In the late autumn of the twelfth year of Jian'an (207), on his way home from Wuhuan, Cao Cao made a special trip to Jieshi Mountain for a visit.
At that time, he had just achieved the great cause of unifying the north. Looking back suddenly, his hair has turned gray and the years have passed by. Although his ambition is still the same, there is not much time left for him to realize his ambition.
Qu Yuan's poem suddenly came to Cao Cao's mind: "The sun and moon are suddenly not drowned, and spring and autumn are the order of the times. But the scattered vegetation is afraid of the beauty's twilight."
< p>A generation of heroes has grown old. If Cao Cao had been mediocre and incompetent all his life, he would not have had any ambitions, and he would not have felt so miserable in his old age; but he was exceptionally talented, and his desire to unify China had not yet been realized, but he was already old, a kind of A feeling of sadness came into my heart.Cao Cao, who was over fifty years old, stroked his gray beard and sighed:
Although the turtle has a long life, it still has its time.
The tan snake rides on the mist and turns into ashes in the end.
The old man is brave and ambitious.
The martyrs are full of ambition in their old age.
Thinking of this, how much he longed for "the blessing of good health and eternal life"!
As Cao Cao chanted, the surging waves at the bottom of Jieshi Mountain violently hit the rock wall. Circles of water gradually opened up, turning the time back to the spring of 184 AD...
In the spring of 184 AD, as everything revived, a group of people unwilling to be left alone began to make moves.
In March of Yangchun, in Julu, Hebei Province, a man named Zhang Jiao led the Yellow Turban Army he founded to raise the flag to rebel. They burned government offices and killed officials, from north to south, within a month. The Yellow Turban Army led by Zhang Jiao provoked wars in seven states and twenty-eight counties across the country, turning the Eastern Han Dynasty upside down - the famous Yellow Turban Uprising in history was officially staged.
Zhang Jiao never expected until his death that he would get nothing from all his efforts, but he would unexpectedly become famous for one person - Cao Cao.
The Yellow Turban Uprising dealt a heavy blow to the decadent Eastern Han Dynasty and made the young Han Ling Emperor Liu Hong tremble with fear.
Liu Hong has not lived a good life since he ascended the throne. He was basically a puppet, controlled by the Queen Mother at the top and suppressed by the eunuchs at the bottom. After Cao Cao became Yilang (equivalent to the imperial court's staff officer), he kept nagging in his ears like Tang Monk every day... He finally sent Cao Cao away to fight against the Yellow Turban Army, and within a few years of calm, he He died of indulgence...
It was under such a historical background that Cao Cao, who had a high status but a low status, had the opportunity to change his destiny. Why is it said that Cao Cao has a high status but a low status?
This starts with Cao Cao’s family background.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Shao Di, Ling Di, Huan Di, Zhi Di, Chong Di, Shun Di, An Di, etc. before Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty were all very young, and the oldest was only 15 years old when they came to the throne. Therefore, the political characteristics at that time were: eunuchs had exclusive power and relatives interfered in politics. It was precisely these two groups of forces that fought me today and I fight you tomorrow, and finally put the imperial court in danger.
Cao Cao’s family had a relationship with the eunuchs that was constantly in turmoil. His father Cao Song's real name was Xiahou Song, but he became the adopted son of Cao Teng, a high-status eunuch at the time, so he changed his name to Cao Song.
Although eunuchs had great power at the time, no one looked down upon them. Therefore, although Cao Cao's career was relatively smooth in his youth, he was always holding back his anger. He always wanted to change his and his family's social status so that his family would be respected.
The Yellow Turban Rebellion was the starting point of Cao Cao’s fortune. He transformed from a civil servant to a military general. He won a complete victory in the first battle against the Yellow Turban Army. Together with the two generals Huangpu Song and Zhu Jun, he killed tens of thousands of Yellow Turban Army. .
After putting down the Yellow Turban Uprising, there was only a brief period of peace. Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty died at the age of only 33.
That year was 189. After the death of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, the young crown prince Liu Bian ascended the throne, and the real power fell into the hands of the Queen Mother He and his mother-in-law, the general He Jin.
