Preface
In the great history of the Three Kingdoms, there is such a character: he has excellent martial arts skills and has made great achievements, but he has never been reused, and finally ended up with a tragic end. He is Gao Shun.
In his early years, Gao Shun followed Lu Bu, the world's first fierce general, to fight in various places and made many outstanding achievements. But strangely, Lu Bu did not reuse him. Later, Gao Shun was defeated and captured with Lü Bu and was soon executed. There are all kinds of signs that Lu Bu does not value or trust this general. Distrust means not letting go and reusing it. What are the signs and reasons for all this?
There are all kinds of signs that Gao Shun is not reused by Lu Bu
First of all, we can't ignore Lu Bu's personality and style of doing things. This fierce general who is the world's first martial artist can be said to be brave and good at fighting, but he is also suspicious and conceited. is the so-called year of the tiger and wolf, step by step. Lu Bu has been fighting on the battlefield for many years, and he has already developed a heart of defense. His principle of employing people is mostly short-term benefits, and he will not easily entrust him with heavy responsibilities.
This can be known from his later employment. For example, Zhang Liao, who also played for Lu Bu, did not lose to Gao Shun in martial arts, and his military exploits were also quite rich, but Lu Bu never let him really control the overall situation. It can be seen that Lü Bu is suspicious, and it is difficult to trust great power has become his Xi in employing people. Of course, Gao Shun could not escape this fate.
Secondly, we must see that at that time, there were many powerful people from all walks of life, and the situation was unpredictable. This made Lu Bu also fall into a long-term sense of crisis and threat. Especially when he saw a good cavalry battalion under Gao Shun, Lu Bu's vigilance reached its peak.
He knew very well that Gao Shun, who had an elite soldier in his hand, was likely to become a big problem for his henchmen. Therefore, when using troops, they are more guarded against Gaoshun troops, set up many constraints, and dare not let go.
Finally, we must also objectively see that although Gao Shun made meritorious contributions to Lu Bu in the early stage, he did not make greater achievements in the later stage. For example, in the face of Cao Cao, Yuan Shao and others, Gao Shun did not achieve much. This also shows from the side that Gao Shun's talent and courage are limited after all. has no proud record, which has also become a reason why Lu Bu is unwilling to let go and reuse him.
To sum up, it is not difficult for us to understand why Lu Bu did not reuse Gao Shun's various considerations. But this also indicates that as long as the military generals are slightly wary and suspicious, it is difficult to gain a foothold in troubled times. Looking at the other princes of the Three Kingdoms, there are those who value their henchmen and heroes, and there are also those who eventually prosper and dominate. Lu Bu may have missed this shortcut.
Cao Cao's motives for executing Gao Shun
After the Battle of Xiapi, there were not a few soldiers under Lü Bu who surrendered or were captured. Among them, Cao Cao was most worried about the martial arts Lu Bu and the well-thought-out strategist Chen Gong. At first, Cao Cao also planned to keep the two of them and take them for his own use. After all, why not get these riches in a convenient way?
But in the end, Liu Bei's persuasion dispelled Cao Cao's thoughts. As a witness to Dong Zhuo's upheaval, Liu Bei naturally understands the danger of leaving behind ill-intentioned criminals. Moreover, Chen Gong was resolute and seemed to have come to his senses. After careful consideration, Cao Cao finally killed the two.
At the same time, Gao Shun, who was a fierce general under Lu Bu, also fell into the hands of Cao Cao. But the strange thing is that Cao Cao not only did not take it for his own use, but also did not even throw a question, so he directly ordered someone to cut off Gao Shun's head. Such a hasty execution may seem incredible, but there are naturally various considerations involved:
First of all, Cao Cao has always attached great importance to the affection between colleagues and family members. The Cao family and the Xiahou family have always been friends, which can be called a prickly pity. And Gao Shun accidentally shot Xiahoudun in the eye back then. Even after many years, Cao Cao still had the motive to vent this evil breath for Xiahou. The direct execution of Gao Shun can be said to be reasonable.
Secondly, we must also see that Cao Cao has always had a unique vision for understanding and employing people. He has always been good at discovering talents, and many people who are reused have made great achievements. For example, people like Dian Wei and Xun Yu have all started big careers under Cao Cao's nose. So since Cao Cao was indifferent to Gao Shun and didn't even bother to ask a question, it naturally reflected Gao Shun's limited talent and courage from the side.
Finally, we can also understand that even if Cao Cao is willing to leave Gao Shun, I am afraid that Gao Shun's situation and fate will not be much different. After all, with his lofty personality, it must be difficult to convince Cao Cao and others in their style of doing things. To survive and be harassed day after day may be more painful than outright execution. Later historians have also discussed this point in depth.
To sum up, it is not difficult to understand Cao Cao's various considerations for hastily executing Gao Shun. But this also indicates that only a truly decent attitude towards life and means of dealing with the world can gain a foothold and even a great career in turbulent times. Looking at the other famous generals of the Three Kingdoms, those who value the protocol and make good connections will eventually become the choice of the moment. Cao Cao's actions were really unwise.
If the two warlords reuse Gao Shun, their merits will definitely not stop there
Through the disdain of the above two warlords to Gao Shun, we have to admit that Gao Shun can be said to be a tragic figure in history. He could have made a greater achievement by following the first-class warlords to show his ambitions; However, due to various reasons, it has never been reused, and it is difficult to escape death in the end.
Suppose what would happen if Gao Shun had been reused by Lu Bu or Cao Cao? Combined with the examples of other fierce generals, this assumption was not groundless.
Zhao Yun, the most famous general of later generations, for example, also served under Cao Cao for a period of time. However, due to personality reasons, it was not reused by Cao Cao. Later, he entered Sichuan to engage in Liu Bei, and under the strategy of Zhuge Liang and others, he achieved the name of a brave and brave general. It shows that a military general can only make great achievements if he uses it properly.
In addition, we must also see that after all, Gao Shun's martial arts are outstanding in the world, and he has made miraculous achievements in several battles. If you get the carte blanche of Lu Bu or Cao Cao in a key battle, cooperate with the strategists and subordinates carefully, give full play to the value of force, and make the first contribution.
For example, in the Battle of Wancheng, Lu Bu, who was famous, broke through alone. If Gao Shun can lead the troops to help, and cooperate with Guan Yu and other fierce generals to help, maybe the battle situation will have a lot of waves. It can be seen that if Gao Shun's force is used properly, his merits will definitely not stop there.
It's a pity that Gao Shun, who was unlucky, not only found it difficult to display his ambitions, but also suffered from the fate of fate. This is not only his personal tragedy, but also the regret that a fierce general who is rare in the entire Three Kingdoms has lost his position in a hurry. We have to sigh for Gao Shun, who can't escape the change of fate!
Conclusion: We need to understand historical events objectively and rationally
Through the above analysis, we have a more comprehensive understanding of Gao Shun's frustrated experience in this life. Why he could not be trusted and reused by Lu Bu and Cao Cao, and why his military talents failed to display their ambitions, are all a microcosm of this era.
For these historical regrets, we, as future generations, need to have an open, rational and prudent attitude. Historical figures cannot simply be judged from the dual perspectives of "good people" and "traitorous males". At that time, the situation was changing rapidly, and fatalism also accounted for most of the country. It is difficult for us to impose the values of today on that moment.
Therefore, the appropriate way to study Xi history is to stand in the perspective and position of historical figures, try to understand their various choices and behaviors, and deeply analyze the reasons for them. This not only avoids our biased assumptions, but also serves as a shortcut for us to improve our judgment and comprehension while learning Xi and practicing law.