The Complete Biography of Cao Cao
Chapter 9 Standing out
Chapter 9 Standing out
A new start for a political star defending public rights
In the third year of Emperor Ling Xiping (AD 174), 20-year-old Cao Cao was elected Xiaolian by the local government.With the qualification of Xiaolian, one can be an official.Cao Cao was initially appointed as Lang (the general term for the emperor's attendants), and was recommended by Shangshu Youcheng and Jing Zhaoyin (equivalent to the prefect of the county) Sima Fang (Sima Yi's father) as Luoyang Beiwei, officially embarking on his official career.
Cao Cao worked hard as a lieutenant in the north of Luoyang, and his greatest achievement was to kill the uncle of the great eunuch Jian Shuo, and severely hit the arrogance of the royal relatives and tyrants.Moreover, the matter was handled so seamlessly that those who hated him could not open their mouths, so they had to find a reason to drive out of the capital and become Dunqiu Ling.But here, he has accumulated a certain reputation for his vigorous and resolute rectification actions without fear of the powerful.
Cao Cao has never forgotten his success in his first official career.Later, after he became the king of Wei, he specially invited Sima Fang (named Jiangong), who recommended him to be the northern captain of Luoyang, to Yecheng to host a banquet.While drinking and expressing his feelings, he jokingly said: "Mr. Jiangong, do you think I can still be a captain?" Sima Fang tactfully replied: "When I elected the king, the king was just right to be a captain!" Laughed.
In the sixth year of Xiping (AD 177), Cao Cao left Luoyang, the capital, and went to Dunqiu to be the county magistrate.Later, Cao Cao led troops to conquer Sun Quan in the south. Before leaving, he encouraged his son Cao Zhi to say: "I was only 23 years old when I was appointed as the order of Dunqiu. Looking back on what I did at that time, I have no regrets today." It shows that Cao Cao was serving as the order of Dunqiu During this period, I am still very satisfied with my performance and actions.
Cao Cao was recalled by the court as Yilang not long after he took office as the order of Dunqiu.Yilang's job is to be a consultant, and he can participate in discussions on current affairs.Yilang is an idle official with no specific job and no real power.In the following year, the first year of Guanghe (AD 178), Emperor Ling of Han listened to the eunuch's framing and abolished Empress Song. Empress Song's father, Song Feng, and several brothers were killed.Song Qi, Cao Cao's cousin-in-law, was also killed because he was the same clan of Empress Song.Cao Cao was usually upright and upright, and offended many ministers in the court, he wished he could kick him out of the capital.In addition, with this incident, the eunuchs were suspicious and implicated Cao Cao, so he was dismissed from office.
After Cao Cao was dismissed from office, he did not want to live idle in Luoyang, so he returned to his hometown to live in Qiao County.In the third year of Guanghe (180 A.D.), he was recruited again and worshiped as Yilang.
Although Yilang was a idler, Cao Cao was loyal to his duty and was unwilling to be lonely. He wanted to make more suggestions for the court to make politics clear.He first thought of the incident in which the general Dou Wu and the Taifu Chen Fan were killed by eunuchs in the early years of Emperor Ling, and wanted to avenge Dou Wu and Chen Fan's grievances.After detailed investigation and understanding, he believed that Dou Wu, Chen Fan and others died unjustly and should be rehabilitated in order to achieve justice and improve politics.
So he disregarded his personal safety and wrote to the emperor to ask for the vindication of Dou Wu and Chen Fan.There is something like this in the above book: Dou Wu and others are upright and public, but they are framed for no reason.The court is full of treacherous people, and the way of true virtuous ministers is blocked.
From these few words, it can be seen that Cao Cao not only pointed the finger at the harmful bureaucrats and overturned the case of history, but also pointed out the current maladies and made sidelines about Lingdi.On the surface, Emperor Ling appreciated Cao Cao's suggestion very much, but he was indifferent.
Although Cao Cao failed to rehabilitate Dou Wu and Chen Fan, he realized the corruption of officials more clearly.
In the first month of the fifth year of Guanghe (182 A.D.), Emperor Ling ordered Gongqing to report and dismiss local officials who had harmed the people.Captain Xu Youyu and Sikong Zhang Ji took the opportunity to accept bribes wantonly, and did not investigate and deal with those relatives and guests of eunuchs who were very angry with the people.Instead, it attacked a group of officials with political achievements but no connections, which aroused public resentment.Those officials who were wronged also appealed to the court one after another.Situ Chen Dan also wrote to Emperor Ling to explain the facts, but Chen Dan was framed by the eunuch, and instead was dismissed by Emperor Ling, put in prison, and finally died in prison unjustly.
Cao Cao was very dissatisfied with Xu Youyu and Zhang Ji's actions, but he couldn't bear it because he had no chance.In February of this year, a great plague broke out, in April there was a severe drought across the country, and in May a fire broke out in Yongle Palace where the Empress Dowager lived.Therefore, a lot of political rumors appeared for a while.Emperor Ling believed in the theory of the interaction between heaven and man, and issued an edict to consult the gains and losses of political affairs because of the "disaster".Cao Cao took the opportunity to write a letter, accusing the ministers of making untruthful performances, specifically attacking Qingming officials and avoiding noble relatives and eunuchs' children.They deceived the "holy listeners" with words that did not conform to the facts, which did not have the slightest effect on changing the current situation.Due to the repeated disasters, Emperor Ling seemed to have "sensitized", so he had to pay attention to this matter, and sent Cao Cao's memorial to the Sanfu (Sangongfu Ya) to blame Xu Youyu and Zhang Ji for their dereliction of duty. He was dismissed from office the following October.This time Cao Cao seized the opportunity and succeeded in one fell swoop.This incident also made him more mature politically.
Cao Cao's opposition to powerful officials acting out of control showed that he was in the same position as the hard-line bureaucrats.A young man who was born in a family of eunuchs was praised by people for being able to take the political path against the eunuch group.
Since then, the government has become more and more dark and chaotic, and the cunning and lawless people have become more and more rampant.Cao Cao knew that using the method of writing a letter would not change the status quo, and the Han Empire was like a building that was about to collapse and was "irreversible".He can only strengthen his confidence and rely on his own strength to help the world.
[-] Breaking the superstition Cao Xiangguo banned prostitution
Although Cao Cao took some measures to restrain the powerful in politics, he was regarded as a relatively enlightened member of the feudal rulers, but he was after all the political representative of the landlord class.What he did was based on the interests of the landlord class, and his purpose was to restore the feudal ruling order and consolidate the rule of the landlord class.Due to this class nature, it was determined that he must also take measures to suppress peasant uprisings.His performance in the Yellow Turban Peasant Uprising that swept across the country in the first year of Zhongping (184 AD) is a prominent example.
In the first year of Zhongping (AD 184), the peasants under heavy pressure finally broke out.The leader, Zhang Jiao, used the form of religious organization "Taipingdao" to contact and organize the masses under the cover of preaching and treating diseases. After more than ten years of preparation, the number of believers reached several 10.They staged an uprising under the slogan "The sky is dead, the yellow sky should be established, the year is Jiazi, and the world is auspicious".
After the Yellow Turban Uprising, it was supported by the broad masses of the people, "within ten days, the whole world responded."They burned the government, suppressed corrupt officials, and dealt a heavy blow to the rulers.The rebels formed a threat to the capital Luoyang from Jizhou, Yingchuan and Nanyang respectively.In order to deal with the rebel army with all his strength, Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty selected generals and mobilized elite soldiers from all over the country to suppress them. The 30-year-old Yilang Cao Cao was appointed as the riding captain to follow Zuo Zhonglang General Huangfusong and Right Zhonglang General Zhu Jun to suppress the Yellow Turban Army in the south of the Yellow River in order to relieve the threat to the capital Luoyang.
Cao Cao led an army to actively cooperate with Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun to attack the Yellow Turban Army's position in Changshe (now Changgedong, Heyu).In May of the same year, he joined forces with Huangfusong and Zhu Jun to pursue and kill the Yellow Turban Army in Yingchuan (Yangdi, the county government, now Yuzhou City, Henan Province), "beheading tens of thousands of people".
The Yellow Turban Uprising, which was launched vigorously and swept across the country, was finally suppressed bloody by the feudal ruling forces under the circumstances of disparity in military strength and lack of combat experience.The Eastern Han Dynasty temporarily turned the corner, and this national carriage will continue to travel in the name of the Eastern Han Dynasty for decades.
However, the fire of the uprising has been lit, and all parts of the country have responded, and the flames of war have spread all over the country, and the struggle is not over yet.In particular, the Yellow Turban Army in Qingzhou and Xuzhou and the Heishan Uprising Army in Yanzhou continued to fight continuously, which fundamentally shook the foundation of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
After Cao Cao suppressed the Yellow Turban Army, he was promoted due to his meritorious service and was appointed Prime Minister of Jinan (where the government is located in Dongpingling, east of Licheng County, Shandong). Officials of political affairs are equivalent to the status of county prefects.This opened a new page in Cao Cao's official career, showing his domineering spirit day by day.
He is determined to use the real power in his hands to work hard and plan his political life according to his own ideals.