At this time, the conflicts between the eunuchs and their relatives became more and more serious. General He Jin wanted to take this opportunity to join forces with Dong Zhuo to kill the "Ten Constant Attendants" (Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, Xia Yun, Guo Sheng, Sun Zhang, Bi Lan, Li Song, Duan Gui, Gao Wang) who controlled the power during the Ling Emperor's time. , Zhang Gong, Han Kui, and Song Dian (twelve eunuchs), but the matter was exposed, and He Jin was killed by the eunuchs.
In the autumn, Dong Zhuo went to Beijing, deposed Liu Bian, the young emperor of Han Dynasty, and appointed Liu Xie, king of Chenliu, as Emperor Xian of Han Dynasty. Then he sent people to poison Liu Bian's mother and son.
Dong Zhuo's act of usurpation caused huge waves.
During the war, Cao Cao escaped from Luoyang and called on the heroes of the world to attack Dong Zhuo in Chenliu. In the first month of 190, a military alliance with Yuan Shao as the leader and Cao Cao as the acting General Fenwu formed a group to attack Dong Zhuo.
A month later, Dong Zhuo forced Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty to move the capital to Chang'an. Before leaving, he burned the palace and dug up the royal tombs. The 200-mile radius of Luoyang City was desolate and desolate, and the people were displaced. All this was written by Cao Cao in "Xie Lu Xing":
The traitor officials held the power of the country and killed the master and destroyed Yu Jing.
The emperor's foundation was destroyed, and the ancestral temple was burned to death.
Boyue moved westward, crying and moving.
Looking at Biluo City, the little boy is sad.
——"Xiao Lu Xing" (excerpt)
Looking at the city of Luoyang, Cao Cao felt extremely sad like Wei Zi, King Zhou's brother.
Poets generally write poems, especially those who have experienced tragic history like Cao Cao, who express their feelings directly. Therefore, the sadness reflected in this song "Xiao Lu Xing" is definitely not fake sadness. This shows Cao Cao's temperament.
Before Cao Cao, literati liked to write magnificent poems; but Cao Cao liked to write poems that recorded current events such as marches and battles. This seemed out of place at the time, so some later commentators also believed that Cao Cao’s Poems are not popular. However, Mr. Qian Mu, the master of Chinese studies, believes that this kind of literary realm where "every article is written on the surface of flowers and flowers, and everything is picked up and picked up, did not exist until after Cao Cao, so Jian'an literature is kind and interesting."
After Dong Zhuo "hijacked the emperor to order the princes", Cao Cao united warlords from various places to attack Dong Zhuo. However, everyone had their own agenda and wanted to take the opportunity to expand their own power. Only Cao Cao had the courage to confront Dong Zhuo. But at that time, Cao Cao was still young, and there was a huge gap in military strength between the two sides. Cao Cao was defeated in the first battle. Later, Yuan Shao's cousin Yuan Shu proclaimed himself emperor in Huainan, and Yuan Shao took the puppet emperor to carve a seal in the north.
This period of history was written by Cao Cao in "Hao Li Xing":
There were righteous men in Guandong who raised troops to fight against the evil.
In the early days of Huimengjin, my heart was in Xianyang.
The combined strength of the army was uneven, and the geese flew hesitantly.
Snobbishness makes people fight, and the heirs fight against each other.
The title of Huainan brother is carved in the north.
The armor is infested with lice, and thousands of people die from it.
White bones are exposed in the wild, and there is no rooster crow for thousands of miles.
One of the hundreds of things left by the people will be heart-breaking if you think about it.
As Cao Cao wrote, years of war have left the people in dire straits. Uncollected corpses can be seen everywhere in the fields. Soldiers wear armor all year round, and the people suffer countless casualties.
"Xie Lu Xing" and "Hao Li Xing" are like companion chapters, recording Dong Zhuo's subversion of the Han Dynasty's political power and the struggle for interests among warlords.
Although the coalition of warlords from various places disbanded, Dong Zhuo did not end well. He never thought that he would be killed by his subordinate Lu Bu.
