Text: Knife and Pen (Author's Original Authorization)
As a strategist who assisted Cao Wei for three generations, Liu Ye's accurate grasp of the situation, events, and people was difficult for anyone to match, such as the analysis of Cao Cao's difficulty in taking shu if he did not take advantage of the attack on Hanzhong to advance bashu, the prediction that Liu Bei would definitely send troops to attack Wu after Guan Yu's defeat, and the judgment that Sun Wu's clique, Meng Da, and Gongsun Yuan would surrender and rebel, all of which showed Liu Ye's distinctive prophetic demeanor. However, even though Liu Ye, the prophet, could anticipate changes in the world situation, he did not seem to be able to control his own eunuch sea. In his later years, Liu Ye was alienated by the rulers of Cao Wei, and was once "mad" and eventually "died of sorrow". So, what exactly caused Liu Ye to be desolate in the evening?
The direct cause of Liu Ye's estrangement stemmed from a response to Cao Wei's decision to cut shu. According to the Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms, Pei Songzhi's commentary on Fu Zi [1], the Wei Ming Emperor Cao Rui wanted to cut down Shu, and many of his ministers opposed it, while Liu Ye and Cao Rui agreed when they discussed privately, but externally opposed it together with other ministers. Because Liu Ye is good at talking, whether he opposes or agrees, he can say it with evidence, so he can't show flaws in front of him. Later, cao rui found that Liu Ye's remarks were inconsistent inside and outside during a conversation with another close minister, Yang Ji, so he asked Liu Ye to interrogate him. Liu Ye pointed out to Cao Rui that cutting down Shu was an important task for military aircraft and should not be easily revealed to outsiders, but the more secret the better, and it was easy for enemy countries to obtain intelligence when talking openly. At the same time, Liu Ye also accused Yang Ji of speaking too directly and handling things inappropriately. Liu Ye's practice of left and right Fengyuan was naturally criticized by others, and some people took the opportunity to complain to Cao Rui, saying that Liu Ye had two sides and three knives, and there was a suspicion of taking advantage of the opportunity to meet the intention, and suggested to Cao Rui that in the future, when asking Liu Ye's opinion, he would ask with the opposite meaning, and if Liu Ye agreed every time, it would confirm that he was indeed speculating and greeting the intention. Cao Rui tested Liu Ye accordingly, and Liu Ye really agreed with Cao Ye's opposite intentions. Cao Rui thus began to alienate Liu Ye.
According to the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" [2], cao Pi did not listen to the advice of his subordinates to obstruct the accidental hunting, and asked Liu Ye how it was compared to listening to music during the rest. Liu Ye did not speak up and replied that it was better to hunt than to listen to music, which angered the direct minister Bao Xun, who pointed out Liu Ye's flattery and flattery on the spot and asked Liu Ye to be punished. It can be seen that although Liu Ye is quite intelligent, qu Yi's approach of welcoming the rulers of Cao Wei cannot help but feel discouraged. In addition to greeting his wishes, Liu Ye also had a reserved side, and according to Pei Songzhi's commentary on the Three Kingdoms Chronicle of Chen Jiao, the Shiyu [3] record, Liu Ye once believed that he was favored and denigrated his colleague Chen Jiao's dictatorship.
In the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" Liu Ye's biography, when evaluating Liu Ye's young son Liu Tao, it is expressed as "also highly talented and thin", and a "also" character also implies an evaluation of Liu Ye and his people. The examples of opportunity to meet the intention and arrogantly slander colleagues also do reflect Liu Ye's "thin behavior". Although Liu Ye has keen insight, he seems to be not very clever in dealing with the relationship with his superiors and colleagues, so that he frequently takes tricks but is self-defeating. Fu Xuan once commented that Liu Ye failed to adhere to the position of morality and benevolence, based on loyalty, but over-trusted his own talents, not generous and honest enough, so that he lost the trust of the king internally, lost his friendship externally, and finally caused his own crisis, and lamented that "cleverness is not as good as clumsiness" [4]. Liu Ye was once trembling because he was a descendant of the Han Dynasty, and did not take the initiative to make friends, but in fact, Liu Ye's loss, in the author's opinion, is not rooted in his special identity, but because of his inappropriate words and deeds. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms compares Cheng Yu, Guo Jia, Dong Zhao, Liu Ye, Jiang Ji, and Xun You, saying that the former "Qing Zhi Deye is different from Xun You, and the preparation is expected to be Qilun Ye". In addition, Xun You himself was also "secretly intelligent defense", that is, he was resourceful and able to protect himself, and although Liu Ye was not inferior to Xun You in terms of wisdom, he could not protect himself with his wisdom, and was far inferior to Xun You in terms of "wisdom defense".
Different from history, the image of Liu Ye in the novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is generally good. Not only did he add a thunderbolt car to deal with the Yuan army's arrow array and other scenes during the Battle of Guandu, but he also received Cao Rui's "more and more respectful" treatment when he finally persuaded Cao Rui not to casually reveal the Shu military plane to others. After that, Liu Ye did not appear again after he followed Cao Zhen as a military master, and did not end up "dying with sorrow" as in history, and it can be said that Liu Ye ended in the novel with a relatively satisfactory ending. This may be the novel author's sympathy for Liu Ye's historical encounters with the descendants of the Han Dynasty, or the feeling that Liu Ye's opinions have repeatedly been regretted by Cao Wei's adoption, so he not only does not condemn his behavior of helping Cao Wei to abuse, but instead designs a relatively complete novel image for him.
