After Cao Cao unified the north, he obtained a large number of talents, and he only obtained Zhang He, Gao Lan, Xu You, Chen Lin, Cui Yan, Li Fu, Zhao Zhao, Xin Bi, Wang Xuan (that is, Wang Xiu) and others from the Yuan family, and also obtained Zhang Yan, Liu Fang, Tian Chou, Xian Yufu, Xu Miao, Wang Ling, Yan Rou and other martial arts talents.

【Zhang He, Gao Lan】

Zhang He was originally under the command of Han Fu, and after Yuan Shao entered Jizhou, he returned to Yuan Shao, and made many military exploits in Yuan Shao's crusade in the north, and was promoted to the general of Ningguo. Later, in the Battle of Guandu, he advised Yuan Shao to rescue Wuchao, and because of Guo Tu's slander, he took refuge in Cao Cao in a fit of anger.

Cao Cao was also very happy about Zhang He's refuge, thinking that he was his own Weizi and Han Xin, and later asked him to follow him to attack Yecheng and go to Bohai to attack Yuan Tan, both of which were successful. Zhang He also led the army to surround Yongnu alone, defeated the Yuan army, and Zhang He also led the army to conquer Donglai County and crusade against Guan Cheng. When accompanying Cao Cao to conquer Liucheng, Zhang He and Zhang Liao served as vanguards, and Zhang He was promoted to General Pingdi because of his repeated military exploits. Later generations also called Zhang He, Zhang Liao, Le Jin, Yu Ban, and Xu Huang as Cao Wei's "five good generals".

Gao Ran joined Cao Cao with Zhang He, and some people in later generations called Gao Ran and Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and Zhang He as the four court pillars of Hebei, but there are not many records about it in history.

【Xu You, Chen Lin】

Xu You was originally one of the main strategists under Yuan Shao, and later betrayed Yuan Shao at the critical moment of the confrontation between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, and offered Cao Cao a plan to attack the black nest, which led to the defeat of Yuan Shao's battle of Guandu, and then was killed by Cao Cao because of his pride and lack of attention.

Chen Lin was originally the chief secretary of the general He Jin, and once strongly persuaded He Jin not to summon Dong Zhuo to Beijing. After He Jin's death, Chen Lin took refuge in Jizhou, and Yuan Shao recruited Chen Lin after entering Jizhou. Later, before the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao ordered Chen Lin to write a crusade against Cao Cao, enumerating Cao Cao's crimes, and attacking the ancestors of the Cao family, doing everything he could to scandalize and slander him.

After Yuan Shao failed, Chen Lin surrendered to Cao Cao, and Cao Cao said to him: "You used to write a letter for Yuan Jie, and you should only attack me, why do you want to attack my father and grandfather?" Chen Lin apologized, Cao Cao pardoned him, and sent him to work with Chen Liuren Ruan Yu to serve as the secretary in charge of writing the chapters, and then Cao Cao's military books were mostly written by Chen Lin and Ruan Yu.

【Cui Yan】

Cui Yan was recruited by the general Yuan Shao in history. After he took refuge in Yuan Shao, he saw that Yuan Shao's soldiers at that time were tyrannical and tyrannical and digging graves, so he persuaded him: "In the past, Xun had such a saying: 'If you don't teach the soldiers a lesson, your combat effectiveness will not be strong, and even people like Shang Tang and King Wu of Zhou can't rely on them to win the battle. Now that the bones are exposed on the road, and the people have not seen your virtue, you should order the counties to bury the corpses, in order to show your love for the wounds of the dead, and to follow the merciful deeds of King Wen of Zhou. Yuan Shao then made Cui Yan a cavalry captain.

Later, Yuan Shao led troops in Liyang County and stationed troops at Yanjin Ferry, and Cui Yan persuaded again: "The Son of Heaven is now in Xuchang, and the people's desire supports the side that obeys the imperial court. Yuan Shao did not listen, so he was defeated in Guandu. After Yuan Shao's death, his two sons fought with each other for Cui Yan. Cui Yan said that he was sick and resolutely resigned, so he was convicted and imprisoned, and relied on Yin Kui and Chen Lin to rescue him from death.

