Liu Bei was a famous figure during the Three Kingdoms period and a clan relative of the Han family. He served under Cao Cao as a general of Zuo and a pastor of Yuzhou, but later defected because of his involvement in the "Yidai Incident". The "Cloth Belt Edict Incident" occurred in 200 AD, when Liu Xie, the emperor of Han Xian, was dissatisfied with Cao Cao's domineering, so he wrote the edict in blood, hid it in his clothes belt, and secretly handed it to his uncle Dong Cheng, asking him to join forces with Liu Bei, Ma Teng and others to kill Cao Cao.
However, this conspiracy was discovered by Cao Cao, Dong Cheng and others were executed, and Liu Bei was hunted down. Liu Bei met Lü Bu on the run and allied with him.
So the question arises: since Liu Bei had already betrayed Cao Cao and joined forces with Lü Bu against him, why did Cao Cao not remove him from official posts such as General Zuo and Yuzhou Mu in the name of the Son of Heaven?
We know that before this, although Liu Bei was Tao Qian's general and served as the Xuzhou Mu and Yuzhou Assassin, these were appointed by Tao Qian himself and were not recognized by the imperial court.
And the person who really made Liu Bei an official of the imperial court was Cao Cao. When Cao Cao conquered Tao Qian in Xuzhou, Tao Qian asked Gongsun Zan for help. Gongsun Zan sent Tian Kai and Liu Bei to support Tao Qian. However, because Lü Bu attacked Cao Cao's base camp, the battle did not begin.
From then on, Liu Bei remained in Xuzhou and took over the territory and army left behind by Tao Qian's death. However, facing the threat of powerful enemies such as Yuan Shu and Lü Bu, it was necessary to seek foreign help.
And at that time, there happened to be one person who wanted to win over Liu Bei - that is, Cao Cao.
Actually, there are several reasons for this:
First, retaining Liu Bei's official position could give himself an excuse and reason to attack Lü Bu and Yuan Shu. At that time, Lü Bu occupied Xuzhou and allied with Yuan Shu. If Cao Cao wanted to destroy these two enemies, he could start a war in the name of restoring the original lord of Xuzhou and saving the loyal minister Liu Bei. In this way, he could not only obtain the support and consent of Emperor Xian of Han, but also show his loyalty.
Second, retaining Liu Bei's official position could use him as a bargaining chip and threat to hold Emperor Xian of Han hostage. At that time, Emperor Xian of Han had been controlled by Cao Cao in Xuchang and had lost real power. But Emperor Han Xian is still the Son of Heaven after all, and he still has a certain influence and prestige in the hearts of the people. If Cao Cao directly removed Liu Bei from his official post and treated him as an anti-thief, it might cause dissatisfaction and resistance from Emperor Xian of Han. And if Liu Bei retained his official position and claimed that he wanted to rescue him, it would make Emperor Han Xian feel dependent and expectant, and suppress his suspicion and distrust of himself.
Third, retaining Liu Bei's official position can maintain his reputation and image among the heroes of the world. At that time, although Cao Cao had become the hegemon of the north and controlled the Central Plains, there were still forces such as Sun Quan and Liu Biao in the south, Ma Teng and Han Sui in the west, and Yuan Shao and other forces in the northeast.
Cao Cao did not immediately remove Liu Bei from his official post because he wanted to use Liu Bei's reputation to stabilize the people and oppose Yuan Shao. Cao Cao also did not want Emperor Xian of Han to think that he was too domineering, so he did not depose Liu Bei in the name of the Son of Heaven.
To sum up, after Liu Bei's defection, Cao Cao did not remove him from official posts such as the left general Yuzhou Mu in the name of the Son of Heaven, probably due to the following considerations: first, he used Liu Bei's official position to show his loyalty and authority; the second is to avoid arousing the disgust and uneasiness of the Son of Heaven and the courtiers; Third, it was realized that removing Liu Bei from his official post would have little effect on eliminating Liu Bei. These reasons also reflect Cao Cao's political wisdom and tactics in the chaotic times of the Three Kingdoms.