Yang Xiu was famous at that time because of his family background and intelligence. (Note: It is often said that "Yang Xiu is nine years old and very intelligent" in Shi Shuo Xin Yu. Junping Kong is absent for his father's sake. Yang Xiushi was appointed as Jun Ping. There are fruit bayberry, Junping to show repair: this is a real fruit of your family. Answer: I haven't heard that peacocks are master poultry. " In one case, Yang Xiu was mistaken for Yang Xiu, but it was not. According to the records of Qi Yan Lu, Yang Xiu was named as "Jin Yang Xiu", and Junping Kong was also a Jin man, so it was quite clear that two Yang Xiufei were one person). In Jian 'an, he was promoted to filial piety, except for the doctor, and served as the main book of the Prime Minister's Office. The reflection says, "At that time, the militarists were involved in many things, and everything was known from outside to inside." Later, in the autumn of the 24th year of Jian 'an, Cao Cao was put to death (Yang Xiu's tomb is near Hewan Village at the foot of Huashan Mountain, and now only a tombstone stands on the site of the Great Wall of Wei Dynasty in the southwest of the village), and Cao Cao also died about three months after Yang Xiu's death.
According to the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Yang Xiu died because he was "arrogant" and was forbidden by Cao Cao, so he was killed for Cao Cao's excuse of "chicken ribs" when he was in Hanzhong. Actually, Yang Xiu didn't die in Hanzhong, and Yang Xiu's death was more due to political reasons, not just because of his talent.
First of all, let's talk about where Yang Xiu died and whether Cao Cao killed him in Hanzhong because of "chicken ribs". The so-called "chicken ribs" does exist. It is found in the appendices of Yang Biao and Yang Xiu in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, the History of the Later Han Dynasty and the Biography of Yang Zhen. The meaning is slightly different. The full text in the History of the Later Han Dynasty is as follows: "I am good at writing and learning, and I am a talented person. I am the prime minister Cao Cao and use Cao Shi. And Cao Cao, since he was in Pinghanzhong, wanted to beg Liu Bei and was not allowed to enter, but it was hard to keep it, and the guards did not know what to do. Cao Cao then taught, saying, "Chicken ribs". Outside Cao Mo Nengxiao, Xiu Du said, "If you eat chicken ribs, you will get nothing. If you abandon them, it will be a pity." It is to make the outside world a little stricter, and Cao Cao is here to return to Li. There are many such repairs. I tried to travel again, and when I was planning exercises, I asked questions about foreign affairs. Instead, I answered questions and guarded my house: "If there is an order, I will pass it in turn." As expected. If so, blame the speed, make it cheap, know the situation, and avoid repairing it here. And with Yuan Shu's nephew, worry about future trouble, then kill it for something. There are fifteen poems, eulogies, monuments, praises, poems, lamentations, tables, notes and books written by Xiu. The article does not say that Cao Cao killed Yang Xiu because of "chicken ribs", especially the sentence "There are many such things" behind it, which shows that this matter is just an example. When talking about Yang Xiu's death, he only said that he was killed because of something. According to Pei's note in The History of the Three Kingdoms and Biography of Cao Zhi: "By the autumn of the 24th year, the public had leaked words and taught before and after the repair, and made friends with the vassals, but they were killed. ..... More than 1 days after the death of Emperor Xiu, Mao died. It is clearly stated that Yang Xiu died in the autumn of the twenty-fourth year of Jian 'an. After checking the History of the Three Kingdoms and the Ji of Emperor Wudi, we know that Cao Cao's activities in the twenty-fourth year of Jian 'an are as follows: "In the first month of the twenty-fourth year of spring, he was benevolent and slaughtered, and his voice was cut." Xia Houyuan and Liu Bei fought in the rising tone and were killed for preparation. In March, Wang went out of the inclined valley from Chang 'an, and the army covered Hanzhong, so he went to Yangping. Be prepared to refuse to defend because of risks. In the summer of May, the army returned to Chang 'an. In autumn and July, his wife Bian Shi was the queen. He was sent to ban Coss from attacking Guan Yu. In August, the Han River overflowed, the imperial army was irrigated, the army was not, the feather was banned, and the benevolence was surrounded. Make Xu Huang save it. In September, Xiangguo Zhong Yao sat in the west of Cao Cao and satirized Wei. In October, the army returned to Luoyang. Sun Quan sent a letter to beg Guan Yu