At the same time, Cao Cao also paid great attention to throttling, and set an example by advocating integrity. In the history books, Cao Cao is said to be "elegant and thrifty, not gorgeous, the harem clothes are not splendid, the royal shoes are not the same, the curtain screen, the bad is supplemented, the Yin is warm, and there is no fate ornament." To put it simply, the clothes were free of bells and whistles, the shoes were not carved and embroidered, the curtains and screens were covered with patches, and the bedding and bedding were "ruined". Under Cao Cao's vigorous correction, the style of luxury since the Eastern Han Dynasty has been twisted, and people all over the world are honest, diligent and thrifty and self-disciplined. Even high-ranking officials and dignitaries did not dare to be overly extravagant, and there were even strange things about someone deliberately wearing shabby clothes to please Cao Cao. In the fourteenth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao, in turn, had to issue an order to correct this strange unhealthy trend.

Cao Cao's will also reflects his usual frugal style: "The world has not yet been settled, and it has not been obeyed by the ancients." After the funeral, they are all removed. Those who are stationed in the garrison are not allowed to leave the garrison. There is a division and each rate is a job. Collect the time, no hidden gold and jade treasures. ”

culture

library

Cao Cao loved the tomb and the study of the six arts. In the melee of the unification of the north, attention was paid to the protection and collection of books. In the fifth year of Jian'an (200), after defeating Yuan Shao, he ordered "to collect all his treasures of books". After serving as the Duke of Wei, he set up officials in charge of the classics, widely collected the Eastern Han Dynasty official and folk books scattered in the war, and "collected the relics" and hid them in the three pavilions and the secretary province at home and abroad. Cai Yong's daughter Cai Wenji was also asked to talk about her book collection, and Cai Wenji "sent the book to it, and the text was correct". Because he attached great importance to the cultural construction of the country, he gradually established a national collection of books in the Wei state. [63]

religion

Cao Cao incorporated the Taiping Dao, took over the forces of the Five Dou Mi Dao, concentrated on controlling the Fangshi, and even "coerced the Son of Heaven", all of which were aimed at secretly fighting for the "Mandate of Heaven". Cao Cao's lifelong management of the "Mandate of Heaven in Me" Wei's sanctification of the great cause, with Cao Pi Huang Chu in the first year of Zen and realized. From the rise of Cao Cao's power to the Han and Wei dynasties, many major historical events were deeply involved in primitive Taoism. [64]

ethnic group

Huns

In April of the twenty-first year of Jian'an (216), Emperor Xian of Han canonized Cao Cao as the king of Wei. In July, the Southern Xiongnu came to congratulate Huchuquan and was detained in Yecheng, and Cao Cao took the opportunity to divide the Southern Xiongnu into five divisions and selected Han people as Sima to supervise. [65]

Wuhuan At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wuhuan (also known as "Karasuma") occupied the three counties of Liaoxi, Shanggu and Youbeiping, each claiming the king, often invading the four northern states and "killing the people". Wuhuan was the chief of the Three Kings Department, and he was good with Yuan Shao, and helped Yuan defeat Gongsun Zhan. After the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao died of illness shortly after returning to Jizhou, and his sons Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi defected to Wuhuan. Cao Cao's northern expedition to Wuhuan was based on a strategic need, that is, to completely eliminate the Yuan forces and unify the three counties. In the battle of White Wolf Mountain, Cao's army won a great victory, and moved more than 100,000 Han people and Youhuan captives to more than 10,000 households in Youzhou and Erzhou (the grassroots units of Wuhuan households) into the interior. Promoting the gradual integration of the Wuhuan people with the Han nationality will play a positive role in consolidating the social order in the north and making the people's production and life stable. [56]

society

When Cao Cao was alive, he also advocated thin burials.