There are more than 10 counties under the jurisdiction of Jinan State.After Cao Cao took office, he learned that most of these county magistrates were eunuchs who were attached to the powerful and powerful, colluded with local tyrants, corrupted the law, and were experts in the fish and meat village.However, the previous prime ministers, knowing that these local officials were doing evil, did not dare to intervene and deal with them.After Cao Cao investigated and understood the situation in detail, he wrote to the court and dismissed [-]% of the county magistrate in one fell swoop.Immediately, all officials, big and small, in Jinan were terrified, and some criminals fled to other counties in order to escape the law.As a result, the social security in Jinan area improved greatly.
At that time, it became a custom to build ancestral temples and worship ancestors.More and more ancestral temples were built, and belief in ghosts and gods became more and more popular, especially in Jinan. When Cao Cao took office, there were more than 600 ancestral temples.
It is a good thing to sacrifice meritorious officials and remember ancestors. Cao Cao is also an enlightened prime minister. He believes that temples built in accordance with state regulations are allowed to perform sacrifices according to the content of the ritual system, which is allowed.However, most of the ancestral temples in Jinan were not built in accordance with the laws and regulations, they were built indiscriminately, and they did not perform sacrifices according to the regulations of the ritual system, but were about arresting treacherous ghosts and gods.What's more, some rich merchants and landowners were extravagant. They sat in cars that only court officials could ride in, and wore official uniforms, ostentatiously passing through the market, not paying attention to the court at all.Some artists were also invited to sing, dance, play and play, to flaunt the so-called merits of their ancestors and raise their own social status.
Some people with ulterior motives even turn these ancestral halls into venues for meeting gods and defrauding money.During the sacrificial activities, apportionment was made a lot, which caused the common people to complain.As for ordinary people voluntarily or forced to worship and offer offerings to Ke Temple due to superstition, this is a constant burden.In this way, the trend of "sexual sacrifice" became more and more severe, and the common people became poorer and poorer.The previous prime ministers knew that this matter was inextricably linked to the powerful ministers, and they did not dare to ban these illegal activities even though they were aware of them.
After Cao Cao learned of this situation, he drastically destroyed all these "prostitution temples", and strictly prohibited the officials and the people from engaging in "prostitution worship" activities.As soon as the ban came out, there was a great shock.Since then, no one dared to mention the "treacherous ghosts and gods" anymore.
Dismissing corrupt officials and destroying prostitute temples are the two fires that Cao Cao burned during his two years as prime minister. These two raging fires offended many court officials and powerful forces.Just when Cao Cao was going to continue to work hard, the court transferred him away.
As the saying goes: Newborn calves are not afraid of tigers.Cao Cao's new job, his bold and vigorous work style is indeed worthy of admiration, but his blind toughness has set up obstacles for his future work.How can I protect myself and achieve my goal?This requires leaders to have considerable experience and time, skilled skills in coordinating and communicating various interpersonal relationships, and knowledge and ability to deal with various complex issues.
In today's terms, Cao Cao was promoted too quickly.If he was promoted to Prime Minister just because of his meritorious service in suppressing the rebel army, he must not have the skills and abilities in administrative management.He himself realized this, so he retired bravely and went home to find a job.One is to avoid the limelight, and the other is to sort out ideas for his future career development. We have to admire his move.
Three ingenious plans to solve floods by borrowing corpses to return to life
When Cao Cao, Prime Minister of Jinan, first took office, he was busy with government affairs every day, sympathetic to the people's sentiments, and often patrolled along the streets.
In the past few days, due to the continuous rain, the flood in the city has been flooded, and it has not retreated for several days.Cao Cao then asked Guo Jia why the flood could not subside for so long.Guo Jia actually understood the reason a long time ago, so he led Cao Cao to the back door of the Prince's Mansion in Jinan, pointed to the Luoshui River and said, "This is the key to getting rid of the accumulated water in the city. Please take a closer look."
Cao Cao looked in the direction of Guo Jia's finger, and saw countless gardens and pavilions built on both sides of the Luoshui River.Half of these gardens fall on the shore and half hang in the water; pillars and dams in the water are densely packed, supporting the towers and painting pavilions.The largest one in the middle, next to Yongquan, is the back garden of King Liu Kang of Jinan. Almost the whole building is in the water.It turns out that this section of Luoshui in the city has a wide riverbed, flat terrain, gentle water flow, crystal clear, green willows on both sides, singing birds and fragrant flowers, like a natural garden.Liu Kang built the palace here and built this water garden.
Seeing that the prince took the lead, the rich and powerful families in the city followed suit.The more water gardens were built, the beautiful Luoshui River turned into a winding stream with poor flow.In summer, it rains continuously, and the mountains and rivers all converge into the Luoshui River. When the flood reaches the city, it is blocked by the many pavilions, causing the river to overflow and the city to flood.Jinan royal residences and rich families are all tall houses with deep foundations, built of mountains and stones, so they are not afraid of flooding, only ordinary people suffer.
After Cao Cao saw it, he understood in his heart.The next day, he went straight into the palace and asked Liu Kang to tear down the garden straight to the point.Liu Kang refused to nod because he was a royal family member.For this reason, the two were very unhappy.
Cao Cao returned to the mansion, thought it over, and thought that since he couldn't stand firm, he had to give full play to his strengths-use tricks.He recruited a few men who are proficient in water skills, and explained it, and it must be completed tonight.
But Liu Kang, the king of Jinan, was angry when he was contradicted by Cao Cao.The next day, I came to the water garden to relax. I didn't want to sit down in the pavilion, but the Xiaoyao Pavilion collapsed behind me, and the two concubines fell into the water.
Liu Kang went back to his bedroom in shock, only to see those beauties whispering to each other, looking panic-stricken, as if a catastrophe was imminent.Liu Kang's face darkened, and he hurriedly shouted: "What are you guys talking about, tell me quickly." A palace maid, trembling, took out a palm-sized white silk with words written all over it from her sleeve.Liu Kang took it and looked at it, but there were four lines of gatha:
The river flows,
The garden invites disaster,
I'm here when the wind blows,
The descendants are buried in water.
These few words, which seem to make sense but not make sense, are half written and half plain, which just reflects Liu Kang's heart disease.He also wondered about the collapse of the pavilion in the garden. Is it true that the people in the city were flooded because the garden was built on the water, and the heavens appeared to punish me?He was startled and frightened, a mouthful of blood immediately sprang up, and he passed out, and was bedridden for several days.
Hearing this, Cao Cao secretly smiled inwardly, put on a concerned look on his face, and came to the palace under the pretense of visiting a sick man.When talking about the cause of his illness before the sick bed, Liu Kang naturally mentioned the matter of the water garden, and said weakly to Liu Kang: "I regret not listening to Xiangguo's words. I suffered this catastrophe and almost killed me!" , hurriedly pushed the boat along the water and said: "This is an ominous thing. It's better to dismantle it as soon as possible. On the top, the prince's jade body is in good health, and on the bottom, the people of the Li people will suffer for a long time."
Liu Kang nodded and asked Cao Cao to handle it himself.Once the garden of the palace was demolished and the backing fell, no one would dare to neglect it.Not long after, those water gardens were demolished without a trace, and in less than two days, the accumulated water in the city was completely drained.
It turned out that this was Cao Cao's envoy's plan to use the corpse to revive the soul, trying to stimulate Liu Kang with the illusion of the god's appearance.That night, a few people who were able to swim were selected, each with a knife and saw, sneaked into the back garden of the palace, dived into the bottom of the water, and sawed off all the four logs supporting the pavilion.Guo Jia made up those four lines of gatha again, wrote dozens of copies, and posted them along the streets in the middle of the night, and everyone in the city would surely know about them. Besides, when Xiaoyao Pavilion fell, how could Liu Kang not be surprised?Cao Cao's plan had unexpected results.
Today is a continuation of yesterday, so the past still has a great influence on the present.Therefore, the past can be used to influence the present.It should be noted that the purpose of borrowing the ancient "corpse" is to return the "soul" of today.Under the circumstances that people are not easy to accept the "soul" today, it is necessary to rely on the ancient "corpse" that people have worshiped.
Resurrection can take dead things and reappear in another form.The word "borrowing" is the core of this plan, and it has a very wide range of contents, which can be borrowing people, borrowing things, or borrowing from authoritative celebrities, etc., and so on.
Four capture thieves, capture the king, catch their vital points
In the land of Qilu, there have been many thieves since ancient times, and the people hate them very much.After Cao Cao took office as Prime Minister of Jinan, he saw dozens of robbery cases among the documents left by the previous Prime Minister, which have not been solved so far.After Cao Cao took office, he took this as a major event, and often brought his confidantes to visit privately in the streets and alleys, in Huifu.Through detailed investigation, the leaders of several gangs of thieves were finally identified.
Among them, some live in the city, some live in the countryside, all of them are high-rise mansions, fresh clothes and gourmet food, small favors on weekdays, helping the weak and helping the poor, the common people don't know that they are robbers, but they think they are loyal and long He is a role model in the village.
After Cao Cao found out the situation, he held the evidence in his hands, but kept his face, so as not to startle the snake.After a few days, he sent the government officials to hold invitation cards and summon these bandits to the mansion to drink and chat.When the cups and cups were intertwined, Cao Cao suddenly stood up and pointed out all the crimes they committed. The bandit leaders were shocked and at a loss.Cao Cao smiled slightly and said: "You don't need to panic. If you can turn over a new leaf and help the government arrest your subordinates, then you can make amends. The government will not blame the past."
