After Cao Cao basically unified the north, he trained sailors in Xuanwu Pool and took measures against the Guanzhong area where unrest might occur. Then, in July of the 13th year of Jian 'an, in order to unify the north and south, he sent more than 100,000 troops to conquer Jingzhou (now Hubei and Hunan). At that time, Sun Quan had conquered Xiakou (now Wuhan) from Jiangdong, opened the gateway of Jingzhou to the west, annexed Jing and Yizhou (governing Chengdu) and developed northward; Liu Bei, who was attached to Liu Biao in Jingzhou, took Zhuge Liang as his counselor and made a strategy of taking advantage of Jing and Yi, uniting with Sun Quan and marching into the Central Plains, and practiced the water army in Fancheng. Cao's weaknesses, such as hard work, acclimatization, being shorter than water war and lack of food, strengthened Sun Quan's determination to resist Cao Cao. Sun Quan, regardless of the main opposition Zhang Zhao, appointed Zhou Yu as the viceroy, Cheng Pu as the deputy viceroy, and Lu Su as the commander of the praise army. He led 30,000 elite sailors, joined forces with Liu Bei for about 50,000, and went up the river and entered Xiakou.
After Cao Cao captured Jiangling, he took Wen Pin, the general of Liu Biao, as the satrap of Jiangxia, and still unified his own army to guard Hanchuan (now Jianghan Plain). Liu Zhang, an animal husbandry in Yizhou, also sent troops to supplement Cao Cao's army and began to pay tribute to the court. Cao Cao is proud and underestimates his enemy. He didn't listen to Jia Xu, the counselor, and sent a letter to intimidate Sun Quan, claiming to fight Wu. In winter, the pro-unification army goes hand in hand along the Yangtze River.
Sun and Liu joined forces behind the gorge, and then they went back to the river to meet Cao Jun and meet at Chibi. Cao Jun last stand, who lost his prestige, was readmitted and returned to Jingzhou. His fighting capacity was poor and all diseases prevailed, so that he lost the first battle. He hurriedly retreated to the north shore, stationed in Wulin (now Honghu, Hubei) and confronted the allies across the river.
Cao Cao ordered the warships to be connected, which reduced the turbulence and facilitated the boarding of northern soldiers. They want to step up their training and attack by standing by. In view of the long-term disadvantage of being outnumbered, Zhou Yu is determined to find a chance to make a quick decision. According to the weakness of Cao Jun's "serial ship", Huang Gai suggested fire attack, which was well received. Huang Gai immediately sent someone to send Cao Cao a fake surrender letter, and then set off with dozens of ships. The front 10 boat is full of dry firewood soaked in oil, covered with cloth, planted with the flag agreed with Cao Cao, tied with a canoe and headed for Wulin along the southeast wind. When approaching the other side, Cao Jun, who let his guard down, rushed over and watched Huang Gai come down. At this point, Huang Gai ordered the firewood to be lit, and each boat was changed to retreat. Fireboat broke into Cao Jun's fleet in the wind, and suddenly it was ablaze, and the fire quickly spread to the shore camp. The allied forces took advantage of the situation to attack, and Cao Jun suffered heavy casualties. Knowing that the defeat was irreversible, Cao Cao ordered the burning of the remaining ships and led the army to retreat.
In the battle of Chibi ruins, the allied forces went hand in hand to pursue Cao Jun. Cao Cao led his troops away from the riverbank, took a shortcut to Jiangling, crossed Huarong Road (now diving in the south of the Yangtze River), met with mud, rode grass and ran away. Cao Cao left Coss guarding Jiangling, while Man Chong stayed in Dangyang and returned to the north.
Zhou Yu and others confronted Coss across the river and sent Gan Ning to attack Yiling (now Yichang). Coss divided his troops around Ganning. Zhou Yu led the army to rescue and defeated Cao Jun, then crossed the north bank of Jiangtun and continued to confront Coss. After Liu Bei returned to Xiakou from Jiangling, he returned to Hanshui and went around behind Coss. Coss knew it was difficult to continue the stalemate, and he was forced to retreat the following year.
Battle of Red Cliffs and Cao Cao were conceited, underestimating their enemies, making mistakes in command, and the water army was not strong, which eventually led to defeat. Sun Quan and Liu Bei calmly analyzed the situation in the face of strong enemies, formed an alliance to resist the Japanese war, enhanced the strength of water warfare, and skillfully attacked with fire, thus creating a famous war example in China's military history.
Cao Cao is a man:
The evaluation of Cao Cao in the history books is: "the most brilliant", "the able minister to rule the world, the treacherous man in troubled times" and "writing poems horizontally is also a hero all his life." The famous "Let the County Know the Book" was written in the fifteenth year of Jian 'an (2 10), and every word was aboveboard and sincere. Cao Cao said emotionally: "Let there be no orphans in the world. I don't know how many people are emperors and how many people are kings. " That's true.