Historical Evaluation Editor

Historical book evaluation

Chen Shou's "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms": "At the end of the Han Dynasty, the world was in turmoil, and the heroes rose together, and Yuan Shao looked at the four states and was strong and invincible. Taizu strategized, whipped the universe, the spells of Shen and Shang, the magic of Han and Bai, the official materials, each because of its instrument, hypocrisy, do not remember the old evil, and finally be able to always control the emperor's machine, and become a Hongye, but its clear strategy is the best. Or can it be described as an extraordinary person, a masterpiece of the world. ” [66]

Wang Shen's "Book of Wei": "Taizu has been in the imperial army for more than 30 years, and he can't give up books. The book talks about martial arts, and the night is about thinking about the scriptures. Ascending must be endowed, and creating new poems, and being orchestrated, all become movements. ”

Evaluations through the ages

Li Zhan: The times will be chaotic, and no hero in the world has passed Cao Cao. [67]

Bao Xin: Fu is not born, and he can always be a hero to set things right. [68]

Zhang Liao: With the prestige of Ming Gong in the four seas, Liao obeys the holy decree, and he will not dare to harm him. [69]

Liang Mao: Cao Gong was worried about the danger of the country, the bitterness of the people, and led the volunteers to punish the thieves for the world. [70]

Sun Quan: It is too bad to kill a small person, and it is cool to separate people's flesh and bones, and it is rare for imperial generals to be seen since ancient times. [71]

Sun Chu: Taizu carrier, Shenwu should be on time, conquest riot, Kening District Xia; [72]

Lu Ji: At the end of the Emperor's Han Dynasty, the king's path was violated, and he went to the abyss to cultivate scales, and he flew away from Qingyun. Fortune of the Divine Way to carry virtue, ride the spiritual wind and fan power. Destroy the heroes and electric shocks, and lift the enemy as if they were gone. Refers to the eight poles to the distance, will be Yan and then Sui. The lack of three talents, the forbidden heaven and earth. The peerless era of the repair network, the interpretation of the New York sound. Sweeping clouds and things are chaste, and they must come and return from all directions. Pi Dade is magnificent, aiding the sun and the moon. Ji Yuan's contribution is in the nine, and it is firmly pushed by the world. [73]

Pan An: Wei Wuhe shook with thunder, and resigned with righteousness to fight rebellion, although he used it for all his needs, so he won the temple calculation. [74]

Liu Yuan: The big husband should be Henkel and Wei Wu, how effective is it to call Han evil! [75]

Wang Dao: In the past, Wei Wu was the master of the government, and Xun Wenruo was the most heroic. [76]

Pei Songzhi: Wei Taizu has no way to change, and he is slightly out of the world. [66]

Yuan Rongzu: In the past, Cao Cao and Cao Pi got on the horse and talked about it, which is worth drinking in the world! [77]

Zhong Rong: Cao Gong is straightforward, and he has a very sad sentence.

Li Shimin: The emperor is a majestic and often difficult luck. The responsibility of the pillars is the same as the time, and the work of Kuang Zheng is different from the past. [78-79]

Wang Bo: Wei Wu used soldiers, like Sun Wu. Facing the enemy, there are few defeats, so the east bird is cunning, the north is strong Yuan, the yellow scarf is broken in Shouzhang, and the slash is fixed in the shooting dog. Aiding Ge to the north, hanging his skull, hugging the south, Liu Cong restraining his hands. Zhenwei and Qing Zhongxia, coercing the Son of Heaven to order the princes, believe in the transcendent heroics. [80]

Wei Yuanzhong: Wei Wu's Gang is superb, still according to the law of Sun and Wu, if there is a Qi of the family, Yuan Shao's foundation, and all of them are wise and willful, and they will eventually be destroyed, not to mention the comeback! [81]

Zhu Jingze: (1) Looking at Cao Gong's sharp power strategy, the gods are not endless, the soldiers are not weakened, they are not confused in danger, they are not confused, they have no regrets, and they have never regretted it. [82] (2) Taizu of the former Wei Dynasty was invincible, the gods were alone, the Great War was fifty-six, Kyushu was quiet seventy-eight, the people were able to do it, the world was Mude, and the wings wore the weak lord, and the Han family was honored.

