Preface
Cao Cao, as a generation of heroes in the Three Kingdoms period, his bravery and intelligence are breathtaking, however, his lust may have made him pay a terrible price. Although his actions led to failure, it is amazing that there are still loyal ministers and fierce generals and filial sons who fought for him tragically.
So, how can a person rise to prominence in the midst of rivalry? Do you conquer everything by force, or do you need to strategize with great resourcefulness? Or do you need a never-say-die tenacity to pursue your ideals and ambitions?
Perseverance will eventually lead to an extraordinary life
Liu Bei, a member of the Han family from a humble background, has dreamed of becoming an emperor since he was a child. Although his power is slightly inferior to Cao Cao's, he has a never-say-die tenacity and will eventually achieve extraordinary results.
In the turbulent years, Liu Bei suffered repeated setbacks, but he never gave up his ideals. He has taken refuge in Lu Bu, Cao Cao and others, and temporarily subordinated to others, but his heart will never be willing to do this. As Xuan Yongguang said: "Determination must be like a mountain, and the way must be like water." It is not as good as a mountain, it cannot be firm, it is not as good as water, it cannot be curved. This sentence aptly depicts Liu Bei's life.
Liu Bei showed extraordinary ambition and determination from an early age. According to the "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms", he once joked with his friends under the tree: "I must take this feather to cover the car." Although this sentence made his uncle uneasy, it revealed his strong belief in achieving great things.
Even though he suffered numerous setbacks and tribulations in the years that followed, he never gave up on his ideals, but always maintained an indomitable heart.
It is this tenacity that has allowed Liu Bei to repeatedly turn danger into relief in turbulent times. When he was forced to take refuge in Lü Bu, Cao Cao and others, he did not completely surrender to them, but always maintained his position and ambitions.
He was adept at taking advantage of various forces to seek opportunities for his own development, and finally recaptured Xuzhou with the help of Cao Cao, laying the foundation for the establishment of the Shu Han regime.
The dispute over Xuzhou is in a desperate situation
After Liu Bei first won Xuzhou, he soon fell into the middle of the attack from Yuan Shu and Lu Bu. Yuan Shu coveted the wealth of Xuzhou and sent troops to attack, while Lü Bu was taken in by Liu Bei and rebelled, causing Liu Bei's logistics to be cut off and the army's morale gradually lost. At this extremely critical moment, the history books left those eight gruesome words: "The officials eat each other." "
In the face of such a desperate situation, Liu Bei did not give up, he secretly contacted Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, hoping to make a comeback. Sure enough, Cao Cao took a fancy to Liu Bei's talent, co-opted him to deal with Lü Bu, and appointed him as the general of Zhendong and the pastor of Yuzhou.
The battle for Xuzhou can be said to be the most critical turning point in Liu Bei's life. When he first arrived in Xuzhou, he was in the midst of troubled times, embattled, and was attacked by Yuan Shu and Lu Bu before and after. In this desperate situation, many people may have given up resistance, but Liu Bei still maintained his tenacity and did not accept his fate.
He wisely chose the path of joining forces with Cao Cao. Although Cao Cao is also a hegemon, he is stronger and more stable than Yuan Shu and Lu Bu after all. By cooperating with Cao Cao, Liu Bei was not only able to recapture Xuzhou, but also gained Cao Cao's reuse, becoming the general of Zhendong and the pastor of Yuzhou. This also laid the foundation for his later establishment of the Shu Han regime.
It can be said that in this battle of Xuzhou, Liu Bei showed extraordinary wisdom and determination. Instead of being defeated by the desperate situation in front of him, he decisively chose the path of joining forces with Cao Cao, and finally turned the danger into a disaster and regained control of the situation. This kind of perseverance is his most valuable asset.
With the help of Cao Cao, Liu Bei finally recaptured Xuzhou. It can be said that he is subordinate to others, but he will never give up his ideals and ambitions. This is precisely the reason why Liu Bei was able to finally establish the Shu Han regime.
Although heroes are brave, they will inevitably suffer from gains and losses
At the same time, after quelling the Xuzhou Rebellion, Cao Cao turned the finger at Zhang Xiu. Zhang Xiu was originally a close confidant of Zhang Ji, a general of Liangzhou, and after Zhang Ji was killed by an arrow, he took over the command of this Liangzhou army.
Zhang Xiu originally wanted to use Liu Biao's power to gain a foothold in Jingzhou, but Cao Cao really couldn't get used to this emerging force from the northwest. So, he personally led the army to the south, trying to eliminate Zhang Xiu in one fell swoop. Who would have thought that this decision would become the biggest regret in Cao Cao's life.
Cao Cao, as the overlord of one side, naturally would not tolerate any force that posed a threat to his rule. Although Zhang Xiu was only a local warlord, he controlled the powerful army of Liangzhou, and with the help of strategists like Jia Xu, it was enough to become a major hidden danger for Cao Cao. Therefore, Cao Cao decided to personally lead his army south in an attempt to eliminate this potential opponent in one fell swoop.
When entertaining Zhang Xiu and others, Cao Cao's henchman Dian Wei showed an extremely terrifying side, which made Zhang Xiu and others fearful. This undoubtedly hurt Zhang Xiu's self-esteem and gave him a chance to turn back. Under Jia Xu's careful planning, Zhang Xiu finally succeeded in launching a betrayal and almost killed Cao Cao.
