Preface
In ancient history, there are often dialogues that have become famous sentences for the ages because of their conciseness and conciseness, and will forever be recorded in the annals of history. After Cao Cao killed Yang Xiu, he was touched by Yang Xiu's father, Yang Biao, with a light sigh, and his short answer turned out to be a famous sentence for the ages.
This sentence not only reveals the warmth and coldness of human feelings, but also deeply reflects the complexity and sadness of human nature. So, what does this mean, and what is the story behind it? Let's talk about this history.
1. Riddles and wits
During the Cao Wei period, there was a talented literati, and he was Yang Xiu. Yang Xiu has been brilliant since childhood, and at the age of 25, he was appointed by Cao Cao as the prime minister's chief secretary, which can be described as a straight rise. However, a relationship was formed between him and Cao Cao.
Riddles were often a pastime for literati, but between Cao Cao and Yang Xiu, it became a form of intellectual contest. Regarding the riddle story between the two, three allusions have been passed down in later generations.
The first allusion is the "broadword puzzle". One day, when Cao Cao inspected the newly built gate, he complained about its scale. So, he wrote a "live" word on the door, implying that the door was too wide. After Yang Xiu saw it, he immediately understood and ordered the craftsman to rebuild a slightly smaller portal. Seeing this, everyone was puzzled, Yang Xiu explained: "The word 'live' is in the 'door', and the combination of the two is the word 'broad', and the meaning of King Wei is that the door is too big. After everyone heard this, they all applauded.
This story vividly shows Yang Xiu's wisdom. Not only was he quick to understand Cao Cao's intentions, but he was also able to skillfully put them into practice. This not only made Cao Cao greatly appreciated, but also made everyone impressed with Yang Xiu's talent. It can be said that this story established Yang Xiu's position in Cao Cao's eyes, and also laid the groundwork for the later intellectual contest.
The second allusion is the "word puzzle". On another occasion, someone offered Cao Cao a box of delicious dim sum. Although Cao Cao didn't like it very much, he didn't want to waste it like this. So, he wrote the words "Yihe Crisp" on the box, intending to let his subordinates share the food.
Seeing this, Yang Xiu was so happy that he picked up a piece and ate it. The others were shocked and thought he was bold. Yang Xiu explained with a smile: "The meaning of 'one together' is to let us eat one bite at a time. After Cao Cao heard this, he couldn't help but praise Yang Xiu's wisdom.
This story once again shows Yang Xiu's wisdom. Not only could he quickly understand Cao Cao's intentions, but he was also able to skillfully convey them to everyone. This not only made Cao Cao admire, but also made others look at Yang Xiu with admiration. It can be said that this story further consolidated Yang Xiu's position in Cao Cao's mind, and also added more drama to the later intellectual contest.
The third story is about a very brain-burning charade. At that time, Cao Cao saw the words "Huang Juan's young wife, grandson's grandson", and he couldn't understand the mystery for a while. Yang Xiu wanted to answer, but was stopped by Cao Cao.
Cao Cao pondered for a long time, and finally gave his own explanation: "Huang Juan" refers to color silk, and "color" is combined with "absolute"; "Young woman" refers to a young girl, which is the same sound as "wonderful", "grandson" refers to the son of a girl, which is the same as "good", and "齑臼" refers to hard work, which is the same as "speech". Although Yang Xiu's explanation did not reach Cao Cao's, his wisdom had already made Cao Cao awe-inspired.
This story is arguably the most wonderful of the three allusions. It not only shows Yang Xiu's intelligence, but also highlights Cao Cao's wisdom. The battle between the two on this puzzle can be described as the pinnacle of intelligence.
Although Cao Cao's explanation was more subtle in the end, Yang Xiu's performance was also convincing. This story not only adds drama to the relationship between the two, but also allows us to see the wisdom and style of the literati of that era.
Second, drunken misfortune comes from the mouth
However, Yang Xiu's fate was not all smooth sailing. On a drunken night with Cao Zhi, he actually did something that made Cao Cao angry. At that time, when Cao Zhi and Yang Xiu were indulging in alcohol, Yang Xiu actually called Cao Cao's nickname "Yellow Beard". This is a great offense to Cao Cao.
As a monarch of supreme power, Cao Cao would never tolerate anyone violating his dignity. What's worse is that Cao Zhi also dragged Yang Xiu and forcibly broke into the military stronghold. Although it did not work out in the end, this act had already angered Cao Cao.