The first evidence of the thieves has been grasped.Thinking to himself that if he refuses to agree, he will inevitably suffer from prison, so he knelt on the ground together and said in his mouth: "I would like to follow the advice of the Ming Palace, abandon the old and seek the new, abandon the dark and go to the light. It's just that if you are called to the Prime Minister's Mansion today, you will be punished." The subordinates are suspicious, what should they do if they get the news and go far away, with nowhere to arrest them?"
Cao Cao said with a smile: "It's all right, I will teach you a way, and you won't miss any of them."
The bandit leaders didn't know what to do, so they had to stand up and put their ears to Cao Cao's mouth, Cao Cao gave such and such instructions.All the thieves clapped their hands and applauded secretly, admiring Cao Guo's resourcefulness in dealing with things secretly, and then went home separately.Cao Cao sent each of them a letter from the Prime Minister's Office, which stated that Prime Minister Cao Guo knew your good deeds and called them to be county officials.All the subordinates eavesdropped on the news, and all came to the door to congratulate them, and the robbers treated each other with wine.The thieves really thought that since then the government would have eyes and ears and it would be easier to commit crimes. They all didn't like it, so they only resigned after getting drunk.Unexpectedly, as soon as he went out, he was arrested by the guards, as if he was leading a sheep, and none of them slipped through the net.
All the thieves were taken down and brought to the prime minister's mansion, where Cao Cao personally ascended to question the case.At first, the thieves wanted to deny it, but Cao Cao said furiously: "You all look at each other's backs, each has a mark, don't you dare to deny it?"
When the group of thieves heard the words, they looked behind each other, only to realize that they had been betrayed by their leader, and then fell silent and bowed their heads to confess their guilt.Since then, Cao Cao's reputation has been far-reaching. For a while, those who perverted the law stopped their bad deeds, and the tomb robbers disappeared. Jinan is awe-inspiring and the people are happy. But it can also be regarded as a peaceful world.When people mention Cao Cao today, they all say that he was tyrannical, treacherous and vicious, which is really a great injustice.
Capture the thief and capture the king, that is to say, to win on the battlefield, you must attack the enemy's vital points, hunt down the enemy's commander, defeat the enemy's main force, and disintegrate its strength, in order to achieve a complete victory.This is like "shooting a man first shoots a horse, and hitting a snake first hits the head".This strategy tells us that in war, never think that there is no need to capture the king, as long as defeating the enemy is victory, this is actually letting the tiger go back to the mountain.If you suddenly attack the enemy's command organization and kill the enemy's command personnel, you can immediately make the enemy fall into the predicament of being leaderless and self-defeating without attacking. This is the ultimate trick to defeat the enemy.Of course, to capture the king, one must first "know the king", which is a prerequisite.
The strategy of "capturing the thief and capturing the king" is used in learning, which is to grasp the most valuable things.It tells us that for learning, the most important thing is not the quantity of knowledge, but the quality of knowledge.Some people know a lot of things, but don't know what is the most important thing, and they get nothing done.No matter how much knowledge there is, without goals and focus, it is useless.Throughout the ages, true scholars are often not those who have read many books, but those who have read the most useful books.
In daily life, the strategy of using "capturing the Fu and capturing the king" is to solve the problem by grasping the main contradiction, or working hard on the key figures, so that the crux of the problem can be grasped and the problem can be easily solved.
Complex things that exist objectively contain many contradictions and have many aspects.However, on a certain occasion and under certain conditions, there must be a pair of principal contradictions or a principal feature. Only by setting aside other secondary factors and grasping the main point can the main characteristic of things at this point be reflected, thereby catching the thief. Capture the king, solve the problem.
Five retreat to advance to avoid the front and return to the hometown
Cao Cao's series of thunderous actions won honor and applause, but offended the eunuchs in power in the court, and the local tyrants also hated him to the bone.On the one hand, Cao Cao was unwilling to go against his ambition to cater to the powerful, but on the other hand, he considered that he had offended the powerful many times, and if he continued like this, he was worried that his whole family would be affected.In order to avoid unforeseen disasters, Cao Cao resigned from his position as Prime Minister of Jinan that year and asked to return to the palace to be on duty as a guard. In fact, he asked for unemployment.The imperial court appointed him Yilang again. Although Cao Cao accepted it on the surface, he often pretended to be sick and did not go to work.In the second year, that is, the second year of Zhongping (AD 185), the imperial court asked Cao Cao to be the prefect of Dongjun. In order to avoid the dignitaries from attacking his newly revealed edge, and to wait for the opportunity to show his skills again, Cao Cao decided to take the following measures. A retreat-for-advance strategy.Citing poor health, Shangshu resigned from his other appointments and returned to his hometown of Qiao County.
Cao Cao's bold and unusual move made people in the court very puzzled. It is really unbelievable that a 33-year-old young man, who is in the prime of his life and has a smooth career, is just at the time of showing his talents. .In fact, Cao Cao's every move was carefully considered.
After Cao Cao returned to his hometown, he did not live in the place where he lived when he was a boy. Instead, he built an elegant study house in a secluded place 50 miles east of Qiao County. Hope to make a comeback in the future.Pu Cao wanted to live a clean life away from political turmoil.
He doesn't care about politics because he doesn't care about politics. He is always concerned about the development and changes of the political situation.During this period, Wang Fen, the governor of Jizhou, united with some people to plot a coup.Because of Cao Cao's appeal, they decided to recruit Cao Cao into the group.After analyzing the subjective and objective conditions at that time, Cao Cao believed that this move would definitely not succeed, so he did not participate.Later, the development of the situation was as expected by Cao Cao. Not only did Wang Fen fail, but he ended up committing suicide with his family.
But Cao Cao didn't stay idle for long in Qiao County, and was called out of the mountain because of the needs of the situation.In the first year of Zhongping (184 A.D.), shortly after the main force of the Yellow Turbans was suppressed, Bian Zhang and Han Sui from Jincheng rebelled.In the spring of the second year, he led tens of thousands of troops to attack the area around Chang'an and invaded Liu's imperial tomb.The imperial court sent Huang Fusong, a chariot and cavalry general, to conquer, but returned in vain.Again, Sikong and Zhang Wen were the generals of chariots and cavalry, Dong Zhuo was the general of breaking the captives, and Zhou Shen, the general of the bandits, led more than 186 cavalry to fight. They were defeated first and then won. Bian Zhang and Han Sui were defeated and returned to Jincheng.In the winter of the third year of Zhongping (AD [-]), Han Sui killed Bian Zhang and others, with more than [-] troops, and entered Longxi.The prefect Li Xiangru turned against him and joined forces with Han Sui to kill Geng Bi, the governor of Liangzhou.Ma Teng, Geng Bi's Sima Fufeng, also rebelled with his troops, and the Hanyang Kingdom called itself "General Hezhong" and raised troops to respond to Han Sui.For a time, the world was in turmoil, and the imperial court was terrified, so they hurriedly recruited talents in an attempt to strengthen the foundation.At this time, Cao Cao was called as the captain and became the military officer leading the troops. Cao Cao was appointed as one of the eight school lieutenants, the Dianjun school lieutenant.
Cao Cao himself said that his original ideal was to be a general for Liehou.Entering the Xiyuan New Army as a general is an excellent opportunity for him to realize his ambition. The appointment of Dianjun Xiaowei is too tempting for Cao Cao.He had to end his "seclusion" life, and with excitement, he went to Beijing to take office.
Cao Cao was able to break into the core armed forces of the royal family and hold important positions, and the great eunuch Jian Shuo also had to work with him, which shows that he has reached a new level in his official career.Of course, this is also related to the role and influence of his grandfather and father.But in a sense, it is also the success of his strategy of retreating and waiting for work.This success is mainly due to his outstanding talent and has established a good image on the political stage.
With military power in Cao Cao's hands, he became the target of some people's attention and wooing.In May of the fifth year of Zhongping (AD 188), Xiang Kai, a sorcerer, said to Wang Fen, the governor of Jizhou: "The changes in the sky are not conducive to eunuchs. It is time for the Huangmen and Changshi to exterminate the clan." Wang Fen believed it, so he colluded with Nanyang Xu You, Pei Guo Zhou Jing and others also contacted some local tyrants, and under the pretext that the remnants of the Yellow Turban Heishan Rebel Army needed to raise troops* to attack counties and counties, they wrote a letter to Emperor Ling, requesting Emperor Ling to patrol the river in the north, in an attempt to use Emperor Ling to go north. At the opportunity of patrolling, a coup was launched, Emperor Ling was abolished, eunuchs were killed, and Marquis of Hefei was established as emperor.They also came to make an appointment with Cao Cao. Cao Cao calmly analyzed the situation and conditions, and rejected the plan because he thought it would fail.His speech goes:
It is the most ominous thing in the world that the husband abolishes the establishment.The ancients had the right to success or failure, and those who acted according to the severity, such as Yi Yin and Huo Guang.Yi Yin cherishes loyalty and sincerity, and according to the power of the minister, he is above the lawsuit, so he advances, retreats, abolishes, and plans to work and establish.When Huo Guang was entrusted with the task of the country, he took the position of the ancestral minister. Internally, because of the empress dowager's emphasis on administering the government, there was a tendency of a group of ministers to share the same desire; Planning and deeds are like turning around, and success is like destroying decay.Today's gentlemen only see the ease of those in the bag, but they have not seen the difficulty of today.Lords, please tell yourself: How can there be seven kingdoms if there are many people and parties?Who is more expensive than Wu and Chu in Hefei?And pretentious, desire must be overcome, isn't it also dangerous?
