open up his own world.
When Cao Cao passed through Zhongmu on his way to Suanzao, Ren Jun, the head of the county, led a crowd to join him.Cao Cao was very happy, appointed him as the riding captain, and married his cousin to him.
The cavalry captain Bao Xin and his younger brother Bao Tao also raised troops to respond to Cao Cao at this time.Bao Xin is a very knowledgeable person.When Dong Zhuo first arrived in Luoyang, he persuaded Yuan Shao: "Dong Zhuo supports his troops with self-respect and has a heart of rebellion. If he doesn't find a way to deal with it early, the government will be controlled by him. We should take advantage of his newly tired opportunity to send troops to attack. You can capture him in one fell swoop." But Yuan Shao was afraid of Dong Zhuo and dared not send troops.Seeing that Yuan Shao could not succeed, Bao Xin returned to his hometown Taishan and recruited Qiancheng infantry.As soon as Cao Cao raised his troops, Bao Xin raised his troops to respond, and at the same time came to the front line of Suanzao.Cao Cao and Yuan Shao recommended Bao Xin as General Polu and Bao Tao as General Beni.At that time, Yuan Shao was the most powerful, and many people worshiped him. Only Bao Xin said to Cao Cao: "There is no other person with great strategy in the world. You are the only one who can lead everyone to make things right. And those who are headstrong , Even if you are strong for a while, you will end in failure in the end." So he fell in love with Cao Cao, and Cao Cao regarded him as a confidant ever since.
Cao Cao always does his best to the people he "subdues", bravely undertakes the tasks he should undertake, and hopes to support the crisis together and achieve a great cause together.However, if you want to achieve great things, you can't stay under others for a long time, because their ambitions and acting styles cannot be completely consistent.Therefore, you will not blindly give in, but you still have to stick to your beliefs, neither arrogant nor humble.
When Cao Cao lost in Bianshui, recruited soldiers, re-established his own armed forces and returned to the north, instead of returning to Suanzao, he crossed the Yellow River and rushed to Hanoi, where he contacted Yuan Shao, the leader of the coalition army stationed there, in an attempt to persuade Yuan Shao Send troops to change the situation.But the results were still disappointing, and he often couldn't agree with Yuan Shao on many issues, or even completely confronted him.From then on, he became more dissatisfied with Yuan Shao, and had the idea of waiting for an opportunity to eliminate Yuan Shao.Later, as Yuan Shao took the opportunity to develop his personal power, Cao Cao strengthened his ideas and accelerated the pace of developing his personal power.
Later, the relationship between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao became even more distant. When Cao Cao welcomed the emperor in Xudu, and Yuan Shao changed from Cao Cao's "superior" to his "inferior", Cao Cao had not yet fallen out with Yuan Shao in view of his own strength. Until the Battle of Guandu in the fourth year of Jian'an (199 AD), the two sides finally faced each other inevitably.
During the Three Kingdoms period, most of the heroes who were able to make a difference had the experience of striving for extension.Liu Bei once attached to Cao Cao, and Sun Quan was able to "seek peace" with Liu Bei first, regardless of the obstruction of civil servants and military generals, and condescend to Liu Bei when Soochow was facing the danger of being attacked by Shu and Wei. A series of diplomatic concessions were made.Later, he "written a form to plead his minister" to Cao Pi, and obediently accepted Cao Pi's title.This series of humble actions played a positive role in avoiding the unfavorable situation of Soochow being attacked on both sides.
There is no real hero in the world who only "stretches" but does not "bend". There are only questions about whom he bends to, when he bends, and where he bends.Sometimes taking a step back will create a complicated circle and protect yourself well, which is more beneficial than taking ten steps forward.Once the time is right, it will be easier to exert force, and your career will go further.A person who can stretch and bend like Cao Cao will never be defeated.
The three of you know that your strength is not good enough to avoid it for the time being
Rengui has self-knowledge, in fact, it means being able to clarify one's own strength, one's own potential.When the situation is not as good as others, you can compromise and temporarily satisfy the other party's requirements, and then seek other solutions after the crisis has passed. This is a kind of "concession policy" implemented in an unfavorable situation.To do this, we must proceed from the current situation, weigh the pros and cons, restrain our attitude, and sacrifice immediate interests to save the overall situation.If you don't have the ability to foresight, it is difficult to have the courage to act like this.
Cao Cao is not lacking in heroism, but he also has self-knowledge.After he ushered in Xu County, the imperial capital, although he had political advantages, it was still difficult for him to control it with his own power. At that time, he could not "bring the emperor to order the princes".On the contrary, he has become the attention of the world, and it can also be said that he has become the target of public criticism.However, compared with warlords such as Yuan Shao, they are still at a disadvantage.Therefore, Cao Cao adopted the strategy of avoiding the edge and strengthening himself, and finally defeated Yuan Shao.
Yuan Shao had some regrets about Cao Cao's gaining power. He put on the posture of the leader, relied on his large number of soldiers, and asked Cao Cao to move Emperor Xian to Juancheng on the grounds that Xu County was low-humidity and Luoyang was dilapidated. Jizhou is relatively close, so it is easy to control Emperor Xian.But how could Cao Cao make concessions on major issues?He categorically rejected Yuan Shao's request, and wrote a letter in the name of Emperor Xian to blame Yuan Shao for only focusing on developing his own power and not being king.Yuan Shao excused himself helplessly.
In the name of Emperor Xian, Cao Cao appointed Yuan Shao as Taiwei and named Yehou, which was actually a test.When Yuan Shao saw that Cao Cao was appointed as a general, his status was not as good as his, so he refused to accept the appointment.
Cao Cao had self-knowledge and knew that he was not as strong as Yuan Shao at this time. He couldn't argue with Yuan Shao at this time, so he decided to make a temporary concession and give Yuan Shao the title of General.He served as Sikong himself (also one of the "Three Dukes"), and acted as General Cheqi (General Cheqi was second only to the Great General and General Hushi) to ease the conflict with Yuan Shao.But because Yuan Shao was not in Xudu, Cao Cao still took charge of the government.
The fledglings cannot fly high.Cao Cao knew that his power was not enough, and he could not express himself too much for the time being.Therefore, he tried his best to meet Yuan Shao's requirements, and showed "beyond his power" humility towards the imperial court's gifts.As soon as the feathers are full, he will fight with all his might, without any scruples.
When the opponent is stronger than you, it is feasible not to confront it and take the opportunity to develop your own power, but you must not lose your principles and independence because of this, and you must always control your own destiny.
Cao Cao succumbed to Yuan Shao because of his self-knowledge, and he never relaxed about his development in private, and finally defeated Yuan Shao completely in the battle of Guandu.
After Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao with a late attack, he acted like a great hero. He treated Yuan Shao with the utmost benevolence and righteousness, and took the opportunity to enhance his good reputation.
Soon after the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao died.When Cao Cao attacked Yecheng, he immediately ordered: Without his general's order, no one is allowed to enter Yuan's house.When Cao Cao took full control of Yecheng, he did something that ordinary people could not understand, but it was very vivid for the heroes: offering sacrifices to Yuan Shao with tears.
He personally went to Yuan Shao's tomb to offer sacrifices, lamenting the hardships of the times and the sufferings of life.When it comes to affection, it is inevitable to sigh.
Dong Zhuo was in chaos, and Yuan and Cao formed an alliance. They dealt with hardships and shared disasters and blessings.During this time, they suffered together.Afterwards, everyone became independent, and everyone had a lofty goal in mind, so they tolerated each other, and even attacked each other, and even fought bloody battles.It's not that there is some feud that can't be resolved, it's just that each other has to express their ambitions and wishes.In the end, the outcome is clear, the country is ruined and the family is destroyed. Although Cao Cao has achieved great success, this is not what they wanted to see when they met.Therefore, sympathizing with each other, being sincerely moved, and naturally heartbroken, this is the so-called style of generosity and heroism. Of course, it will not be understood by those who are narrow-minded, complacent when they achieve small achievements, and those who are fortunate in their own achievements and happy in others' misfortunes.
Four learn to forbearance to express loyalty and write a letter
If you show your hole cards too early, or make a move when it is not enough to win, you will often lose in the contest.When the wings are not full, don't flaunt them around.A gentleman must be good at protecting himself and learn to wait for the time to act.
Cao Cao was at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, when the world was in chaos and heroes were everywhere, it can be said that "every family wants to be an emperor, and everyone wants to be a prince".When Cao Cao cleared the obstacles from all sides one by one, his reputation grew day by day.When the conditions to replace the Han Dynasty are fully met, it is said that it is easy for him to force the emperor to abdicate at this time.But Cao Cao did not proclaim himself emperor until his deathbed.Is Cao Cao loyal to the Han Dynasty?I'm afraid not necessarily.It was the circumstances at the time.