In the tenth year of Jian'an (205), after Cao Cao defeated the Yuan family, he concurrently served as the pastor of Jizhou, and recruited Cui Yan to serve as a driver, and said to Cui Yan: "Yesterday, I checked my household registration, and I can join the army as many as 300,000, and Jizhou can be called a big state." Cui Yan replied: "Now that Kyushu is divided, the brothers Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan are fighting, and the people in Jizhou are full of bones. I didn't hear that Wang Shi took benevolence as the guide, visited the folk customs, and saved the people from fire and water, but calculated the number of soldiers and regarded it as the top priority. Cao Cao was solemnly moved and apologized to him. The guests were shocked.

The following year, Cao Cao crusaded against Gao Gan, leaving Cui Yan to assist Cao Pi in Yecheng. Cao Pi went out hunting as usual, changing his clothes and vehicles, and his interest was all in chasing prey. After Cui Yan found out, he used King Wen of Zhou and others as an example to persuade Cao Pi, Cao Pi was felt by him, so he burned the hunting gear, took off his uniform, and replied to Cui Yan: "If there are similar mistakes in the future, I hope you will teach me again." ”

【Li Fu】

Although Li Fu was not famous in later generations, his skills were not low. In the ninth year of Jian'an (204), Yuan Shang returned to Yecheng and sent Li Fu to explore the way, this old man first pretended to be the governor of Cao Jun and scolded Cao Cao's soldiers all the way to the city, and then escaped from Cao Cao's encirclement among the old and weak, and went back to report to Yuan Shang.

After the successive defeats of Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan, Li Fu claimed to be the chief secretary of Jizhou and begged to see Cao Cao, and said to Cao Cao: "Now there is chaos in the city, and the people are attacking and killing each other regardless of whether they are strong or weak, and the people are panicking. I think it is important to send someone who has recently surrendered and who is known and trusted in the city to convey your orders. Cao Cao immediately sent Li Fu into the city and told the officials and people in the city that they should settle down and not infringe on each other, and the city was settled.

Li Fu later became a lieutenant and died in his seventies.

【Simbi】

Xin Bi is Xin Ping's younger brother, first following Yuan Shao with his elder brother, and then following Yuan Tan. Later, Yuan Tan sent him to contact Cao Cao, and finally succeeded in persuading Cao Cao to send troops north, and Cao Cao conquered Yecheng in the early stage, because Xin Ping's family was killed and hated for trial. After Cao Cao pacified the north, he went to the imperial court, and worshiped Xin Bi as the speaker and served as a servant.

【Lead】

Lead, the word is scripted, and the people of Anping Guanjin. When he was more than ten years old, he studied with Leyin in the same county. Later, Le Yin served as a long history under the chariot general He Miaomu, and recruited him to follow him in order to finish his studies. At this time, there was chaos in the capital, and He Miao and Le Yin were killed. Together with Shi Lu, another student of Leyin, he risked his life to collect the body of his teacher Leyin and send it home for burial. There was a robber robbery on the road, Shi Lu and others fled, the robber wanted to split the coffin to get the nail, and pleaded with tears, which moved the robber and let him go.

This is how the trick is known. Jizhou Mu Yuan Shaozhao recruited as an overseer, and also served as a Karasuma Raider. Yuan Shao's cronies violated the order and took the lead to cut first and then play, Yuan Shao appreciated his decisiveness and did not pursue the matter. After Yuan Shao's death, he followed Yuan Shao's son Yuan Shang.

In the ninth year of Jian'an (204), Cao Cao besieged Yecheng. Yuan Shang sent a recruit to Shangdang to supervise the military rations, after Yuan Shang failed, he persuaded the state to assassinate Shi Gao Gan to meet Yuan Shang, but the senior cadres did not allow it, but prepared to remove the Zhao, after knowing about the Zhao, he secretly fled, because it was too far away from Yuan Shang, so he fled to the east to Cao Cao. Later, he was sent by Cao Cao to Liucheng to contact Wuheng, and successfully suppressed Han Zhong sent by Gongsun Kang, and made the Wuheng people recognize Cao Cao's orthodoxy and give up support for Yuan Tan.

Cao Cao eliminated Yuan Tan, and Ren Zhao was used as a military plotter, and his entourage conquered Karasuma. When he arrived in Yanagi, he served as the captain of Karasuma. Back in Yecheng, Liaodong sent Yuan Shang's head and hung it in the horse market. Seeing this, he was very grieved, and set up an altar under the head. Cao Cao was moved by the righteousness of the recruit and recommended him as Maocai. With Cao's army to pacify Hanzhong, after Cao Cao returned, he left behind to recruit as the central protector.