In the long historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, there are obvious ways to belittle Cao because of the need of literature. However, among the three monarchs in Wei Shuwu, he is the highest. Chen Shou commented on Cao Cao: "At the end of the Han Dynasty, there was chaos in the world, and the heroes rose together. Yuan Shao looked at the four States and was strong. Mao strategized, castigated the magic of Shen and Shang, used the unique tactics of Han and Bai, and granted official materials, each for his own devices, melodramatic, and forgot the old evils. In the end, he was able to conquer the imperial court machine and become a flood maker, but it was only slightly better. I can be described as an extraordinary person and a peerless hero. " Cao Cao is talented and versatile, and his tactics and tactics are flexible and changeable in the military. He made great contributions to the unification of northern China, the recovery of economic production and the maintenance of social order in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. In terms of internal affairs, Cao Cao established a system of reclaiming farmland and ordered soldiers who didn't need to fight to go to the fields to farm, thus alleviating the food problem during the war in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.
When selecting officials in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the candidates should not only have feudal moral qualities such as benevolence and filial piety, but also have noble family background. In order to maintain and develop power and let more people serve their own cause, Cao Cao did not stick to the above standards and emphasized "meritocracy". As long as he is talented, he pays attention to promotion even if he lacks feudal moral quality and comes from a lower class. From 2 10 to 2 17, he issued three "orders for seeking talents" in succession, and selected and appointed some talents. Yu Jin and Le Jin are generals promoted by Cao Cao from soldiers. Zhang Liao and Cao Cao were selected generals when he was pacifying Lu. As famous soldiers, they assisted Cao Cao in establishing great achievements, and they all made great contributions. Many people appointed by Cao Cao as state shepherds and county chiefs also came from humble origins.
character trait
Chen Shou, the author of the History of the Three Kingdoms, commented on Cao Cao at the end of the chapter Wei Shu Wu Di Ji: "..... Mao planned and whipped the demons inside, surrounded Shen, Shang, Han and Bai with their own strategies, and the officials granted talents, each with his own tools, and put aside the old evils, and finally mastered the imperial machine and became a flood maker, but only slightly better." I can be described as an extraordinary person and an unparalleled hero. "
The above passage describes Cao Cao's life behavior quite accurately. In fact, Cao Cao is an extremely complicated figure. He is a hero in troubled times, who can strategize, storm in and do things that ordinary people can't do. He is also a symbol of the alternation between the old and the new, or a traitor in troubled times caught between heredity and abdication.
1, be cautious when things go wrong, keep calm in times of crisis, and make more decisive moves.
According to Wei Shu, in the first month, Yuan Shao and other officials even attacked Dong Zhuo. Cao Cao recruited more than 4,000 soldiers to fight in Danyang. There was a mutiny in Longkang and the rebels burned Cao Cao's tent. In desperation, Cao Shenyi was calm and sharp-headed, holding a sharp knife, killing dozens of people and calming the situation. Although the story is as small as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it is enough to show that Cao Cao is brave and martial. The battle of Guandu was a key battle between Cao Yuan and Cao Yuan, and the elite soldiers rushed to the Wu Dynasty by pushing and shoving. When the battle of robbing the village was in full swing, Yuan Shao's reinforcements arrived and the situation changed suddenly. Victory or defeat is only a matter of thought. Cao Cao's men began to panic and said urgently that Cao Cao would divide his forces to resist. Unexpectedly, Cao Cao flew into a rage and shouted, "There are thieves behind him, and this is for nothing!" It means the enemy will talk behind his back. Because the coach is determined, he takes the lead. The belief of "life or death" immediately showed all the people that the whole army was determined to fight to the death, broke the old nest and killed Chun Yuqiong, an alcoholic, which laid the foundation for the final elimination of Yuan Shao. If Cao Cao sees the enemy reinforcements hiding, he is terrified and divides his forces to fight, then the outcome of the battle will of course be extremely clear. And calling yourself a hero is just a ridiculous word that you can't chew.
2. Broad-minded, optimistic and fearless.
There are many scenes of Cao Cao laughing in the TV series. No matter how to win or lose in the battle, Cao Cao is always unmoved by appearances. Winning without arrogance and losing with grace is another major feature of his brave temperament. It is a matter of life and death to levy Wu Huan and leave the desert. Only Cao came up with a clever plan to let the soldiers look to plum to quench their thirst and save the day. This optimistic spirit of putting life and death at risk is the foundation of Yucheng No.1 hero. In the fiasco of Battle of Red Cliffs and Cao Shi, Cao Cao's lofty sentiments and ambitions are highly reflected in his graceful demeanor, smiling proudly and speaking freely. As for the battle of Puyang, Lu Bu hit his helmet with a halberd and asked him, "Where is Cao Cao?" Cao Cao hid his face with his sleeve and said, "Those who ride Huang Ma in front are also there." Later, when Ma Chao chased him, he abandoned his robe and cut his beard, which is impossible for ordinary people in an emergency. When he was dying, Cao still found the way out of danger without fear and without thinking, which was optimistic and humorous.