Cao Cao monopolized power but did not become emperor, reflecting his sobriety, wisdom and composure.We know that as Emperor Han Xian became more and more marginalized, Cao Cao's intention to replace him became more and more obvious, which led to constant attacks from political opponents.For example, Zhou Yu scolded him as "Han Prime Minister, but he is actually a Han thief"; Liu Bei said that he "has the heart of a king" and "want to steal an artifact".Yuan Shu is a living example of those who let it go without any excuse and rashly proclaim themselves emperor.Cao Cao may not only lose the political advantage of "holding the emperor to order the princes", but also may become the target of conquest by the princes of the four directions; the internal Hanchen forces will also rise up to oppose.
After the Battle of Chibi, the three-point situation in the world is a foregone conclusion.Sun and Liu are eyeing the north covetously, and the generals in Guanzhong headed by Ma Chao have evil intentions. This is Cao Cao's confidant.Under such circumstances, domestic and foreign political enemies intensified their attacks on him in an attempt to shake his political foundation, and some even demanded that he hand over his military power in order to weaken his strength.In order to fight back against political opponents, appease the internal supporters of the Han faction, and continue to maintain his political advantage of "holding the emperor to command the princes", Cao Cao had to hide his intention to replace the Han even more, and further showed his loyalty to the Han Dynasty.
He also wrote a special letter "Rangxian Self-Ming Ben Zhi Ling" to show his determination to be loyal to the Han Dynasty. He said that his highest wish at that time was to be a general who conquered the West and be a marquis. The Tomb of Marquis Cao, General of the West".The purpose is to show that I have limited ambitions since I was young, and I only want to make contributions to the country, and I have no personal ambitions.Second, Cao Cao reviewed his experience since raising righteous soldiers to challenge Dong Zhuo, aiming to show that he spent his entire life fighting to prevent others from proclaiming emperor and king, so how could he become emperor again?The third part of the order states that I have been favored by Han in the next life for more than three lives, and that the Han has never failed me, so my loyalty to the Han Dynasty is beyond doubt.The last part of the order aimed at the attacks of political opponents against him, and made it clear that he would not give up his military power and return to his fief Wuping Marquis.This is not only out of consideration for the safety of himself and his descendants, but also for national security; moreover, the four counties he sealed off handed over three counties, and the food households were reduced from [-] to [-] to reduce the various burdens he suffered. square pressure.
In fact, Cao Cao is a generation of heroes, so why doesn't he have the heart of an emperor.The reason why he kept his secrets was to wait for the opportunity.
In May of the 18th year of Jian'an (213 A.D.), Cao Cao was named King of Wei and added Jiuxi.At this time, the discussion about Cao Cao's "not inferior ambition" became popular again, so Cao Cao wrote another poem "Duan Ge Xing".In the poem, the Duke of Zhou vomits and feeds himself, showing that although he is named Wei Gong and added Jiuxi, he will still abide by the courtiers, obey the Han Dynasty, and will never do anything that endangers the Han Dynasty.
In the 24th year of Jian'an (219 A.D.), Sun Quan wrote a letter to Cao Cao, urging Cao Cao to become emperor, and he looked north to become a minister.Cao Cao showed the letter to the officials and said with a big smile, "Sun Quan is roasting me on the stove!"
Cao Cao understood that if he replaced Wei with Han, he would inevitably attract opposition from all sides, just like being roasted on the stove.In fact, Cao Cao disclosed this letter to the ministers and said some words of confession, firstly to expose Sun Quan's true intentions, and secondly to test the attitude of the ministers.The ministers understood Cao Cao's intentions, and they expressed that "it is the right time to replace Han with Wei".After Cao Cao listened to everyone's suggestions, he calmly said: "If the destiny is my destiny, I will be King Wen!"
Cao Cao's words actually expressed his intention to replace the Han Dynasty in his heart. It was just like King Wen of Zhou laid the foundation for King Wu of Zhou back then, actively creating conditions for his son to be emperor.
Cao Cao knew that he had too many political enemies, and he made it clear many times that he would not proclaim himself emperor. With this shield, he was happy to be in power, and his forbearance was really deep.
Five advances and retreats, living at home and planning
A person who wants to achieve hegemony must grasp the rhythm of advance and retreat. When you make a small success in your career and make some progress, you must be mentally prepared for ups and downs.If one step fails to reach an idea, the building that has been painstakingly managed may collapse in an instant.
Therefore, it is necessary to control the rhythm of advance and retreat.Because, if you don’t grasp the entry and exit points well, it’s easy to sink down, gradually fade out of the center, and disappear into nothingness.How to avoid this situation?Let's look at Cao Cao's way of advancing and retreating.
After Cao Cao suppressed the uprising army in Yingchuan, he was promoted to Prime Minister of Jinan because of his military achievements.Cao Cao did two major things during his two years as Prime Minister of Jinan.One is to dismiss corrupt officials, and the other is to destroy temples of prostitution.This greatly increased his influence, made outstanding political achievements, and his official career was bright.
The two things Cao Cao did when he was Prime Minister of Jinan were indeed his proud works. Although he did not regret it, he also felt afraid.Because Cao Cao's actions not only offended the eunuchs in the court, but also the local tyrants hated him deeply.Cao Cao didn't want to lose his great ambition to help the country in order to cater to the powerful, and he didn't want his family to be implicated because he repeatedly offended the powerful.In order to avoid unforeseen disasters, Cao Cao retreated bravely and immediately resigned from his position as Prime Minister of Jinan. He asked to return to the palace to serve as a guard, and actually asked for unemployment.
Cao Cao's worries are very reasonable.How could the regular attendants and powerful men tolerate him harming their interests so much?Cao Cao's begging to stay in the guards was purely based on retreat, which was not his original intention.How could those eunuchs and noble relatives in the court not know?Their abacus is to transfer him away from the Jinan phase, but also to exclude him from the capital.So "recruited to be the prefect of Dongjun".The prefect of Dongjun and the Prime Minister of Jinan have the same status. In today's terms, they are transferred at the same level.And in terms of regional importance at that time, the status of Dongjun was comparable to that of Jinan's prime minister.Cao Cao verified his concerns through this transfer, so he excused his illness and refused to take up the post.
Considering his contribution and ability, the imperial court gave him another errand and appointed him as Yilang.At this time, his mind is very clear. He wants to avoid disaster while maintaining his reputation.Therefore, the position of Yilang is also "always complaining about illness and returning to his hometown".
After Cao Cao returned to his hometown Qiao County, he "built a house outside the city, studied reading in spring and summer, and hunted in autumn and winter to entertain himself."In view of the overall situation at that time, Cao Cao's return to his hometown in the name of illness was an excellent opportunity to hide his strength and bide his time, and it was also a good opportunity to enrich his mind and improve himself.
Of course, Cao Cao had this level of consideration in doing so, but it was not the only reason.Cao Cao dared to kill the uncle of Xiao Huangmen Jian Shuo when he was the northern captain of Luoyang. At that time, he was also in danger of being retaliated, but he didn't do so. Why?What's more, at this time his father Cao Song was still in power, and he was a rich, powerful, prestigious figure.With the support of such people in the court, Cao Cao naturally did not have any scruples in this regard.The reason why he resigned on the pretext of illness has a deeper consideration.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was very popular for celebrities to live in seclusion.And those with great ambitions are often able to bow and stretch to worship the sages. The most famous one is Liu Bei's "three visits to the thatched cottage" and asked Zhuge Liang to help him.At that time, living in seclusion was considered to be the act of a talented and noble person. Therefore, living in seclusion can raise your social status and become the target of attention of those in power. It is a shortcut to fame.
Cao Cao often felt very sorry for being "not a well-known person in the cave". If he had the opportunity to be a "hermit" for a while, he would certainly be very happy.From this point of view, another passage that Cao Cao said in "Rang County Self-Ming Ben Zhi Ling" is also credible.He said:
After resigning from office, he was still young. Among Gu Shitong's (referring to those who promoted filial piety and honesty in the same year), he was fifty years old. Those who start raising in the middle of the year wait for their ears.Therefore, I returned to my hometown at four o'clock, and built a Buddhist temple fifty miles east of Qiao. I wanted to study in autumn and summer, and shoot and hunt in winter and spring.
It is not difficult to see from it that Cao Cao had prepared to live in seclusion for a long time.First of all, since "you can't go against the law and take tolerance", of course, living in seclusion is a good choice to avoid chaos and maintain yourself; Realizing your ambitions is also the best policy.Of course, his foothold is that even if he has to wait a few years before becoming an official, it is not too late, but he does not live in seclusion for life, which is not in line with his character.Therefore, Cao Cao's ultimate goal of "reporting illness and returning to his hometown" is to wait for the opportunity.And during the period, he even watched the situation. Once the situation is in his favor, he will come back.
