In 219 AD, Liu Bei's clique ushered in a new highlight moment, at the foot of the Dingjun Mountain, the veteran general Huang Zhong, swooped down on the following mountain fierce tiger, killed the supreme commander of the Cao Wei clique on the Guanzhong front in one fell swoop, and was praised by Cao Cao as the fierce general Xiahou Yuan, who was praised by Cao Cao as "the tiger steps to the right, and the direction is invincible", Cao Cao heard that Xiahou Yuan was killed, sad and suspicious at the same time, constantly asking whose plan? Later, I learned that it was Fa Zheng, so I sighed and said:
"I know that if Xuande does not do this, he will be taught by others."
Why did Cao Cao ask this question bitterly? Because he knew that the talent who could make a miracle in marching and fighting was too precious, this was his personal pain, and after the Battle of Chibi, he once sighed: "If Feng Filial Piety is here, why is it so lonely?" And when Liu Bei's fiasco defeated Yiling and suffered the disaster of destruction, Zhuge Liang also sighed: "If filial piety is there, it will be able to control the lord to go east." Let it go east, and it will not be in danger. ”
At the level of strategists, Zhuge Liang is similar to Zhang Liang and Cao Cao's Xun Yu, and his strength lies in the overall political planning, and as for the strange plot to win with the army, it is the expertise of Fa Zheng and Guo Jia and Chen Pingtong. So who was Cao Cao's First Strategist? Is it Guo Jia, who is well known in later generations? It should be known that after Cao Cao chased Liu Bei, destroyed Lü Bu, defeated Yuan Shao, and later attacked Yuan Shao's sons, completing the unification of the northern land, and then to the later Northern Expedition to Karasuma, Guo Jiadu played the role of "one word and one word" as a military master, and later unfortunately died of illness on the way to the Northern Expedition to Karasuma. Guo Jia died of illness, Zhuge came out of the mountain, and Professor Yi Zhongtian, a super Internet celebrity known for "Three Kingdoms of Pin", said that Cao Cao and Liu Bei had a weakening of strength, and although Cao Cao's military actions were based on historical inertia, Cao Cao's military actions were not as smooth as before, so that Cao Cao often missed Guo Jia.
So the question is, who introduced Guo Jia to Cao Mo? Xun Yu! What about the ones who were introduced that year? In the first year of Jian'an (196 AD), Cao Cao had moved emperor to Xuchang to officially open the "Fengtian Son to order not to be subjected". But Xun Yu as early as the second year of Chuping, in 191 AD left Yuan Shao to join Cao Cao, Guo Jia also served under Yuan Shao, then he had long known Guo Jia, admired his talent, and later both of them left, Xun Yu defected to Cao Cao, won the high praise of Cao Cao's "Son's Room", and was also entrusted with heavy responsibilities step by step, Cao Cao especially admired and trusted him, constantly let him recommend talents, Guo Jia was a great talent in the world, Cao Cao Sixian was thirsty, and at this time the war was not stopping, and guo Jia was needed such a ghost talent. Why Xun Yu hid it for 6 years, you know, Guo Jia only lived to be 38 years old in his life.
This is because of the death of a mysterious figure, Guo Jia was only pushed to Cao Cao by Xun Yu as a substitute for him, this character is called Xi Zhicai, saying that he is mysterious because, in the later and influential Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he did not even appear in the shadow, even in the Zhengshi "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and other books, he did not have a separate biography, only slightly mentioned in the biographies of other characters.
"First of all, Yingchuan Drama Zhicai, Chipper Shiya, Taizu even zhizhi. Premature death. Taizu and Xun Yushu said: "After the death of Zhicai, Mo Ke and the planner. Ru, Yinggu Doqishi, who can follow? "Yu Recommend Jia." - "Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Wei Shu, Guo Jia Biography"
It turned out that Xun Yu did not recommend Guo Jia at the first time, but it was because Guo Jia also had an ex, Xi Zhicai. "First of all, yuyan strategists, into the drama of Zhicai. Zhi Cai pawn, and then into Guo Jia. After Cao Cao won the heavy responsibility under Cao Cao, Xun Yu first thought of not Guo Jia but him, until Xi Zhi died, Cao Cao was sad and sighed, and asked him to recommend Guo Jia again, which showed a problem, Cao Cao attached great importance to Xi Zhicai, and compared to Guo Jia, Xun Yu, who was known as Wang Zuo's talent, was also more inclined to Xi Zhicai.
As for what kind of tricks and tricks Xia Zhicai has, there are not many records in the history books, but Guo Jia's records and expositions are quite numerous, and we can only spy from one side. In the "Biography of Yu Bei", there is such a record: "Xi Zhicai, Guo Jia, etc. have negative ridicule, and Du Qijian is arrogant and young, and they all use wisdom to promote them, and eventually each of them is famous." This is the name that highlights Xun Yu's superb knowledge, Anduki is when Cao Cao wants to go to Xun Yu to recommend a talent who can stand alone like the Eastern Han Dynasty Kou Yu, and guard the land of Gyeonggi, Hedong. Xun Yu said that he was "brave enough to be a big difficulty and respond intelligently." Later, the people really shined, and they also promoted to the Marquis of Guannei with meritorious achievements. It is enough to see that these three people have something in common, that is, resourcefulness.
