This sentence, "a capable minister who can rule the world, a lean man in troubled times", is the earliest evaluation of Cao Cao by Xu Shao in Runan.
In his book Seventy Years of Late Qing Dynasty, Mr. Tang Degang said that in modern history, only Li Hongzhang and Zhou Enlai were "capable officials in the world and fierce in troubled times".
Cao Cao (155-0315,220), whose real name was Meng De, a native of Geely, and a native of Peiguoqiao County (now Bozhou, Anhui Province), was of Han nationality. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, he was an outstanding politician, strategist, writer and calligrapher, and the founder of the Cao Wei regime in the Three Kingdoms. Conquering the Quartet in the name of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty eliminated the separatist forces such as Er Yuan, Lu Bu, Liu Biao, Ma Chao and Han Sui at home, surrendered the southern Xiongnu, Wu Huan and Xianbei abroad, unified the northern part of China, and implemented a series of policies to restore economic production and social order, which laid the foundation for the establishment of Cao Wei. Cao Cao was the prime minister of the Eastern Han Dynasty before his death, then Wang Wei, and after his death, posthumous title became King Wu. After his son Cao Pi proclaimed himself emperor, he was honored as Emperor Wu, with the temple name Mao.
Cao Cao is good at writing poems, expressing his political ambitions with great boldness of vision, generosity and sadness, and reflecting the miserable life of the people in the late Han Dynasty. Prose is also neat, which opens and prospers Jian 'an literature and leaves precious spiritual wealth to future generations. Historically, it was called Jian 'an Style, and Lu Xun rated it as "the founder of reforming articles". At the same time, Cao Cao is good at calligraphy, especially at carving grass. In the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Huaiguan named it a "wonderful flower" at the end of Shu.
Li Hongzhang (1823 February15—1901October 7), a famous minister in the late Qing Dynasty, was one of the main leaders of the Westernization Movement. He is a native of Hefei, Anhui Province, known as Li, also known as Li Hefei, whose real name is Li Hefei.
Zhou Enlai (1898 ~ 1976), whose real name is Yu Xiang, was originally from Shaoxing, Zhejiang, and was born in Huai 'an, Jiangsu. Great Marxism–Leninism, China proletarian revolutionary, politician, strategist, diplomat, the main leader of the Chinese Production Party and People's Republic of China (PRC), and the main founder and leader of the China People's Liberation Army. He is an important member of the party's first generation of central collective leadership with Comrade Mao Zedong at the core, and enjoys high prestige in the world. Comrade Zhou Enlai's outstanding meritorious service, lofty moral character and brilliant personality are deeply remembered in the hearts of people of all ethnic groups in China.