During Cao Cao's stay at home, local warlords rebelled and the remnants of the Yellow Turban Army rebelled continuously, and the whole political situation was very chaotic. We have to admire his foresight of retreating to seek clarity.The opportunity finally came. In August of this year, in order to strengthen the power to protect the capital and the royal family, Emperor Ling formed a new army.The Xiyuan new army can be said to be the imperial guards, ready to deal with possible turmoil at any time.Emperor Ling chose Jian Shuo, the eunuch, Yuan Shao, the military attache, and Cao Cao, who was appointed as one of the eight lieutenants of Dianjun.
In fact, Cao Cao's biggest ideal before was to be a general for Liehou. It is an excellent opportunity to become a general in the new army of Xiyuan. The temptation of Cao Cao is too great.He immediately ended his "reclusive" life, and went to Beijing to take office in a happy mood.
Cao Cao's ability to get close to the royal family and hold important positions, and to work with the very popular eunuch Jian Shuo, shows that he has reached a new level in his official career.From this point of view, his strategy of retreating into advance has been successful.This kind of success depends on his own outstanding ability; secondly, he has established a good image in politics and won a good reputation.
Cao Cao's life was the same as that of other great entrepreneurs, he had advances and retreats, and he could grasp the key to advance and retreat well.The victory of Cao Cao's strategy of seeking and stretching made him achieve his goal early and inflated his political desires.At the beginning, he only planned to be the prefect of a county, but now he wants to rely on his military power to seek thieves for the country, so that he can be named a marquis and become the general who conquers the west. tomb".The lofty ambitions and the deep official strategy of the city government all show that Cao Cao's political actions will be limitless.
Liu Gui insisted on waiting for the opportunity
It is often said that the authorities are obsessed, but the bystanders are clear.Why?It is precisely because in it, energy is focused on a certain part, and it is difficult to see the overall situation.The bystanders, because they are outside the matter, have a calm mind and can better see the ins and outs of things.Therefore, when you are in confusion, you must be cautious.Cao Cao has also been in such a situation. He can always think calmly, wait for the opportunity, choose the right route, and save himself from danger many times.
In the battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao was aggressive and his troops were strong.After Cao Cao planned to kill Yan Liang and Wen Chou, Yuan Shao was furious.Regardless of the counselor's dissuasion, he sent his troops south to conquer Cao Cao, eager to fight Cao Cao.
Although Cao Cao won two battles in a row, Yuan Shao's strength has not been destroyed, and the morale of the army is still high.Therefore, Cao Cao took the initiative to retreat to Guandu (now northeast of Zhongmu, Henan) to fortify, looking for opportunities to defeat the enemy.
After Cao Jun withdrew to Guandu, he was in a stalemate with Yuan Jun.The two armies came and went. Although Cao Jun continued to achieve some partial victories, over time, the weaknesses of lack of military supplies and insufficient military strength were gradually exposed.If Yuan Shao cannot be defeated in a short time, Cao Cao's situation will be very critical.
At this time, Xun You saw that the supply line behind Yuan Jun was very long, which was a major weakness of Yuan Jun, so he said to Cao Cao: "Yuan Shao's army to deliver the army food will arrive soon, but Yuan Shao does not know how to employ people. Although the general Han Meng who escorted the convoy He is brave and good at fighting, but he has the problem of underestimating the enemy and rushing forward, but you can take this opportunity to attack him, and you will surely succeed.” He also suggested sending general Xu Huang to complete this task.
Cao Cao accepted Xun You's suggestion and sent Xu Huang to lead an army to attack Yuan Shao's large army. Sure enough, he won a complete victory and burned Yuan's large amount of food and grass.
At this time, Liu Pi, the leader of the Yellow Turban Army in Runan (now north of Pingyu County, Henan Province), who had surrendered to Cao, defected to Yuan Shao and harassed the people in Xudu.Yuan Shao also sent Liu Bei to cooperate, intending to take the opportunity to attack Xudu.
After Liu Bei went south, he successively captured several county towns, and some places raised troops to respond, which made people panic in the area south of Xudu.Cao Cao was very worried about this.Cao Ren suggested: "At present, the army is stranded in Guandu, and there is an incident in the south of Xudu. Our army has no time to respond. And Liu Bei is suppressing the border with a large army at this time. It is understandable that the army and the people temporarily defected from us. Now Liu Bei has just taken over the command of Yuan Jun. Presumably it will not be handy, we should take the opportunity to lead the army to attack, and defeating Liu Bei will not be a problem."
After hearing what Cao Ren said, Cao Cao immediately sent him to lead troops south to attack Liu Bei. Sure enough, he defeated the reinforcements sent by Liu Bei and Yuan Shao without much effort.Not only relieved the danger of Xudu, but also made Cao Jun no worries, and made Yuan Shao no longer dare to divide his troops to attack.
The wave has not yet subsided, and blows follow one after another.Sun Ce, who was in the east of the river, took advantage of Cao Cao's confrontation with Yuan Shao at Guandu, and attempted to attack Xudu and kidnap Han Xiandi.When the news reached Cao Ying, everyone was shocked.
Guo Jia suggested: "Sun Ce is a hero and can make people die for him. But he underestimates the enemy and is not on guard. Even if he has a million troops, it is like walking alone in the Central Plains. If an assassin is sent to assassinate him, one person can deal with it. "After listening to Guo Jia's words, everyone calmed down a little.
Soon, news came from Jiangdong that Sun Ce was indeed assassinated by the retainers of the prefect Xu Gong.Jiangdong's plan to attack Xudu also fell through.Guo Jia analyzed Sun Ce's weaknesses from his character characteristics, and Cao Cao was even more impressed by his ability to predict people and things.
But the weak Cao Cao is at a disadvantage in all aspects of military and food.In particular, the lack of military supplies made Cao Cao anxious all the time.Cao Cao felt that procrastination like this was not an option. In addition, the rear was often disturbed, so he had the idea of withdrawing Xudu.For this reason, he specifically asked Xun Yu who stayed behind in Xudu for advice.
Xun Yu quickly wrote back to Cao Cao, saying: "Yuan Shao gathered all his troops at Guandu, and he wanted to fight the Duke of Ming to the death. You resist the strongest with the weakest force. If you cannot subdue the opponent, the opponent will definitely take the opportunity." Subdue, this is the most critical moment in the struggle for the world. Although the army is short of food, it is not very critical. Duke Ming only gave one-tenth of the enemy's army to occupy the throat. Half a year. Now the enemy's weakness has been gradually exposed, their strength is being exhausted, and the stalemate will soon pass. This is a great opportunity to win, don't lose it!"
After reading Xun Yu's letter, Cao Cao was enlightened and deeply encouraged, but for the sake of caution, he consulted Jia Xu on the same issue.Jia Xu's analysis believes that the reason why our army cannot stabilize the situation within half a year is to be foolproof.Now we can only wait for the opportunity, and when the opportunity arrives, the situation will change.
Both Xun Yu and Jia Xu suggested that Cao Cao should persevere and wait for the opportunity.This is very clever. They have seen through both Yuan and Cao, so they have grasped the general trend.
The contrast between strength and weakness can change over time, because within strength there must be elements of weakness, and within weakness there is also strong energy.It's only time for them to show up.Find out and seize the opportunity, and your life and career will have a magic touch.The opportunity before Cao Cao, Cao Cao almost missed it.A letter from Xun Yu and Jia Xu's words made Cao Cao determined to persevere, so he seized the opportunity and finally won the victory.
After Cao Cao made up his mind, he has been waiting for a favorable opportunity.Just when he was in desperate need of an opportunity, the opportunity really came.
Yuan Shao's counselor Xu You defected to Cao Cao overnight because he was dissatisfied with Yuan Shao. Cao Cao received him very happily.Xu You suggested to Cao Cao: "Now Yuan Shao has more than 1 carts of military food stockpiled in Gushi and Wuchao, and his defenses are not tight. You can send an elite army to attack by surprise, and burn the food with fire. Within three days, Yuan Shao will surely The whole army was defeated."
Xu You's strategy is completely in line with Cao Cao's strategic intention of looking for fighters and winning by surprise.After hearing this, Cao Cao was overjoyed, and immediately sent an order to Cao Hong and Xun You to stay in the camp, and he personally led [-] cavalry to burn Yuan Jun's grain and grass in Wuchao overnight.
Yuan Shao's army was suspicious of each other internally, and the external food and grass were all in chaos.Cao Cao took advantage of the victory to attack in an all-round way, Yuan's army collapsed without a fight, and Yuan Shao only led [-] cavalry across the Yellow River to flee for his life.
Looking at this battle, Cao Cao hesitated and retreated at the most critical juncture, but in the end reason prevailed and he persisted to the end. This is actually a victory of Cao Cao's will and quality.
