When we mention Cao Cao, most people’s first impression of him is definitely that of a hero in troubled times. During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao was definitely an outstanding military strategist. He dared to risk the power of the world and "bring the emperor to order to control the princes." He was also able to defeat Yuan Shao in the Battle of Guandu with a force several times weaker than that of Yuan Shao.
We can also say that Cao Cao is an outstanding writer, and his Jian'an style gives us a new understanding of him. Poems such as "Singing over wine and singing, what is life like?... The Duke of Zhou spits out nourishment, and the world returns to its heart" is not a literary artistic conception that ordinary literati can achieve. And "the journey of the sun and the moon, if you go out of it, the stars will be brilliant, if you go out of it" also shows the ambition to look forward to the world after putting down the Wuhuan rebellion.
Cao Cao
After all, it was a pity that he could not unify the Three Kingdoms while he was still alive. In the end, his Cao family empire was plucked by the Sima family. But Cao Cao also had several things that he regretted. If he had solved these things well, I think the Three Kingdoms might have been in a different situation.
1. Regret for Indulging Oneself
Cao Cao’s military talent is indeed one of the best, and he also used his intelligence in the war. In the Battle of Wancheng, he used his intelligence to successfully defeat Zhang Xiu, and also made Zhang Xiu surrender in Kaicheng and made him surrender to his command.
Cao Cao
Cao Cao did not expect that the war would be won so easily, so he celebrated with his men drinking in the city. The more they drank, the more they got drunk. Later, they heard from their subordinates that there was a very beautiful widow in Wancheng. Cao Cao had evil thoughts about the widow because of his drunkenness.
So he asked his men to take her to the military camp. Instead of some indescribable things happening, but things were always dramatic, the widow turned out to be Zhang Xiu's aunt. Zhang Xiu was very angry when he learned about this, thinking that Cao Cao was bullying him. He summoned soldiers loyal to him to launch a counterattack against Cao Cao's military camp.
Cao Cao
Because all the soldiers were drunk, their combat effectiveness plummeted. By the time Cao Cao reacted, it was already a little late. His beloved general Dian Wei even risked his life to protect his lord. Cao Cao was finally saved. After the war, Cao Cao also paid a heavy price. His son Cao Ang, nephew Cao Anmin, and his beloved general Dian Wei were all killed in this battle. Cao Cao also regretted it, and he would never be like this again. This time he was just as willful.
2. Regret letting Liu Bei go
Liu Bei and Cao Cao have a deep relationship. Liu Bei later opened up the Kingdom of Shu and Cao Cao's Kingdom of Wei. They have been fighting, which made Cao Cao very sad. It's a headache. Before Liu Bei gained power, he took refuge in various places without a fixed residence. After experiencing a series of defeats, he also took refuge with Cao Cao.
Liu Bei
At that time, because Cao Cao already had some strength and believed that Liu Bei posed no threat to him, he not only failed to guard against him, but also provided him with Food, grass, soldiers and horses. In Liu Bei's mind, Cao Cao was a Han traitor who was irreconcilable with him. Liu Bei's forbearance in the early stage earned Cao Cao's trust in him and gave him the opportunity to escape.
Perhaps even Cao Cao did not expect that Liu Bei's subsequent series of developments would seriously hinder his unification. If Liu Bei had not let him go when he surrendered to him, Liu Bei would not have invited Kong Ming, he would not have been able to seize the nine counties of Jingxiang, he would not have captured Xichuan, and he would not have established the Shu Kingdom to fight against him.
Perhaps if Liu Bei had not been let go, he might have really unified the Three Kingdoms. Unfortunately, there were not so many ifs. In the end, Liu Bei still became the climate. The consequences of letting Liu Bei go would make Cao Cao regret it. .
3. Regret for neglecting Zhang Song
I believe we have all heard of Zhang Song, who was a subordinate of Liu Zhang. Because he felt that Liu Zhang was incompetent and incapable of accomplishing any great things, and for his own sake and the sake of the people of Xichuan, he brought out the map of Shu, hoping that it could be used for democracy. In the end, he set his target on Cao Cao.
Zhang Song
After he arrived, Cao Cao saw that he was ugly and short, so he despised him, thinking that he was probably here to play tricks on him. He didn't meet him, and even found various excuses to frustrate him, let alone reuse Zhang Song. The repeated shirks made Zhang Song feel that Cao Cao was humiliating him, so he left in anger.
After Liu Bei learned the news, he sent people to greet Zhang Song early and treated him politely. Compared to Cao Cao's attitude towards him, Zhang Song felt that Liu Bei was the right man for him. Lord, he dedicated the map of Shu. Facing a treasure land like Xichuan that was easy to defend and difficult to attack, Liu Bei was naturally tempted.
After capturing Xichuan, Liu Bei finally had his own base, and relied on Xichuan to fight Cao Cao in Hanzhong, and finally captured Hanzhong. As a result, Liu Bei established the Kingdom of Shu and fought with Cao Cao. The Wei state began to fight for many years.
Letting go of Zhang Song also made Cao Cao regret it. If he could treat Zhang Song sincerely, then Shu would be his own, and it would be much easier for him to dominate the world. It can be said that it is true. It's one wrong step and one wrong step after another.
4. Regret that he wanted to capture Zhao Yun alive
At that time, Liu Bei failed in the battle with Cao Cao and was chased by Cao Cao. Even his wife and children were separated, so Zhao Yun volunteered to fight. Go and help Liu Bei find it. When he found Liu Bei's son Adou, he was also deeply surrounded by Cao Jun. Facing the attack of Cao Jun, Zhao Yun killed seven in and seven out even with a child. This also made Cao Cao develop a love for talents, so he asked his soldiers to capture Zhao Yun alive.
Zhao Yun
Unexpectedly, Zhao Yun was too brave. Cao Jun not only lost a lot of people, but also allowed Zhao Yun to escape. It can be said that he stole the chicken but lost the rice. The importance of Zhao Yun to Liu Bei is self-evident. He is not as proud as Guan Yu or as reckless as Zhang Fei. Instead, he is brave and resourceful. He is Liu Bei's great arm and even caused Cao Cao to lose his troops in the war between Shu and Wei.
This also made Cao Cao regretful. Being kind to his enemies is cruel to himself. If he could successfully kill Zhao Yun, it would not only break Liu Bei's arm, but also help Cao Cao's army in the battle against Shu. With more advantages as a general, it is too late to regret it.
Cao Cao
Conclusion:
Cao Cao himself still had great talents and great strategies. When Wei, Shu and Wu stood at the same level, Wei's national power was undoubtedly the strongest. , and the one most likely to unify the three countries.
These few things are all things that can make him regret, because these things are not only detrimental to him, but also make the development of the situation begin to deteriorate. If Cao Cao was at that time If these mistakes can be avoided, will the situation in the Three Kingdoms favor Wei? It was a pity for Cao Cao that he failed to unify the Three Kingdoms even though he had the upper hand.
But I believe that if Cao Cao is given another chance, he will never regret it again! (Just a personal opinion)
This also warns us that before we do something, we must think clearly about the consequences it will bring. Will it have any bad impact on ourselves? There is no medicine for regret in the world. Thinking and analyzing things calmly will bring us countless benefits. The more you think, the less regret you will have!