After the collapse of Dong Zhuo's power, Cao Cao competed in the Central Plains. At this time, his number one enemy was his former ally Yuan Shao, the strongest force in the north.
Cao Cao has been spoiled in "Hao Li Xing", and Yuan Shao also has the ambition to usurp power. In the eyes of historical critics, Cao Cao also had the ambition to become emperor. In Peking Opera, Cao Cao is a white-faced traitor; in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Cao Cao is also portrayed as a hero in troubled times.
But is Cao Cao really like this in history?
We can find some answers from his poems.
Let us follow Cao Cao’s footsteps and return to the first year of Jian’an.
In this year, Cao Cao moved the capital to Xuchang with Emperor Xian of Han Dynasty, becoming the second person after Dong Zhuo to "hijack the emperor to order the princes".
In just four years, Cao Cao expanded his sphere of influence to the north of the Yellow River.
With strong military backing, Cao Cao wanted to unify the north. The most powerful enemy in the north is Yuan Shao.
But Cao Cao was not in a hurry to fight Yuan Shao, but first prepared to fight Liu Bei.
In 195, Lu Bu captured Xuzhou, and Liu Bei, the shepherd of Xuzhou at the time, defected to Cao Cao. Cao Cao valued Liu Bei very much. He once said to Liu Bei: "The only heroes in the world today are your envoy and Cao Er!"
Cao Cao not only took Liu Bei in and gave him an official position, he also attacked Lu Bu for Liu Bei. But not long after, Liu Bei betrayed Cao Cao.
After Liu Bei rebelled, a difficult problem faced Cao Cao: Between Liu Bei and Yuan Shao, who should attack first?
People around Cao Cao said: "The one who competes with the public for the world is Yuan Shao. Now that Shao has come and abandoned the east, what will happen if Shao takes advantage of others?"
But Cao Cao said : "Liu Bei is a great man. If he doesn't attack now, there will be trouble in the future. Although Yuan Shao has great ambitions, he is late to see things happening, so he will not move."
Cao Cao is really accurate in seeing people and has a long-term vision. He attacked Liu Bei first, and after Liu Bei's defeat he fled to Yuan Shao. At this time, the time to attack Yuan Shao really came.
In the cold winter of the fourth year of Jian'an (199), Cao Cao personally led his troops to garrison in Guandu (now northeast of Zhongmou, Henan), preparing to attack Yuan Shao.
The Battle of Guandu was very tiring, and the battle lasted from February to September with no outcome.
Until October, Yuan Shao's counselor Xu You was resentful because his plan failed and his family members were arrested for committing crimes, so he left Yuan Shao and went to Cao Cao. Xu You proposed a plan to let Cao Cao attack Wuchao 40 miles away from Yuan Shao's camp, where there were more than 10,000 carts of grain and grass shipped from Hebei.
Cao Cao followed Xu You's suggestion and acted immediately. They first robbed the grain and grass, then attacked Yuan Shao's main force and won a complete victory.
After the battle in Guandu, Cao Cao counted Yuan Shao's letters and saw that his subordinates were colluding with Yuan Shao. He didn't take it to heart and burned all the letters. Said: "When Shao is strong, I can't protect myself alone, let alone everyone!"
It can be seen from this incident that Cao Cao's mind is not as narrow-minded as described in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and He is good at using people and listens to other people's opinions.
The Battle of Guandu laid the foundation for Cao Cao to unify the north.
After the Battle of Guandu, as Yuan Shao died of illness, his power also fell apart.
Moreover, there was no harmony between his sons.
In the ninth year of Jian'an (204), Cao Cao took advantage of Yuan Shao's two sons Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang to fight each other, broke through Yecheng (today's Linzhangxi area of ??Handan, Hebei), and took his The base was moved here. After that, Cao Cao's troops and confidants were stationed in Yecheng, leaving only a few officials in Xu County, the capital of Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty.