[-]. Keep Faith, Don’t Be Depressed by Life’s Downturns
Nine out of ten unsatisfactory things in life.There are always more times when you are hurt than when you are happy. This injury is both physical and spiritual.These injuries are not only a kind of torture to people, but also a kind of destruction to life, but they are inevitable.At this time, should we let fate make fun of us with our heads down, or should we bear it silently and wait for the moment when we become stronger?Although Cao Cao is a generation of heroes, he is also a man of flesh and blood with rich emotions.There are also times when you are so sad that you can't even advance or retreat.At this time, Cao Cao's approach was to "be patient, even if someone gets it and scratches your heart."Patience and persistence time and time again enabled him to get rid of troubles again and again, renew his energy, and meet greater challenges.
In the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao attacked Soochow with an overwhelming force, but was defeated.For Cao Cao, who has always compared himself to a military genius, it is really embarrassing.A bigger blow hit him again. Cao Chong, the most beloved young son, died of a disease.Cao Chong was young, intelligent and quick-witted. He once skillfully weighed an elephant. Cao Cao was of course very happy.It's a pity that Cao Chong died young, and coupled with his bad mood after the defeat, how could Cao Cao not lament sadly.
He had been depressed, depressed, and absent-minded about official duties for a long period of time.His nostalgia for Cao Chong even made him make a ridiculous decision: Cao Cao asked Sikong Yu (Secretary of Sikong Mansion) Bing Yuan to bury his daughter who died early with Cao Chong, and give them a yin marriage.
Bing Yuan knew very well that if Cao Cao continued like this, it would be difficult to make progress in the situation, which would be detrimental to the overall situation.So he took the risk to express his opposition. He said: "It is against common etiquette to match one's children who died young to a yin marriage, even if it is out of nostalgia and love for them. It is understandable for ordinary people to do so. The reason why Bing Yuan Being able to serve Minggong calmly, and fortunately Minggong can trust me, is due to mutual strict etiquette. If I make an exception to accept Minggong’s grace, it will violate etiquette, and it will make us fall into the cliché. Please Minggong think twice .”
Cao Cao felt that Bing Yuan's concerns were very reasonable, and also understood Bing Yuan's euphemistic advice to himself not to forget public affairs because of personal interests, and to put state affairs first.From then on, Cao Cao was that energetic, deceitful and power-hungry villain again.
In the 14th year of Jian'an (209 AD), Cao Cao decided to return to his hometown for vacation, and took this opportunity to rethink his future strategy.Before leaving, he ordered Xun You, Cheng Yu, Yu Jin and other generals to strengthen the formation and training of the navy.He believed that the main reason for the defeat in the Battle of Chibi was that the soldiers in the north were not familiar with water warfare. Therefore, the only way to strengthen the combat training of the water army was to draw on Eastern Wu.There is a great momentum of comeback and revenge.
As for Soochow, after the Battle of Chibi, the prestige of Sun Quan and Liu Bei's troops was greatly shaken, and their confidence soared.Zhou Yu's army guarded Jiangling, Cheng Pu's army deployed in Jiangxia, and Lu Meng's army stationed in Xunyang. The entire Yangtze River Basin, Jingzhou, and Yangzhou's vast areas have been completely included in Sun Quan's sphere of influence.On the other hand, after the Battle of Chibi, Liu Bei also took the opportunity to capture the Jingzhou area south of the Yangtze River. After Liu Biao died, he was recommended by Sun Quan as Jingzhou Shepherd and set up a command center in the police station on the south bank of the Yangtze River.
Soochow's series of actions made Cao Cao think that he was bullying him, contempt and challenge him.Although the training of the northern navy has not been completed at this time, the situation in the Guanzhong area and the northern counties is also fluctuating. According to common sense, it is not appropriate to rashly start a war.But in order to boost morale and maintain the combat effectiveness of the army.Cao Cao personally led the water army to the south, entered the Huai River from Weishui, and entered Hefei along the Feishui River to form a formation.
Sun Quan saw that Cao Cao led the army to the south, and Zhou Yu was in critical condition at this time, and it was difficult to lead the army, so he personally led the army to Hefei to deploy defenses, forming a confrontation with Cao Cao.Cao Cao originally wanted to encourage the morale of the army, and had no intention of going to war, but Sun Quan's attitude was firm.So, after hastily inspecting the defense of the Soochow Army on the front line, he led the army back to the northern training base.
The 15th year of Jian'an (210 A.D.) was a rare and peaceful year on the surface.But the atmosphere between the two sides is actually tense behind the scenes, and the situation between the North and the South is even more critical.Especially Zhou Yu's army, which directly confronted Cao Jun on the front line, dared not relax.
This year, a news that was beneficial to Cao Cao but made Soochow very sad: Zhou Yu, whose condition had not improved, passed away due to the deterioration of his condition.Before his death, he recommended Lu Su to take over as the commander-in-chief of the Jiangling Army, and also the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Wuxi Army.
After Zhou Yu's death, the morale of the Soochow army was hit hard.Fortunately, Lu Su, who succeeded him, was magnificent and stable. He was one of the few military strategists with vision and political acumen among the famous generals in the contemporary era.Adhering to Zhou Yu's strategic thinking, he decided to unite with Liu Bei again to fight against the threat of Cao Jun.Under his persuasion, Sun Quan lent all the three counties north of Jingzhou (including Jiangling) to Liu Bei, and Liu Bei's army was responsible for the defense of the western front, and the two joined forces to resist Cao Cao.
Although Cao Cao sent people to the south several times to spy, but each time he found that the two defenses were tight and they cooperated tacitly.So he decided to temporarily abandon the intention of going south to unify China, and try his best to manage things within the sphere of influence, and stabilize the Guanzhong area, so as to accumulate strength for the southern expedition.
(End of this chapter)
One self-positioning Cao Mengde has great ambitions
People live in the world, and no one wants to be unknown and do a great job.However, success often only favors a small number of people with direction and brains, and not everyone can become a hero.Therefore, the most important thing is to grasp your true level, find your own goals, step by step, and gradually achieve your goals.
When Cao Cao first entered his official career, he was just a small Luoyang northern lieutenant, but he was very good at being an official, used his power properly, knew how to act according to the law, was not afraid of power, dared to commit crimes against others, and moved towards his ideal goal.There is a good explanation of Cao Cao's behavior of being able to exercise power and subdue power, "Zhuge Liang Ji Jiang Wan Military Power".Wen said: "The one who has the power of soldiers is the commanding officer of the three armies, the prestige of the general. The general can wield the power of the army, use the important position of the army to face the subordinates, just like a fierce tiger, with its wings, it can soar across the world, and it can do whatever it wants. If you lose power and don't exercise it, you are like a fish and a dragon fleeing the rivers and lakes, seeking the power to swim in the ocean, rushing to play with the waves, how can you get it."
It means that military power is an important power to control the fate of the three armies. How to grasp and use it directly reflects the majesty and momentum of the general.If the general can master and use it well, he will be like a tiger with wings added to the world, and he can use it freely.If you have power but don't know how to use it, you will not be able to command the three armies well, and it will be like a fish out of water, and it will be difficult to survive for a long time.
We often find that some people have power but lack the majesty, making it difficult to fully exercise power.Some people are different. Even if he has the right to use it, he will have a sense of deterrence to others, which is the so-called prestige without anger.What is the reason?The fundamental question is whether those in power will use the power in their hands.In fact, power itself has a kind of majesty, but if it is not brought into play when it is used, power will lose its majesty along with its users.Cao Cao has a natural talent for wielding power, so he can often use his power well, which not only enhances the majesty of power, but also uses the majesty of power to establish his own authority.
The deeds of life are often closely related to the times. If the role you set in life deviates from the main needs of the times, then your contribution to historical progress and your impact on history will be relatively Weak.Isn't there a sigh in history that "the rulers in the past were good civil servants and military officials, but the rulers who are good military officials are old now"?From a broad perspective, the era of "governing the world" has the main needs of the era of "governing the world", while the era of "troubled times" has the main needs of the era of "troubled times", such as eliminating the strong and helping the weak, and stabilizing the world.Therefore, the characteristics of the times are different, and the roles of heroes required are also different.
Cao Cao was born in an era when "every family wanted to be emperor and everyone wanted to be a lord". Celebrities and heroes emerged in large numbers.Only Cao Cao was able to stand proudly among the heroes in the end and became a generation of heroes.So, how did Cao Cao rule the roost in troubled times?His experience of becoming a Baye clearly tells Zhaozhi: If you want to achieve something, you should first grasp the characteristics of the times, position yourself accurately, and move towards success step by step accordingly.
Cao Cao was born during the reign of Emperor Huan in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and spent his youth during the reign of Emperor Huan. When he entered the "weak crown" year, it was at the beginning of the reign of Emperor Ling (Liu Hong) and was awarded the Northern Captain of Luoyang.The second half of his life was in the period of Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty.