to help himself. Wang Zheng feather from Luoyang south, not to, shake attack feather, break it, feather away, benevolence around solution. Wang Jun Mobei. Twenty-five years in the spring of the first month, to Luoyang. The right to strike the feather and pass it on. According to the records here, Cao Cao marched into Hanzhong in March, and returned to Chang 'an in "Summer May". In August and September, Guan Yu was broken when he went south from Luoyang to save Coss to Mobei, so he returned to Luoyang in winter and October, and never returned to Hanzhong again. Since Yang Xiu died in the autumn of twenty-four years, and Cao Cao died more than a hundred days after his death, according to Cao Cao, he died on Gengzi Day in the first month of twenty-five years. Therefore, Yang Xiu should have died in September of twenty-four years during Cao Cao's rescue of Coss, no more than "winter October". Therefore, Yang Xiu died in Hanzhong because of the "chicken ribs". Because after Yang Xiu's death, Cao Cao once wrote a letter to Yang Biao expressing his condolences: "Cao Cao and his first step have the same sense of justice at home and abroad, and his first step will not be left behind, and he will be assisted by his wise son. Compared with China, although it is peaceful, it is not foreign. Today, the army has a big levy and the people are harassing it. I make the sound of bells and drums, and the main book should be kept, while the first step is to be a wise son, relying on the power of a noble father, and every time he is not with me. That is, I want to be straight, and I hate it. It is said that it can be changed, so it is relaxed. If you repay the loan, you will be punished if you are tired of respecting the door. It is not necessarily fortunate to miss your father's feelings and mourn Chu with this. I would like to present you with two collars of first step brocade and fur, a peach stick with eight silver horns, three green felt mattresses, 5 official silks, 6, yuan, a painting wheel, seven fragrant cars, two green cows, a horse with eight hundred miles of flowers, ten pairs of saddles with red glory and gold, and a bell bud to drive two people. Woven into a quantity of flowers, I am interested in two people in Tsing Yi, and I am long-term around. Although the gift is thin, it shows my intention. The first step is to accept it generously and not to go back and forth. " In the book, there is a saying that "today's army has a big levy and the people are harassing it." I make the sound of bells and drums, and the main book should be kept ",which shows that Yang Xiu died in the military, so we can be sure that Yang Xiu died in Cao Cao's" military mobi "army that levied Guan Yu.
The crime of Yang Xiu's death is unknown now, but the cause of his death is complicated, and the main reason is two major political factors.
first, Yang Xiu committed a taboo in the ancient royal power struggle and participated in the struggle for office.
Second, Yang Biao and Yang Xiu's own identities and political ideas conflict with the interests of Cao Wei's regime. Mrs. Yang Biao is Yuan Shu's sister, and Yang Xiu is Yuan Shu's nephew. However, Yang Biao and Yang Xiu's political ideas are the same as those of Kong Rong and Mi Heng, so they are jealous.
when Yang Xiu was first appointed as the prime minister's master book, it should be said that he was still trusted by Cao Cao. In The History of the Three Kingdoms and Biography of Cao Zhi, it is said that "the twenty-fifth year of cultivation is marked by the talent of a famous childe, and it is served by Mao", and it is also said that "it is timely, the military affairs are numerous, and the cultivation always knows the inside and the outside, and everything means what it means. Since Prince Wei has gone down, he has strived for friendship. " Looking at these two paragraphs, we can see two problems. First, Yang Xiu's talent is outstanding, so he will be appointed as the chief editor of Cao Cao's "knowing everything inside and outside", and "everything is agreeable". In this way, Cao Cao should pay more attention to him and trust him at this time, otherwise, he will not be given this position. Second, it can be seen from the sentence "Since Prince Wei has left, he has strived for friendship" that even Prince Wei Cao Pi wanted to curry favor with him at that time, and the word "and" struggle "also showed that many people were trying to curry favor with him, not the prince alone, so it is conceivable that his position was important at that time. On the other hand, this can prove that Yang Xiu should be trusted and relied on by Cao Cao at this time, and the relationship is relatively close. Otherwise, there is no reason to appear the situation of "since Prince Wei has gone down, and strive for friendship".