From the semantic point of view, Cao Cao does not seem to be opposed to the abolition of Emperor Ling, but feels that the time is not yet ripe.The article analyzes the situation in ancient and modern times and the subjective and objective conditions of those who want to abolish the establishment. It is conclusive, clear-headed, and far-reaching.Soon, the conspiracy of Wang Fen and others was revealed. Afraid of the crime, Wang Fen abandoned his official position and fled, committing suicide on the way.
After the Yellow Turban Uprising, Emperor Ling realized the importance of the army and paid more and more attention to military affairs.Under the circumstances of uprisings and turmoil in the world, it was decided to organize a new Xiyuan army to strengthen the power to defend the capital.In August of the fifth year of Zhongping (AD 188), the command headquarters was established in Xiyuan, the so-called "Eight Colonels of Xiyuan".The eunuch Jian Shuo was the most favored by Emperor Ling, and was appointed as the captain of the army. Even the general He Jin had to obey his command and became the actual supreme commander of the country.After Huben Zhonglang general Yuan Shaoyin was "four generations and three princes", his family once joined the family with the eunuch Yuan She, and was appointed as the lieutenant of the Chinese Army, that is, the deputy commander-in-chief.In addition, Bao Hong was the Colonel of the Lower Army, Cao Cao was the Captain of the Dian Army, Zhao Rong was the Captain of the Zuo of the Assistant Army, Feng Fang was the Captain of the Right of the Assistant Army, Xia Mou was the Captain of the Left, and Chunyu Qiong was the Captain of the Right.Cao Cao was able to enter the new army and hold an important position, so that Jian Shuo had to work with the enemy who killed his uncle 14 years ago. In addition to Cao Cao's own talent and established reputation, his father and grandfather's Yu Yin obviously played a role here too.
Cao Cao became the general of the core armed forces of the Eastern Han royal family, which made him take another important step in his official career. To a certain extent, it can also be said that the strategy of retreating is a victory.His previous ambition suddenly became a reality, which made his ambition leap forward, and he began to have the ambition to help the world, which also indicates that Cao Cao will have greater achievements in the political arena.
Look up at the road and look down to do things
In the world of life, on the one hand, we must have a long-term vision of standing high and looking far away;This is clearly reflected in Cao Cao's entire military and political life.Among them, what can embody this point is his strategic deployment and actions in the face of the complicated military situation after driving away Lu Bu.
After Cao Cao defeated Lu Bu, he was in a more critical situation.To the north is the powerful Yuan Shao, to the east is the brave Lu Bu, to the west are Ma Teng and Han Sui with fierce Xiliang soldiers, and to the south are Zhang Xiu and Liu Biao.Strong enemies around Cao Cao formed a situation of encirclement.
Although they all posed a threat to Cao Cao, the specific circumstances were not the same.Although Yuan Shao is powerful, he still maintains an alliance. It is impossible for Cao Cao to use troops against him first.Ma Teng and Han Sui in Guanzhong attacked each other and were unable to look east for a while, posing no threat to Cao Cao for the time being.Although Lu Bu in the east was driven away, his strength was not weakened, and he was Cao Cao's biggest threat.Cao Cao intends to eliminate this threat, but Zhang Xiu in the south is just about to move. If he uses troops against Lu Bu, Zhang Xiu may take advantage of the emptiness to attack the rear, and the consequences will be disastrous.
After some analysis, Cao Cao decided to adopt the policy of moving from near to far, weak first and then strong, and attacked Zhang Xiu when he had not established a long-term foothold, had a weak foundation, and was not yet very powerful.Sure enough, Zhang Xiu really surrendered as he expected.
Focusing on the big picture is not only enough to understand the overall situation in general, but also to be able to see the causal relationship between each specific link, which is an essential ability to make long-term planning with a high perspective.
As early as Cao Cao's first southern expedition and Zhang Xiu returned to Xudu, he began to consider the eastward expedition to Lu Bu, and actively created favorable conditions for this.Cao Cao sent all the generals in Guanzhong to attack Li Jue, the warlord of Liangzhou. Li Jue was defeated and killed.During this period, Guo Si, another warlord who once partnered with Li Jue to control Emperor Xian, was also killed by the generals.At the same time, Cao Cao also took measures to stabilize Ma Teng and Han Sui in the west, and sent an old servant and Sili Wei Zhong Yao to supervise the Kwantung armies.After Zhong Yao arrived in Chang'an, he wrote to Ma Teng and Han Sui, admonishing them not to act rashly.Ma Teng and Han Sui expressed their obedience to the court and sent their sons to serve.
Cao Cao also used a divorce plan to make Lv Bu and Yuan Shu fight. Yuan Shu was defeated, and Cao Cao took the opportunity to attack.Yuan Shu was defeated and retreated to the south of the Huai River. Cao Cao also sent Liu Bei and others to intercept Yuan Shu to prevent him from joining Yuan Shao.Yuan Shu had no choice but to turn around and head towards Huainan.When he fled to Jiangting, 80 miles away from Shouchun, he couldn't get sick.Moreover, the army didn't even have food, so they could only eat wheat crumbs.It was midsummer and the weather was so hot that Yuan Shu couldn't even take a sip of honey syrup.Yuan Shu sighed: "How did I, Yuan Shu, get to this point!" Then he vomited blood and died.The threat from Yuan Shu's team was completely dissipated.
Since then, Cao Cao's situation has become clear.The power of Zhangxiu in the south weakened, Yuan Shu's army fell into a slump, and Ma Teng and Han Sui in the west also expressed their allegiance to the imperial court.Therefore, Cao Cao began to prepare to lead an army to conquer Lv Bu.
During the Eastern Expedition, the generals within Cao Cao's camp had different opinions.Some people think that although Yuan Shao is attacking Gongsun Zan, he has no time to look south for a while, and Yuan Shu is unable to counterattack, but he must beware of the alliance between Zhang Xiu and Liu Biao.If the army marches east to Lu Bu, they will take the opportunity to attack Xudu nearby, and the situation will be very dangerous.
The military adviser Xun You did not take this seriously. He analyzed: "Liu Biao and Zhang Xiu have just lost the battle, so they must not dare to attack rashly. The number of heroes who respond to him will increase day by day. Now we attack him when his foothold is not stable and people's hearts are divided, and we will surely succeed. Please rest assured, my lord."
Cao Cao agreed with Xun You's views very much.Immediately decided to march eastward, and the anti-war situation was as expected. In the end, Cao Cao finally defeated Lu Bu in Xiapi City (northwest of Suining County, Jiangsu Province).Cao Cao's power then expanded eastward to Xuzhou, Jiangsu.
When Cao Cao gradually realized his strategy and continued to achieve success, Yuan Shao in the north was also working hard to expand in Hebei. The northern region is controlled in their own hands, becoming the only powerful force in the north that can compete with Cao Cao.
Cao Cao knew that the two armies were inevitable.So Cao Cao began to prepare for the decisive battle with Yuan Shao.In order to relieve his worries, he resolutely defeated Liu Bei in Xuzhou first, avoiding the passive situation of fighting on both sides when confronting Yuan Shao.The success of each of these strategies, which are related to life and death, all stems from Cao Cao's strategic vision of far-sightedness and planning to follow the general trend.
Cao Cao is not only good at looking at the big picture, but also pays great attention to starting with small things.Cao Cao spread his family wealth in Chenliu, Xiangyi and other places, recruited troops and bought horses, and often even worked personally when preparing for the crusade against Dong Zhuo.
Once, Cao Cao was making knives with craftsmen, and Sun Binshuo, who came to visit him, happened to see him. Sun said sarcastically, "You should think about big things, why do you work with craftsmen?" Cao Cao replied with a smile: "What's wrong with being able to do both small and big things?" This also reflects Cao Cao's hard-working spirit and correct attitude and method of grasping both big and small things.
Forging weapons with craftsmen seems to be a trivial matter, but from what Cao Cao said, it can be seen that he did it because he "has the intention to raise troops".This also reflects an aspect of Cao Cao's military thinking: he attaches great importance to military logistics and weapons and equipment; being able to do both big and small things is an expression of his inner military thinking and overall awareness: only by doing these "small things" well can he be successful event.
Cao Cao's successful qualities of being able to think big and start small are very admirable.For example, during the period of confrontation between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, Liangzhou Mu Weiduan sent an officer Yang Fu to Xudu to find out the truth. After returning, the generals in Guanzhong asked him what the prospects for Yuan and Cao's victory and defeat were. Good plan but few decisions; continuous but lack of prestige, less decisions will lose future affairs. Although he is strong now, he will not be able to achieve great things. Mr. Cao has great talents and long-term strategies, and his decisive opportunities are undoubtedly. His method is one, but his soldiers are good, and he can use people who are beyond his reach. , whoever does his best will be able to help great things.”
The Three Kingdoms period was an era in which heroes emerged in large numbers and talents were fully revealed. Only Cao Cao was able to be big or small, and he had a certain degree of admiration.Not only can he look up at the sky and observe the situation, but he can also lean down and "comprehensively understand the details". This is the fundamental reason why he is outstanding and swaying.