The characteristics of the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty in which Cao Cao lived were very obvious: First, the supreme ruler, the emperor, lost his power and was lonely and incompetent.The three generations of Emperor Huan, Emperor Ling, and Emperor Xian are not as good as each other.Either the relatives were in power (such as the relatives headed by Liang Ji in the early days of Emperor Huan's reign), or eunuchs were in charge (such as during the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling), or the power was controlled by warlords (such as the warlords in the early days of Emperor Xian's accession to the throne). Dong Zhuo manipulated the real power) The emperor has actually become a puppet.Second, the struggle among various forces of the feudal ruling group was extremely fierce and cruel.During the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling, the "disaster of the party's imprisonment" occurred, and group forces such as foreign relatives, eunuchs, and "party members" all conspired to kill dissidents and monopolize power with one hand.The third is that a large number of people went bankrupt and could not survive due to the excessive expropriation by the government.Therefore, the contradiction between the ruling power and the ruled has become increasingly acute.Fourth, the big and small separatist warlords not only tried to dominate one side for a long time, but also dreamed of expanding their territory, so they fought endlessly for years.
In the later period when Cao Cao took over the military and political power, the "Three Kingdoms" has taken shape.Although there are still wars, it is a relatively stable period after all.At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the imperial court was corrupt, the warlords were fighting, the society was violently turbulent, and the people were in dire straits. All social strata had a very strong desire for the country to get rid of the chaos as soon as possible and achieve reunification; Cao Cao set it in the face of "troubled times". his role in life.
Cao Cao believes that such a turbulent world should be an era of heroes who need to help the weak and overcome the strong, rule the world, stabilize the society, and "take power and establish hegemony".Therefore, Cao Cao strictly demanded himself according to the standard of a hero from the beginning.From the beginning, Cao Cao only dreamed of being a general, gradually adjusted and improved his ambitions, and finally wanted to help the world and become a generation of overlord.It can be said that the correct positioning gave him an upward momentum.
Two, relying on flexion and extension to achieve great things through thick accumulation
"Yang Xiong Zhuan" has: "A gentleman will be great when he gets the time, and a dragon and a snake if he is out of time." It shows that only by being able to bend and stretch can he become a powerful figure.Bend is for better stretching and to accumulate the strength of stretching.Unyielding is difficult to stretch, and where does strength come from if unyielding?Stretching by bending is the way to victory in the weak and adversity.
From ancient times to the present, no matter how much a person has achieved, it is impossible to always be high and bossy, and there are times when he bows down.As far as bowing is concerned, some people only bow to the few who play a decisive role in his success or failure, while others may bow to the interests of the majority.You can admire or despise a certain kind of "bending" behavior, but you must learn to distinguish different "bending" behaviors, because this is the key factor that distinguishes whether a person can make a difference or achieve something.
Compromise may be due to the situation, or it may be a strategy adopted to improve one's career.Cao Cao's humiliation can be said to have both.
When the princes from all walks of life attacked Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao had no base of his own, but he did not feel downcast because of this. Instead, he bowed to the side of Zhang Miao, the prefect of Chenliu. At the beginning, Cao Cao was restrained and took the initiative to accept the restraint.Soon, Cao Cao followed Zhang Miao to the front line of Suanzao, acting as General Fenwu.Like other people who became great things later, Cao Cao bowed to Zhang Miao on the one hand and was under his leadership and restraint. On the other hand, he also took the opportunity to accumulate his own strength, thinking that he would later open up his own world.
When Cao Cao passed through Zhongmu on his way to Suanzao, Ren Jun, the head of the county, led a crowd to join him.Cao Cao was very happy, appointed him as the riding captain, and married his cousin to him.
The cavalry captain Bao Xin and his younger brother Bao Tao also raised troops to respond to Cao Cao at this time.Bao Xin is a very knowledgeable person.When Dong Zhuo first arrived in Luoyang, he persuaded Yuan Shao: "Dong Zhuo supports his troops with self-respect and has a heart of rebellion. If he doesn't find a way to deal with it early, the government will be controlled by him. We should take advantage of his newly tired opportunity to send troops to attack. You can capture him in one fell swoop." But Yuan Shao was afraid of Dong Zhuo and dared not send troops.Seeing that Yuan Shao could not succeed, Bao Xin returned to his hometown Taishan and recruited Qiancheng infantry.As soon as Cao Cao raised his troops, Bao Xin raised his troops to respond, and at the same time came to the front line of Suanzao.Cao Cao and Yuan Shao recommended Bao Xin as General Polu and Bao Tao as General Beni.At that time, Yuan Shao was the most powerful, and many people worshiped him. Only Bao Xin said to Cao Cao: "There is no other person with great strategy in the world. You are the only one who can lead everyone to make things right. And those who are headstrong , Even if you are strong for a while, you will end in failure in the end." So he fell in love with Cao Cao, and Cao Cao regarded him as a confidant ever since.
Cao Cao always does his best to the people he "subdues", bravely undertakes the tasks he should undertake, and hopes to support the crisis together and achieve a great cause together.However, if you want to achieve great things, you can't stay under others for a long time, because their ambitions and acting styles cannot be completely consistent.Therefore, you will not blindly give in, but you still have to stick to your beliefs, neither arrogant nor humble.
When Cao Cao lost in Bianshui, recruited soldiers, re-established his own armed forces and returned to the north, instead of returning to Suanzao, he crossed the Yellow River and rushed to Hanoi, where he contacted Yuan Shao, the leader of the coalition army stationed there, in an attempt to persuade Yuan Shao Send troops to change the situation.But the results were still disappointing, and he often couldn't agree with Yuan Shao on many issues, or even completely confronted him.From then on, he became more dissatisfied with Yuan Shao, and had the idea of waiting for an opportunity to eliminate Yuan Shao.Later, as Yuan Shao took the opportunity to develop his personal power, Cao Cao strengthened his ideas and accelerated the pace of developing his personal power.
Later, the relationship between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao became even more distant. When Cao Cao welcomed the emperor in Xudu, and Yuan Shao changed from Cao Cao's "superior" to his "inferior", Cao Cao had not yet fallen out with Yuan Shao in view of his own strength. Until the Battle of Guandu in the fourth year of Jian'an (199 AD), the two sides finally faced each other inevitably.
During the Three Kingdoms period, most of the heroes who were able to make a difference had the experience of striving for extension.Liu Bei once attached to Cao Cao, and Sun Quan was able to "seek peace" with Liu Bei first, regardless of the obstruction of civil servants and military generals, and condescend to Liu Bei when Soochow was facing the danger of being attacked by Shu and Wei. A series of diplomatic concessions were made.Later, he "written a form to plead his minister" to Cao Pi, and obediently accepted Cao Pi's title.This series of humble actions played a positive role in avoiding the unfavorable situation of Soochow being attacked on both sides.
There is no real hero in the world who only "stretches" but does not "bend". There are only questions about whom he bends to, when he bends, and where he bends.Sometimes taking a step back will create a complicated circle and protect yourself well, which is more beneficial than taking ten steps forward.Once the time is right, it will be easier to exert force, and your career will go further.A person who can stretch and bend like Cao Cao will never be defeated.
The three of you know that your strength is not good enough to avoid it for the time being
Rengui has self-knowledge, in fact, it means being able to clarify one's own strength, one's own potential.When the situation is not as good as others, you can compromise and temporarily satisfy the other party's requirements, and then seek other solutions after the crisis has passed. This is a kind of "concession policy" implemented in an unfavorable situation.To do this, we must proceed from the current situation, weigh the pros and cons, restrain our attitude, and sacrifice immediate interests to save the overall situation.If you don't have the ability to foresight, it is difficult to have the courage to act like this.
Cao Cao is not lacking in heroism, but he also has self-knowledge.After he ushered in Xu County, the imperial capital, although he had political advantages, it was still difficult for him to control it with his own power. At that time, he could not "bring the emperor to order the princes".On the contrary, he has become the attention of the world, and it can also be said that he has become the target of public criticism.However, compared with warlords such as Yuan Shao, they are still at a disadvantage.Therefore, Cao Cao adopted the strategy of avoiding the edge and strengthening himself, and finally defeated Yuan Shao.
Yuan Shao had some regrets about Cao Cao's gaining power. He put on the posture of the leader, relied on his large number of soldiers, and asked Cao Cao to move Emperor Xian to Juancheng on the grounds that Xu County was low-humidity and Luoyang was dilapidated. Jizhou is relatively close, so it is easy to control Emperor Xian.But how could Cao Cao make concessions on major issues?He categorically rejected Yuan Shao's request, and wrote a letter in the name of Emperor Xian to blame Yuan Shao for only focusing on developing his own power and not being king.Yuan Shao excused himself helplessly.
In the name of Emperor Xian, Cao Cao appointed Yuan Shao as Taiwei and named Yehou, which was actually a test.When Yuan Shao saw that Cao Cao was appointed as a general, his status was not as good as his, so he refused to accept the appointment.
