Cao Cao is famous in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" for the classic line "I would rather bear the people of the world, and stop teaching the people of the world to bear me". However, the story of Cao Cao's accidental murder of Lu Bohao's family recorded in the official history is very different from the novel. Was it Cao Cao's ruthlessness and indiscriminate killing of innocents, or was it that Lu Bohao's family was to blame and deserved to die?
Cao Cao stayed at Lu Bo's house on the way to escape
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the world was in turmoil, and the heroes rose together. Although Cao Cao was born in a famous family, he could not escape the fate of troubled times. In 190 AD, Dong Zhuo entered Beijing as the prime minister, brutal and unreasonable, causing public anger. Cao Cao was entrusted by He Jin to kill Dong Zhuo, but unfortunately the incident leaked and he was forced to flee in a hurry.
Cao Cao escaped from Luoyang City with only a few cronies by his side. Along the way, Cao Cao was preoccupied and didn't know where to go. Just when he was at a loss, he suddenly remembered that the old man Lu Bohao's house was nearby, so it was better to go and stay overnight and make plans again.
Lu Boyu is Cao Cao's old acquaintance, and the two studied together when they were young, and they are like brothers. Cao Cao thought of this, and felt a little relieved in his heart, so he took his entourage and hurried to the Lu family manor.
However, when Cao Cao and his party came to the Lu family manor, they found that Lu Bohao was not at home. There were only five sons and some guests in the manor. Cao Cao secretly complained in his heart, and wanted to take this opportunity to ask Lu Bohao for help, but he didn't expect to hit a void.
Lu Bohao's five sons were very enthusiastic when they saw Cao Cao. They had long heard of Cao Cao's name and knew that this person was not only talented, but also benevolent and heroic, and he was a rare masterpiece. The five brothers hurriedly stepped forward to meet and invited Cao Cao and his party to rest in the manor.
Cao Cao saw that the Lu family brothers were so enthusiastic, and he was also grateful in his heart. He was already exhausted, so he gladly agreed. The brothers of the Lu family instructed their subordinates to prepare wine and food, and personally entertained Cao Cao, showing the friendship of the master.
After three rounds of drinking, Cao Cao gradually became tired. He thanked the Lu family brothers, and then took his entourage to the arranged wing room to rest. The Lu brothers also went back to their rooms, leaving only the servants to keep vigil.
In the dead of night, Cao Cao lay on the bed, but his mind was full of thoughts. He thought that although he had escaped for the time being, the road ahead was uncertain, and he really didn't know where to go. The imperial court has been controlled by Dong Zhuo, where can he, a fugitive, go to?
Just as Cao Cao was thinking wildly, he suddenly heard a noisy voice from the courtyard. Cao Cao was shocked, could it be that the officers and soldiers were chasing after him? He quickly got up, walked to the window, and looked out.
saw a group of people gathered in the courtyard, who were the servants and guests of the Lu family. They got together in twos and threes, as if they were discussing something. Cao Cao couldn't hear what they were saying, but seeing that they looked flustered and behaved suspiciously, it was obvious that they were plotting something.
Cao Cao's heart suddenly sounded an alarm bell. He thought that as a fugitive and a thorn in Dong Zhuo's side, could these people be instructed by Dong Zhuo to capture him? Or did they covet their horses and belongings and wanted to steal at night?
All kinds of speculations swirled in Cao Cao's mind, making him restless. He secretly gritted his teeth and thought to himself, instead of sitting and waiting to be killed, it was better to strike first. So, Cao Cao lightly picked up his sword, tiptoed out of the door, and felt into the courtyard.
When Cao Cao came to the courtyard, he saw that the servants and guests of the Lu family were still whispering. Cao Cao's doubts in his heart were even worse, he clenched the sword in his hand, strode forward, and shouted in a deep voice: "What the hell are you doing here?
Everyone was shocked when they saw Cao Cao suddenly appear. Someone stammered, "Lord Cao, we, we don't, we're just chatting." ＂
Cao Cao sneered and said, "Chatting? Gathering together in the middle of the night to chat, do you think I am a three-year-old child? Tell me, what are you plotting?"
