Cao Cao (155-220 AD), whose courtesy name was Mengde, also nicknamed Ahao, was from Peiguoqiao (now Qiaocheng District, Bozhou City). He was an outstanding statesman, military strategist and writer in the Han and Wei dynasties of our country.
Cao Cao was the prime minister of the Han Dynasty after Cao Shen. His grandfather Cao Teng served as a regular servant and was granted the title of Marquis Feiting. His father, Cao Song, was the adopted son of Teng, and he rose to the rank of Taiwei. Although Cao Cao came from a wealthy family, he was still regarded as a "Han clan" in the eyes of his time after being an eunuch. This social status inspired Cao Cao to be proactive and work hard. When he was a teenager, he loved reading, and he read extensively about classics and history, especially military works. He also had unique talents in poetry, calligraphy, and music. He almost wanted to compete with famous people, and his martial arts was also very strong.
When Cao Cao was 20 years old, he was promoted to Xiaolian and served as a captain in the north of Luoyang. He moved to Dunqiu Ling, and later conquered Yilang, Jinan Prime Minister, and Dongjun Prefect. , entered Wei Gong and was granted the title of King of Wei. After his death, his son Cao Pi proclaimed himself emperor on behalf of the Han Dynasty, established the Wei Kingdom, and honored him as Emperor Wu of Wei.
Cao Cao was born in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. This was a period of extreme political darkness, violent social turmoil, constant war, and a difficult period for the people. Cao Cao really wanted to achieve something in politics, "eliminating the disabled and removing the filthy" and rectifying the administration of officials, but this offended the interests of the local powerful and eunuch groups, so he returned to his hometown due to illness, studied in autumn and summer, and hunted in winter and spring, waiting for the time.
Cao Cao's military career began with his crusade against Dong Cao and the suppression of the Yellow Turban Uprising. Cao Cao sold his property and recruited 5,000 rebels to fight against Dong. In the process of suppressing the Yellow Turban Army, he surrendered the Yellow Turban Army and selected 300,000 of its elite to form the "Qingzhou Army" to prepare military forces for the future unification of northern China. Cao Cao "took the emperor to command the princes" and gained a political advantage. He built water conservancy projects and implemented the "farming system", which laid the material foundation for the unification of northern China. Cao Cao adhered to the line of "recommending talents and appointing them based on their talents" when recruiting talents, and a situation emerged where there were a cloud of advisers and a rain of powerful generals. In terms of military affairs, Cao Cao was well versed in the art of war. He "wrote more than 100,000 words of military literature" and compiled and annotated thirteen chapters of "Sun Tzu". He spent his life mainly in battles, commanding operations to "create surprises according to circumstances, deceive the enemy to win, and change like a god." In the fourteen years from the age of 39 to 53, he fought more than fifty battles. He successively eliminated Yang Feng, Han Xian, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Tao Qian, and Lu Bu, surrendered Zhang Xiu, conquered Wuhuan, and unified the north. After the defeat at Chibi, Cao Cao still used the spirit of "a martyr's twilight years with endless ambition" to fight against Hefei, attack the enemy, chase Ma Chao, and secure Guanzhong, pacify the Hexi and Longyou lands, and consolidate the unification of the north. In terms of literature, Cao Cao advocated literary activities and created many excellent poems and prose, which played a decisive role in the formation and development of Jian'an literature.
Cao Cao was suspicious and brutally suppressed the Yellow Turban uprising, and also killed some people by mistake. But compared with his role in promoting social stability, developing productive forces, and unifying the north, these achievements clearly outweigh his faults. The author of "Three Kingdoms" called him "an extraordinary person, a transcendent hero." Lu Xun also said: "Cao Cao is a very capable person, at least a hero."