There are many wise people in history who have been killed by their own cleverness. The following is the representative figure.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a man named Yang Xiu, who was quick-witted and resourceful, and this person served as the chief bookkeeper in Cao Cao's mansion. That is to say, people now say that secretaries, clerks, manage daily clerical work for Cao Cao.
Cao Cao was a cunning, suspicious, pretentious man, and he liked to take pleasure in often asking strange questions to his subordinates and making them difficult. Yang Xiu's cleverness was not comparable to Cao Cao's, so he often made Cao Cao very faceless. You have a secretary to do your daily work well, you have to appear smarter than the boss, do you think your life can be better?
Once Cao Cao wanted to build a garden, the craftsmen built it according to Cao Cao's design, and Cao Cao personally came to accept it. This garden is called a beautiful one, and the pavilions are dotted with vibrant bamboo and strange shaped stones, which are stacked together, abrupt and rugged, staggered, and imposing, which Cao Cao likes very much.
When he was about to walk out of the garden, Cao Cao suddenly stopped, turned around and went up and down a lot. The man took a pen and wrote a "living" word on the door, and left without turning his head back. You say that this Cao Cao is not a very annoying person, and if you have something to say, you have to make a dumb fan play. After Cao Cao left, the group of craftsmen went up to look at the words on the door and made it difficult, a group of big old men could recognize this word, it was good, they could guess something.
After watching it for half a day, someone suddenly said: "Look for Yang Master Book, I heard that this person is very smart, he must know what it means." ”
Yang Xiu came to the door and took a look, turned back to the craftsman door and said, "Lord Xiang xiang dislikes the width of the door, it would be better to repair it a little narrower." ”
The craftsmen did not understand, so Yang Xiu triumphantly pointed to the words on the door and said, The movable word is in the door, is not it a "wide" word.
So the craftsmen narrowed the door from the new one according to the size given by Yang Xiu.
When Cao Cao came again, he looked at the modified door, which was exactly what he meant. And he asked, "Who taught you how to change it?"
The craftsman did not dare to hide: "It was changed according to the meaning of Yang's main book."
Cao Cao laughed and said, "I knew you would go to him, this boy, he is still smart" Cao Cao did not say anything, and he was not sure how to scold him in his heart.
If you can be a boy, you can see clearly, how others make no sense at all. You can't just pretend you don't know and ask me. So at this time, Cao Cao was already a little dissatisfied with him.
Once, a person from the north offered Cao Cao a very exquisite box of pastries, and Cao Cao tasted a piece of it, thought it was very delicious, and even said "good, good" several times, and closed the lid of the food box. Turning around, he took his pen and wrote a "he" in the conspicuous place of the food box, then turned around and left.
After Cao Cao left, the attendants surrounded him, and no one could understand what the word "he" really meant, and everyone was talking about it, and decided to ask Yang Xiu to come and see.
After Yang Xiu arrived, he took a look at it, then opened the food box and ate the pastries inside, and everyone was frightened.
One of the attendants said: "Yang Lord, I am not happy to just get down, this box of pastries is a favorite thing of the Prime Minister, but do not dare to eat it, if you let the Minister know, you will kill the head."
Yang Xiu smiled and said, "I just ate it after listening to the words of the prime minister, and if you look at this "he" word, it is composed of people in one bite. Doesn't that just call us one bite at a time? ”
"Don't come and eat it yet, this pastry is very delicious."
Everyone thinks it makes a lot of sense after listening to it. In an instant, this box of pastries was eaten clean.
When Cao Cao knew that it was Yang Xiu who guessed his problem again, he thought to himself: "This little child Yang Xiu is really a smart person", but the conceited Cao Cao already had some unhappiness at this time. Always being known for him to know his intentions was quite a slap in the face for Cao Cao. Yang Xiu is also not a bite to eat, you can't pretend not to know? You have to express yourself. Yang Xiu's path to death took a step forward.
In the nineteenth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao's pro-marshal army competed with Liu Bei for the land of Hanzhong. Liu Bei's army was heavily defended, could not be attacked for a long time, there was a continuous spring rain that did not do good in the sky, the Cao army was unfavorable in repeated battles, it was very distressed, some were in a dilemma, the casualties before the retreat, the cost of military expenses were in vain, continue to attack, and do not know when they can fight.
One day, Cao Cao was eating alone, and a military commander came to ask Cao Cao what password to use that night, which is the code language spoken now. At that time, the army was afraid of adultery mixed into the camp, and would change a password every night for interrogation by the patrolling soldiers.
At this time, Cao Cao's chopsticks were sandwiching a piece of chicken ribs, so he blurted out: "Just use, chicken ribs!" ”
After this password was passed to Yang Xiu, Yang Xiu got up and began to pack his luggage, and the documents and pen and ink on the table. A young clerk asked, "Yang Master Book, what are you doing, what do you have to use every day, how do you pack it up?"
"Little brother, I don't need it, we can go home soon," Yang Xiu said with a smile
The clerk asked strangely, "What, I'm going home, I haven't heard the news that the prime minister is going to retreat." He looked at Yang Xiu with a puzzled face.
Yang Xiu asked him, "What is today's password?"
"Chicken Ribs"
Yang Xiu laughed and said, "Isn't this, chicken ribs, chicken ribs eat no meat, it is a pity to abandon it." The prime minister used it as a metaphor for the current situation of our army, and I felt that it would not be long before the army would withdraw."
Yang Xiu's remarks did not expect to reach Xiahou Huan's ears, and he also felt that it was quite reasonable, so he ordered the soldiers to prepare for retreat.
In the evening, Cao Cao was distraught and planned to take a walk outside the big tent, but as soon as he stepped out, he saw that the whole army was busy collecting the marching materials, and Cao Cao was shocked and asked Xiahou Huan to inquire about the situation. Xiahou Huan, who dared to deceive Cao Cao, told Cao Cao the ins and outs of the matter, how Yang Xiu guessed Cao Cao's thoughts, and told Cao Cao all about it.
Cao Cao had long looked at Yang Xiu unfavorably, but he hadn't caught him any handle, there was no way, this was good. At once, he caught the handle, and Cao Cao had killed Yang Xiu for disturbing the hearts of the army.
Although it turned out afterwards that yang Xiu was right in everything he said, Cao Cao really retreated. For Yang Xiu, he died one day earlier, but it was only a matter of time. He repeatedly and unabashedly showed off his talents, and Cao Cao was so conceited that he could make you feel better.
Therefore, friends often "right and wrong just for more openings, troubles are because of strong heads" gun shot the head bird. Modification is to pretend to be confused, and only by converging on its own sharp edge and showing it when necessary can it be reused. Being so sharp at all times, sooner or later, like Yang Xiu, he will die.