Although Cao Cao was annoyed by his son Cao Zhi's behavior, what made him even more unbearable was Yang Xiu's rudeness. In Cao Cao's view, Yang Xiu was not only arrogant, but also disrespectful to his authority. As a literati, Yang Xiu dared to act so recklessly, which was undoubtedly a provocation to Cao Cao's rule. So, Cao Cao, who was furious, finally ordered Yang Xiu to be executed.
This decision was Cao Cao's revenge on Yang Xiu. After all, before that, Yang Xiu had already made Cao Cao feel offended many times. For example, in the "chicken ribs" incident, Yang Xiu judged Cao Cao's intentions without authorization and left the battlefield in advance. This kind of behavior is undoubtedly disturbing the morale of the military.
And more importantly, there is a deep-rooted contradiction between Cao Cao and Yang Xiu's family. Yang Xiu's family has been the Eastern Han Dynasty Taiwei for generations, and he is in the same vein as Yuan Shao. And Yuan Shao is Cao Cao's biggest political enemy. Therefore, for Yang Xiu, a "person with a foreign surname", Cao Cao is naturally on guard.
Here, we can see how strong Cao Cao's desire for power is. Not only does he have to be absolutely obedient to his rule, but he will not tolerate even the slightest offense. And Yang Xiu's rude behavior undoubtedly violated Cao Cao's bottom line.
As a result, Cao Cao had to order the killing of Yang Xiu in order to maintain his deterrent. It also illustrates how brutal the struggle for power was in those turbulent times. At the same time, the story also reveals the contradictions between Cao Cao and Yang Xiu's family. As Yuan Shao's nephew, Yang Xiu naturally became the object of Cao Cao's defense.
Cao Cao has always been very vigilant against these people with big family backgrounds. Therefore, even if Yang Xiu's talent was appreciated by Cao Cao, it was still difficult to escape in the end. This also shows how important the influence of family background was in that era.
3. Father's love knows no bounds
Although Yang Xiu was killed by Cao Cao, his father Yang Biao left a moving story in this incident. Yang Biao was originally also a prominent family, and his family history, like his son Yang Xiu, was a model of literati and scholars. However, after his son's death, Yang Biao's mental state deteriorated, and he even became thinner.
One day, after Cao Cao saw Yang Biao, he pretended to be surprised and asked, "Why have you lost weight recently?" This is deliberately stimulating Yang Biao to see how he will react. After all, Cao Cao, as a monarch with supreme power, naturally didn't care about Yang Xiu's death. But he didn't expect that Yang Biao's answer would be so moving.
After hearing this, Yang Biao replied without hesitation: "Although I don't have the foresight of Jin Riyan, I have the love of licking the calf of the old cow!" This sentence comes from Yang Biao's deep love for his son. In the Western Han Dynasty, there was a general named Jin Riyan, who killed his son with his own hands in order to prevent future troubles. Yang Biao said that although he is not as far-sighted as Jin Riyan, as a father, his love for his son is as sincere as an old cow licking a calf.
After Cao Cao heard this, he couldn't help but be moved by Yang Biao's words. As a father, he also deeply appreciates the preciousness of fatherly love. After all, even a powerful person like Cao Cao will inevitably reveal some softness of human nature when facing his relatives. So, not only did he not harm Yang Biao again, but apologized to him.
This story is arguably the most touching of the three characters. It not only shows Yang Biao's deep attachment to his son, but also allows us to see the softness of Cao Cao's heart. As a father, Yang Biao's love is so pure and sincere that even an iron-blooded monarch like Cao Cao can't help but be moved. This power of fatherly love is the greatest.
At the same time, this story also shows us that even in that cruel era, there is still a good side in human nature. Although Cao Cao is a monarch with supreme power, he still reveals some softness of human nature in the face of Yang Biao's sincere words. This shows that even in that turbulent era, the goodness and beauty in human nature have not been completely erased.
epilogue
Power, wisdom, and fatherly love, these three forces are intertwined in the stories of Cao Cao, Yang Xiu, and Yang Biao. Cao Cao cleared the obstacles with his power, Yang Xiu once confronted him with his wisdom with his wisdom, and Yang Biao used the power of his father's love to resolve Cao Cao's anger.
In this story, we can find some revelations. Power is important, but wisdom and the beauty of humanity are equally indispensable. It is only in the balance of these three that we can truly understand the value of life. Let's explore the wisdom and humanity of that turbulent era, and feel the joys and sorrows of those heroes.