Everyone looked at each other, but they couldn't say why. Seeing this, Cao Cao was even more furious, he waved his hand and shouted: "Come on, take it for me!"
Before the words fell, Cao Cao's entourage rushed forward and surrounded the servants and guests of the Lu family. Cao Cao showed his sword, pointed at a servant led by him, and asked in a deep voice: "What do you want to do? It's better to be honest, otherwise don't blame me for being ruthless!"
The son of Lu Boyu plotted against him
Faced with Cao Cao's questioning and the entourage of his entourage, the servants and guests of the Lu family all trembled. The servant at the head knelt on the ground and said in a trembling voice: "Lord Cao, we really have no malicious intentions, we are just discussing some trivial matters, and we have no other intentions!"
Cao Cao snorted coldly, obviously not believing it. He looked around, his gaze swept over everyone's faces, and said in a deep voice: "You'd better be honest, I, Cao, have always had clear rewards and punishments, if you confess leniently, if you resist strictly, you can do it yourself!"
When everyone heard this, they were even more frightened. A few guests couldn't hold it anymore, so they knelt on the ground and cried: "Lord Cao, we say, we all say! It was the Lu brothers who asked us to come, they, they want to rob Lord Cao!"
Cao Cao was furious when he heard this, and shouted: "What? They want to rob me? What a Lu Boyu, they actually taught such an unscrupulous descendant! Come on, take down the Lu family brothers for me!"
The entourage received the order and was about to arrest the Lu family brothers, but they saw several figures suddenly flash out and draw their swords at each other. The leader is Lu Bohao's five sons. When they saw that the matter was exposed, they knew that there was no escape, so they simply broke the jar and broke it, and wanted to fight with Cao Cao to break the net.
Lu Zheng, the boss of the Lu family, shouted loudly: "Cao Cao, you dog thief, don't want to leave my Lu family manor alive today! Brothers, give it to me, kill this thief and take his horses and belongings!"
The brothers of the Lu family responded to the call and slashed at Cao Cao with their knives. Although there are many people in Cao Cao's entourage, they are all civil officials, where are the opponents of these battle-hardened martial artists. In the blink of an eye, several of his followers were cut to the ground, blood splattered everywhere.
Cao Cao was shocked when he saw this, and hurriedly drew his sword and fought with the Lu family brothers. I saw Cao Cao's swordsmanship and ruthless moves, quite the style of cockfighting in Pei County. Although the Lu family brothers are numerous, they can't help Cao Cao.
Just when the two sides were at a stalemate, Lu Xiang, the fourth elder of the Lu family, suddenly shouted, took out a fire fold from his arms, and threw it at the haystack next to him. Suddenly, the flames soared into the sky, and the entire manor was plunged into a sea of fire.
Seeing this, Cao Cao knew that if he continued to fight, he would only lose both, so he immediately made a decision and shouted: "Withdraw!" and then rushed out of the manor with his entourage and taking advantage of the chaos.
When the brothers of the Lu family saw Cao Cao fleeing and saw that the manor was engulfed in flames, they immediately became a mess. They were scrambling to put out the fire, but they were powerless. Seeing that the family business was about to be burned, the Lu family brothers were remorseful and frightened, and they wanted to cry without tears.
Cao Cao escaped from the manor and came to a hidden place to breathe a sigh of relief. He looked around and saw that there were only a few people left in his entourage, and he couldn't help but feel sad. Thinking that Lu Bohao's son was so vicious, Cao Cao had mixed feelings in his heart.
It turned out that Lu Bohao's five sons admired vanity on weekdays, and when they saw Cao Cao coming to stay, they had evil thoughts. They knew that Cao Cao was Dong Zhuo's number one thorn in his side, and he must have a lot of valuable things on him. If Cao Cao can be captured and sent to Dong Zhuo to invite merit, he will definitely be rewarded richly.
