Cao Zhen, real name Qin Zhen, zi dan, one of Cao Cao's three adopted sons. He is not an ordinary rich second generation, and he is one of the "Eight Tiger Riders of Cao Wei", or one of the best. During the Cao Cao period, Cao Zhen made many military achievements. After Cao Pi succeeded to the throne, Cao Zhen was made the general of Zhenxi and the military governor of Yongliang, responsible for the defense of the northwestern Shu Han Dynasty, and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Dongxiang. He defeated Zhuge Liang twice, but in the end he was depressed. Some people say that if Cao Zhen does not die, there will be no Sima Ma.
The following is analyzed from the Cao Cao period, the Cao Pi period, and the Cao Rui period.
Cao Cao period: repeated military achievements
Cao Zhen's father, Qin Shao, recruited soldiers and horses for Cao Cao and was killed by Mu Huanghuan of Yuzhou. He became an orphan and was adopted by Cao Cao. Cao Zhen was unusually brave, and once shot an arrow at a tiger during a hunting expedition, becoming a general of the tiger and leopard. In his early years, he followed Cao Cao to participate in the crusade against the Yellow Turban Army of Lingqiu, and he had considerable military achievements.
In the twenty-third year of Jian'an (218), during the Battle of Hanzhong, Cao Zhen followed Cao Hong, Cao Xiu, and others in the battle, defeated Liu Bei's general Wu Lan in the lower debate, and was worshiped as a backbone general. After Huang Zhongding's army beheaded Xiahou Yuan, the commander of the Cao army, Cao Zhen followed Cao Cao to Hanzhong and defeated Liu Bei's general Gao Xiang. Soon, Cao Cao felt that Hanzhong was a chicken rib, so he gave it up and withdrew his troops back to Chang'an, and Cao Zhen followed suit.
Cao Pi period: entrusted to the lonely and heavy subjects
In the first year of Yankang (220), Cao Pi became the King of Wei, with Cao Zhen as the general of Zhenxi, the governor of Yongzhou and Liangzhou, and the marquis of Dongxiang. After that, Cao Zhen quelled Zhang Jin's rebellion, defeated Zhi Yuanduo, Lu Shui, Feng Xiang and other Hu hu to form a coalition army, "beheading more than 50,000 people, obtaining 100,000 mouths, 1.11 million sheep, and 80,000 cattle." Before Cao Pi died, he entrusted Cao Rui to Cao Zhen, Cao Xiu, Sima Yi, and Chen Qun, of whom Cao Zhen held the military power.
Cao Rui period: two defeats of Kong Ming
First defeat: In the second year of Taihe (228), the Shu Han chancellor Zhuge Liang went on a northern expedition and captured the three counties of Nan'an, Tianshui and Anding in one fell swoop, and the situation was very unfavorable to Cao Wei. Cao Zhen sent the left general Zhang Guo (張郃) to fight for the military stronghold of Jieting (街亭), and in the Battle of Jieting (街亭) broke the horse.com. He personally defeated Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi's partial divisions at Jigu, entered Longyou, and prepared to attack Zhuge Liang on both sides. After zhuge liang lost the street pavilion, he fell into passivity and had to withdraw his troops, and Cao Zhen successively recaptured the three counties of Tianshui, Nan'an, and Anding.
Second defeat: After repelling Zhuge Liang's First Northern Expedition, Cao Zhen believed that Zhuge Liang would still start a war, and it was likely to emulate Han Xin and attack Chen Cang. He then sent the generals Hao Zhao and Wang Sheng to guard Chen Cang and fortify the city. The following year, Zhuge Liang did indeed attack Chen Cang, and Hao Zhao was already fully prepared and successfully defended Against Zhuge Liang's attack. Zhuge Liang did not conquer Chen Cang for several months, and due to insufficient food for the soldiers, he had to retreat and returned without success. After the war, Cao Zhen increased the number of food estates due to his merits, and added to the previous ones, reaching 2,900 households. At this time, Cao Zhen was Cao Wei's top pillar.
