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Who is the Taoist priest that Cao Cao admires the most, but is the most jealous?
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the world was divided into three parts, and heroes were produced. In this troubled era, Cao Cao, with his outstanding military skills and political skills, became the overlord of the separatist side. However, in his heart, there is always the shadow of one person lingering, and that is the Taoist priest Zuo Ci. Zuo Ci, the character Yuan Fang, the Lujiang people, is the Taoist master of the world, and his Taoism and wisdom make Cao Cao both admired and jealous.
Zuo Ci's Taoist skills are so unpredictable that he is rumored to be able to serve ghosts and gods, sit in the kitchen, and even conjure up delicious food and wine out of thin air. Cao Cao was very curious about this, and sent people to invite Zuo Ci to come to Xuchang many times to find out. Finally, by chance, Cao Cao and Zuo Ci were able to meet.
The two had a very pleasant conversation, and Cao Cao deeply admired Zuo Ci's Taoism and wisdom. Zuo Ci is not only proficient in the Five Classics, Hyosing, and Ming Liujia, but also has a unique insight into the general trend of the world. He warned Cao Cao that the root cause of the great chaos in the world lies in the immortality of the people's hearts and the decline of morality, and only by rebuilding the moral system can the common people be saved. Cao Cao was silent after hearing this, and deeply felt that Zuo Cizhi's words were reasonable.
However, as the conversation deepened, Cao Cao gradually discovered that Zuo Ci was not just an ordinary Taoist priest. He not only has profound attainments in Taoism, but also has unique views and propositions in politics. Zuo Ci believes that the affairs of the world should conform to the way of nature, rather than human intervention. He opposed Cao Cao's intrigues and ambitions, believing that it would only exacerbate the chaos in the world.
Cao Cao was displeased when he heard this, although he admired Zuo Ci's talent, but he could not accept his political ideas. He began to feel jealous of Zuo Ci, who was able to transcend worldly strife and pursue his beliefs and ideals. Cao Cao began to wonder if Zuo Ci was secretly plotting against him, and tried to use Taoism to interfere in court affairs.
To test his guesses, Cao Cao began to spy on Zuo Ci's every move. He found that Zuo Ci had indeed gathered many believers in the Lujiang area, and taught them Taoism and the art of war. Cao Cao was furious, thinking that Zuo Ci was trying to do wrong. He immediately ordered Zuo Ci to be arrested and brought to justice, and prepared to interrogate him severely.
However, when Cao Cao saw Zuo Ci, he found that he was still calm and breezy. Zuo Ci told Cao Cao that he did not have any ill intentions, but was just teaching Taoism and the art of war to those who were interested in saving the world. He also told Cao Cao that the general trend of the world had been decided, and no human force could change it. Cao Cao was speechless when he heard this, and he realized that his guess was wrong.
After this incident, Cao Cao's admiration and jealousy for Zuo Ci became even more complicated. He admired Zuo Ci's talent and wisdom, but he was also jealous of his ability to transcend worldly strife and pursue his beliefs and ideals. He began to reflect on whether his actions relied too much on scheming and ambition and neglected the importance of morality and wisdom.
This encounter between Cao Cao and Zuo Ci made him deeply appreciate the breadth and profundity of Taoism. He began to try to integrate the essence of Taoism into his own philosophy of governance, trying to find a balance between power and Taoism. He understands that in this troubled world, the true heroes are not only those who possess force and power, but also those who can uphold morality and wisdom.
However, Cao Cao also knew that he could not fully reach the realm of Zuo Ci. He can only find a balance between power and Taoism, and strive to make his way of governing the country more in line with morality and people's hearts. The process was full of challenges and difficulties, but Cao Cao never gave up on pursuing a higher level of morality and wisdom.
So, who is the Taoist priest that Cao Cao admires the most but is the most jealous? The answer is undoubtedly Zuo Ci. Cao Cao was impressed by Zuo Ci's Taoism and wisdom, but his political ideas and detached attitude made Cao Cao jealous. It is this complex emotion that is intertwined that constitutes the unique relationship between Cao Cao and Zuo Ci. Their stories also teach us that in our quest for power and status, we should not lose sight of the importance of morality and wisdom. Only in this way can we truly become heroes and role models of our time.