At that time, Cao Cao was hesitant about who would be the prince of Cao Pi and Cao Zhi to inherit Wang Wei.
Cao Zhizi Zijian is a brilliant writer in Chinese history. Although Cao Pi-wen is also considerable, as far as literary talent is concerned, Cao Pi-wen is longer than his younger brother, Cao Zhi, in terms of his accomplishments in poetry and fu. Therefore, as a strategist, politician, poet and many other names in the Three Kingdoms period with excellent literary talent, Cao Cao may begin to be more inclined to Cao Zhi in his heart. Because Cao Cao had a poet's wild and unruly temperament, Pei Songzhi quoted the biography of Cao Zang as saying: "Mao's being a man is easy to lose weight, good music, advocating Excellence, and often reaching the evening. Dressed lightly, I wear a small pocket to hold towels and fine things, or wear a hat to meet guests. Every time I talk to people, tease them, and laugh with joy, it's so easy for them to eat and drink, and Cao Zhi is quite fatherly. The Biography of Cao Zhi says that he is "simple in nature and does not cure dignity." Yu Ma's clothes are not gorgeous, "and he said that he was good at writing since he was a child." After ten years old, he read poems and talked about hundreds of thousands of words, and he was good at writing. Taizu tasted the text and said, "Are you evil?" Zhi knelt down and said, "What you say is what you say, what you write is what you write, and you should be interviewed. Who are you from?" At that time, Ye Tongjuetai New Town, Taizu learned that all the scholars would be on stage, so that they would be assigned their own roles. Planting aid is a great achievement, which is very different from Mao. Every time I see a difficult question, I answer it, so Cao Cao "loves him." It is recorded in this biography that "(Cao) Zhi is different in talent, while Rockett, Ding Kuang and Yang Xiu are his wings. Mao is suspicious, and a few are princes. " That is to say, Cao Zhi almost became a prince several times. Among them, Rockett, Ding Ke and Yang Xiu, who are the backbone of Cao Zhi's think tank, played a big role, but Rockett, Ding Ke's brothers and Xelloss had personal grievances. The cause of the incident was that Cao Cao felt the merits of Rockett's father persuading him to meet the Han Emperor and wanted to marry his daughter. As a result, Xelloss dissuaded him from saying that Rockett's eyes were bad. As a close confidant of Cao Cao, Yang Xiu must be the object of contention between Cao Zhi and Xelloss. As a world-famous wit, Cao Zhi may be more interested in Yang Xiu, and Cao Zhi's "special love" at this time is also active, so Yang Xiu took part in this cruel struggle for office (2).