It can be said that although Cao Cao was a heroic and warlike military strategist, he would inevitably make some mistakes that would cause both gains and losses. He was too worried about Zhang Xiu's power, but gave the other party an opportunity. This also shows that even if a hero is strong, there will inevitably be some fragile sides in his heart.
There is no good feast, and the wine is every day
In this campaign, Cao Cao's offensive was smooth at first. Zhang Xiu saw that the general trend had gone, so he had to surrender. To celebrate this victory, Cao Cao set up a grand banquet to entertain Zhang Xiu and his advisor Jia Xu and others.
However, at this banquet, Cao Cao's henchman Dian Wei showed an extremely terrifying side. He held a double halberd, staring at Zhang Xiu and the others at all times, viciously shaking the big axe in his hand, the cold light flashed, and it was terrifying.
What kind of banquet is this, it is clearly a Hongmen banquet! Zhang Xiu and the others were naturally panicked, and they had no taste at all when they ate and drank. This practice undoubtedly hurt Zhang Xiu's self-esteem and gave him the opportunity to turn back.
After the banquet, Zhang Xiu had a series of nightmares, and the uneasiness and fear in her heart had reached the extreme. It can be said that Cao Cao's performance at this banquet was undoubtedly a major mistake, laying the groundwork for future backlash.
The plan succeeded, and the hero almost fell
Zhang Xiu's anti-water plan can be said to have been carefully planned for a long time. He first asked his subordinates to show great loyalty to Cao Cao in order to paralyze Cao Cao's vigilance. He then concocted an excuse for the soldiers to march past Cao Camp in full armor. All this was as Jia Xu designed, and Cao Jun was completely kept in the dark.
When Zhang Xiu's army suddenly turned its guns and attacked Cao's camp fiercely, Cao Cao's army was completely defenseless and was quickly routed. Cao Cao had to flee for his life with his two sons. At this critical juncture, Cao Cao's henchman Dian Wei stepped forward and desperately blocked Zhang Xiu's army at the gate of the camp alone.
Armed with a halberd and heavily armoured, he resembled a ferocious lion, holding thousands of horsemen alive at the door. Although he was shot like a hedgehog in the end, he refused to surrender until his last breath.
When Zhang Xiu personally stepped forward to cut off Dian Wei's head, his heroic expression finally made Zhang Xiujun's heart sway. It can be said that loyal and brave soldiers are the key force to achieve heroic causes. Dian Wei used his life to win precious time for Cao Cao, although in the end it was difficult to escape death, but his heroic deeds will forever be engraved in the long river of history.
The parent-child love is deep, and the hero is in tears
In the process of escaping for his life, Cao Cao suffered an even heavier blow. Not only was he unfortunately hit by an arrow, but even his most beloved horse, "Absolute Shadow", was also shot and died. But what saddened him the most was the sacrifice of his eldest son Cao Ang and nephew Cao Anmin.
Cao Ang is Cao Cao's eldest son and his successor. Although Mrs. Ding has never given birth, she has always loved Cao Ang as her own son. Now that it is not easy to cultivate such a talent, but he died young, Cao Cao is naturally very sad.
Mrs. Ding was even more heartbroken and ran away from home in anger, even if Cao Cao personally went to save her, she resolutely refused to change her mind. In the end, Cao Cao could only endure the pain and divorce Mrs. Ding, and offered to let the Ding family remarry her.
Cao Ang's sacrifice was undoubtedly the biggest blow in Cao Cao's life. As the eldest son, Cao Ang is not only Cao Cao's biological flesh and blood, but also his future successor. Although Mrs. Ding has no children, she has always regarded Cao Ang as her own and has given her great love. Now that such a young and promising talent has died heroically like this, Cao Cao must be heartbroken with grief.
And Mrs. Ding's reaction was even more heart-wrenching. She was heartbroken and ran away from home in anger, and even Cao Cao's personal visit to save her could not make her change her mind. The pain of losing a loved one can be imagined how unbearable it is. In the end, Cao Cao could only endure the pain of divorcing Mrs. Ding, and even offered to let her remarry, hoping to make her happy again.
Such a mighty and unyielding hero has such a fragile side. Faced with the loss of his loved ones, how painful and helpless he felt in his heart. As he said on his deathbed: "If there is a spirit in death, Zi Xiuruo asks, 'Where is my mother?' What will I say?" This sentence undoubtedly expresses the deepest sadness and guilt in his heart.
A person's inner world is often complex and contradictory. Although Cao Cao is a generation of heroes, he is also a loving father and a good husband. He can kill the enemy heroically on the battlefield, but he will also shed tears of grief in front of his loved ones. This kind of contradictory emotion is the charm of Cao Cao's character.
epilogue
It can be seen that whether it is a hero or a mortal, the road to pursue ideals is often arduous and tortuous, and it requires courage and tenacity to overcome many obstacles.
The wheels of history roll forward, but the stories of heroes will never be forgotten. Liu Bei and Cao Cao, their life trajectories may be different, but they both reflect the complexity and greatness of human nature.
Their story is not only a moving history, but also an eternal spiritual force, inspiring countless heroes in later generations to go forward and fight for their ideals.