What's more, the Lu family brothers also covet Cao Cao's beloved horse, the Red Rabbit Horse. This horse travels thousands of miles a day, it is a rare BMW, and the Lu family brothers have coveted it for a long time. They thought that Cao Cao was now an outlaw, and even if he was robbed, he would not dare to speak out. How can such a good thing be missed?
So, the Lu brothers set a trap and wanted to start after Cao Cao fell asleep. Unexpectedly, Cao Cao was unusually vigilant and even noticed their scheme. When the Lu brothers saw that the matter was revealed, they decided to take a risk and fight to the death with Cao Cao.
Cao Cao was suspicious, so he struck first
Cao Cao, with the remnants of his retinue, galloped through the night. They traveled all the way north, and finally came to a mountain forest, which was considered safe for the time being. Cao Cao ordered the camp, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and they all sat on the ground, gasping for breath.
Cao Cao was preoccupied, he looked around, and saw that his entourage was all frightened, and he couldn't help but feel depressed. He secretly wondered to himself, was he too hasty in the Lu family manor? Is it really necessary to be so ruthless to the Lu family brothers?
Just as Cao Cao was thinking wildly, he suddenly heard a rustling sound from the forest. Cao Cao suddenly became alert, he turned over and jumped up, drew his sword, and shouted: "Who is it?
Before the words fell, a group of people suddenly rushed out of the forest, led by Lu Jun, the third elder of the Lu family. It turned out that Lu Jun escaped by luck in the manor fire, and chased after him with a few henchmen, wanting to take revenge.
When Lu Jun saw Cao Cao, he was immediately overjoyed, and shouted loudly: "Cao Cao, you dog thief, you have ruined my Lu family, and I will take your life today to sacrifice my dead brother!"
Cao Cao sneered when he heard this, and said, "Lu Jun, your Lu family's plot is wrong, I am just protecting myself." If you know each other, surrender quickly, and I will spare your life. If you don't come to your senses, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
When Lu Jun heard this, he was even more furious, he waved the big knife in his hand, and rushed towards Cao Cao with his men. Seeing this, Cao Cao also waved his long sword and greeted him.
The two sides fought in the forest, with swords and swords, and the sound of killing shook the sky. Although Cao Cao was strong in martial arts, he was outnumbered and gradually fell behind. Seeing this, Lu Jun got even more carried away, and while swinging his knife and slashing, he mocked loudly: "Cao Cao, aren't you very capable of fighting? Why don't you see your majesty today? Let you taste the power of my Lu family!"
Cao Cao was furious when he heard this, he roared angrily, and suddenly exerted his strength, and cut off Lu Jun's right arm with a single sword. Lu Jun screamed, covered his wounds and fell to the ground, unable to get up again.
Seeing this, Cao Cao knew that the opportunity could not be lost, so he hurriedly beckoned his entourage and took advantage of the chaos to fight his way out of the encirclement. When Lu Jun's subordinates saw that the boss was injured, they immediately made a mess, where did they dare to chase, and they could only watch Cao Cao and his party flee.
Cao Cao ran wildly all the way, and did not dare to take a break until dawn. They came to a cave, and Cao Cao ordered someone to seal the entrance of the cave, which was considered safe for the time being.
Cao Cao sat in the cave, recalling the thrilling night and couldn't help but be afraid. He thought of the viciousness of the Lu family brothers, and thought of Lu Jun's relentless pursuit, and his heart was even more angry.
Cao Cao secretly swore that from now on, he would never take anyone lightly. In this troubled world, anyone can be an enemy, and everyone can plot against each other. Only by being vigilant at all times, only by striking preemptively, can we be invincible.
When Cao Cao thought of this, a trace of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. He said in a deep voice: "From now on, I, Cao Mengde, would rather I bear the people of the world than teach the people of the world to bear me! Anyone who dares to betray me and frame me, I will want them to pay for their blood debts and blood, and they will never be able to turn over!"
When Cao Cao's entourage heard this, they were all shocked. They know that Cao Cao has always been true to his words, and since he has said such cruel words, he will inevitably be more ruthless and ruthless in the future.