(End of this chapter)
A new start for a political star defending public rights
In the third year of Emperor Ling Xiping (AD 174), 20-year-old Cao Cao was elected Xiaolian by the local government.With the qualification of Xiaolian, one can be an official.Cao Cao was initially appointed as Lang (the general term for the emperor's attendants), and was recommended by Shangshu Youcheng and Jing Zhaoyin (equivalent to the prefect of the county) Sima Fang (Sima Yi's father) as Luoyang Beiwei, officially embarking on his official career.
Cao Cao worked hard as a lieutenant in the north of Luoyang, and his greatest achievement was to kill the uncle of the great eunuch Jian Shuo, and severely hit the arrogance of the royal relatives and tyrants.Moreover, the matter was handled so seamlessly that those who hated him could not open their mouths, so they had to find a reason to drive out of the capital and become Dunqiu Ling.But here, he has accumulated a certain reputation for his vigorous and resolute rectification actions without fear of the powerful.
Cao Cao has never forgotten his success in his first official career.Later, after he became the king of Wei, he specially invited Sima Fang (named Jiangong), who recommended him to be the northern captain of Luoyang, to Yecheng to host a banquet.While drinking and expressing his feelings, he jokingly said: "Mr. Jiangong, do you think I can still be a captain?" Sima Fang tactfully replied: "When I elected the king, the king was just right to be a captain!" Laughed.
In the sixth year of Xiping (AD 177), Cao Cao left Luoyang, the capital, and went to Dunqiu to be the county magistrate.Later, Cao Cao led troops to conquer Sun Quan in the south. Before leaving, he encouraged his son Cao Zhi to say: "I was only 23 years old when I was appointed as the order of Dunqiu. Looking back on what I did at that time, I have no regrets today." It shows that Cao Cao was serving as the order of Dunqiu During this period, I am still very satisfied with my performance and actions.
Cao Cao was recalled by the court as Yilang not long after he took office as the order of Dunqiu.Yilang's job is to be a consultant, and he can participate in discussions on current affairs.Yilang is an idle official with no specific job and no real power.In the following year, the first year of Guanghe (AD 178), Emperor Ling of Han listened to the eunuch's framing and abolished Empress Song. Empress Song's father, Song Feng, and several brothers were killed.Song Qi, Cao Cao's cousin-in-law, was also killed because he was the same clan of Empress Song.Cao Cao was usually upright and upright, and offended many ministers in the court, he wished he could kick him out of the capital.In addition, with this incident, the eunuchs were suspicious and implicated Cao Cao, so he was dismissed from office.
After Cao Cao was dismissed from office, he did not want to live idle in Luoyang, so he returned to his hometown to live in Qiao County.In the third year of Guanghe (180 A.D.), he was recruited again and worshiped as Yilang.
Although Yilang was a idler, Cao Cao was loyal to his duty and was unwilling to be lonely. He wanted to make more suggestions for the court to make politics clear.He first thought of the incident in which the general Dou Wu and the Taifu Chen Fan were killed by eunuchs in the early years of Emperor Ling, and wanted to avenge Dou Wu and Chen Fan's grievances.After detailed investigation and understanding, he believed that Dou Wu, Chen Fan and others died unjustly and should be rehabilitated in order to achieve justice and improve politics.
So he disregarded his personal safety and wrote to the emperor to ask for the vindication of Dou Wu and Chen Fan.There is something like this in the above book: Dou Wu and others are upright and public, but they are framed for no reason.The court is full of treacherous people, and the way of true virtuous ministers is blocked.
From these few words, it can be seen that Cao Cao not only pointed the finger at the harmful bureaucrats and overturned the case of history, but also pointed out the current maladies and made sidelines about Lingdi.On the surface, Emperor Ling appreciated Cao Cao's suggestion very much, but he was indifferent.
Although Cao Cao failed to rehabilitate Dou Wu and Chen Fan, he realized the corruption of officials more clearly.
In the first month of the fifth year of Guanghe (182 A.D.), Emperor Ling ordered Gongqing to report and dismiss local officials who had harmed the people.Captain Xu Youyu and Sikong Zhang Ji took the opportunity to accept bribes wantonly, and did not investigate and deal with those relatives and guests of eunuchs who were very angry with the people.Instead, it attacked a group of officials with political achievements but no connections, which aroused public resentment.Those officials who were wronged also appealed to the court one after another.Situ Chen Dan also wrote to Emperor Ling to explain the facts, but Chen Dan was framed by the eunuch, and instead was dismissed by Emperor Ling, put in prison, and finally died in prison unjustly.
Cao Cao was very dissatisfied with Xu Youyu and Zhang Ji's actions, but he couldn't bear it because he had no chance.In February of this year, a great plague broke out, in April there was a severe drought across the country, and in May a fire broke out in Yongle Palace where the Empress Dowager lived.Therefore, a lot of political rumors appeared for a while.Emperor Ling believed in the theory of the interaction between heaven and man, and issued an edict to consult the gains and losses of political affairs because of the "disaster".Cao Cao took the opportunity to write a letter, accusing the ministers of making untruthful performances, specifically attacking Qingming officials and avoiding noble relatives and eunuchs' children.They deceived the "holy listeners" with words that did not conform to the facts, which did not have the slightest effect on changing the current situation.Due to the repeated disasters, Emperor Ling seemed to have "sensitized", so he had to pay attention to this matter, and sent Cao Cao's memorial to the Sanfu (Sangongfu Ya) to blame Xu Youyu and Zhang Ji for their dereliction of duty. He was dismissed from office the following October.This time Cao Cao seized the opportunity and succeeded in one fell swoop.This incident also made him more mature politically.
Cao Cao's opposition to powerful officials acting out of control showed that he was in the same position as the hard-line bureaucrats.A young man who was born in a family of eunuchs was praised by people for being able to take the political path against the eunuch group.
Since then, the government has become more and more dark and chaotic, and the cunning and lawless people have become more and more rampant.Cao Cao knew that using the method of writing a letter would not change the status quo, and the Han Empire was like a building that was about to collapse and was "irreversible".He can only strengthen his confidence and rely on his own strength to help the world.
[-] Breaking the superstition Cao Xiangguo banned prostitution
Although Cao Cao took some measures to restrain the powerful in politics, he was regarded as a relatively enlightened member of the feudal rulers, but he was after all the political representative of the landlord class.What he did was based on the interests of the landlord class, and his purpose was to restore the feudal ruling order and consolidate the rule of the landlord class.Due to this class nature, it was determined that he must also take measures to suppress peasant uprisings.His performance in the Yellow Turban Peasant Uprising that swept across the country in the first year of Zhongping (184 AD) is a prominent example.
In the first year of Zhongping (AD 184), the peasants under heavy pressure finally broke out.The leader, Zhang Jiao, used the form of religious organization "Taipingdao" to contact and organize the masses under the cover of preaching and treating diseases. After more than ten years of preparation, the number of believers reached several 10.They staged an uprising under the slogan "The sky is dead, the yellow sky should be established, the year is Jiazi, and the world is auspicious".
After the Yellow Turban Uprising, it was supported by the broad masses of the people, "within ten days, the whole world responded."They burned the government, suppressed corrupt officials, and dealt a heavy blow to the rulers.The rebels formed a threat to the capital Luoyang from Jizhou, Yingchuan and Nanyang respectively.In order to deal with the rebel army with all his strength, Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty selected generals and mobilized elite soldiers from all over the country to suppress them. The 30-year-old Yilang Cao Cao was appointed as the riding captain to follow Zuo Zhonglang General Huangfusong and Right Zhonglang General Zhu Jun to suppress the Yellow Turban Army in the south of the Yellow River in order to relieve the threat to the capital Luoyang.
Cao Cao led an army to actively cooperate with Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun to attack the Yellow Turban Army's position in Changshe (now Changgedong, Heyu).In May of the same year, he joined forces with Huangfusong and Zhu Jun to pursue and kill the Yellow Turban Army in Yingchuan (Yangdi, the county government, now Yuzhou City, Henan Province), "beheading tens of thousands of people".
The Yellow Turban Uprising, which was launched vigorously and swept across the country, was finally suppressed bloody by the feudal ruling forces under the circumstances of disparity in military strength and lack of combat experience.The Eastern Han Dynasty temporarily turned the corner, and this national carriage will continue to travel in the name of the Eastern Han Dynasty for decades.
However, the fire of the uprising has been lit, and all parts of the country have responded, and the flames of war have spread all over the country, and the struggle is not over yet.In particular, the Yellow Turban Army in Qingzhou and Xuzhou and the Heishan Uprising Army in Yanzhou continued to fight continuously, which fundamentally shook the foundation of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
After Cao Cao suppressed the Yellow Turban Army, he was promoted due to his meritorious service and was appointed Prime Minister of Jinan (where the government is located in Dongpingling, east of Licheng County, Shandong). Officials of political affairs are equivalent to the status of county prefects.This opened a new page in Cao Cao's official career, showing his domineering spirit day by day.
He is determined to use the real power in his hands to work hard and plan his political life according to his own ideals.
