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After Cao Cao captured Hanzhong, he led his army back to Yecheng and proclaimed himself king of Wei. At this time, Cao Cao had reached the twilight of his life, and years of conquest and killing made Cao Cao somewhat tired. There were no major wars this year.
However, there was a very influential unjust case in the DPRK, and Cui Yan, who had served Cao Cao for many years and selected countless officials, was killed because of some small matters. Later, another of Cao Wei's courtiers, Mao Jiu, was also convicted and degraded. The people of Cao Wei's shilin class were panicked.
What was the reason for Cao Cao, who had always had the reputation of loving talents and re-emphasizing talents, to do such a disreputable thing?
Cui Yan's death was a major event that occurred after Cao Cao became the King of Wei, and it was also a major crime committed by Cao Cao in slaughtering famous people. In the pen of Historians such as Chen Shou, Cao Cao was a jealous and suspicious person. Before killing Cui Yan, Cao Cao had killed The Great Confucian Kong Rong of the late Han Dynasty, helped destroy Xu You of Yuan Shao, and assisted Lou Gui of pacifying Ma Chao. Chen Shou's evaluation of this reason that the three of them "all regarded the old age as not to be pious", all because they had an old friendship with Cao Cao, so they kicked their noses and did not respect Cao Cao enough, and as a result, they were killed. However, Cui Yan's death was different from the three of them. "Yan is most deplored by the world, and has been wronged so far." Cui Yan's killing made people feel wronged and sadder.
So why was Cui Yan killed, and did he not respect Cao Cao enough like the first three?
Indeed there is.
There was an official named Yang Xun, who in order to show his loyalty, put on a table to praise Cao Cao's merits, and there was inevitably a bit of flesh and blood between his words. Cao Cao saw that his body and mind were comfortable, and others could not help but get goosebumps when they listened. At that time, many people were talking about it, mocking Yang Xun for being too humiliated, and incidentally even Cui Yan, who had recommended Yang Xun, also criticized it. However, these people also talk about it in private, and no one dares to put it on the table. But Cui Yan openly wrote a letter to Yang Xun, the content of which was "Provincial table, good thing!" When the time comes, when there is a change." I have seen your chapter Cui Yan, and things are doing well. Times, times, always change. Chen Shou explained, "Yan originally meant to ridicule the commentators and not look for reason", Chen Shou believed that Cui Yan's original intention was to ridicule those who talked about Yang Xun too harshly and unreasonablely.
I don't know how Chen Shou came to this conclusion, because Cao Cao didn't think so when he heard Cui Yan's original words. Cao Cao was very angry, Cao Cao said that if people in the world have a child as a daughter, when a friend asks what is born, they will say "give birth to a daughter's ear" and give birth to a daughter. It can be seen that this "ear" word does not mean any approval. Tasting the word "ear" from Cao Cao's point of view is indeed a bit awkward. "When there will be changes", it is even more outspoken. Cao Cao felt that Cui Yan was mocking himself for calling himself King of Wei.
As a result, Cui Yan was sentenced to the punishment of shaving his hair as punishment. If this incident is still somewhat shadowy. Later, when Cui Yan was killed, it was completely Cao Cao's speculation.
The Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms records that Cui Yan did not go to prison after being shaved his hair, but reflected at home. When Cui Yan saw some guests, "looking directly at the guests, if there is a blind eye", Cui Yan actually stared directly at the guests with their beards twisted. Some people made a small report that this was Cui Yan's resentment. Cao Cao was furious and killed Cui Yan.
Why was Cao Cao so harsh on Cui Yan?
If Cao Cao killed Kong Rong in the first place, it was because Kong Rong clearly supported the Han Dynasty and ridiculed Cao Cao; if Cao Cao killed Xu You, he could not tolerate Xu You's arrogance and obliviousness to smear Cao Cao everywhere; if Cao Cao killed Lou Gui, it was because Lou Gui actually said, "Live in the world, do it yourself, but look at others!" Others saw Cao Cao's father and son riding together, envious, but Lou Gui said why envy others, he can do the same, he also wanted to learn From Cao Cao, and even wanted to overthrow Cao Cao. For Cao Cao, these three talents should be killed.