Two years later, Wuhuan (a nomadic tribe in the north at that time) captured Youzhou and captured more than 100,000 Han households. Yuan Shao's sons Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi fled to Wuhuan and colluded with Wuhuan Chanyu Tadun. In order to eliminate the remaining forces of the Yuan family and completely solve the problem of Wuhuan from three counties entering the fortress, Cao Cao, who was over fifty years old, decided to conquer Wuhuan himself.
Before that, he first led his troops to destroy Yuan Shao's nephew, Bingzhou Mu Gaogan (Bingzhou was one of the thirteen states, commanding Taiyuan, Shangdang, Xihe, Yunzhong, Dingxiang, Yan Men, Shuofang, Wuyuan, Shangjun and other nine counties), pacified Bingzhou.
On the way to attack Gaogan, Cao Cao wrote "Bitter Cold Journey" with a splash of ink:
Going north to the Taihang Mountains is so difficult and so majestic!
The yangchangsaka is bent, and the wheels are destroyed.
The trees are so desolate, the sound of the north wind is sad.
The bear squatted against me, and the tiger and leopard crowed across the road.
There are so few people in the valley, how the snow falls!
Stretching one's neck and sighing, traveling far away brings many things to one's heart.
Why is my heart so depressed? I want to return eastward.
The water is deep and the bridge is dead, and the middle road is wandering.
Confused and lost the old road, no shelter in the evening.
The journey is far away, and both men and horses are hungry.
Carrying a bag to collect salary, holding an ax to make mince.
The sad Dongshan poem makes me sad.
This poem not only describes the severe cold and steepness of the Taihang Mountains in winter, but also describes Cao Cao's worried and thoughtful heart under his resolute appearance. Although he has lofty ambitions and longs to unify the world, what he misses the most no matter where he is is his family.
At the end of this poem, Cao Cao compared himself to Duke Zhou and expressed his true feelings. He said: "At this time, I couldn't help but think of the poem "Dongshan" written by Duke Zhou, and I felt infinite emotion in my heart. When can I pacify the world like Duke Zhou?"
After pacifying Bingzhou, the 52-year-old Cao Cao led his army. In August, the Wuhuan army was defeated. Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi fled to Liaodong warlord Gongsun Kang. They were later killed by Gongsun Kang. The heads of Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi were given as a meeting gift for surrendering to Cao Cao.
In September of this year, Cao Cao returned triumphantly in the bleak autumn wind. Cao Cao, who had never seen the sea, specially came to Jieshi Mountain, climbed the mountain to view the sea, and wrote the famous poem "Guan Cang Sea":
To the east, he faced Jieshi to view the sea.
Where is the water? The mountains and islands are standing tall.
There are many trees and lush grass.
The autumn wind is bleak and the waves are rising.
The journey of the sun and the moon, if it comes out of it.
The stars are as brilliant as if they came from within.
Fortunately, I sing to express my ambition.
This poem can be said to be a representative work of "Jian'an style". It is really majestic, desolate and tragic! Cao Cao's courage was beyond the reach of Cao Pi and Cao Zhi. As Mr. Ye Jiaying said: "Generally, people who have the talent of a poet may not necessarily have the ambition of hegemony like Cao Cao; and people who have the ambition of hegemony may not necessarily have the talent of a poet. Only Cao Cao has these two aspects "Cao Cao's greatest wish is to unify the world."
Cao Cao's greatest wish is to unify the world. After the north was pacified, Cao Cao led his army southward. He defeated Jingzhou, went down to Jiangling, and went eastward along the river, preparing to sweep the south of the Yangtze River. Unexpectedly, he was defeated by the coalition forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei in Chibi. From then on, the world was divided into three parts.
On the eve of the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao wrote an eternally famous poem "Dan Ge Xing":
Wine while singing, what is life like? Like morning dew, it will be more painful every day when it goes away.
Generosity should be treated with generosity, and worries will be unforgettable. How to relieve worries? Only Du Kang.
Qingqing Zijin, my heart is leisurely. But for your sake, I still ponder it.
Yo yo, the deer roars, eating apples in the wild. I have guests who play the harp and sheng.