"The big move is absolutely successful, the risk is fearless and the situation is complicated. In the meantime, only heroes can be called heroes. Cao Gong and Cao Mengde are real. "
3. The complexity and multiplicity of personality are fully displayed and integrated in him.
Cao Cao is a maverick reformist, but his means and measures are illegal, rational, arbitrary and heartless. Although he shocked the world by "relying on the emperor to make the princes", he always carefully protected the representative of the old forces, the Liu Han Dynasty, until his death, giving up the complete revolution from content to form and falling into a halfway ending.
Cao reclaimed land, built water conservancy projects, advocated frugality, neglected taxes, restrained strongmen, and did many good things for the people all over the world. However, endless power and profit struggles, meaningless warlord scuffles and a large number of soldiers and laborers were killed, which further aggravated people's suffering and hindered social progress. The stick stretched out to try to reform hit him on the head, leaving only more bones, more refugees and more cries of hunger and cold in the field.
Cao Cao is eager for talents and accepts kindness. He ordered more than once to recruit talents and talents, which really brought a fresh wind to the dirty society at that time, and let those who had the heart to retaliate against the world see a glimmer of hope. However, his first requirement for the talents he recruited was to serve Cao Shi Group unconditionally, obey him and be driven by his selfish ambition. Otherwise, a little meticulous will be punished. This means and mentality have greatly undermined the development of talents. Kong Rong, Yang Xiu, Yu Xun and Hua Tuo, rare wizards in the world, all died in his hands, completely tearing up his hypocritical face. Those who oppose the authorities will inevitably end up like this. This is not hypocrisy, but politics. As for whether Kong is a Xiuzhi genius, it is not necessarily so. As a politician, if you can't do this, you will be like Li Yu. )
Cao Cao is versatile, not only a commander in chief in the military, but also very creative in literature, music and other arts. His unique poetry creation has become a symbol of the new trend in literary world. But he didn't reach the peak, limited to creation, and didn't make great achievements. There are not many works, so it is difficult to form a system, and his achievements and influence are far less than his two sons. His poetry pays attention to the publicity of connotation and ignores the change of form. When new wine is put into old bottles, it becomes rootless and floats.
Cao Cao is a pioneer in the new historical period, and he should have brilliant achievements. Both content and form should be substantial and complete. But his contradiction determines his lack of confidence in making decisions on key issues. It is recorded in Wei Chunqiu that Xia Houdun tried to persuade Cao Cao to let Wei go to Han. Cao Cao replied, "If fate belongs to me, I should be Zhou Wenwang." At an important historical turning point, he took a detour with a little complacency and gave the old man a hard back.
At that time, the general trend of the world really needed Cao Cao to make a decisive and bright image. If so, the later history will be different. But Cao Cao is brave without this. He is a flower firmly established on the old foundation, with brilliant colors, but with decadent roots.
Therefore, Cao Cao's flogging of Yu Yu is only an inevitable act of cleaning the historical palace. At best, he himself is a conscientious servant, a middle-stream runner holding the second relay race in the process of alternating between the old and the new. As Mr. Lu Xun said, Cao Cao is a very capable person, at least a hero, but that's all.
[Edit this paragraph] Literary achievements
Cao Cao has profound cultivation in literature, calligraphy and music. His literary achievements are mainly manifested in poetry and prose.