Zhen Yiliang punished Qishan, and after the outburst, he would be from Chen Cang. It was the generals Hao Zhao and Wang Sheng who guarded Chen Cang and ruled the city. Liangguo encircled Chen Cang, which was already prepared but could not be overcome. Zengyi, and the first 2,900 households. (Romance of the Three Kingdoms)
Ending: Depressed
In the fourth year of Taihe (230), Cao Zhen succeeded Cao Xiu and was promoted to the rank of Grand Sima (大司馬), and was granted the privilege of "giving the sword to the temple and entering the dynasty without tendency". He did not obtain these privileges as a powerful minister like Cao Cao and Sima Yi, but really made a certain contribution to the country to obtain privileges. The first thing Cao Zhen did after gaining power was to prepare for a large-scale slaughter of Shu, and it was best to devote all his efforts to a battle to completely solve the Shu Han problem. However, another auxiliary chancellor, Sikong Chen Qun, opposed the plan to march from Xiegu, and Cao Zhen changed his mind to attackIng Hanzhong from the Meridian Road.
In fact, Chen Qun was not opposed to Cao Zhen's advance from the Xie Valley, but opposed Cao Zhen's launching of the Battle of Shu. He believed that large-scale conquests cost too much military use, killing a thousand enemies and inflicting eight hundred self-inflicted losses, which was not worth it. However, Cao Zhen launched a war without authorization, personally leading troops to march from the Meridian Road, another way the general Sima Yi marched through Hanshui, and others such as Guo Huai and Fei Yao entered from Xiegu and Wuwei.
Cao Zhen was unlucky, it was the rainy season, the road was difficult to walk, and it took him more than a month to walk half the way. At this time, the voices of Cao Wei's opposition to the war rose and fell. For example, Hua Xin, Yang Fu, Wang Su and others all played the song, expressing dissatisfaction with Cao Zhen and wanting to withdraw their troops. Cao Zhen's military progress was not smooth, and after receiving the holy order of Cao Rui's class to return to the pilgrimage, he had no choice but to withdraw his troops.
True in August, chang'an, from the meridian road south. Sima Xuanwang traced the Han River and met Nan Zheng. The armies entered either from the Xiegu Road or from Wuwei. It will rain for more than thirty days, or the boardwalk will be cut off, and the zhao zhen will return the army. (Romance of the Three Kingdoms)
Although Cao Zhen was not as good as the first generation of Xiahou Huan, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, and Cao Hong, he was the leader of the second generation, much stronger than Xiahou Shang. Cao Zhen retired and returned to Luoyang, where he fell ill. Emperor Cao Rui of Wei personally visited his uncle Cao Zhen and hoped that Guozhi Would get rid of his illness. A year later, in the fifth year of Taihe (231), Cao Zhen, the general of the Cao Wei clan, died, and Cao Rui was heartbroken. In fact, Cao Allah if he had not completed the grand plan to destroy Shu due to the failure of the Shu Dynasty, he would have fallen ill. He always wanted to work for the country, and after the failure of the Shu Dynasty, he was depressed. After the death of the general Cao Zhen, another auxiliary chancellor, Sima Yi, took over Cao Zhen's post and took on the heavy responsibility of the Shu Han defense line.
Sima Yi's military ability was far behind Cao Zhen's. When Zhuge Liang attacked Wei many times, Sima Yi could not hold out with his strong city, which barely made a draw with Zhuge Liang's Shu army. In 234, Sima Yi successfully survived zhuge liang and won the victory. However, Cao Zhen took the initiative to attack and sent Zhang Hao to seize the military stronghold of the street pavilion and force Zhuge Liang to retreat, which was essentially different from Sima Yi's fight for consumption and national strength. It can be seen that Cao Zhen's military level far exceeds that of Sima Yi.
Cao Zhen, as the best of the second generation of Generals of Cao Wei, twice defeated Zhuge Liang, the Shu Han chancellor known for his strategy, and consolidated Cao Wei's Jiangshan Sheji, which was enough to be famous for thousands of years. If Cao Zhen had not died early, there would have been no Sima Yi or anything, and there would have been no later Gaopingling Rebellion and the Western Jin Dynasty. Sima Yi was at most Cao Zhen's deputy, and became famous and became a famous courtier of Cao Wei. If Cao Zhen were alive, before Cao Rui died, he would not have entrusted himself to his son Cao Shuang, but Cao Zhen, who had made outstanding achievements. Cao Zhen's qualifications, abilities, and fame all surpassed Sima Yi's, and it was impossible to give Sima Yi the opportunity to launch the Gaopingling Rebellion. Therefore, it can be said that if Cao Zhen does not die, there will be no Sima .