This article is based on Luo Guanzhong's novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" The Twelfth (Part 1) Tao Gongzu Three Let Xuzhou, which has nothing to do with zhengshi.
Tao Qian, the character Gongzu, he and Liu Beiben did not know each other, the Eighteenth Road princes may have had a relationship when they beg Dong, but at that time Liu Bei's reputation was too low, not into the eyes of the big men, even Cao Cao, who was quite appreciative of Liu Guanzhang, when he received Liu Bei's persuasion and document, he could not help but scold: "Who is Liu Bei, dare to persuade me with a book?" It can be seen that even if Liu Bei did the plain phase, in the eyes of various big men, he is still a small role. So why did Tao Qian have a good eye for Liu Bei and have to give Xuzhou to him?
Before analyzing this problem, let's briefly review Liu Bei's entrepreneurial experience of failing twice. The first was because he was deposed for not paying bribes to the governor, and the achievements in quelling the Yellow Turban Rebellion were wiped out, and the second time was because he lost the Plains Country because of saving Kong Rong, and the hard-working base was destroyed. It is not mentioned in the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" that when Kong Rong sent TaiShi Ci to Liu Bei to rescue troops, Liu Bei, as the younger brother of Gongsun Zhan, was confronting Yuan Shao's subordinates, and he divided his troops to rescue Kong Rong, but he lost his old lair.
But it is also strange to say, the more Liu Bei lost, the more he got, he lost the Lieutenant of Anxi County, he got the plain phase, he lost the plain phase, and then he wanted to get Xuzhou Mu, do you say it is strange?
Tao Qian loved Liu Bei at first sight and wanted to hand over the seal of Xuzhou's assassination history to Liu Bei, and Liu Bei couldn't help but be afraid. The more you don't give, the more he wants it, you give it on the pole, he is afraid. Tao Qian let Xuzhou for the first time, Liu Bei did not pick up, not to pick up is right, more stimulating Tao Qian to give.
Lü Bu sneaked into Cao Cao's rear, and Cao Cao retreated. Xuzhou temporarily gained a moment of peace, Tao Qian wanted to let Xuzhou for the second time, at this time not only Tao Qian spoke, but even his subordinates Mi Zhu, Chen Deng, and others also began to persuade each other, it can be seen that Liu Bei was indeed extraordinary, and soon after arriving in Xuzhou, he quickly gained the hearts of the people, but Xuzhou was the place of the four wars, not only Cao Cao was worried, Yuan Shu had long been looking at Xuzhou, Liu Bei still did not dare to rush to accept, and expressed his concerns: "Why don't you invite Yuan Shu to come?" Kong Rong's words gave Yuan Shu a characterization, and from then on, the title of "Skeleton King" will accompany Yuan Shu for the rest of his life: "Yuan Highway has dry bones in the tomb, and he has teeth!" ”
Why is it said that Yuan Shu is "dry bones in the grave"? Yuan Shu himself was ambitious and talented, relying only on the name of the Yuan family's "Fourth Dynasty and Three Dukes", which in the final analysis were all in the past tense, and could not last for a while, but could not support a lifetime.
Tao Qian'er let Xuzhou, Liu Bei still did not pick up, Tao Qian did not let Liu Bei go. For Tao Qian, although Cao Cao temporarily withdrew from the army, he would come again sooner or later, and Liu Bei left who would resist Cao Cao? For Liu Bei, the plain country has been lost, that is, where can he go if he wants to go? In the end, Tao Qian asked Liu Bei to live in Xiaopei temporarily, and recommended Liu Bei as the assassin of Yuzhou, and Liu Bei happily went to Xiaopei.
Although Liu Bei was happy, Tao Qian was uncomfortable after all, if Lü Bu killed Cao Cao, it would be fine, but it did not. Tao Qian saw that Cao Cao had reversed his inferiority, his mood was even heavier, and finally he could not afford to be sick, and before he swallowed his breath, he called Liu Bei to the front: "You don't take the Xuzhou brand seal, the old man will not be blinded when he dies!" "Having said this, Liu Bei still won't take it?" As Zhang Fei said, "It is not a state or county that forces him, he has good intentions, so why bother to resign", but Liu Bei still does not take it! What was Liu Bei thinking? Don't want to pick up? Don't dare to pick up? Or disdainful of picking up? Tao Qian died with a finger heart.
After Tao Qian's death, the large and small bureaucrats in Xuzhou handed over the card seal to Liu Bei, but Liu Bei still did not accept it, the people of Xuzhou collectively wept and prayed, guan Zhang'er was bitterly persuaded, and Liu Bei finally took it. In the story of the three lets Xuzhou, on the surface it seems that Liu Bei is very fake and hypocritical, pretending to sell his reputation and reputation, but in fact, it is not the same, even if he takes Xuzhou officially away from Gongsun Zhan, although he is independent, he takes greater risks. Liu Bei did not have a strong foundation like Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Sun Ce and others, and the civilian and military generals around him were like stars, at this time, besides his second brother and third brother, who else was he? Fortunately, Tao Qian was also benevolent, and before his death, he recommended Mi Zhu, Sun Qian, Chen Deng, and others to Liu Bei, which increased Liu Bei's popularity.
Cao Cao was furious when he heard that Liu Bei had effortlessly taken over Xuzhou, and wanted to give up the battle with Lü Bu for Yanzhou and attack Xuzhou instead, whether Liu Bei could save Xuzhou or not, and see if the next time it disintegrated.