Zhao Rui: Strategizing and strategizing, whipping Yunei, breaking Yuan Shao in the north, capturing Liu Cong in the south, Gongsun Kang in the east, Zhang Lu in the west, 100 counties in Kyushu, eight out of ten, the achievements were not investigated, and he died in the Middle Ages. [83]

Zhang said: You don't see Wei Wucao fighting for Tianlu, and the heroes are chasing each other. During the day, he brought a strong man to break the strong formation, and at night he received the lyricist Fuhuawu. The capital is surrounded by Xishanyang, and Sangyu Khan is full of Zhanghe River. The city was changed by the ruins, but there was a bright moon in the West Garden. There are many nobles in the high mounds, and the eyebrows are dusty. Try to go to the Tongtai song and dance place, only the autumn wind is sad and kills. [84]

Zhang Ding: You don't see the Han family losing its unification and the three spiritual changes, and Wei Wu fighting for the six dragons. Swinging the sea and swallowing the river to control China, returning to the sky and fighting to the south. The faint capital city is purple and open, and the yellow stars are seen in the wilderness. The flowing year does not stay in the Zhanghe River, and the bright moon and Russia end up with a state banquet. The article is still new in the orchestra, and the curtain is empty. It's a pity that the song and dance place of Wangling, the pine wind is sad on all sides. [84]

Mu Xiu: Only the emperor's hero, so that Tianji Qiyong has been prolonged for several years, how can it be strong Wu and Yongshu's injustice! [85]

Sima Guang: Wang knows people and is good at observing, and it is difficult to dazzle and be fake. Recognize and pull out geniuses, not limited to lowly, and use whatever you can. With the hostile Chen, the meaning is leisurely, if you do not want to fight, and when you take advantage of the decisive opportunity, the momentum is overflowing. Meritorious work should be rewarded, not stingy with a thousand gold; no merit is hoped for, and no share of the rich. The usage is urgent, and if you commit a crime, you will be killed, or you will weep over it, and there will be no forgiveness. Elegance and frugality, not gorgeous. Therefore, it can be a group of heroes, a few flats in the sea. [86]

He Qufei: (1) Cao Gong patrolled Du with his wisdom and responded to it, made a journey of ten thousand years, destroyed Yuan Shao in the north and decided Yan and Ji; combined the people of the three counties, captured Lü Bu in the east and collected Jigon; and Yuan Shu in Huaizuo, wandered and had no return, so he ran to death. And Cao Gongzhi's paintings are often more than enough, and a lot of sleepiness. His so-called strength and bravery, once defeated, are invincible. Then the world began to obey Cao Gongzhi as invincible, and Yuan and Lu were not enough. As for his power and strength, and the incompleteness of his husband's wisdom and bravery, they all know that Cao Gong's only wisdom is strong and not easy to fight, so he is often afraid of it. [87] (2) Words and soldiers are like Sun Wu, and soldiers are like Han Xin and Cao Gong. [88]

Su Xun: Xiang Ji has the talent of the world, but not the world; Cao Cao has the concern of taking the world, but not the amount of the world; Xuande has the amount of the world, but not the talent of the world. [89]

Wang Anshi: The world knows who the fame is, and the strength to return to heaven is here. Why bother with the remnants of the old things, the sons of Wei Gong are clothed. [90]

Hong Hao: Long laugh at Yuan Benchu, vainly Qingjun's side. Hang your head and return to the official crossing, and the strange misfortune is merciful. Cao Gong walked Xishang, angry and wanted to Ling Han Bai. The deception plan has been accomplished, and the army is full of glory. Across the Zhangzhang to build a big city, the people of the people to conspire, although the north broke Karasuma, the south is also trapped in the red cliff. Eight absurdities were annexed, and the two countries were defeated. Siling sent resentment and talked about the old traces of martial arts. The pheasants fly after the dust, and the turbidity current is unfathomable. Looking back at the bronze bird platform, advocating the noisy grasshoppers. [91]

