In the Three Kingdoms era, on the whole, the talents under the command of Cao Cao's group are undoubtedly the most outstanding and sufficient, whether it is Yuan Shao of the fourth or third duke, or Liu Bei, a descendant of the royal family, they are not as good as Cao Cao.

Cao Cao had a group of backbone cadres when he started the army, and later he became the Taishou of Dongjun and Yanzhou, and he got a group of talents, after moving the capital to welcome the Son of Heaven, Cao Cao's prestige increased greatly, and talents from all over the world also came to Cao Cao.

[The beginning of the army (190-191)]

At the beginning of Cao Cao's army, he already had the support of a group of relatives and friends such as Xiahoudun, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Cao Chun, Xiahou Yuan, Le Jin, Shi Lian, Ren Jun, Zao You, etc., and his starting point was not low.

However, Cao Cao insisted on sending troops after the sour jujube alliance, and wanted to attack the Xiliang army when Dong Zhuo moved the capital, but he encountered Xu Rong, a Zhonglang general under Dong Zhuo, in Xingyang Bianshui, and was defeated, and his friend Wei Zi was killed in battle, and he was fortunate to escape thanks to Cao Hong's rescue.

【To-gun Taishou Period (191-192)】

After Liu Dai killed the former Dongjun Taishou Qiaomao, he was reappointed as his subordinate Wang Qiu as the Dongjun Taishou. Later, Yu Poison, Bai Huan, Zhenggu, Yu Fuluo and other forces invaded Dongjun and other places, Wang Qiu could not stop it, Cao Cao led the army to protect Dongjun, and Yuan Shao then expressed Cao Cao as the Taishou of Dongjun.

After Cao Cao got Dongjun, he got the refuge of two key strategists, at that time Xun Yu left Yuan Shao directly and went south to join Cao Cao, and Chen Gong, as a native of Dongjun, also came out to assist Cao Cao, and both of them played a very important role in Cao Cao's future development.

【Yanzhou Pastoral Period (192-196)】

In the third year of the first peace (192), Liu Dai, the assassin of Yanzhou, died in the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and with the help of Chen Gong and others, Cao Cao was proclaimed as the new Yanzhou pastor, and the Yellow Turban Rebellion was quelled.

During this time, Wang Lang recommended it to Cao Cao, and Cheng Yu, who refused Liu Dai's recruitment, also came out to assist Cao Cao, and the fierce general Dian Wei was transferred from Zhang Miao to Cao Cao, and Mao Jue, Man Chong, Li Dian, Lu Qian, Han Hao and others also came to vote.

[Early Jian'an period (196-200)]

In the first year of Jian'an (196), Cao Cao moved the capital to Xuchang and controlled the imperial court. During this time, Cao Cao's prestige increased greatly, and talents from all over the world poured into Xudu.

Dong Zhao was afraid of Yuan Shao to leave Yuan Shao and go south, and was once detained by Zhang Yang, and then Zhang Yang welcomed the Son of Heaven to Luoyang, Dong Zhao stayed, and after Cao Cao arrived in Luoyang, Dong Zhao helped Cao Cao take away the Son of Heaven and move the capital to Xuchang; Xun Yu was recalled from Jingzhou by Cao Cao in person, and later replaced Xun Yu as Cao Cao's de facto mastermind; After the death of Xi Zhicai, Xun Yu also recommended Guo Jia to replace him; Zhong Xuan has always followed Emperor Xian, and has helped Cao Cao many times, and then under the recommendation of Xun Yu, Cao Cao sent him to sit in Guanzhong; Xu Huang turned out to be Yang Feng's subordinate, and after Cao Cao moved the capital, he defeated Yang Feng, and Xu Huang defected to Cao Cao; Xu Chu took refuge in Cao Cao in the early days of Jian'an, when Cao Cao conquered the Yuzhou region, and after Dian Wei's death, Xu Chu gradually took his place.

Later, Cao Cao attacked Xuzhou, eliminated Lü Bu, and once again obtained a large number of talents, including the generals Zhang Liao, Zang Ba, Sun Guan, and Chen Qun, Chen Deng, Yuan Lian, and so on.