[1] Pei Songzhi's commentary on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Ye's biography, quotes Fu Zi: "Emperor Ye Shiming, and he saw a lot of affection. The emperor will cut down Shu, and the courtiers inside and outside will know 'no'. Ye entered and discussed with the emperor because it was 'cutable'; out and the courtiers spoke, because it was 'unbreakable'. Ye has courage and wisdom, and everything is tangible. The leader of the middle, Yang Ji, the emperor's relatives, and Zhongye, held the strongest argument of not cutting Shu, and every time he came out from within, he talked about the meaning of not being able to do so. Hou Ji from driving the Tianyuan Pond, the emperor on the Shu affairs, and cut the advice. Emperor Yue: 'Qing Shusheng, Yan Zhi military affairs! "The subject is from the end of Confucianism, His Majesty has listened, and among the people who have been raised, above the six armies, the subject has a small heart, and does not dare not fail to speak." The words of the courtiers were insufficient, and Liu Ye was the first emperor to conspire with him, and it was often known that Shu could not be cut down. The emperor said: "Ye and I can be cut down." Ji Yue: "Ye can summon the quality also." 'The edict summoned Ye to the end, and the emperor asked Ye, and finally did not speak. After seeing it alone, Ye rebuked the emperor: "Cut down the country, the great conspiracy, the subject has to and hear the great conspiracy, often afraid of the leakage of dreams to benefit the minister's sin, dare to say it to people? Husband soldiers, devious ways also, military has not been issued, not tired of its secrets also. His Majesty is clearly exposed, and the subject's fear of the enemy country has been heard. So Emperor Xiezhi. Ye saw it, and the blame was told: "The big fish in the husband angler, then the longitudinal follow, must be controlled and then pulled, then there is no need." The might of the Lord of Man is nothing but a great fish! Zi Cheng is a direct subject, but the calculation is not enough, and it is necessary not to think carefully. Thank you. Ye can strain hold both ends like this. Or evil ye to the emperor: 'Ye is not loyal, but good serves the will of the lord and conforms to it.' His Majesty tries and ye yan, and asks them in the opposite sense, and if they are all asked against each other, it is Ye Chang who is in harmony with the holy will. Whoever asks the same question will have nothing to lose. 'The emperor tested it as he said, and as he did, he was relieved of his feelings.
[2] The Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms: "Emperor Wen will go on a safari, and Xun will stop and say: 'The five emperors and three kings of the five emperors are ignorant of the establishment of the religion, and rule the world with filial piety.'" His Majesty's benevolence is hidden, and there is a similar gu lie. When the subject ji succeeds the previous generation, ling shi ke also. How to cultivate the matter of galloping in the midst of forgiveness! The subject risked death to smell, but His Majesty observed. The emperor destroyed his watch and raced to hunt, and the middle way paused, and asked the attendant, "Hunting is fun, how can it be as good as the eight tones?" Liu Ye said to him, "Hunting is better than pleasure." Xun Kang said: "Fu Le, Shang Tong Shen Ming, Xia He Ren Li, Long Zhi Zhi Hua, Wan Bang Xian Qi." Change customs and customs, do not be good at fun. Hunting, storm covers the wilderness, hurts the fertility of the most reasonable, the wind and rain, not to the time gap? Xi Lu hid in the fishing in Tang, and sneered at it in the spring and autumn. Although His Majesty thinks it is a matter of duty, the fool does not forgive it. 'Incendiary:' Liu Yeyou was disloyal, and His Majesty Ah Shun said something dramatic. Xi Liang Qiu was flattered by Yu Tai, and Ye Zhi was also said to be. Please have a priest to discuss the sin to the Qing Emperor Temple. ’”
[3] Pei Songzhi's commentary on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chen Jiao's biography, quotes the Shiyu: "Liu Ye was fortunate to be advanced, because of his authoritarian power. Correct the fear, to ask the eldest son Ben, Ben did not know what to do. The second son, Qian Yue, said, "Lord, Lord, minister, if you are not in harmony now, you will not be a public ear." A few days later, the emperor saw Jiao, and Asked the second son, "Your Majesty understands, so I see the Lord." "Entering, exhausting the day, the emperor said: "Liu Ye is a king, and there is a trace of the king; the heart is gone." 'Teach it with the golden five bronzes, and correct the words. Emperor Yue: 'Do you think xiao hui?' Jun already knows the heart, gu Jun's wife does not know why. ’”
[4] Pei Songzhi's commentary on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Ye's biography, quotes Fu Zi: "The proverb 'cleverness is not as good as clumsiness', faith. With the wisdom and power of Ye, if it is righteous and righteous, and if it is faithful, how can it be imposed on the ancient sages? Single-handed wisdom, not with the world's soldiers, not pushing the heart of the heart, trapped in the outside world, pawn can not be satisfied with the world, do not hesitate! ”