Cao Cao in the Three Kingdoms period was definitely a well-known figure, and the world's evaluation of him was mixed, but most of them interpreted Cao Cao from the aspects of Cao Cao's employment, wisdom, strategy, literature, and personality.
The Song Dynasty historian Sima Guang summed up cao Cao's ability to "slash the crowd and several pinghai", of which "elegant and frugal, not good ornate" is one of the important factors for success.
Stills of Cao Cao in "The League of Military Teachers"
Frugality is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation. In our ancient times, whether it was the Ming Emperor or the ordinary dawn people, they all understood the principle of "rejuvenating the family with thrift and use of a strong country, and cultivating virtue and cultivating happiness in the province of thrift."
During the Wei and Jin dynasties, although some people believed that "since the Wei dynasty, up to the time of Taikang, the Gongqing clan was high and extravagant", it was the pursuit of luxurious material enjoyment. However, it was precisely under the initiative of Cao Cao that most officials were able to "cloth and eat", thus changing the extravagant and luxurious atmosphere since the Eastern Han Dynasty, forming a simple and frugal social trend, and appearing in the "frugal world" of Jian'an and the early Huang Dynasty.
Cao Cao advocated frugality, mainly in the following aspects:
First, Cao Cao himself lived a frugal life, and his clothing was stricter than self-discipline
The Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms, Book of Wei, and Emperor Wu records Cao Cao:
Elegant and frugal, not gorgeous.
Cao Cao also recorded his frugal life in the "Inner Commandments" that warned the officials and their families:
Lonely is not good fresh decoration strict tools, the use of miscellaneous new skin Wei, to huang Wei rim. In the event of chaos, there is no Wei Zhen, but more square bamboo strict tools, with soap Wei clothes, coarse skin as inside, this lonely usual use also.
To the effect: I don't like to use beautifully decorated boxes, but leather suitcases made of new leather. When there is no leather box in the chaotic world, I make a box out of bamboo, cover it with silk drapery on the outside, and sew it with coarse cloth on the inside, which is the daily necessities I usually use.
I am ten years old, and I am old enough to untie the ears of Huan.
It also means that my clothes quilt have been used for 10 years, and I can remove it and sew it every year.
It can be seen that Cao Cao's costumes are very frugal, just like our life in the previous difficult period: the new three years, the old three years, and the sewing and patching for another three years.
Lonely has reverse gas disease, often storing water and lying on the head. Held in bronze, it stinks. In the past, silver was used as a small square vessel, and people did not understand, saying that it was a lonely silver thing, and now it is made of wood.
Everyone knows that Cao Cao has a headache and needs to soak his head in cool water to relieve the pain. In the beginning, Cao Cao used copper plates to hold water, but after a long time, there was a copper odor. So he switched to a small square vessel made of silver to hold water, and as a result, some people thought that Cao Cao liked silverware, and later Cao Cao knew about it, so he switched to using a wooden basin to hold water.
From this description, it is not difficult to see how careful Cao Cao was in taking the lead in frugality, and how he was suspected of being a showman.
Second, Cao Cao demanded that the harem be frugal and simple
Cao Cao stipulated:
The harem clothes are not splendid, the royal servants are not two, the drapery screen, the bad are supplemented, the yin is warm, and there is no edge decoration.
Stills of Bian Hou after "Army Division"
Cao Cao also promulgated clothing regulations that may be unique in the history of our country:
Officials and people make many embroidered clothes, and the silk must not be woven with purple and golden silk.
Harem concubines were not allowed to wear splendid and beautiful clothes; maids around them were not allowed to wear gorgeous shoes of more than two colors; officials were not allowed to wear silk shoes in several colors, such as vermilion, purple, and gold.
From today's point of view, this kind of regulation may seem to be somewhat paranoid and harsh, but it shows Cao Cao's determination and attitude of advocating frugality. Because of this, it opened up a social atmosphere of "clothes not splendid" for the Cao Wei regime.
3. Cao Cao strictly restrained his family and forbade them to smoke incense
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, "incense" and "dressed in incense" were a lifestyle fashion of high society, and literati and doctors competed to advertise it. Cao Cao's adviser Xun Yu (荀彧) was a Shang Shu Ling (尚書令) at the time, and was particularly fond of incense, and was also known as the "Incense Order" or "Ling Junxiang".
As a result, Cao Cao considered this incense to be an extravagant act that violated the way of frugality and forbade it. Later, it was directly stipulated in the Inner Commandment that it was not permissible to put incense in the garment or carry it on the body.
