Liu Tao, whose name is Jiye, is the young son of Liu Ye, a famous scholar of Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. Liu Tao held the position of Elector Lang in the Wei court, responsible for selecting and recommending talents, and he was known for his impartiality and discernment. Liu Tao is a strategist who is good at discussing the art of vertical and horizontal, his words are sharp, his opinions are unique, and he can often be said in one sentence, and has been praised and respected by many celebrities, including Deng Yang and others. They believed that Liu Tao's talent was comparable to that of the ancient virtuous ministers Yi Yin and Jiang Ziya.
Liu Tao once said to Fu Xuan: "Kong Qiu cannot be called a saint! As a wise man, in the face of a group of fools, it is like playing with a ball of mud in the palm of his hand, and he can play everyone around." Kong Qiu can't control the world, what kind of saint is it!" After Fu Xuan heard this, he didn't answer immediately, but just told him lightly: "The affairs of the world are changeable, and today's discussion shows that you have not left room for yourself!"
Although Fu Xuan's words were short, they were deeply philosophical. Everything in the world is constantly changing, and what you hold on to today may change tomorrow because of new evidence or thinking. Therefore, when judging others, we should remain humble and open-minded and not be too categorical and affirmative. It is also a manifestation of wisdom, a sign of maturity.
Although Liu Tao's point of view has some truth, he is overconfident and does not leave room for himself. He only saw the side of Confucius who could not control the world, but he did not see Confucius's great contribution to education and morality. Although Confucius did not unify the world, his ideas and educational ideas influenced later generations and became the cornerstone of Chinese culture. His wisdom and mind are incomparable to Liu Tao.
In 249, Cao Shuang was killed, shocking the world. Liu Tao is one of Cao Shuang's cronies, so he was naturally implicated. After Sima Yi seized power from Cao Shuang, he did not be soft on Liu Tao. Liu Tao was deprived of all official positions and fell from the clouds to the dust. Perhaps out of concern for his father's exploits, Sima Yi did not kill him in the end.
This incident became a turning point in Liu Tao's life. He began to reflect on his past. So, he made a decision - to retire. He returned to his home and began a life of seclusion, no longer concerned with the troubles of the world, no longer involved in power struggles. He chose tranquility and self-exile in order to preserve himself in troubled times.
However, the quiet days did not last long. Six years later, in 255, Biqiu Jian and Wen Qin in the Huainan region launched a rebellion against the Sima clan, which became known as the "Second Huainan Rebellion". The general Sima Shi remembered Liu Tao, so he asked Liu Tao for advice.
But Liu Tao is no longer the man who is keen on power games. He may have seen through Sima Shi's ambitions, or he may have distrusted Sima Shi, or perhaps out of concern for his own safety, he chose to remain silent and refused to explicitly express his support for Sima Shi. This move angered Sima Shi, who saw Liu Tao's non-cooperation as a challenge to his authority.
Sima Shi decided to teach Liu Tao a lesson. He exiled Liu Tao as the Taishou of the Plains, a disguised exile that meant that Liu Tao would be marginalized and far from the center of power. But Sima Shi did not intend to let Liu Tao spend the rest of his life outside, and soon after, he sent someone to kill Liu Tao.