Zhang Liao was originally one of the generals under Lü Bu, and in later generations Zhang Liao was considered to be the head of the seven strong generals under Lü Bu. And Chen Deng was originally Liu Bei's subordinate, and after Lü Bu captured Xuzhou, Chen Deng secretly united with Cao Cao and helped Cao Cao eliminate Lü Bu; Chen Qun was also Liu Bei's subordinate, and dissuaded Liu Bei from entering Xuzhou, and Cao Cao took refuge in Cao Cao after occupying Xuzhou.

In the fourth year of Jian'an (199), on the eve of the decisive battle of Cao Yuan, Zhang Xiu of Wancheng surrendered to Cao Cao again under the persuasion of Jia Xu, and Liu Ye also surrendered with Liu Xun. Jia Xu and Liu Ye were both top strategists in the Three Kingdoms era, and their refuge standards allowed Cao Wei's think tank group to be strengthened again.

[Middle Jian'an period (200-208)]

This period was the second period of Cao Cao's rapid development, and after the defeat of Yuan Shao at Guandu, Cao Cao's power almost doubled, and he basically occupied northern China.

After Cao Cao eliminated the Yuan clan and seized the four northern states, he obtained a large number of talents, including Zhang He, Gao Lan, Xu You, Chen Lin, Cui Yan, Li Fu, Zhao Zhao, Xin Bi, Wang Xuan (i.e., Wang Xiu), Zhang Yan, Liu Fang, Tian Chou, Xian Yufu, Xu Miao, Wang Ling, Yan Rou and others.

Zhang He was a famous general at that time, originally a subordinate of Jizhou Mu Han Fu, Yuan Shao took refuge in Yuan Shao after obtaining Jizhou, and in the battle of Guandu, Zhang He finally chose to defect to Cao Cao because of Guo Tu's frame.

Later, Cao Cao went south to seize Jingzhou after Liu Biao's death, and once again obtained a large number of talents, including He Qia, Sima Zhi, Pei Qian, Deng Xi, Liu Ba, Huan Jie, Kuai Yue, Cai Mao, Zhang Yun, Lou Gui, Song Zhong, Han Ji, Wang Cang, Wen Ping, Han Song, Liu Xian, Xu Shu, Fu Xun and others.

After Cao Cao learned of his surrender, he once wrote to Xun Yu and said: "I am not happy because I got Jingzhou, but I am happy because I got the different degree (Kuai Yue)." ”

Wen Ping was originally a general in Jingzhou, and after Liu Cong surrendered, he failed to meet Cao Cao in time because of guilt, but instead he was appreciated by Cao Cao, and was later appointed by Cao Cao as the Jiangxia Taishou.

In the thirteenth year of Jian'an (208), Sima Yi was also officially under Cao Cao's command in this year, although Sima Yi was forced......

[Later Jian'an period (208-220)]

Cao Cao issued many orders to seek talents for a period of time after the Chibi fiasco, but the overall effect was average, but there were many talents among the younger generations, including Cao Zhang, Cao Zhen, Xiahou Shang and others.

Cao Zhang, the son of Cao Cao, was extremely powerful, and once led an expedition against nomadic peoples such as Wuheng and Xianbei, and achieved great success; Cao Zhen is Cao Cao's adopted son, who may not have been surnamed Cao originally, and had quite a military exploit in the crusade against Liu Bei in Hanzhong; Xiahou Shang and Cao Pi, the son of Cao Wei, were kind, and once accompanied Cao Zhang's Northern Expedition and made military achievements.

After Cao Cao pacified Guanzhong and captured Hanzhong, Zhang Lu, Yan Pu, Pang De, Cheng Gongying, Yan Xing, Cheng Yin, Hou Xuan, Liu Xiongming and others also surrendered to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao has been all over the world all his life, and there has never been a shortage of helpers, in terms of strategists, he has the help of Xun Yu and Chen Gong at the beginning of the early stage, and later Cheng Yu, Guo Jia, Xun You, Jia Xu, Dong Zhao, Liu Ye, Sima Yi, and Jiang Ji are all first-class strategists; As for the generals, Xiahou Xuan, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, Cao Xiu, Cao Hong, Cao Zhen, Zhang Liao, Yu Ban, Le Jin, Zhang He, Xu Huang, Li Dian, etc. are also good generals for a while; In terms of politics, Xun Yu is in charge of Xuchang, and there are also Zhong Xuan, Man Chong, Liu Fu, Liang Xi, Zhang Ji, Wen Hui, Jia Kui and so on.

Throughout the Three Kingdoms era, Cao Cao was not short of talent.