Cao Zhi (192-233) was named Zijian. He was born in Peiguoqiao (now Bo County, Anhui Province). An outstanding poet in the Wei Dynasty of the Three Kingdoms. Cao Cao's third son was granted the title of King Chen Si. Because of his talent and learning, he was favored by Cao Cao in his early years. He wanted to establish him as the crown prince, but later he fell out of favor. In the 16th year of Jian'an (211), he was granted the title of Marquis of Pingyuan, and in the 19th year of Jian'an (214), he was granted the title of Marquis of Linzi. In the second year of Huangchu (221), Emperor Wen of Wei changed his title to King of Juancheng. After Cao Pi became emperor, he was jealous and persecuted by Cao Pi. He was repeatedly demoted and had his fiefdom changed. After Cao Pi's death, Cao Pi's son Cao Rui came to the throne. Cao Zhi wrote several times, hoping to be appointed, but failed, and finally died of depression at the age of forty-one.
The Jian'an period in literary history refers to the period from Jian'an to the early Wei Dynasty. The literature of this period was most notable for its achievements in poetry. There are many works that can draw nourishment from Han Yuefu folk songs, reflecting the social unrest and the pain of people's displacement, embodying the desire for national reunification, with generous words and strong language. Later generations praised the elegant and vigorous style of these works as "Jian'an style". But some chapters express the idea of ??negative detachment. The representative writers of this period include Cao Cao, Cao Pi, Cao Zhi, the Seven Sons of Jian'an, etc. Cao Zhi's life and creation are divided into two periods, with Cao Pi as the emperor as the boundary. There are a few works in the early period that depict social unrest and his own ambitions, and the tone of the poems is cheerful and heroic. Such as "White Horse Pian", "Song Yingshi", etc. Later works reflect his depressed mood under oppression, and some poems are mixed with stronger negative thoughts. His poems make good use of metaphorical techniques, with concise language and splendid lyrics. They comprehensively represent the achievements of Jian'an poetry and have a great influence on the development of five-character poetry. He is also good at poetry and prose. His "Luo Shen Fu" is lyrically beautiful, full of mythological color, and has great influence. It is a representative work of lyrical poetry in the Jian'an period. There are also famous essays, such as "Seeking a Self-Examination Table" and so on.
Cao Zhi's "Seven-Step Poetry"
The Cao family, father and son, were famous writers during the Three Kingdoms period, collectively known as the Three Caos. They left many immortal chapters in the history of Chinese literature. Cao Zhi's "Seven Steps Poetry" is a great story. Its significance is no longer the value of the poem itself. It contains profound political connotations and has become a sibling rivalry between brothers fighting for status, power, and property in the long history of history. A portrait of disability.
The beans are boiling and the beans are weeping in the cauldron. They are born from the same root, so there is no need to rush into mutual conflict.
Needless to say, this is Cao Zhi's complaint to his brother Cao Pi.
Yes, Cao Zhi is indeed Cao Pi's fierce rival. He was particularly loved by his father Cao Cao. Cao Cao once wanted to depose Cao Pi and make him the crown prince. It is reasonable for Cao Pi to hate him. . When Cao Zhi was a teenager, Cao Cao was a little suspicious when he saw Cao Zhi's article, thinking that Cao Zhi asked someone to write it for him, and Cao Zhi asked his father to test it in person. After several interviews, Cao Zhi indeed "spoke in written form and wrote in written form." If it weren't for the strong opposition of some ministers, Cao Zhi would have been established as the prince, and the struggle between Cao Pi and his younger brother Cao Zhi began from this era.
Once, Cao Cao sent troops to fight, and both Cao Zhi and Cao Pi came. Seeing off and saying goodbye, Cao Zhi read aloud a pat article praising Cao Cao, which was highly appreciated by everyone. Cao Pi bid farewell to his father with tears in his eyes, which moved Cao Cao very much and made him shed tears. This small gesture brought them closer together. The distance between Cao Pi and his father deepened the relationship between father and son. It seems that the relationship between father and son requires affection, not flattery.
On another occasion, Cao Cao wanted to send Cao Zhi to lead an army on an expedition. It is a symbol of military power and a sign of Cao Cao's emphasis on training. Cao Pi was of course very angry when he got the news. What should he do? Cao Pi came up with a vicious plan. He brought good wine and food to drink with Cao Zhi in advance, which made Cao Zhi drunk. After being drunk, Cao Cao sent someone to tell Cao Zhi. After urging him several times, Cao Zhi still fell asleep. Cao Cao angrily canceled Cao Zhi's decision to lead the army.
It seems that Cao Zhi is only qualified to be an informal writer. It is difficult to act as a resourceful politician.
In the struggle between Cao Zhi and Cao Pi, Cao Pi was the winner and finally succeeded to the throne of Wei. It stands to reason that Cao Pi's status and power have been basically consolidated, but his hatred of Cao Zhi has not changed. , how cruel and unethical this is.
Actually, Cao Zhi did not commit any serious crimes, but someone reported that he often drank and cursed. He actually detained the envoys sent by Cao Pi and did not recruit troops. This was not a crime, so Cao Pi came up with a method of "composing a poem in seven steps" to punish his brother. Fortunately, Cao Zhi was good at writing poems. "Seven Steps Poem" became a life-saving poem, and Cao Pi had to withdraw his life and lower Cao Zhi's official title.
Throughout thousands of years of history, emperors, princes and grandsons lived in harmony, tolerated each other, and did not fight for power. There are really few examples of such examples of brothers fighting each other, including Prince Jiu and Prince Xiaobai (Dong Huan of Qi) in the Spring and Autumn Period, Fusu and Hu Hai (Second Emperor of Qin) in the Qin Dynasty, and the Xuanwu Gate Incident in the Tang Dynasty. Countless.
This phenomenon of fighting for power and killing each other among brothers in the feudal era is the inevitable result of the social system. In that social system where power is everything, it seems normal to fight for power by any means. The establishment of a democratic and democratic system has reduced the tragedy of brotherhood. However, if privileges are not eliminated, it is still inevitable for someone to write the "Seven-Step Poetry".