There are more than 10 counties under the jurisdiction of Jinan State.After Cao Cao took office, he learned that most of these county magistrates were eunuchs who were attached to the powerful and powerful, colluded with local tyrants, corrupted the law, and were experts in the fish and meat village.However, the previous prime ministers, knowing that these local officials were doing evil, did not dare to intervene and deal with them.After Cao Cao investigated and understood the situation in detail, he wrote to the court and dismissed [-]% of the county magistrate in one fell swoop.Immediately, all officials, big and small, in Jinan were terrified, and some criminals fled to other counties in order to escape the law.As a result, the social security in Jinan area improved greatly.
At that time, it became a custom to build ancestral temples and worship ancestors.More and more ancestral temples were built, and belief in ghosts and gods became more and more popular, especially in Jinan. When Cao Cao took office, there were more than 600 ancestral temples.
It is a good thing to sacrifice meritorious officials and remember ancestors. Cao Cao is also an enlightened prime minister. He believes that temples built in accordance with state regulations are allowed to perform sacrifices according to the content of the ritual system, which is allowed.However, most of the ancestral temples in Jinan were not built in accordance with the laws and regulations, they were built indiscriminately, and they did not perform sacrifices according to the regulations of the ritual system, but were about arresting treacherous ghosts and gods.What's more, some rich merchants and landowners were extravagant. They sat in cars that only court officials could ride in, and wore official uniforms, ostentatiously passing through the market, not paying attention to the court at all.Some artists were also invited to sing, dance, play and play, to flaunt the so-called merits of their ancestors and raise their own social status.
Some people with ulterior motives even turn these ancestral halls into venues for meeting gods and defrauding money.During the sacrificial activities, apportionment was made a lot, which caused the common people to complain.As for ordinary people voluntarily or forced to worship and offer offerings to Ke Temple due to superstition, this is a constant burden.In this way, the trend of "sexual sacrifice" became more and more severe, and the common people became poorer and poorer.The previous prime ministers knew that this matter was inextricably linked to the powerful ministers, and they did not dare to ban these illegal activities even though they were aware of them.
After Cao Cao learned of this situation, he drastically destroyed all these "prostitution temples", and strictly prohibited the officials and the people from engaging in "prostitution worship" activities.As soon as the ban came out, there was a great shock.Since then, no one dared to mention the "treacherous ghosts and gods" anymore.
Dismissing corrupt officials and destroying prostitute temples are the two fires that Cao Cao burned during his two years as prime minister. These two raging fires offended many court officials and powerful forces.Just when Cao Cao was going to continue to work hard, the court transferred him away.
As the saying goes: Newborn calves are not afraid of tigers.Cao Cao's new job, his bold and vigorous work style is indeed worthy of admiration, but his blind toughness has set up obstacles for his future work.How can I protect myself and achieve my goal?This requires leaders to have considerable experience and time, skilled skills in coordinating and communicating various interpersonal relationships, and knowledge and ability to deal with various complex issues.
In today's terms, Cao Cao was promoted too quickly.If he was promoted to Prime Minister just because of his meritorious service in suppressing the rebel army, he must not have the skills and abilities in administrative management.He himself realized this, so he retired bravely and went home to find a job.One is to avoid the limelight, and the other is to sort out ideas for his future career development. We have to admire his move.
Three ingenious plans to solve floods by borrowing corpses to return to life
When Cao Cao, Prime Minister of Jinan, first took office, he was busy with government affairs every day, sympathetic to the people's sentiments, and often patrolled along the streets.
In the past few days, due to the continuous rain, the flood in the city has been flooded, and it has not retreated for several days.Cao Cao then asked Guo Jia why the flood could not subside for so long.Guo Jia actually understood the reason a long time ago, so he led Cao Cao to the back door of the Prince's Mansion in Jinan, pointed to the Luoshui River and said, "This is the key to getting rid of the accumulated water in the city. Please take a closer look."
Cao Cao looked in the direction of Guo Jia's finger, and saw countless gardens and pavilions built on both sides of the Luoshui River.Half of these gardens fall on the shore and half hang in the water; pillars and dams in the water are densely packed, supporting the towers and painting pavilions.The largest one in the middle, next to Yongquan, is the back garden of King Liu Kang of Jinan. Almost the whole building is in the water.It turns out that this section of Luoshui in the city has a wide riverbed, flat terrain, gentle water flow, crystal clear, green willows on both sides, singing birds and fragrant flowers, like a natural garden.Liu Kang built the palace here and built this water garden.
Seeing that the prince took the lead, the rich and powerful families in the city followed suit.The more water gardens were built, the beautiful Luoshui River turned into a winding stream with poor flow.In summer, it rains continuously, and the mountains and rivers all converge into the Luoshui River. When the flood reaches the city, it is blocked by the many pavilions, causing the river to overflow and the city to flood.Jinan royal residences and rich families are all tall houses with deep foundations, built of mountains and stones, so they are not afraid of flooding, only ordinary people suffer.
After Cao Cao saw it, he understood in his heart.The next day, he went straight into the palace and asked Liu Kang to tear down the garden straight to the point.Liu Kang refused to nod because he was a royal family member.For this reason, the two were very unhappy.
Cao Cao returned to the mansion, thought it over, and thought that since he couldn't stand firm, he had to give full play to his strengths-use tricks.He recruited a few men who are proficient in water skills, and explained it, and it must be completed tonight.
But Liu Kang, the king of Jinan, was angry when he was contradicted by Cao Cao.The next day, I came to the water garden to relax. I didn't want to sit down in the pavilion, but the Xiaoyao Pavilion collapsed behind me, and the two concubines fell into the water.
Liu Kang went back to his bedroom in shock, only to see those beauties whispering to each other, looking panic-stricken, as if a catastrophe was imminent.Liu Kang's face darkened, and he hurriedly shouted: "What are you guys talking about, tell me quickly." A palace maid, trembling, took out a palm-sized white silk with words written all over it from her sleeve.Liu Kang took it and looked at it, but there were four lines of gatha:
The river flows,
The garden invites disaster,
I'm here when the wind blows,
The descendants are buried in water.
These few words, which seem to make sense but not make sense, are half written and half plain, which just reflects Liu Kang's heart disease.He also wondered about the collapse of the pavilion in the garden. Is it true that the people in the city were flooded because the garden was built on the water, and the heavens appeared to punish me?He was startled and frightened, a mouthful of blood immediately sprang up, and he passed out, and was bedridden for several days.
Hearing this, Cao Cao secretly smiled inwardly, put on a concerned look on his face, and came to the palace under the pretense of visiting a sick man.When talking about the cause of his illness before the sick bed, Liu Kang naturally mentioned the matter of the water garden, and said weakly to Liu Kang: "I regret not listening to Xiangguo's words. I suffered this catastrophe and almost killed me!" , hurriedly pushed the boat along the water and said: "This is an ominous thing. It's better to dismantle it as soon as possible. On the top, the prince's jade body is in good health, and on the bottom, the people of the Li people will suffer for a long time."
Liu Kang nodded and asked Cao Cao to handle it himself.Once the garden of the palace was demolished and the backing fell, no one would dare to neglect it.Not long after, those water gardens were demolished without a trace, and in less than two days, the accumulated water in the city was completely drained.
It turned out that this was Cao Cao's envoy's plan to use the corpse to revive the soul, trying to stimulate Liu Kang with the illusion of the god's appearance.That night, a few people who were able to swim were selected, each with a knife and saw, sneaked into the back garden of the palace, dived into the bottom of the water, and sawed off all the four logs supporting the pavilion.Guo Jia made up those four lines of gatha again, wrote dozens of copies, and posted them along the streets in the middle of the night, and everyone in the city would surely know about them. Besides, when Xiaoyao Pavilion fell, how could Liu Kang not be surprised?Cao Cao's plan had unexpected results.
Today is a continuation of yesterday, so the past still has a great influence on the present.Therefore, the past can be used to influence the present.It should be noted that the purpose of borrowing the ancient "corpse" is to return the "soul" of today.Under the circumstances that people are not easy to accept the "soul" today, it is necessary to rely on the ancient "corpse" that people have worshiped.
Resurrection can take dead things and reappear in another form.The word "borrowing" is the core of this plan, and it has a very wide range of contents, which can be borrowing people, borrowing things, or borrowing from authoritative celebrities, etc., and so on.
Four capture thieves, capture the king, catch their vital points
In the land of Qilu, there have been many thieves since ancient times, and the people hate them very much.After Cao Cao took office as Prime Minister of Jinan, he saw dozens of robbery cases among the documents left by the previous Prime Minister, which have not been solved so far.After Cao Cao took office, he took this as a major event, and often brought his confidantes to visit privately in the streets and alleys, in Huifu.Through detailed investigation, the leaders of several gangs of thieves were finally identified.
Among them, some live in the city, some live in the countryside, all of them are high-rise mansions, fresh clothes and gourmet food, small favors on weekdays, helping the weak and helping the poor, the common people don't know that they are robbers, but they think they are loyal and long He is a role model in the village.
After Cao Cao found out the situation, he held the evidence in his hands, but kept his face, so as not to startle the snake.After a few days, he sent the government officials to hold invitation cards and summon these bandits to the mansion to drink and chat.When the cups and cups were intertwined, Cao Cao suddenly stood up and pointed out all the crimes they committed. The bandit leaders were shocked and at a loss.Cao Cao smiled slightly and said: "You don't need to panic. If you can turn over a new leaf and help the government arrest your subordinates, then you can make amends. The government will not blame the past."