But Xi Zhicai and Guo Jia have a problem, the degree of professional overlap between the two is too high, there is a direct conflict of interest, and the appointment of these two people at the same time, instead of complementing each other's advantages, will cause a situation similar to the serious internal friction of many of Yuan Shao's advisers, which is a problem that Xun Yu has to consider, and what is more serious is that Guo Jia, unlike those who were born in the Shi clan, in the eyes of the Shi clan people, he belongs to the "bad composition, bad character", for example, Chen Qun and others have repeatedly impeached him.
This is actually very easy to understand, the non-scholars, hard work and hard work of the talent, have seen the cold and warm of the world, have a deep understanding of human nature, especially the interests and dark side, but they want to compromise with the world, others laugh at me too crazy, I laugh at others can not see through. Such people, although they can make strange plots, are absolutely difficult to achieve good unity in conspiracy, and often have "feelings of loneliness and indignation." Just like Chen Ping in the Western Han Dynasty, the main father of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Fazheng under Liu Bei, and Yu Feng in Eastern Wu and Xu You under Yuan Shao. It all depends on the mindset and pattern of the leadership. In this regard, although both of them are "vulgar ridicule", it may be that Guo Jia's situation is more serious and more worldly, so Xun Yu, who seeks stability, can only give priority to Playing Zhicai.
Taking time as the main clue, it can only be speculated that Xi Zhicai was recommended by Xun Yu, and it should be after Xun Yu defected to Cao Cao in the second year of Xingping (191 AD) and gradually gained Cao Cao's high trust, which is most likely from Cao Cao's Eastern Expedition to Xuzhou Mu Taoqian. Zhang Mi and Chen Gong took the opportunity to oppose Cao cao in Yanzhou and secretly greeted Lü Bu, and at the critical moment when the backyard was on fire everywhere, Xun Yu and Xiahou Huan stayed in the rear to defend Cao Cao's last three cities, and in the face of such chaos, they actually defended it. This had to make Cao Cao believe that Xun Yu's character was absolutely reliable, xun Yu and the people around him, there were definitely strange people and strangers, and at this time, it was extremely likely that Cao Cao would accept it. Later, Cao Cao ushered in a major counterattack, quelled the rebellion and expelled Lü Bu to Xuzhou, most likely listening to the relevant plans of Xi Zhicai.
In this battle, Cao Cao understood the importance of the construction of the base area, so Xun Yu was entrusted with the heavy responsibility of staying behind, and Cao Cao also knew even more that Lü Bu was terrible, but the Yuan Shu behind him was even more terrible, and it was necessary to eliminate the threat of Life and Death of Yuan Shu to the base area in order to consolidate the base area. At this stage, it is impossible to eliminate Yuan Shu, only space can be exchanged for time, similar to Liu Biao's original strategy, driving Yuan Shu's forces out of this area and letting him tear up with other separatist forces, and such an action, the boss Yuan Shao can support, Liu Bei and others can definitely use, this is a political actuarial calculation with a full grasp of human nature. It was precisely because of the plot of Xi Zhicai and others that Cao Mo had a six-hundred-mile pursuit of Kuangting and defeated Yuan Shu, the Black Mountain Army, and the Southern Xiongnu. Step by step, Yuan Shu's forces were driven out of the Central Plains, and after using Liu Bei and Lü Bu, they gradually encroached on the Xuzhou territory they occupied.
It should be known that Guo Jia's characteristics are good at capturing the dark side of human nature, especially in the face of interests and temptations, how the other party will choose, and guo Jia's professional drama Zhicai, which is highly overlapped, has few records in the history books to emphasize his identity as a "planner". It can be said that When Xia Zhicai appeared in Cao Cao's Defense Of Yanzhou and the subsequent recovery of the base area, after recovering the base area, cao Cao pointed out the topic of consolidating the basis, it is necessary to take advantage of all favorable situations to drive out Yuan Shu, and skillfully use tactics to mobilize forces from all sides, and quietly do it, which is the same as Guo Jia's guidance to Cao Cao to completely pacify the north after the Battle of Guandu, and the powerful northern conquest of Karasuma, after Liu Bei captured Yizhou, didn't Fa Zheng also suggest seeking the land of Hanzhong? The same people always have some degree of similarity in personality and thinking.
Unfortunately, in the first year of Jian'an, Guo Jia's ghost talent Xi Zhicai died of illness, and his talent was difficult to play, while Guo Jia caught up with Cao Cao's great development period, guiding Cao Cao to fight a great war with greater influence, longer time, and greater fame.
Author: Xiao Yunan, our special guest author
References: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, WeiShu, Biography of Guo Jia, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Biography of Xun Yu, Xun Yu: The Man Behind Cao Cao, Bai Yujing, Liaoning People's Publishing House