There are less than 20 poems by Cao Cao, all of which are Yuefu poems. The content can be roughly divided into three categories. One is related to current affairs, the other is mainly to express ideals, and the other is poetry about immortals. For more than 30 years, Mao Yujun never gave up his books. The book talks about the art of war and thinks about classics at night. Climbing to the top must be given, and the strings of new poems make a movement. (Shu Wei) Although Shang Yahao was in the army, he couldn't put it down. Every time I decide to save, I calmly say: people who are less eager to learn will think professionally, and after a long time, they will forget; When I grow up, I can be a diligent scholar, just me and Yuan Boye. ("Canon on self-narration", Yuan Boye left his name and Yuan Shao was his brother. ) Cao Gong's old road is straight, and there is a sad saying. (Zhong Rong's Poems)
His works related to current affairs include Lu Luxing, Good Li Xing, Bitter Cold Travel, Walking Out of Xiamen, etc. Two songs, Autumn Journey and Good, were written in the early years of Jian 'an. The foregoing reflects that He Jinmou murdered eunuchs, and Dong Zhuo went to Luoyang for insurrection. The second article is about the states and counties in Kanto, each with its own ambitions, fighting with each other, and keeping pace with each other in content. Poetry describes this historical process in concise language, so it is known as "a true record of the late Han Dynasty, an authentic work of poetry history" (Zhong Xing's Return of Ancient Poems). What is particularly commendable is that in the poem "A Journey to Luxury", he wrote the profound sufferings of the broad masses of the people in the war in a sympathetic tone: "When lice are born, everyone dies, bones are exposed in the wild, and there are no crows in a thousand miles. There are hundreds of people left behind, which makes people feel sad. " A Journey to Bitter Cold was written in the 11th year of Jian 'an. The poem describes the coldness, desolation and precipitousness of Taihang Mountain in winter, with vivid images, and also writes the poet's inner complex feelings. "Out of Xiamen" was written in the twelfth year of Jian 'an, and the five rings levied three counties. This poem includes "Yan" (prelude) and four explanations. Yan concentrated on the poet's complex mood when he went to war. Explain "Watching the Sea" and write about the impressions when marching through Jieshi; Second, explain "October in Winter" and third "Cold in the River", and write about what you saw on your way home; Fourth, explain "although the tortoise lives long" and write about the ideological activities after winning this important battle. Among them, "Looking at the Sea" describes the seascape, "The autumn wind is bleak, the waves are rough, and the trip between the sun and the moon is unexpected; The stars are brilliant, magnificent and magnificent, which embodies the poet's broad mind of embracing the universe and devouring the sun and the moon. Guibishou expresses the poet's views on life and career with a series of vivid metaphors: "An old man rode on a horse, aiming for a thousand miles, and a martyr died with great courage". This is the true confession of the poet's active and enterprising spirit all his life.
The poems that mainly express ideals are Du Guan Shan, Duijiu, and Short Song. The political ideals of the first two poets. His vision of peace and prosperity is the politics of virtuous monarch and good minister, which combines Confucianism and law with kindness and prestige. This is undoubtedly of progressive significance under the realistic background of social destruction in the late Han Dynasty. The theme of "A Short Song" is to be thirsty for talents. With the poem "The mountain is not too high, the water is not too deep, the Duke of Zhou vomits and feeds, and the world turns to the heart", it expresses the mood of seeking talents and recruiting talents to achieve its great cause.
You Xian's poems include Exhale and Autumn Hu Xing. Cao Cao didn't believe in the alchemist's theory of immortality, so he wrote these poems as something else, so he can't be equated with Qin Huang and Wu Han's quest for immortality.
In artistic style, Cao Cao's poems are unpretentious and unpretentious. They won with deep affection and charm. Poetically, it is characterized by generosity and sadness. Generosity and sadness, originally the keynote of Jian 'an literature, are the most typical and prominent in Cao Cao's poems. In terms of poetic genre, Cao Cao's Yuefu poems did not copy the rules of Han Yuefu, but developed. For example, Lu Luxing and Good Li Xing are both elegies in the Han Yuefu, but he used old topics to express brand-new contents. Cao Cao initiated the tradition of writing current affairs with Yuefu, which had far-reaching influence. A large number of Yuefu poems created by Jian 'an writers and many poets from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty can be said to be the inheritance and development of this tradition.
Cao Cao's prose is mostly applied words, which can be roughly divided into three categories: table, preface and book. Representative works include Please Increase the Feudal List of Guo Jia, Make the County Self-evident, Letters with Wang, Old Monument of Taiweiqiao, etc. These characters are characterized by simplicity, simplicity, frankness and fluency, and write the unique voice of Cao Cao. For example, "Let the princess know her will" describes her struggle experience for most of her life, analyzes the situation at that time, and dissects her own mind. His words of "seeking defeat alone, I don't know how many people are emperors and how many people are kings" are extremely frank and courageous. From the Eastern Han Dynasty, prose appeared the trend of parallel prose, and gradually appeared at the end of Han Dynasty. Ordinary prose writers began to emphasize duality and use allusions. But Cao Cao was unique at that time with his simple, practical and practical style. Lu Xun once praised Cao Cao as "the founder of reforming articles" (Wei and Jin demeanor and the relationship between articles and medicine and wine).
Cao Cao's achievements in literature are also reflected in his constructive role in Jian 'an literature (see Seven Children of Jian 'an). Jian 'an literature can flourish under the background of long-term war and social fragmentation, which is inseparable from his attention and promotion. When discussing the reasons for the prosperity of Jian 'an literature, Liu Xie once pointed out that "respecting the monarch and loving poetry and elegance" (the literary mind carves dragons). In fact, the main writers in Jian 'an period were closely related to him. Cao Pi and Cao Zhi are his sons, and the "seven sons" and Cai Yan are also sheltered by him. It can be said that "Ye Group" was formed on the basis of the material conditions he provided; And their creation is also under the influence of his advocacy.