The first evidence of the thieves has been grasped.Thinking to himself that if he refuses to agree, he will inevitably suffer from prison, so he knelt on the ground together and said in his mouth: "I would like to follow the advice of the Ming Palace, abandon the old and seek the new, abandon the dark and go to the light. It's just that if you are called to the Prime Minister's Mansion today, you will be punished." The subordinates are suspicious, what should they do if they get the news and go far away, with nowhere to arrest them?"
Cao Cao said with a smile: "It's all right, I will teach you a way, and you won't miss any of them."
The bandit leaders didn't know what to do, so they had to stand up and put their ears to Cao Cao's mouth, Cao Cao gave such and such instructions.All the thieves clapped their hands and applauded secretly, admiring Cao Guo's resourcefulness in dealing with things secretly, and then went home separately.Cao Cao sent each of them a letter from the Prime Minister's Office, which stated that Prime Minister Cao Guo knew your good deeds and called them to be county officials.All the subordinates eavesdropped on the news, and all came to the door to congratulate them, and the robbers treated each other with wine.The thieves really thought that since then the government would have eyes and ears and it would be easier to commit crimes. They all didn't like it, so they only resigned after getting drunk.Unexpectedly, as soon as he went out, he was arrested by the guards, as if he was leading a sheep, and none of them slipped through the net.
All the thieves were taken down and brought to the prime minister's mansion, where Cao Cao personally ascended to question the case.At first, the thieves wanted to deny it, but Cao Cao said furiously: "You all look at each other's backs, each has a mark, don't you dare to deny it?"
When the group of thieves heard the words, they looked behind each other, only to realize that they had been betrayed by their leader, and then fell silent and bowed their heads to confess their guilt.Since then, Cao Cao's reputation has been far-reaching. For a while, those who perverted the law stopped their bad deeds, and the tomb robbers disappeared. Jinan is awe-inspiring and the people are happy. But it can also be regarded as a peaceful world.When people mention Cao Cao today, they all say that he was tyrannical, treacherous and vicious, which is really a great injustice.
Capture the thief and capture the king, that is to say, to win on the battlefield, you must attack the enemy's vital points, hunt down the enemy's commander, defeat the enemy's main force, and disintegrate its strength, in order to achieve a complete victory.This is like "shooting a man first shoots a horse, and hitting a snake first hits the head".This strategy tells us that in war, never think that there is no need to capture the king, as long as defeating the enemy is victory, this is actually letting the tiger go back to the mountain.If you suddenly attack the enemy's command organization and kill the enemy's command personnel, you can immediately make the enemy fall into the predicament of being leaderless and self-defeating without attacking. This is the ultimate trick to defeat the enemy.Of course, to capture the king, one must first "know the king", which is a prerequisite.
The strategy of "capturing the thief and capturing the king" is used in learning, which is to grasp the most valuable things.It tells us that for learning, the most important thing is not the quantity of knowledge, but the quality of knowledge.Some people know a lot of things, but don't know what is the most important thing, and they get nothing done.No matter how much knowledge there is, without goals and focus, it is useless.Throughout the ages, true scholars are often not those who have read many books, but those who have read the most useful books.
In daily life, the strategy of using "capturing the Fu and capturing the king" is to solve the problem by grasping the main contradiction, or working hard on the key figures, so that the crux of the problem can be grasped and the problem can be easily solved.
Complex things that exist objectively contain many contradictions and have many aspects.However, on a certain occasion and under certain conditions, there must be a pair of principal contradictions or a principal feature. Only by setting aside other secondary factors and grasping the main point can the main characteristic of things at this point be reflected, thereby catching the thief. Capture the king, solve the problem.
Five retreat to advance to avoid the front and return to the hometown
Cao Cao's series of thunderous actions won honor and applause, but offended the eunuchs in power in the court, and the local tyrants also hated him to the bone.On the one hand, Cao Cao was unwilling to go against his ambition to cater to the powerful, but on the other hand, he considered that he had offended the powerful many times, and if he continued like this, he was worried that his whole family would be affected.In order to avoid unforeseen disasters, Cao Cao resigned from his position as Prime Minister of Jinan that year and asked to return to the palace to be on duty as a guard. In fact, he asked for unemployment.The imperial court appointed him Yilang again. Although Cao Cao accepted it on the surface, he often pretended to be sick and did not go to work.In the second year, that is, the second year of Zhongping (AD 185), the imperial court asked Cao Cao to be the prefect of Dongjun. In order to avoid the dignitaries from attacking his newly revealed edge, and to wait for the opportunity to show his skills again, Cao Cao decided to take the following measures. A retreat-for-advance strategy.Citing poor health, Shangshu resigned from his other appointments and returned to his hometown of Qiao County.
Cao Cao's bold and unusual move made people in the court very puzzled. It is really unbelievable that a 33-year-old young man, who is in the prime of his life and has a smooth career, is just at the time of showing his talents. .In fact, Cao Cao's every move was carefully considered.
After Cao Cao returned to his hometown, he did not live in the place where he lived when he was a boy. Instead, he built an elegant study house in a secluded place 50 miles east of Qiao County. Hope to make a comeback in the future.Pu Cao wanted to live a clean life away from political turmoil.
He doesn't care about politics because he doesn't care about politics. He is always concerned about the development and changes of the political situation.During this period, Wang Fen, the governor of Jizhou, united with some people to plot a coup.Because of Cao Cao's appeal, they decided to recruit Cao Cao into the group.After analyzing the subjective and objective conditions at that time, Cao Cao believed that this move would definitely not succeed, so he did not participate.Later, the development of the situation was as expected by Cao Cao. Not only did Wang Fen fail, but he ended up committing suicide with his family.
But Cao Cao didn't stay idle for long in Qiao County, and was called out of the mountain because of the needs of the situation.In the first year of Zhongping (184 A.D.), shortly after the main force of the Yellow Turbans was suppressed, Bian Zhang and Han Sui from Jincheng rebelled.In the spring of the second year, he led tens of thousands of troops to attack the area around Chang'an and invaded Liu's imperial tomb.The imperial court sent Huang Fusong, a chariot and cavalry general, to conquer, but returned in vain.Again, Sikong and Zhang Wen were the generals of chariots and cavalry, Dong Zhuo was the general of breaking the captives, and Zhou Shen, the general of the bandits, led more than 186 cavalry to fight. They were defeated first and then won. Bian Zhang and Han Sui were defeated and returned to Jincheng.In the winter of the third year of Zhongping (AD [-]), Han Sui killed Bian Zhang and others, with more than [-] troops, and entered Longxi.The prefect Li Xiangru turned against him and joined forces with Han Sui to kill Geng Bi, the governor of Liangzhou.Ma Teng, Geng Bi's Sima Fufeng, also rebelled with his troops, and the Hanyang Kingdom called itself "General Hezhong" and raised troops to respond to Han Sui.For a time, the world was in turmoil, and the imperial court was terrified, so they hurriedly recruited talents in an attempt to strengthen the foundation.At this time, Cao Cao was called as the captain and became the military officer leading the troops. Cao Cao was appointed as one of the eight school lieutenants, the Dianjun school lieutenant.
Cao Cao himself said that his original ideal was to be a general for Liehou.Entering the Xiyuan New Army as a general is an excellent opportunity for him to realize his ambition. The appointment of Dianjun Xiaowei is too tempting for Cao Cao.He had to end his "seclusion" life, and with excitement, he went to Beijing to take office.
Cao Cao was able to break into the core armed forces of the royal family and hold important positions, and the great eunuch Jian Shuo also had to work with him, which shows that he has reached a new level in his official career.Of course, this is also related to the role and influence of his grandfather and father.But in a sense, it is also the success of his strategy of retreating and waiting for work.This success is mainly due to his outstanding talent and has established a good image on the political stage.
With military power in Cao Cao's hands, he became the target of some people's attention and wooing.In May of the fifth year of Zhongping (AD 188), Xiang Kai, a sorcerer, said to Wang Fen, the governor of Jizhou: "The changes in the sky are not conducive to eunuchs. It is time for the Huangmen and Changshi to exterminate the clan." Wang Fen believed it, so he colluded with Nanyang Xu You, Pei Guo Zhou Jing and others also contacted some local tyrants, and under the pretext that the remnants of the Yellow Turban Heishan Rebel Army needed to raise troops* to attack counties and counties, they wrote a letter to Emperor Ling, requesting Emperor Ling to patrol the river in the north, in an attempt to use Emperor Ling to go north. At the opportunity of patrolling, a coup was launched, Emperor Ling was abolished, eunuchs were killed, and Marquis of Hefei was established as emperor.They also came to make an appointment with Cao Cao. Cao Cao calmly analyzed the situation and conditions, and rejected the plan because he thought it would fail.His speech goes:
It is the most ominous thing in the world that the husband abolishes the establishment.The ancients had the right to success or failure, and those who acted according to the severity, such as Yi Yin and Huo Guang.Yi Yin cherishes loyalty and sincerity, and according to the power of the minister, he is above the lawsuit, so he advances, retreats, abolishes, and plans to work and establish.When Huo Guang was entrusted with the task of the country, he took the position of the ancestral minister. Internally, because of the empress dowager's emphasis on administering the government, there was a tendency of a group of ministers to share the same desire; Planning and deeds are like turning around, and success is like destroying decay.Today's gentlemen only see the ease of those in the bag, but they have not seen the difficulty of today.Lords, please tell yourself: How can there be seven kingdoms if there are many people and parties?Who is more expensive than Wu and Chu in Hefei?And pretentious, desire must be overcome, isn't it also dangerous?