It’s as bright as the moon, when can you wipe it off? Worry comes from it and cannot be cut off.
The more unfamiliar you are, the more you cross the border, the more useless you are. Qi Kuo Tan?, thinking about old kindness.
The moon and stars are sparse, and the black magpie flies south. Three twists and turns around the tree, where is the branch to lean on?
The mountains never get too high and the sea never gets too deep. The Duke of Zhou vomits food, and the world returns to its heart.
This poem reveals his desire for talents. There are many references in this poem: Qingqing Zijin and Youyou Luming are all from the Book of Songs. Among them, "Qing Qing Zi Jin" refers to Sun Quan and Liu Qi (the eldest son of Liu Biao), the two talents he longs for. The following lines of the poem "Yo yo deer roar, eating apples in the wild. I have guests, playing the harp and sheng." Welcome talents, saying that if you come to my place as a guest, I will entertain you with a grand banquet.
The following "It's as clear as the moon, when can I shake it off" alludes to Liu Bei. The talent Cao Cao admires most is actually Liu Bei. The next few lines of the poem, "Over the distance, we are in vain. We talk about it, and we miss our old kindness." In fact, they are Cao Cao's memories of the friendship between him and Liu Bei. As written above, when Liu Bei defected to him, Not only did he take Liu Bei in and make him an official, he also attacked Lu Bu for him. But Liu Bei still betrayed Cao Cao in the end, and Cao Cao sighed: "You and I have parted and gathered together in the past, and we should both cherish the old friendship.
"
At the end of the poem, Cao Cao once again compared himself to Duke Zhou. He said: "I am also polite to the virtuous corporal like Duke Zhou. (When Duke Zhou is eating, if a wise man sees him, he will not have time to finish chewing the food in his mouth. spit it out and never neglect the wise men), I really hope that all the talents in the world can turn to me! ”
After the defeat in Chibi, Cao Cao became even more thirsty for talents and wrote the "Order for Seeking Talents":
Since ancient times, the kings who have been appointed to Zhongxing have never had a relationship with a wise man. * Whoever governs the world? How can he meet someone who has never left the village? The world has not yet been determined, and this is a time of great urgency.
"Meng Gongchuo is the best if he is Zhao or Wei Lao, but cannot be Teng or Xue. "If there must be honest men who can be used later, how can Qi Huanqi dominate the world! Is there anyone in the world today who is caught in the trap of a jade and is caught in Weibin? And is there no robber sister-in-law who receives gold without encountering an ignorant person?
The second and third sons of Qi Zuowu are plain and simple, but I can use them
This article is very distinctive in order to express my determination to "use talents only". , Cao Cao wrote this sentence: "How can there be no robber sister-in-law who receives money but no ignorant person?" "
This sentence is very interesting and is an allusion. It tells that Wei Wuzhi introduced Chen Ping, who had an affair with his sister-in-law and accepted bribes, to Liu Bang, the great ancestor of the Han Dynasty. Liu Bang was not willing to accept this However, Wei Wuzhi said that what we need is talent, and it has nothing to do with morality. What I recommend is his talent, so Liu Bang reused Chen Ping.
Mr. Qian Mu appreciated this article very much. It is said that Cao Cao's "Order to Seek Talent" is very similar to Roosevelt's "Fireside Chat", written in a relaxed and humorous manner
With Cao Cao's status, he should have written the "Order to Seek Talent" in a solemn and serious tone. ". But he even wrote about people's fornication and bribery, which shows Cao Cao's bold personality.
Mr. Qian Mu said:
Later, Zhuge Liang, Lu Fan. Lun Jin, commanded the three armies. His "Departure of the Army" is like chatting with friends, and he learned from Cao Cao;
Cao Cao was suave and romantic, and his subordinate Yang Lei was appointed as the commander-in-chief of Zuopushe. When he was in Jingzhou, he wore light fur and wore no armor, and he also learned from Cao Cao;
Cao Cao was in a relaxed mood in the army, as if he didn't want to fight. Zhou Yu, who defeated Cao Cao with fire in Chibi, When fighting, he was listening to the drama behind his back, and he still learned from Cao Cao.