Zhong Hao: (1) There are not two culprits in the first place, and the stench is all over the place. (2) Knowing that it is not beneficial to the account, how can it be ruthless to share incense. [92]

Zhang Pu: (1) Meng De's imperial army for more than 30 years, he is reluctant to give up the book, and cursive Ya Cui Zhang, music is better than Huan Cai, Go Wang Guo, good nourishment, antidote, Zhou Gong's so-called versatile, Meng Decheng has it. (2) Celebrities in the late Han Dynasty, Kong Rong in Wen, Lu Bu in Wu, and Meng Deshi are also their strengths. [93]

"Popular Romance of the Three Kingdoms": The majestic Wei Taizu, the world sweeps away the wolf smoke. Movement and stillness are wise, and high and low are good at using the virtuous. drove millions of people for a long time, and paid attention to "Thirteen Articles". Haojie at the same time, who dares to give whips? [94]

Chen Zuoming: Meng De is very talented, and he has achieved this feat.

Huang Moses: Wei Wu is a great talent, and among the heroes who create grass, he should also occupy the upper seat; although it is easy to use power and strategy, but from ancient times, how can there be people who do things without power and strategy?

Lu Xun: Cao Cao is a very capable person, at least a hero. Although I am not a member of Cao Cao's party, I always admire him very much no matter what.

The land system also supervised the reclamation of wasteland, promoted the rule of law, and advocated frugality, so that the society that had suffered great damage began to stabilize, recover, and develop. [95-96] (2) The past is more than a thousand years, Wei Wu whipped the whip, and there is a posthumous chapter in the east of Jieshi. [97]

Fan Wenlan: He is a hero who stirred up troubled times, so he is expressed in literature, sad and generous, and heroic.

Tan Qixiang: Cao Cao is a historical figure with advantages and shortcomings, great merits, and no small sins. [98]

Qian Mu: Cao Cao was able to combine politics, military affairs and literature, as well as employing people, and was an entrepreneur in the Wei State. However, he is a big traitor, so he is a historical villain, and Cao Cao cannot escape the blame for the decline of Chinese history in the past 600 years. [99]

Huang Renyu: (1) Cao Cao in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is not necessarily more deceitful than his contemporaries such as Liu Bei and Sun Quan. And he has the romantic color of daring to say and do, heroic and uninhibited. (2) Cao Cao was able to excel because of his informality and farsightedness. However, although he clearly saw that traditional morality could not solve the problems of the day, he also did not know that giving up traditional morality would not necessarily save the problems of the day. [100]

The Cambridge History of the Qin and Han Dynasty in China: The fatal blow to the Han dynasty was left to Cao Cao, one of the most striking figures in Chinese history. Cao Cao was a great poet, strategist, and realist political thinker from humble beginnings, and he opposed Confucian etiquette and moral constraints. [101]

Personal work editing

Cao Cao had a profound cultivation of literature, calligraphy, music, etc. He is the author of books such as "A Brief Explanation of Sun Tzu", "The Essentials of the Military Book", and "Mengde's New Book".

literature

Cao Cao's literary achievements are mainly expressed in contemporary poetry, and his prose is also very distinctive. Cao Cao's poems, more than 20 extant today, all of which are in the Yuefu poetry style. The content can be broadly divided into three categories. One is related to current affairs, the other is mainly to express ideals, and the other is the poetry of wandering immortals.