From the semantic point of view, Cao Cao does not seem to be opposed to the abolition of Emperor Ling, but feels that the time is not yet ripe.The article analyzes the situation in ancient and modern times and the subjective and objective conditions of those who want to abolish the establishment. It is conclusive, clear-headed, and far-reaching.Soon, the conspiracy of Wang Fen and others was revealed. Afraid of the crime, Wang Fen abandoned his official position and fled, committing suicide on the way.
After the Yellow Turban Uprising, Emperor Ling realized the importance of the army and paid more and more attention to military affairs.Under the circumstances of uprisings and turmoil in the world, it was decided to organize a new Xiyuan army to strengthen the power to defend the capital.In August of the fifth year of Zhongping (AD 188), the command headquarters was established in Xiyuan, the so-called "Eight Colonels of Xiyuan".The eunuch Jian Shuo was the most favored by Emperor Ling, and was appointed as the captain of the army. Even the general He Jin had to obey his command and became the actual supreme commander of the country.After Huben Zhonglang general Yuan Shaoyin was "four generations and three princes", his family once joined the family with the eunuch Yuan She, and was appointed as the lieutenant of the Chinese Army, that is, the deputy commander-in-chief.In addition, Bao Hong was the Colonel of the Lower Army, Cao Cao was the Captain of the Dian Army, Zhao Rong was the Captain of the Zuo of the Assistant Army, Feng Fang was the Captain of the Right of the Assistant Army, Xia Mou was the Captain of the Left, and Chunyu Qiong was the Captain of the Right.Cao Cao was able to enter the new army and hold an important position, so that Jian Shuo had to work with the enemy who killed his uncle 14 years ago. In addition to Cao Cao's own talent and established reputation, his father and grandfather's Yu Yin obviously played a role here too.
Cao Cao became the general of the core armed forces of the Eastern Han royal family, which made him take another important step in his official career. To a certain extent, it can also be said that the strategy of retreating is a victory.His previous ambition suddenly became a reality, which made his ambition leap forward, and he began to have the ambition to help the world, which also indicates that Cao Cao will have greater achievements in the political arena.
Look up at the road and look down to do things
In the world of life, on the one hand, we must have a long-term vision of standing high and looking far away;This is clearly reflected in Cao Cao's entire military and political life.Among them, what can embody this point is his strategic deployment and actions in the face of the complicated military situation after driving away Lu Bu.
After Cao Cao defeated Lu Bu, he was in a more critical situation.To the north is the powerful Yuan Shao, to the east is the brave Lu Bu, to the west are Ma Teng and Han Sui with fierce Xiliang soldiers, and to the south are Zhang Xiu and Liu Biao.Strong enemies around Cao Cao formed a situation of encirclement.
Although they all posed a threat to Cao Cao, the specific circumstances were not the same.Although Yuan Shao is powerful, he still maintains an alliance. It is impossible for Cao Cao to use troops against him first.Ma Teng and Han Sui in Guanzhong attacked each other and were unable to look east for a while, posing no threat to Cao Cao for the time being.Although Lu Bu in the east was driven away, his strength was not weakened, and he was Cao Cao's biggest threat.Cao Cao intends to eliminate this threat, but Zhang Xiu in the south is just about to move. If he uses troops against Lu Bu, Zhang Xiu may take advantage of the emptiness to attack the rear, and the consequences will be disastrous.
After some analysis, Cao Cao decided to adopt the policy of moving from near to far, weak first and then strong, and attacked Zhang Xiu when he had not established a long-term foothold, had a weak foundation, and was not yet very powerful.Sure enough, Zhang Xiu really surrendered as he expected.
Focusing on the big picture is not only enough to understand the overall situation in general, but also to be able to see the causal relationship between each specific link, which is an essential ability to make long-term planning with a high perspective.
As early as Cao Cao's first southern expedition and Zhang Xiu returned to Xudu, he began to consider the eastward expedition to Lu Bu, and actively created favorable conditions for this.Cao Cao sent all the generals in Guanzhong to attack Li Jue, the warlord of Liangzhou. Li Jue was defeated and killed.During this period, Guo Si, another warlord who once partnered with Li Jue to control Emperor Xian, was also killed by the generals.At the same time, Cao Cao also took measures to stabilize Ma Teng and Han Sui in the west, and sent an old servant and Sili Wei Zhong Yao to supervise the Kwantung armies.After Zhong Yao arrived in Chang'an, he wrote to Ma Teng and Han Sui, admonishing them not to act rashly.Ma Teng and Han Sui expressed their obedience to the court and sent their sons to serve.
Cao Cao also used a divorce plan to make Lv Bu and Yuan Shu fight. Yuan Shu was defeated, and Cao Cao took the opportunity to attack.Yuan Shu was defeated and retreated to the south of the Huai River. Cao Cao also sent Liu Bei and others to intercept Yuan Shu to prevent him from joining Yuan Shao.Yuan Shu had no choice but to turn around and head towards Huainan.When he fled to Jiangting, 80 miles away from Shouchun, he couldn't get sick.Moreover, the army didn't even have food, so they could only eat wheat crumbs.It was midsummer and the weather was so hot that Yuan Shu couldn't even take a sip of honey syrup.Yuan Shu sighed: "How did I, Yuan Shu, get to this point!" Then he vomited blood and died.The threat from Yuan Shu's team was completely dissipated.
Since then, Cao Cao's situation has become clear.The power of Zhangxiu in the south weakened, Yuan Shu's army fell into a slump, and Ma Teng and Han Sui in the west also expressed their allegiance to the imperial court.Therefore, Cao Cao began to prepare to lead an army to conquer Lv Bu.
During the Eastern Expedition, the generals within Cao Cao's camp had different opinions.Some people think that although Yuan Shao is attacking Gongsun Zan, he has no time to look south for a while, and Yuan Shu is unable to counterattack, but he must beware of the alliance between Zhang Xiu and Liu Biao.If the army marches east to Lu Bu, they will take the opportunity to attack Xudu nearby, and the situation will be very dangerous.
The military adviser Xun You did not take this seriously. He analyzed: "Liu Biao and Zhang Xiu have just lost the battle, so they must not dare to attack rashly. The number of heroes who respond to him will increase day by day. Now we attack him when his foothold is not stable and people's hearts are divided, and we will surely succeed. Please rest assured, my lord."
Cao Cao agreed with Xun You's views very much.Immediately decided to march eastward, and the anti-war situation was as expected. In the end, Cao Cao finally defeated Lu Bu in Xiapi City (northwest of Suining County, Jiangsu Province).Cao Cao's power then expanded eastward to Xuzhou, Jiangsu.
When Cao Cao gradually realized his strategy and continued to achieve success, Yuan Shao in the north was also working hard to expand in Hebei. The northern region is controlled in their own hands, becoming the only powerful force in the north that can compete with Cao Cao.
Cao Cao knew that the two armies were inevitable.So Cao Cao began to prepare for the decisive battle with Yuan Shao.In order to relieve his worries, he resolutely defeated Liu Bei in Xuzhou first, avoiding the passive situation of fighting on both sides when confronting Yuan Shao.The success of each of these strategies, which are related to life and death, all stems from Cao Cao's strategic vision of far-sightedness and planning to follow the general trend.
Cao Cao is not only good at looking at the big picture, but also pays great attention to starting with small things.Cao Cao spread his family wealth in Chenliu, Xiangyi and other places, recruited troops and bought horses, and often even worked personally when preparing for the crusade against Dong Zhuo.
Once, Cao Cao was making knives with craftsmen, and Sun Binshuo, who came to visit him, happened to see him. Sun said sarcastically, "You should think about big things, why do you work with craftsmen?" Cao Cao replied with a smile: "What's wrong with being able to do both small and big things?" This also reflects Cao Cao's hard-working spirit and correct attitude and method of grasping both big and small things.
Forging weapons with craftsmen seems to be a trivial matter, but from what Cao Cao said, it can be seen that he did it because he "has the intention to raise troops".This also reflects an aspect of Cao Cao's military thinking: he attaches great importance to military logistics and weapons and equipment; being able to do both big and small things is an expression of his inner military thinking and overall awareness: only by doing these "small things" well can he be successful event.
Cao Cao's successful qualities of being able to think big and start small are very admirable.For example, during the period of confrontation between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, Liangzhou Mu Weiduan sent an officer Yang Fu to Xudu to find out the truth. After returning, the generals in Guanzhong asked him what the prospects for Yuan and Cao's victory and defeat were. Good plan but few decisions; continuous but lack of prestige, less decisions will lose future affairs. Although he is strong now, he will not be able to achieve great things. Mr. Cao has great talents and long-term strategies, and his decisive opportunities are undoubtedly. His method is one, but his soldiers are good, and he can use people who are beyond his reach. , whoever does his best will be able to help great things.”
The Three Kingdoms period was an era in which heroes emerged in large numbers and talents were fully revealed. Only Cao Cao was able to be big or small, and he had a certain degree of admiration.Not only can he look up at the sky and observe the situation, but he can also lean down and "comprehensively understand the details". This is the fundamental reason why he is outstanding and swaying.
(End of this chapter)
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