Cao Cao had self-knowledge and knew that he was not as strong as Yuan Shao at this time. He couldn't argue with Yuan Shao at this time, so he decided to make a temporary concession and give Yuan Shao the title of General.He served as Sikong himself (also one of the "Three Dukes"), and acted as General Cheqi (General Cheqi was second only to the Great General and General Hushi) to ease the conflict with Yuan Shao.But because Yuan Shao was not in Xudu, Cao Cao still took charge of the government.
The fledglings cannot fly high.Cao Cao knew that his power was not enough, and he could not express himself too much for the time being.Therefore, he tried his best to meet Yuan Shao's requirements, and showed "beyond his power" humility towards the imperial court's gifts.As soon as the feathers are full, he will fight with all his might, without any scruples.
When the opponent is stronger than you, it is feasible not to confront it and take the opportunity to develop your own power, but you must not lose your principles and independence because of this, and you must always control your own destiny.
Cao Cao succumbed to Yuan Shao because of his self-knowledge, and he never relaxed about his development in private, and finally defeated Yuan Shao completely in the battle of Guandu.
After Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao with a late attack, he acted like a great hero. He treated Yuan Shao with the utmost benevolence and righteousness, and took the opportunity to enhance his good reputation.
Soon after the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao died.When Cao Cao attacked Yecheng, he immediately ordered: Without his general's order, no one is allowed to enter Yuan's house.When Cao Cao took full control of Yecheng, he did something that ordinary people could not understand, but it was very vivid for the heroes: offering sacrifices to Yuan Shao with tears.
He personally went to Yuan Shao's tomb to offer sacrifices, lamenting the hardships of the times and the sufferings of life.When it comes to affection, it is inevitable to sigh.
Dong Zhuo was in chaos, and Yuan and Cao formed an alliance. They dealt with hardships and shared disasters and blessings.During this time, they suffered together.Afterwards, everyone became independent, and everyone had a lofty goal in mind, so they tolerated each other, and even attacked each other, and even fought bloody battles.It's not that there is some feud that can't be resolved, it's just that each other has to express their ambitions and wishes.In the end, the outcome is clear, the country is ruined and the family is destroyed. Although Cao Cao has achieved great success, this is not what they wanted to see when they met.Therefore, sympathizing with each other, being sincerely moved, and naturally heartbroken, this is the so-called style of generosity and heroism. Of course, it will not be understood by those who are narrow-minded, complacent when they achieve small achievements, and those who are fortunate in their own achievements and happy in others' misfortunes.
Four learn to forbearance to express loyalty and write a letter
If you show your hole cards too early, or make a move when it is not enough to win, you will often lose in the contest.When the wings are not full, don't flaunt them around.A gentleman must be good at protecting himself and learn to wait for the time to act.
Cao Cao was at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, when the world was in chaos and heroes were everywhere, it can be said that "every family wants to be an emperor, and everyone wants to be a prince".When Cao Cao cleared the obstacles from all sides one by one, his reputation grew day by day.When the conditions to replace the Han Dynasty are fully met, it is said that it is easy for him to force the emperor to abdicate at this time.But Cao Cao did not proclaim himself emperor until his deathbed.Is Cao Cao loyal to the Han Dynasty?I'm afraid not necessarily.It was the circumstances at the time.
Cao Cao monopolized power but did not become emperor, reflecting his sobriety, wisdom and composure.We know that as Emperor Han Xian became more and more marginalized, Cao Cao's intention to replace him became more and more obvious, which led to constant attacks from political opponents.For example, Zhou Yu scolded him as "Han Prime Minister, but he is actually a Han thief"; Liu Bei said that he "has the heart of a king" and "want to steal an artifact".Yuan Shu is a living example of those who let it go without any excuse and rashly proclaim themselves emperor.Cao Cao may not only lose the political advantage of "holding the emperor to order the princes", but also may become the target of conquest by the princes of the four directions; the internal Hanchen forces will also rise up to oppose.
After the Battle of Chibi, the three-point situation in the world is a foregone conclusion.Sun and Liu are eyeing the north covetously, and the generals in Guanzhong headed by Ma Chao have evil intentions. This is Cao Cao's confidant.Under such circumstances, domestic and foreign political enemies intensified their attacks on him in an attempt to shake his political foundation, and some even demanded that he hand over his military power in order to weaken his strength.In order to fight back against political opponents, appease the internal supporters of the Han faction, and continue to maintain his political advantage of "holding the emperor to command the princes", Cao Cao had to hide his intention to replace the Han even more, and further showed his loyalty to the Han Dynasty.
He also wrote a special letter "Rangxian Self-Ming Ben Zhi Ling" to show his determination to be loyal to the Han Dynasty. He said that his highest wish at that time was to be a general who conquered the West and be a marquis. The Tomb of Marquis Cao, General of the West".The purpose is to show that I have limited ambitions since I was young, and I only want to make contributions to the country, and I have no personal ambitions.Second, Cao Cao reviewed his experience since raising righteous soldiers to challenge Dong Zhuo, aiming to show that he spent his entire life fighting to prevent others from proclaiming emperor and king, so how could he become emperor again?The third part of the order states that I have been favored by Han in the next life for more than three lives, and that the Han has never failed me, so my loyalty to the Han Dynasty is beyond doubt.The last part of the order aimed at the attacks of political opponents against him, and made it clear that he would not give up his military power and return to his fief Wuping Marquis.This is not only out of consideration for the safety of himself and his descendants, but also for national security; moreover, the four counties he sealed off handed over three counties, and the food households were reduced from [-] to [-] to reduce the various burdens he suffered. square pressure.
In fact, Cao Cao is a generation of heroes, so why doesn't he have the heart of an emperor.The reason why he kept his secrets was to wait for the opportunity.
In May of the 18th year of Jian'an (213 A.D.), Cao Cao was named King of Wei and added Jiuxi.At this time, the discussion about Cao Cao's "not inferior ambition" became popular again, so Cao Cao wrote another poem "Duan Ge Xing".In the poem, the Duke of Zhou vomits and feeds himself, showing that although he is named Wei Gong and added Jiuxi, he will still abide by the courtiers, obey the Han Dynasty, and will never do anything that endangers the Han Dynasty.
In the 24th year of Jian'an (219 A.D.), Sun Quan wrote a letter to Cao Cao, urging Cao Cao to become emperor, and he looked north to become a minister.Cao Cao showed the letter to the officials and said with a big smile, "Sun Quan is roasting me on the stove!"
Cao Cao understood that if he replaced Wei with Han, he would inevitably attract opposition from all sides, just like being roasted on the stove.In fact, Cao Cao disclosed this letter to the ministers and said some words of confession, firstly to expose Sun Quan's true intentions, and secondly to test the attitude of the ministers.The ministers understood Cao Cao's intentions, and they expressed that "it is the right time to replace Han with Wei".After Cao Cao listened to everyone's suggestions, he calmly said: "If the destiny is my destiny, I will be King Wen!"
Cao Cao's words actually expressed his intention to replace the Han Dynasty in his heart. It was just like King Wen of Zhou laid the foundation for King Wu of Zhou back then, actively creating conditions for his son to be emperor.
Cao Cao knew that he had too many political enemies, and he made it clear many times that he would not proclaim himself emperor. With this shield, he was happy to be in power, and his forbearance was really deep.
Five advances and retreats, living at home and planning
A person who wants to achieve hegemony must grasp the rhythm of advance and retreat. When you make a small success in your career and make some progress, you must be mentally prepared for ups and downs.If one step fails to reach an idea, the building that has been painstakingly managed may collapse in an instant.
Therefore, it is necessary to control the rhythm of advance and retreat.Because, if you don’t grasp the entry and exit points well, it’s easy to sink down, gradually fade out of the center, and disappear into nothingness.How to avoid this situation?Let's look at Cao Cao's way of advancing and retreating.
After Cao Cao suppressed the uprising army in Yingchuan, he was promoted to Prime Minister of Jinan because of his military achievements.Cao Cao did two major things during his two years as Prime Minister of Jinan.One is to dismiss corrupt officials, and the other is to destroy temples of prostitution.This greatly increased his influence, made outstanding political achievements, and his official career was bright.
The two things Cao Cao did when he was Prime Minister of Jinan were indeed his proud works. Although he did not regret it, he also felt afraid.Because Cao Cao's actions not only offended the eunuchs in the court, but also the local tyrants hated him deeply.Cao Cao didn't want to lose his great ambition to help the country in order to cater to the powerful, and he didn't want his family to be implicated because he repeatedly offended the powerful.In order to avoid unforeseen disasters, Cao Cao retreated bravely and immediately resigned from his position as Prime Minister of Jinan. He asked to return to the palace to serve as a guard, and actually asked for unemployment.