So what exactly did Cui Yan offend Cao Cao?
As early as many years ago, Cui Yan first gave advice to Cao Cao, which annoyed Cao Cao.
After Cao Cao pacified Yuan Shao, he once learned about jizhou's household registration information, and after reading it, he was very happy and told his courtiers that 300,000 troops could be gathered in Jizhou. Everyone else was happy for Cao Cao, except Cui Yan who gave Cao Cao a scoop of cold water. Cui Yan said righteously and sternly: "Today the next fall, Kyushu is split, the two Yuan brothers are looking for Gange, and Ji Fang is steaming the bone wilderness." I didn't hear Wang Shiren's voice go first, asked about customs, and saved him from charcoal, and the school planned the armored soldiers, only this was the first, and the soldiers and daughters of Si Yi despised the Ming Gongya! "The world is divided, the people are ruined, after you Cao Cao took Jizhou, not only did you not implement benevolent government and care for the people, the first thing you did was to care about how many troops you could gather, which was really disappointing to the people of Jizhou!"
After Cui Yan finished speaking, the group of ministers was stunned, daring to touch Cao Cao's moldy head like this, and the end did not know how tragic. Unexpectedly, Cao Cao actually changed his face and apologized to Cui Yan.
Cao Cao was a politician with a big heart. Politicians pay attention to practical interests, and to survive, they must first master the barrel of a gun, but Cao Cao also takes into account his face and the so-called benevolence and morality. Cui Yan's words were very impulsive, but in line with the great righteousness of ancient times, Cao Cao also had to submit on the surface.
However, the seeds of Cao Cao's dislike for Cui Yan had already been sown.
Cui Yan has a straight temper and does not care about his emotions. Later, Cui Yan served as Cao Pi's teacher, and when he saw Cao Pi hunting, Cui Yan was very unhappy and taught a harsh lesson. Cao Pi had the demeanor of a father, and in the face of reprimands, instead of being angry, he humbly wrote a letter telling Cui Yan that he would never make similar mistakes again. However, Cao Pi hated Cui Yan very much in his heart. When Cao Cao ordered Cui Yan to be killed, Cao Pi did not say a word of intercession and allowed Cao Cao to kill Cui Yan.
What really made Cao Cao kill was because of the "dewboard" incident. At that time, Cao Cao was still hesitating who to choose as the son of the State of Wei, so he issued a secret order to ask some important ministers. Cao Cao did not want to ask questions publicly, so as not to aggravate the contradictions between Cao Pi and Cao Zhi's brothers. Everyone also understood the spirit of leadership, and each of them repaid Cao Cao with a secret fold. Only Cui Yan publicly replied to Cao Cao in the form of a song chapter, saying that according to the great righteousness of the Spring and Autumn Period, he should set up a son to be long, and praised Cao Pi for his filial piety and strategy, and was fully capable of inheriting the unification, and also passionately said, "Yan will die to protect cao Pi", and he will use his life to protect Cao Pi.
However, Cui Yan's statement was too pretentious in Cao Cao's view. It should be known that Cao Pi's biggest competitor, Cao Zhi, is Cui Yan's niece and son-in-law. In the ancient era of valuing patriarchy, families were both prosperous and lost. Cui Yan was so high-profile against Cao Zhi as the crown prince, what kind of heart and eyes did he play? What annoyed Cao Cao the most was that Cui Yan openly replied, putting Cao Cao in an embarrassing situation.
As a result, Cao Cao hated Cui Yan, and Cui Yan's niece and Cao Zhi's wife suffered. Cao Cao repeatedly stated that he should promote frugality and not be too luxurious. Once, I saw Cao Zhi's wife Cui Shi actually dressed in gorgeous costumes and flaunted the market. Cao Cao saw it from a distance on the high platform and immediately ordered Cui Shi to be killed. From this, it can be seen how intolerant Cao Cao is to those who do not obey his orders, and how much he hates Cui Yan!