In the twenty-second year of Jian'an, that is, in 217 AD, Cao Cao had not yet officially established an heir, and coupled with his age, he was already 62 years old at that time, less than three years before his death.
Cao Cao's health in his later years was very bad, especially he loved to suffer migraines, and he began to regret when his head hurt: he regretted that he should not kill Nahua Tuoyou. At this juncture, choosing who to be the heir became the top priority in Cao Cao's heart.
Cao Pi was then serving as a lieutenant general in the five official organs, equivalent to a deputy prime minister, and Cao Zhi was made Marquis of Linling at that time. These two sons are capable of wen and martial arts, and the other is talented and Badou, and the two also have their own henchmen, Cao Zhi has Ding Yi, Ding Xiu, Yang Xiu and others to assist, and Cao Pi's core henchmen are Wu Zhi, Chen Qun, Sima Yi, Zhu Xuan and others. Cao Zhi was in the limelight at this time, and he was very liked by Cao Cao, and the question of who should be the heir was very popular.
Cao Pi was very apprehensive at this time, fearing that he would lose power from now on and completely lose his qualifications as an heir. So Cao Pi thought of Jia Xu, who naturally understood the truth that "a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall", he only followed Cao Cao to carry out the revolution later, and once helped Zhang Xiu defeat Cao Cao twice, killing Cao Cao's eldest son Cao Ang, nephew Cao Anmin and the general Dian Wei, who only defected to Cao Cao on the eve of the Battle of Guandu.
In Cao Cao's camp, Jia Xu was called a cautious and cautious, and every day he lived a trembling life, and in line with the principle of "not doing his own things and not opening his mouth", he just wanted to honestly eat and wait for death in Cao Cao's camp, and enjoy his old age in peace, and did not want to participate in the battle between the two brothers.
However, Cao Cao's health was deteriorating, and it was estimated that he would not survive for a few years, at this time, Cao Pi took the initiative to come to the door, and it was no longer possible to remain neutral, and it seemed that it was time to adopt a "one-sided" policy. What a smart person Jia Xu is, before he is completely "one-sided", he does not show too obvious, because the current situation is not clear enough, the undercurrent is surging, and it is full of variables.
Although he was more optimistic about Cao Pi at this time, it was a taboo for these courtiers to rashly participate in the battle for the concubine, so he decided to secretly help, so Jia Xu said to Cao Pi the following: "May the general restore his virtue, bow down to the cause of the shi, diligently work day and night, and not violate the way of the son, that's all." ”
It means that Cao Pi should cultivate his self-cultivation at home, study well, improve every day, and honor his parents. I have to say that a master is a master, and as soon as he makes a move, he knows if there is any, although he said it for a long time and didn't say anything, but it seems that he said everything. If the water does not leak, no one on either side can sin, even if Cao Zhi hears it, it doesn't matter.
This Cao Pi's understanding is quite high, and he thinks about the original Tao that Mr. Jia taught me. The most important thing is to do your job steadily, and it is the most important thing to keep your duty well at this stage. Don't look at Cao Zhi making fun now, pull a list for him sooner or later. Thinking of this layer, Cao Pi was transparent, and he was relieved. So he listened to Jia Xu's opinion, acted honestly, did things steadfastly, and did not toss those false things.
Cao Cao was also very entangled in the matter of the heir and was never able to make a final decision. He once withdrew from his subordinates and quietly asked Jia Xu which son was more suitable as his heir. Who knew that Jia Xu held back for a long time without saying a word, and Cao Cao waited anxiously, and asked: "What about talking to you, why don't you pay attention to it?" ”
At this point, the actor finally began to soar his acting skills. Jia Xu replied, "I was thinking about the problem just now, and I haven't had time to answer your question." This aroused Cao Cao's thirst for knowledge, and Cao Cao was originally a curious baby, and hurriedly asked him what he was thinking. Jia Xu replied that he was thinking about Yuan Shao's father and son and Liu Cousin's father and son, and Cao Cao laughed loudly when he heard this, thinking that you are really a confused genius as an old boy.
In any case, after Jia Xu's beating, Cao Pi's weight in Cao Cao's heart was greatly increased, and his heart was more inclined to make Cao Pi the crown prince. In addition, Cao Zhi always violated discipline and died in various tricks, which made Cao Cao very disappointed. So Cao Pi's position as crown prince was finally decided.
When Cao Cao was alive, Jia Xu thought that he had joined the gang halfway and did not belong to Cao Cao's cronies, so he diligently fished under Cao Cao's hands in accordance with the principle of obscene development, but he did not dare to wave at all. Fearing that he would be killed by Cao Cao's suspicions, he did not go out of the gate when he was fine, did not step into the second gate, did not get too close to the courtiers in normal times, and never attached himself to the powerful in the marriage of his children. Therefore, everyone in the world thought that he was a very wise man.
Jia Xu's side in this battle for the establishment of heirs is undoubtedly very wise, and the benefits are also great. After Cao Pi succeeded to the throne, he appointed Jia Xu as the imperial lieutenant, the Marquis of Shouxiang, Jia Xu's eldest son Jia Mu, and his younger son Jia Wan, as the Marquis of Lie.