Works that are somewhat related to current events include "Pickled Dew Travel", "Artemisia Journey", "Bitter Cold Journey", "Stepping Out of the Summer Gate", etc., expressing their political aspirations and reflecting the suffering life of the people in the late Han Dynasty, with majestic spirit, generosity and sadness. The two poems "Pickle Dew Xing" and "Artemisia Lixing" were written in the early years of Jian'an. The former article reflected that He Jin was defeated in his plot to punish the eunuchs, and Dong Zhuo went to Luoyang to cause rebellion; the latter article wrote that the prefectures and counties in the eastern part of the country raised troops to fight for Zhuo, and each had their own ambitions, killing each other, and closely following each other in content. The psalms describe this historical process in concise language and in a high degree of generalization, so it is known as "the actual record of the late Han Dynasty and the history of true poetry" [102] . Written in the 11th year of Jian'an, the poem describes the cold, barrenness and steepness of the Taihang Mountains in winter, with vivid images and complex feelings in the poet's heart. "Stepping Out of the Summer Gate" was written in the twelfth year of Jian'an's expedition to the three counties of Wuhuan. The poem consists of "Yan" (prelude) and four interpretations. "Yan" focuses on the poet's complicated feelings when he set out on the expedition. The first is "Watching the Sea" and writes about the impressions of passing through Jieshi on the way to the army; the second is "Winter and October", the third is "the soil is different", and the third is "the soil is different", and the fourth is "Turtle Although Shou" is written about the ideological activities after the victory of this important battle. The poems that mainly express ideals include "Duguan Mountain", "To Wine", "Short Song Xing" and so on. The first two articles are about political ideals. The peaceful and prosperous era he envisioned was a politics of virtuous kings and good ministers who used both Confucianism and law, grace and power. This is undoubtedly of progressive significance in the context of the great social destruction in the late Han Dynasty. The theme of "Tanka Xing" is to seek talents, with poems such as "the mountains are not tired of being high, the sea is not tired of being deep, Zhou Gong is spitting and feeding, and the world is returning to the heart" and other poems to express the thirst for talents and recruit talents, in order to achieve its great cause.

In terms of artistic style, Cao Cao's poetry is unpretentious and unadorned. They win with deep affection and deep spirit. In terms of poetic mood, it is characterized by generosity and sadness. Generosity and sadness were originally the common tone of Jian'an literature, but in Cao Cao's poems, it was the most typical and prominent. In terms of poetry genre, Cao Cao's Yuefu poems did not copy the rules of Han Yuefu, but developed them. For example, "Pickle Dew Xing" and "Artemisia Li Xing" are all elegiacs in Han Yuefu, but he used the old title to express new content. Cao Cao pioneered the tradition of writing about current affairs in Yuefu, which had a far-reaching influence.

The image of Cao Cao created by Bao Guoan

The image of Cao Cao created by Bao Guoan

Cao Cao's literary achievements are also manifested in his constructive role in Jian'an literature (see Jian'an Seven Sons), which can flourish in the context of long-term war and social devastation, which is inseparable from his attention and promotion. When Liu Xian, when discussing the reasons for the prosperity of Jian'an literature, he pointed out that "Wei Wu is the respect of the king and loves the poems" [103] . In fact, the main writers of the Jian'an period were all closely related to him. Cao Pi and Cao Zhi are his sons, and the "Seventh Son" and Cai Yan are also under his protection. It can be said that the "Ye Wenren Group" was formed on the basis of the material conditions provided by him, and their creation was also carried out under the influence of his advocacy.

In addition, Cao Cao also has many other articles handed down, such as "Please Chase and Increase Guo Jia's Fengyi Table", "Let the County Self-Ming Benzhi Order", "Book with Wang Xiu", "Worship the Late Taiwei Bridge Xuanwen", etc., the text is simple, emotional, smooth and straightforward.