Cao Cao's worries are very reasonable.How could the regular attendants and powerful men tolerate him harming their interests so much?Cao Cao's begging to stay in the guards was purely based on retreat, which was not his original intention.How could those eunuchs and noble relatives in the court not know?Their abacus is to transfer him away from the Jinan phase, but also to exclude him from the capital.So "recruited to be the prefect of Dongjun".The prefect of Dongjun and the Prime Minister of Jinan have the same status. In today's terms, they are transferred at the same level.And in terms of regional importance at that time, the status of Dongjun was comparable to that of Jinan's prime minister.Cao Cao verified his concerns through this transfer, so he excused his illness and refused to take up the post.
Considering his contribution and ability, the imperial court gave him another errand and appointed him as Yilang.At this time, his mind is very clear. He wants to avoid disaster while maintaining his reputation.Therefore, the position of Yilang is also "always complaining about illness and returning to his hometown".
After Cao Cao returned to his hometown Qiao County, he "built a house outside the city, studied reading in spring and summer, and hunted in autumn and winter to entertain himself."In view of the overall situation at that time, Cao Cao's return to his hometown in the name of illness was an excellent opportunity to hide his strength and bide his time, and it was also a good opportunity to enrich his mind and improve himself.
Of course, Cao Cao had this level of consideration in doing so, but it was not the only reason.Cao Cao dared to kill the uncle of Xiao Huangmen Jian Shuo when he was the northern captain of Luoyang. At that time, he was also in danger of being retaliated, but he didn't do so. Why?What's more, at this time his father Cao Song was still in power, and he was a rich, powerful, prestigious figure.With the support of such people in the court, Cao Cao naturally did not have any scruples in this regard.The reason why he resigned on the pretext of illness has a deeper consideration.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was very popular for celebrities to live in seclusion.And those with great ambitions are often able to bow and stretch to worship the sages. The most famous one is Liu Bei's "three visits to the thatched cottage" and asked Zhuge Liang to help him.At that time, living in seclusion was considered to be the act of a talented and noble person. Therefore, living in seclusion can raise your social status and become the target of attention of those in power. It is a shortcut to fame.
Cao Cao often felt very sorry for being "not a well-known person in the cave". If he had the opportunity to be a "hermit" for a while, he would certainly be very happy.From this point of view, another passage that Cao Cao said in "Rang County Self-Ming Ben Zhi Ling" is also credible.He said:
After resigning from office, he was still young. Among Gu Shitong's (referring to those who promoted filial piety and honesty in the same year), he was fifty years old. Those who start raising in the middle of the year wait for their ears.Therefore, I returned to my hometown at four o'clock, and built a Buddhist temple fifty miles east of Qiao. I wanted to study in autumn and summer, and shoot and hunt in winter and spring.
It is not difficult to see from it that Cao Cao had prepared to live in seclusion for a long time.First of all, since "you can't go against the law and take tolerance", of course, living in seclusion is a good choice to avoid chaos and maintain yourself; Realizing your ambitions is also the best policy.Of course, his foothold is that even if he has to wait a few years before becoming an official, it is not too late, but he does not live in seclusion for life, which is not in line with his character.Therefore, Cao Cao's ultimate goal of "reporting illness and returning to his hometown" is to wait for the opportunity.And during the period, he even watched the situation. Once the situation is in his favor, he will come back.
During Cao Cao's stay at home, local warlords rebelled and the remnants of the Yellow Turban Army rebelled continuously, and the whole political situation was very chaotic. We have to admire his foresight of retreating to seek clarity.The opportunity finally came. In August of this year, in order to strengthen the power to protect the capital and the royal family, Emperor Ling formed a new army.The Xiyuan new army can be said to be the imperial guards, ready to deal with possible turmoil at any time.Emperor Ling chose Jian Shuo, the eunuch, Yuan Shao, the military attache, and Cao Cao, who was appointed as one of the eight lieutenants of Dianjun.
In fact, Cao Cao's biggest ideal before was to be a general for Liehou. It is an excellent opportunity to become a general in the new army of Xiyuan. The temptation of Cao Cao is too great.He immediately ended his "reclusive" life, and went to Beijing to take office in a happy mood.
Cao Cao's ability to get close to the royal family and hold important positions, and to work with the very popular eunuch Jian Shuo, shows that he has reached a new level in his official career.From this point of view, his strategy of retreating into advance has been successful.This kind of success depends on his own outstanding ability; secondly, he has established a good image in politics and won a good reputation.
Cao Cao's life was the same as that of other great entrepreneurs, he had advances and retreats, and he could grasp the key to advance and retreat well.The victory of Cao Cao's strategy of seeking and stretching made him achieve his goal early and inflated his political desires.At the beginning, he only planned to be the prefect of a county, but now he wants to rely on his military power to seek thieves for the country, so that he can be named a marquis and become the general who conquers the west. tomb".The lofty ambitions and the deep official strategy of the city government all show that Cao Cao's political actions will be limitless.
Liu Gui insisted on waiting for the opportunity
It is often said that the authorities are obsessed, but the bystanders are clear.Why?It is precisely because in it, energy is focused on a certain part, and it is difficult to see the overall situation.The bystanders, because they are outside the matter, have a calm mind and can better see the ins and outs of things.Therefore, when you are in confusion, you must be cautious.Cao Cao has also been in such a situation. He can always think calmly, wait for the opportunity, choose the right route, and save himself from danger many times.
In the battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao was aggressive and his troops were strong.After Cao Cao planned to kill Yan Liang and Wen Chou, Yuan Shao was furious.Regardless of the counselor's dissuasion, he sent his troops south to conquer Cao Cao, eager to fight Cao Cao.
Although Cao Cao won two battles in a row, Yuan Shao's strength has not been destroyed, and the morale of the army is still high.Therefore, Cao Cao took the initiative to retreat to Guandu (now northeast of Zhongmu, Henan) to fortify, looking for opportunities to defeat the enemy.
After Cao Jun withdrew to Guandu, he was in a stalemate with Yuan Jun.The two armies came and went. Although Cao Jun continued to achieve some partial victories, over time, the weaknesses of lack of military supplies and insufficient military strength were gradually exposed.If Yuan Shao cannot be defeated in a short time, Cao Cao's situation will be very critical.
At this time, Xun You saw that the supply line behind Yuan Jun was very long, which was a major weakness of Yuan Jun, so he said to Cao Cao: "Yuan Shao's army to deliver the army food will arrive soon, but Yuan Shao does not know how to employ people. Although the general Han Meng who escorted the convoy He is brave and good at fighting, but he has the problem of underestimating the enemy and rushing forward, but you can take this opportunity to attack him, and you will surely succeed.” He also suggested sending general Xu Huang to complete this task.
Cao Cao accepted Xun You's suggestion and sent Xu Huang to lead an army to attack Yuan Shao's large army. Sure enough, he won a complete victory and burned Yuan's large amount of food and grass.
At this time, Liu Pi, the leader of the Yellow Turban Army in Runan (now north of Pingyu County, Henan Province), who had surrendered to Cao, defected to Yuan Shao and harassed the people in Xudu.Yuan Shao also sent Liu Bei to cooperate, intending to take the opportunity to attack Xudu.
After Liu Bei went south, he successively captured several county towns, and some places raised troops to respond, which made people panic in the area south of Xudu.Cao Cao was very worried about this.Cao Ren suggested: "At present, the army is stranded in Guandu, and there is an incident in the south of Xudu. Our army has no time to respond. And Liu Bei is suppressing the border with a large army at this time. It is understandable that the army and the people temporarily defected from us. Now Liu Bei has just taken over the command of Yuan Jun. Presumably it will not be handy, we should take the opportunity to lead the army to attack, and defeating Liu Bei will not be a problem."
After hearing what Cao Ren said, Cao Cao immediately sent him to lead troops south to attack Liu Bei. Sure enough, he defeated the reinforcements sent by Liu Bei and Yuan Shao without much effort.Not only relieved the danger of Xudu, but also made Cao Jun no worries, and made Yuan Shao no longer dare to divide his troops to attack.
The wave has not yet subsided, and blows follow one after another.Sun Ce, who was in the east of the river, took advantage of Cao Cao's confrontation with Yuan Shao at Guandu, and attempted to attack Xudu and kidnap Han Xiandi.When the news reached Cao Ying, everyone was shocked.
Guo Jia suggested: "Sun Ce is a hero and can make people die for him. But he underestimates the enemy and is not on guard. Even if he has a million troops, it is like walking alone in the Central Plains. If an assassin is sent to assassinate him, one person can deal with it. "After listening to Guo Jia's words, everyone calmed down a little.
Soon, news came from Jiangdong that Sun Ce was indeed assassinated by the retainers of the prefect Xu Gong.Jiangdong's plan to attack Xudu also fell through.Guo Jia analyzed Sun Ce's weaknesses from his character characteristics, and Cao Cao was even more impressed by his ability to predict people and things.