In this way, Cao Cao completely dispelled his trust in others in this thrilling escape. From then on, he acted more and more decisively, and showed no mercy to his enemies, never giving anyone a chance to betray him again.
The difference between historical facts and romance
Cao Cao's encounter in the Lu family manor is very different in the history books and romances. "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", as a popular novel, has been greatly adapted to highlight Cao Cao's character traits of "I'd rather be responsible for the world, and stop teaching the world to bear me".
In "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", the plot of Cao Cao's accidental killing of Lu Bohao's family can be described as a household name. It is written in the book that Cao Cao stayed at Lü Bohao's house on the way to escape, but Lü Bohao was not there, only his son was at home. The Lu family treated Cao Cao very kindly, but Cao Cao suspected that they wanted to harm him, so he killed the Lu family at night. Later, when Lu Boyao returned home, Cao Cao mistakenly thought that Lu Boyao wanted revenge, and actually killed Lu Bohao.
This plot created Cao Cao's suspicious, ruthless, and ruthless image, and became an important part of his "traitorous" character. However, this is very different from historical facts.
In the official history, there are two records about Cao Cao's accidental killing of the Lu family. In the Book of Wei, it is said that Cao Cao stayed at Lü Bohao's house, but Lü Bohao was not there, and his son and guests plotted against Cao Cao's property and were killed by Cao Cao. It is said in "The Words of the World" that Cao Cao suspected that Lu Boyu wanted to harm himself, and killed eight of Lu's children at night.
It can be seen that in the official history, Cao Cao killed the children of the Lu family not for no reason, but because the children of the Lu family coveted Cao Cao's property, or Cao Cao suspected that the children of the Lu family wanted to harm themselves. Cao Cao's behavior, although a bit excessive, can be regarded as a move of self-preservation.
As for the plot of Cao Cao's killing of Lu Boyu, it is completely unrecorded in the official history. On the contrary, Cao Cao later said that Lu Boyao "saw me well", which shows that Lu Boyao was not killed by Cao Cao, but has always been friendly with Cao Cao.
So, in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", why do you want to scandalize Cao Cao so much and describe him killing the Lu family for no reason? This starts with Cao Cao's character in the Romance.
In "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Cao Cao is a typical traitorous male image. He is ruthless, unscrupulous, and will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. When Luo Guanzhong created the image of Cao Cao, he naturally wanted to highlight his insidious and vicious side.
The plot of Cao Cao's accidental killing of the Lu family is to serve Cao Cao's "traitorous male" character. Through this plot, Luo Guanzhong created an image of Cao Cao who was ruthless and suspicious, laying the groundwork for his later intrigues.
However, such an adaptation, although it meets the needs of the creation of the novel, is far from the historical truth. The real Cao Cao, although he also has a decisive side, is not as brutal and unkind as in the romance.
Cao Cao killed the children of the Lu family out of the need for self-preservation. In those turbulent times, anyone could be an enemy, and anyone could have bad intentions. As an outlaw, Cao Cao naturally has to be on guard at all times and cannot be taken lightly.
Moreover, it is an indisputable fact that the children of the Lu family covet Cao Cao's property. Cao Cao killed them, which can be regarded as a punishment. On the other hand, the children of the Lu family, as the masters, are plotting for the guests' property, which is the real injustice.
As for Cao Cao's later sentence "I'd rather bear the people of the world, and stop teaching the people of the world to bear me", it is not Cao Cao's motto as in the romance. On the contrary, this is more like Cao Cao's emotion after experiencing this life and death catastrophe.
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In short, the story of Cao Cao's accidental killing of the Lu family is very different in historical facts and romance. In order to create Cao Cao's image of a "traitorous male", Romance has carried out artistic processing of this history, and although Cao Cao in historical facts also has a decisive side, he is not as brutal and unkind as in Romance. When we look at historical figures, we cannot completely rely on the description of romance, but return to the original face of history and give an objective and fair evaluation.