However, although Cao Zhi and Cao Pi are superior in literary talent, it should be said that Cao Pi is superior in political and military talent. Moreover, the composition of the think tank around them is different. Xelloss's think tanks are Sima Yi, Chen Qun, Wu Zhi and Zhu Xi. The Book of Jin says that these four people are called four friends around Xelloss. Among these four people, Sima Yi and Chen Qun's political talents and strategies should be recognized as the best choice among the counselors and ministers of the Han and Wei Dynasties. Wu is deep in calculation, good in literary talent and Zhu Xi. But Cao Zhi's think tank is all teachers of the law, with little political and military experience, far less sophisticated than those of Sima Yi, Chen Qun and Wu Zhiliu, so it is natural to be short in the struggle. There is a record in Pei's annotation of the History of the Three Kingdoms and Biography of Cao Zhi that Yang Xiu, who is known as "talented", and Wu Zhi, who was only a long-time singer at that time, were defeated in the battle of wits, which directly led to Cao Zhi's suspicion: "In the twenty-fifth year of the reign of Emperor Xiu, a famous childe was talented, and both Mao and the Rockett brothers wanted to take plants as their heirs. When the prince suffered from it, he scrapped it on the car, and the singer of the inner dynasty was Wu Zhi and Mou. It's too late to test it with Bai Taizu. The prince was afraid, told the quality, and said, "What's the trouble? Tomorrow, you will be confused by the silk car. If you repair it, it will be white, and if it is white, you will push it. If you don't have an inspection, you will suffer. " The prince follows it, and the fruit is white, but no one, Mao is suspicious. "The art of war has a cloud, knowing yourself and knowing yourself, and fighting every battle. Wu Zhi can be said to know yourself and know yourself, and Yang Xiu has a poor reputation. Unfortunately, he is not as wily as Wu Zhi, and what he thinks and does is expected by him, so he was blindsided, and even his master Cao Zhi was suspected. It's really hard to say. The rest, such as explaining that Cao Cao's adding the word "live" in the newly-built garden gate is too wide, that Cao Cao's writing of "one-in-one crisp" is interpreted as one person's crisp, and that Cai Yong's inscription of Cao E's tablet "yellow silk young woman, grandson's mortar" is "wonderful and good", etc. (3), can only explain Yang Xiu's intelligence, but it can only be said that he is clever. Since then, because Cao Zhi's literary talent is excellent, he is really no match for him, and he is so anxious that he "loses himself". Wu Zhi once again reversed the situation, causing Cao Cao to have a view on Cao Zhi again: "Wang Wei tasted the war, and the prince and Hou Zhi were sent to the roadside. Plant said merit, speech has chapters, left and right belong to the eye, Wang Yiyue Yan. When the prince was disappointed, Wu Zhier said, "Wang Dangxing can shed tears." And words, the prince wept and worshipped, and the king and his left and right sides were salty and sorrowful, so they were all flowery and sincere. "(4) Wu is considerate, and this time is much more practical than Yang Xiu's crossword puzzle.
Cao Pi gradually gained the upper hand in the struggle for office under the planning of the four friends. At the same time, he launched a public relations offensive in a timely manner, shaping his own image. "The Emperor Wen used his skills to make a pretence, and (Cao Cao) was around the imperial secretary, and said it" (5). At the same time, he wooed Jia Xu, a counselor under Cao Cao, and others, plus the wild style of poets on Cao Zhi often broke out. "Planting willfully, not self-inspiring, and drinking without restraint" (6), Cao Zhi began. At this time, another great event happened, that is, Cao Zhi galloped in the Chi Dao in Yecheng, the capital of Wei State. Chi Dao is a special road for Cao Cao as Wang Wei. In doing so, Cao Zhi can claim to be Wang Wei, so Cao Cao was furious, and the result was that "the bus made him sit dead. Therefore, it is forbidden by vassals, and the cultivation of pets is declining "(7). Cao Pi's most important role as a prince in the end was a sentence by Jia Xu, Cao Cao's counselor. According to the legend in The History of the Three Kingdoms and Jia Xu, "At that time, Emperor Wen was a general with five senses, while Hou Zhicai, who was dying, was famous for his fame, and each had his own party and discussion on how to seize the clan. Emperor Wen made people ask about the skill of self-reliance, and said, "May the generals restore their respect for virtue, bow to the career of scholars, and work hard day and night, without violating the teachings of the children." That's all. " Emperor Wen followed it and was deeply self-motivated. Mao tried to screen out the left and right and asked Xu, but Xu hey was wrong. Taizu said, "What's the point of not answering your words?" Xu Wei said: "It is appropriate to think, so it is not right for the ear." Mao said, "What do you think?" Xu said, "I miss Yuan Benchu and Liu Jingsheng." Mao laughed, so the prince decided. " From this, we can know that Cao Cao, despite his poetic temperament, was a politician first. Jia Xu showed him the advantages and disadvantages and lessons learned from that era on the issue of heirs. For him, maintaining the stability and long-term political power after his death is the first thing, and everything else can make way, including his own personal likes and dislikes. Guo Jia, Xun Yu and others said that he was good at judging his strengths, so he immediately made a decision.