But the weak Cao Cao is at a disadvantage in all aspects of military and food.In particular, the lack of military supplies made Cao Cao anxious all the time.Cao Cao felt that procrastination like this was not an option. In addition, the rear was often disturbed, so he had the idea of withdrawing Xudu.For this reason, he specifically asked Xun Yu who stayed behind in Xudu for advice.
Xun Yu quickly wrote back to Cao Cao, saying: "Yuan Shao gathered all his troops at Guandu, and he wanted to fight the Duke of Ming to the death. You resist the strongest with the weakest force. If you cannot subdue the opponent, the opponent will definitely take the opportunity." Subdue, this is the most critical moment in the struggle for the world. Although the army is short of food, it is not very critical. Duke Ming only gave one-tenth of the enemy's army to occupy the throat. Half a year. Now the enemy's weakness has been gradually exposed, their strength is being exhausted, and the stalemate will soon pass. This is a great opportunity to win, don't lose it!"
After reading Xun Yu's letter, Cao Cao was enlightened and deeply encouraged, but for the sake of caution, he consulted Jia Xu on the same issue.Jia Xu's analysis believes that the reason why our army cannot stabilize the situation within half a year is to be foolproof.Now we can only wait for the opportunity, and when the opportunity arrives, the situation will change.
Both Xun Yu and Jia Xu suggested that Cao Cao should persevere and wait for the opportunity.This is very clever. They have seen through both Yuan and Cao, so they have grasped the general trend.
The contrast between strength and weakness can change over time, because within strength there must be elements of weakness, and within weakness there is also strong energy.It's only time for them to show up.Find out and seize the opportunity, and your life and career will have a magic touch.The opportunity before Cao Cao, Cao Cao almost missed it.A letter from Xun Yu and Jia Xu's words made Cao Cao determined to persevere, so he seized the opportunity and finally won the victory.
After Cao Cao made up his mind, he has been waiting for a favorable opportunity.Just when he was in desperate need of an opportunity, the opportunity really came.
Yuan Shao's counselor Xu You defected to Cao Cao overnight because he was dissatisfied with Yuan Shao. Cao Cao received him very happily.Xu You suggested to Cao Cao: "Now Yuan Shao has more than 1 carts of military food stockpiled in Gushi and Wuchao, and his defenses are not tight. You can send an elite army to attack by surprise, and burn the food with fire. Within three days, Yuan Shao will surely The whole army was defeated."
Xu You's strategy is completely in line with Cao Cao's strategic intention of looking for fighters and winning by surprise.After hearing this, Cao Cao was overjoyed, and immediately sent an order to Cao Hong and Xun You to stay in the camp, and he personally led [-] cavalry to burn Yuan Jun's grain and grass in Wuchao overnight.
Yuan Shao's army was suspicious of each other internally, and the external food and grass were all in chaos.Cao Cao took advantage of the victory to attack in an all-round way, Yuan's army collapsed without a fight, and Yuan Shao only led [-] cavalry across the Yellow River to flee for his life.
Looking at this battle, Cao Cao hesitated and retreated at the most critical juncture, but in the end reason prevailed and he persisted to the end. This is actually a victory of Cao Cao's will and quality.
[-]. Keep Faith, Don’t Be Depressed by Life’s Downturns
Nine out of ten unsatisfactory things in life.There are always more times when you are hurt than when you are happy. This injury is both physical and spiritual.These injuries are not only a kind of torture to people, but also a kind of destruction to life, but they are inevitable.At this time, should we let fate make fun of us with our heads down, or should we bear it silently and wait for the moment when we become stronger?Although Cao Cao is a generation of heroes, he is also a man of flesh and blood with rich emotions.There are also times when you are so sad that you can't even advance or retreat.At this time, Cao Cao's approach was to "be patient, even if someone gets it and scratches your heart."Patience and persistence time and time again enabled him to get rid of troubles again and again, renew his energy, and meet greater challenges.
In the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao attacked Soochow with an overwhelming force, but was defeated.For Cao Cao, who has always compared himself to a military genius, it is really embarrassing.A bigger blow hit him again. Cao Chong, the most beloved young son, died of a disease.Cao Chong was young, intelligent and quick-witted. He once skillfully weighed an elephant. Cao Cao was of course very happy.It's a pity that Cao Chong died young, and coupled with his bad mood after the defeat, how could Cao Cao not lament sadly.
He had been depressed, depressed, and absent-minded about official duties for a long period of time.His nostalgia for Cao Chong even made him make a ridiculous decision: Cao Cao asked Sikong Yu (Secretary of Sikong Mansion) Bing Yuan to bury his daughter who died early with Cao Chong, and give them a yin marriage.
Bing Yuan knew very well that if Cao Cao continued like this, it would be difficult to make progress in the situation, which would be detrimental to the overall situation.So he took the risk to express his opposition. He said: "It is against common etiquette to match one's children who died young to a yin marriage, even if it is out of nostalgia and love for them. It is understandable for ordinary people to do so. The reason why Bing Yuan Being able to serve Minggong calmly, and fortunately Minggong can trust me, is due to mutual strict etiquette. If I make an exception to accept Minggong’s grace, it will violate etiquette, and it will make us fall into the cliché. Please Minggong think twice .”
Cao Cao felt that Bing Yuan's concerns were very reasonable, and also understood Bing Yuan's euphemistic advice to himself not to forget public affairs because of personal interests, and to put state affairs first.From then on, Cao Cao was that energetic, deceitful and power-hungry villain again.
In the 14th year of Jian'an (209 AD), Cao Cao decided to return to his hometown for vacation, and took this opportunity to rethink his future strategy.Before leaving, he ordered Xun You, Cheng Yu, Yu Jin and other generals to strengthen the formation and training of the navy.He believed that the main reason for the defeat in the Battle of Chibi was that the soldiers in the north were not familiar with water warfare. Therefore, the only way to strengthen the combat training of the water army was to draw on Eastern Wu.There is a great momentum of comeback and revenge.
As for Soochow, after the Battle of Chibi, the prestige of Sun Quan and Liu Bei's troops was greatly shaken, and their confidence soared.Zhou Yu's army guarded Jiangling, Cheng Pu's army deployed in Jiangxia, and Lu Meng's army stationed in Xunyang. The entire Yangtze River Basin, Jingzhou, and Yangzhou's vast areas have been completely included in Sun Quan's sphere of influence.On the other hand, after the Battle of Chibi, Liu Bei also took the opportunity to capture the Jingzhou area south of the Yangtze River. After Liu Biao died, he was recommended by Sun Quan as Jingzhou Shepherd and set up a command center in the police station on the south bank of the Yangtze River.
Soochow's series of actions made Cao Cao think that he was bullying him, contempt and challenge him.Although the training of the northern navy has not been completed at this time, the situation in the Guanzhong area and the northern counties is also fluctuating. According to common sense, it is not appropriate to rashly start a war.But in order to boost morale and maintain the combat effectiveness of the army.Cao Cao personally led the water army to the south, entered the Huai River from Weishui, and entered Hefei along the Feishui River to form a formation.
Sun Quan saw that Cao Cao led the army to the south, and Zhou Yu was in critical condition at this time, and it was difficult to lead the army, so he personally led the army to Hefei to deploy defenses, forming a confrontation with Cao Cao.Cao Cao originally wanted to encourage the morale of the army, and had no intention of going to war, but Sun Quan's attitude was firm.So, after hastily inspecting the defense of the Soochow Army on the front line, he led the army back to the northern training base.
The 15th year of Jian'an (210 A.D.) was a rare and peaceful year on the surface.But the atmosphere between the two sides is actually tense behind the scenes, and the situation between the North and the South is even more critical.Especially Zhou Yu's army, which directly confronted Cao Jun on the front line, dared not relax.
This year, a news that was beneficial to Cao Cao but made Soochow very sad: Zhou Yu, whose condition had not improved, passed away due to the deterioration of his condition.Before his death, he recommended Lu Su to take over as the commander-in-chief of the Jiangling Army, and also the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Wuxi Army.
After Zhou Yu's death, the morale of the Soochow army was hit hard.Fortunately, Lu Su, who succeeded him, was magnificent and stable. He was one of the few military strategists with vision and political acumen among the famous generals in the contemporary era.Adhering to Zhou Yu's strategic thinking, he decided to unite with Liu Bei again to fight against the threat of Cao Jun.Under his persuasion, Sun Quan lent all the three counties north of Jingzhou (including Jiangling) to Liu Bei, and Liu Bei's army was responsible for the defense of the western front, and the two joined forces to resist Cao Cao.
Although Cao Cao sent people to the south several times to spy, but each time he found that the two defenses were tight and they cooperated tacitly.So he decided to temporarily abandon the intention of going south to unify China, and try his best to manage things within the sphere of influence, and stabilize the Guanzhong area, so as to accumulate strength for the southern expedition.
(End of this chapter)
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