This shows Cao Cao's charm.
Although he lost the battle of Chibi, Cao Cao was able to achieve his great cause of unifying the north. At that time, he was already a highly respected minister.
Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty first conferred the title of Duke of Wei on Cao Cao, established the capital in Yecheng, and commanded ten counties in Jizhou, as well as hundreds of prime ministers, Taiwei, and generals. Official;
He then conferred the title of King of Wei on Cao Cao, and established the capital in Yecheng. But he was actually equal to the emperor.
Later, Sun Quan proclaimed himself a minister to Cao Cao and persuaded Cao Cao to replace Han with Wei. However, Cao Cao did not abolish Han Xian Emperor. He said: "If destiny were on me, I would be King Wen of Zhou. ”
In the more than a thousand years since Cao Cao’s death, people have had mixed reviews about him. More people think Cao Cao is a traitor. But I think Cao Cao is a real hero.
p>He said in "Shu Zhi Ling": "Assuming that there is no one in the country, I don't know how many people will be called emperors and how many people will be called kings. "Although these words are arrogant, they are honest.
If Cao Cao were Dong Zhuo and his ilk, with his strength at the time, he could easily depose or even kill Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty and proclaim himself king. But until Cao Cao died, They did not depose Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty, nor did they kill him. Even when Cao Pi became emperor later, he did not kill Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty. This fully illustrates the "benevolence" of the Cao family and his son.
Whenever I think about Cao Cao's behavior. After this experience, I can’t help but think of Zeng Guofan in the late Qing Dynasty. Zeng Guofan also had many opportunities to raise his flag for rebellion, and he also had the ability and strength to proclaim himself emperor. Even many powerful officials and social figures at the time secretly supported him, but Zeng Guofan did not have this. Courage.
There is no if in history. We cannot imagine how Chinese history would have developed and how the world would have been arranged if Zeng Guofan had had such courage. , we discovered: Cao Cao did not want to (proclaim himself emperor), but Zeng Guofan did not dare to (proclaim himself emperor). I don’t need to explain the difference.
After Cao Cao died, Cao Pi usurped the Han Dynasty, although he stayed. Infamy, but I think from an objective perspective, this is still progress. The Han Dynasty has existed in name only, and the monarchs are stupid and weak. Only capable monarchs can lead China to the distant future.
I spent a lot of time. Spend a lot of time reading "Three Cao". Their poems are actually the best representatives of "Jian'an style". No other poet's works in the Jian'an era can be compared with "Three Cao".
Literary critics of the past dynasties. Comments on the literary status of the "Three Caos" are inconsistent.
Zhong Rong of the Qi and Liang Dynasties ranked Cao Cao as a low-grade, Cao Pi as a middle-grade. My opinion is completely opposite to that of Zhong Rong. I think Cao Cao is actually the best. Although Cao Pi and Cao Zhi are equal, among the two brothers, I admire Cao Pi more (I will focus on Cao Pi and Cao Zhi in the next article). Cao Zhi. )
Cao Cao's poems are written very "casually" and give people a "sloppy" feeling, just like the writing style of "The Order of Seeking Talent" mentioned above.
I think this is the biggest characteristic of Cao Cao. He is definitely not a poet in the traditional sense. His poems are just an extremely true and natural expression of his heart that he can't hold back. Not a single word in his poems is false or artificial at all. He is not even strict with the rhyme, just to express his truest feelings. Therefore, Cao Cao's poems feel more majestic, more tragic and upright. His heart not only contains great ambitions, but also care for his family and family; his vision is not only about mountains and rivers, but also encompasses the universe. .
Cao Cao’s original poetic style has become a very obvious symbol in the history of Chinese poetry. Although the later Qi and Liang Dynasties began to use the elegant poetry style (palace style poetry), on this axis of poetry development, Cao Cao ( and Cao Pi)’s style is particularly eye-catching and admirable. The so-called "Jian'an style" is the new atmosphere that Cao Cao brought to the poetry world.