He is clothed in incense and is not allowed to wear
Cao Cao acted strictly according to the regulations, and no matter who it was, as long as he violated the prohibition of "not splendid clothes", he would be severely punished. Later, Cao Zhi's wife wore splendid and gorgeous clothes to Tongquetai, only to be seen by Cao Cao, cao Cao was furious, not because she was his daughter-in-law, he forgave her, and directly ordered her to go home and give her death, which shows Cao Cao's determination to advocate frugality.
Planting his wife's clothes and embroidery, Taizu took the stage to see it, violated the order, and returned the family to death.
Under Cao Cao's frugal words and deeds, his family members were able to discipline themselves with frugality: among them
Son Cao Zhi:
Sexual simplicity, no rule of prestige, horse costumes, not yet gorgeous
Son Cao Yuan:
Shang Yuejian taught concubines to spin and weave, and learned to be a family affair
Lady Bian Hou:
After the sex is about frugal, not yet gorgeous, no embroidery beads, the utensils are black paint.
As empress Dowager Bian, she had an exemplary role model in the harem, so the frugal atmosphere formed in the Wei harem was closely related to Thatu Bian Hou.
Stills of Cao Pi and Bian Hou in "The League of Military Divisions"
Fourth, Cao Cao advocated frugality and simple handling of weddings and funerals
Marriage and funeral are major events in life, influenced by Confucian ethics. Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, everyone has been accustomed to organizing weddings and funerals on a large scale, which consumes both manpower and social wealth. To this end, Cao Cao led by example, taking the lead in simplifying the handling, advocating frugality in marriage and funeral, and breaking stereotypes and bad habits.
Taizu's extravagant marriage, the marriage of the princess, the suitable person, all with soap tents, never more than ten people.
Cao Cao regarded the extravagance of marriage and the transcendence of the etiquette system as a social problem that must be reformed, and he took the lead in starting from himself, when he married his daughter to Emperor Xian of Han as a concubine, the dowry was very simple, the curtain used was black, and the entourage of maids was only ten, which was very rare at that time.
Stills of Cao Cao, Cao Pi, and Bian Hou in "The League of Military Divisions"
In terms of funeral treatment, Cao Cao also advocated thin burial and prohibited thick burial.
Cao Cao believed that the secular funeral rites were "complicated and useless", so he made specific arrangements for the aftermath before his death, prepared clothes for the end of the four seasons, placed them in 4 boxes, wrote down the four words of spring, summer, autumn and winter respectively to show the difference, and left a last word:
There is no secret, at any time to collect. Gold jewels, jade, copper and iron objects shall not be sent.
Cao Cao's behavior set a good example for future generations, from 220 to 265 AD, which lasted for 46 years and experienced five emperors, all of whom obeyed Cao Cao's legacy and paid great attention to frugality.
Not only Cao Cao's family, but also other members of the Cao family were also self-disciplined with frugality. As a relative of the emperor and the state, he practiced a thin burial, which was bound to set a good example of frugality for the ministers of the DPRK and China.
V. Cao Cao's officials put frugality first
Before the implementation of the imperial examination system in ancient times, most of the selection of talents was through recruitment, recommendation, etc., mainly to see "filial piety", "honesty", reputation, etc. This way of recommending is too many artificial factors, and it is easy for the clan to monopolize the right to study and become officials, which is a big hidden danger. Cao Cao himself was recommended as an official by Sima Fang in the honor of "filial piety".
Cao Cao understands the importance of talent. In the "Short Song Line", he expressed the mood of seeking meritocracy with the allusion of "Zhou Gong spitting and feeding, and the world returns to the heart". Therefore, Cao Cao implemented the cadre line of meritocracy.
Cao Cao's selection of talents was not only meritocratic, but also promoted frugality as the code of conduct of the entire ruling clique, and combined it with the election system, leading people with frugality, taking frugality as one of the important criteria for selecting officials, and requiring Mao Jiu, Cui Yan, and others who were responsible for recommending officials at that time:
To be loyal to the officer, its selection is first shangjian.
In this way, a social atmosphere of frugality and simplicity was formed inside and outside the imperial court. Although sometimes some people will pursue metaphysics and deliberately pretend to be poor, it can also be seen that frugality has become the norm in society.
Yi Wenjun said:
Cao Cao not only frugal himself, but also regarded frugality as the code of conduct for the life of the ruling group, which made the politics of Jian'an and Huang chu in the Cao Wei period relatively clear, and the northern society he ruled was relatively stable, the economy was prosperous, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. As a result, the State of Wei finally became the most powerful regime among the Three Kingdoms.
In addition, teaching by example is the best way to take the lead.
Resources:
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chronicle of Emperor Wu
The Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
The Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms
"Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Biography of Empress Wu Xuanbian"
An Wei Bo County", "Cao Cao Collection"
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