Cao Cao's writings, according to the Qing Yao Zhenzong's "Three Kingdoms Art and Literature Chronicles", there are more than 10 kinds of "Wei Wu Emperor Collection" 30 volumes, 1 volume, "Book of War" 13 volumes, etc., but most of them have died, and the only survivor today is "Sun Tzu's Note". In the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Pu collected 145 poems and essays for the "Collection of Emperor Wu of Wei", which was included in the "Collection of One Hundred and Three Families of the Six Dynasties of the Han and Wei Dynasties". Ding Fubao's "Collection of Famous Masters of the Six Dynasties of Han and Wei" also includes "Collection of Emperor Wu of Wei", which contains slightly more works than Zhang Pu's compilation. In 1959, Zhonghua Book Company added a little arrangement and supplement according to Ding Fu's original book, added "Sun Tzu's Note", and attached "Wei Zhi Wudi Ji", "Cao Cao Chronology", etc., and reprinted it as "Cao Cao Collection". [104]

Poetic works

tanka line

View the sea

Turtle though longevity

Duguan Mountain

to the wine

Dong escaped lyrics

Artemisia in the line

Bitter cold line

Angry singing

Folk words

Fine-listed

Pond up

But the east and west are in the door

Autumn Hu Xing is one of them

Qiu Hu Xing Second

Step out of the summer door and travel in winter and October

Shu Zhi Ling

Mo Shangsan

Stepping out of the summer gate is different

Step out of the summer gate and walk beautifully

Pickled dew

Good deeds are one of them

Good deeds Second

Good deeds Third

There is a southern chapter

The sea is endowed

Talent Seeking Order

Final Order

calligraphy

Cao Cao's appearance in the opera

Cao Cao's appearance in the opera

Cao Cao is a generation of calligraphers but little is known, mainly because Cao Cao has fewer calligraphy works. "Tang Dynasty Book Review" said: "Books are like golden flowers, exquisite, dazzling, and dazzling." Zhang Hua, the Sikong of the Western Jin Dynasty, said in the "Naturalist Chronicles": "In the Han Dynasty, Anping Cui Ming, Zhu Ziyu, Hongnong Zhang Zhi, Zhi Di Chang and good cursive, and Taizu Yazhi. In his "Book Products", the calligraphy critic of the Southern Dynasty, Yu Beiwu, listed Cao Cao's calligraphy works among the middle and middle grades, calling them "Limo Xiongzhan". The Tang Dynasty calligrapher and critic Zhang Huaiqian called Cao Cao "especially good at Zhangcao, majestic and elegant" in his calligraphy review monograph "Shu Xuan", and rated his Zhangcao works as wonderful. From this point of view, although Cao Cao's calligraphy works cannot be listed as divine and high-grade, they are counted among the famous calligraphers in the country.

According to historical records, Cao Cao often studied calligraphy with calligraphers Zhong Xuan, Liang Hu, Handan Chun, Wei Dan, Sun Zijing and others. He especially likes to taste Liang Hu's characters, and once gave the special Wuling Pill to Zhong Xuan, who vomited blood because he was refused to borrow Cai Yong's "Brushwork" from Wei Dan. [105]

Although Cao Cao was good at writing, probably because he was busy with war and political affairs, he had no opportunity to write, so he had very few ink in the world. Song Zhengqiao's "Tongzhi Jin Shi Luo" only included one "Great Feast Tablet" written by Cao Cao; Ming Yang Shen's "Dan Lead General Record" only mentioned that there was also a "He Jie Table" written by Cao Cao in the Yuan Dynasty; Qing Ye Yibao said in "Jin Shi Lu" that Cao Cao had written the three characters "Yongyuetai" on the side of the "Yellow Crane Tower" in Wuchang. When Cao Cao was in Hanzhong, the word "Gunxue" written on a large stone in the south of the Baohe River in Shimen has now moved into the Hanzhong Museum. [106] The word "Gunxue" seen in the "Cao Cao Underground Troop Transport Road" in Bozhou was inscribed in the original version, and the two small characters on the top of the official book, "King of Wei", were imitated by later generations because they were directly inscribed and blurred.