Original title: Cao Cao's confidant: the indomitable Eastern Han Dynasty minister Qiao Xuan

Author: Shi Yuchun

Whether a person is a talent or not needs to be verified by his life's work.

The "meritorious deeds" mentioned here are not meritorious deeds, achievements, or political achievements in a narrow sense. The "meritorious deeds" here are in a broad sense. Since it is broadly defined, of course, it also includes the merits, achievements, and political achievements mentioned earlier. In addition, this "meritorious service" also has virtue, the so-called "Taishang Lide" of the ancients, which is ranked first in the "meritorious deeds"; this "meritorious service" also has writings and theories, the so-called "second speech" of the ancients, which is ranked second; and finally, the so-called "meritorious service", that is, meritorious service, performance, or political achievements.

Since this "meritorious achievement" needs to be verified over a lifetime, then, before you become famous, even if you are a talent, you may not be able to be recognized by your contemporaries, nor can you be recognized by those around you.

Cao Cao's life is quite controversial, and his merits and demerits are still said to this day. However, one thing is certain, he was an excellent politician, military strategist, and poet.

Cao Cao's exploits are the result of his lifelong struggle. Although his background conditions are very good and his career is relatively smooth, Cao Cao also had a period when he was not recognized.

People need to be recognized, and this seems to be a natural psychological need. Moreover, this is a kind of recognition demand, and the higher the prestige status of the endorser, the greater the psychological satisfaction of the recognized.

So, who was the first person to recognize Cao Cao? In Cao Cao's mind, what kind of feelings did he have for this person who recognized him?

It is reported that at the beginning, when Cao Cao's status was still very low, not many people really knew him, and no one could see his talent. Once, Cao Cao went to visit Qiao Xuan. When Qiao Xuan saw Cao Cao, he was very surprised, thinking that he was a rare heroic warrior. Qiao Xuan is a straight-tempered person, and he doesn't beat around the bush, he said directly to Cao Cao:

"As far as the current situation is concerned, according to my observations, it is very likely that there will be war in this world in the near future. In this war, the people will inevitably suffer. Because of this matter, I am often worried, and I am somewhat relieved to see you today, is it that you are the one who can protect the country and the people in the future?"

Qiao Xuan's words this time made the young Cao Cao very excited, and since then, he has taken Qiao Xuan as a confidant all his life.

Today, let's talk about Cao Cao's confidant, the indomitable Eastern Han Dynasty minister Qiao Xuan.

An overview of the life of Qiao Xuan.

Qiao Xuan (110 A.D. ~ 184 A.D., 183 A.D.), the word Gongzu, Liang State Suiyang County (now Suiyang District, Shangqiu City, Henan Province) people.

When Qiao Xuan was young, he served as the Gongcao of Suiyang County, and was famous for not fearing the powerful minister Liang Ji and daring to investigate the evil deeds of Chen Guoguo's minister Yang Chang.

Later, Qiao Xuan was recommended as filial piety, and successively served as the left lieutenant of Luoyang, the minister of Qi and Shanggu, Hanyang Taishou, Situ Changshi, and the master craftsman.

Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty [Liu Zhi (132 AD ~ 167 AD) literally, born in Liwu (now Boye County, Hebei Province), the great-grandson of Emperor Liu Wei of the Han Dynasty, the grandson of Liu Kai, the filial piety king of Hejian, the son of Liu Yi, the Marquis of Liwu, the mother Kuangming, the tenth emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty. In the last years, Qiao Xuan served as the general of Duliao, and during the three years of his tenure, he protected the territory and the people, and defeated the invasion of Xianbei, Southern Xiongnu, and Goguryeo.

Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty [Liu Hong (157 AD, 156 AD ~ 189 AD), born in Jizhou Hejian State (now Shenzhou, Hebei), the great-great-grandson of Emperor Liu Wei of the Han Dynasty, hereditary Jiedu Pavilion Marquis, father Liu Chang died early, mother Dong. In December of the first year of Yongkang (167 AD), Emperor Liu Zhi of the Han Dynasty died, and Liu Hong was selected by his cousin Dou as the heir to the throne and ascended the throne in the first month of the first year of Jianning (168). In the early years, Qiao Xuan was promoted, and he was appointed as Henan Yin, Shaofu, and Dahonglu. In the third year of Jianning (170 AD), he was promoted to Sikong. The following year, the official worshiped Situ. In the first year of Guanghe (178 AD), he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.

Qiao Xuan saw that the country was weakening day by day, and he was powerless, so he was dismissed from his post and reappointed as a doctor in Taizhong.

In the seventh year of Guanghe (184 AD), Qiao Xuan died at the age of seventy-five.

Qiao Xuansheng is a parallel thing

When Cao Cao was young, he was not afraid of the powerful, with sharp edges and corners, and his sharpness was exposed, which offended the powerful at that time.

Qiao Xuansheng is parallel to things, and he also has a side that is not afraid of the powerful.

When Qiao Xuan was young, he served as a gongcao in Suiyang County. At that time, Zhou Jing, the assassin of Yuzhou, led the official subordinates to inspect and came to the Liang State [Liu Chang (birth year unknown ~ 103 AD), a native of Caiyang in Nanyang, Eastern Han Dynasty, the son of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty, the first king of Runan, the first four years of the establishment (72 AD), into the king of Liang, with Chen Liu's Yun, Ningling, Jiyin's Bo, single father, Jishi, Chengwu, a total of six counties, increased as the territory of Liang. Liu Chang has been arrogant since he was a child, he does not obey the law, believes in divination, is arrogant, believes in the so-called "divine words", thinks that he can become the Son of Heaven, and is full of joy. was impeached for not abiding by the courtiers, and the imperial court cut down the two counties of Chengwu and Shanfu of the Liang State. The capital of the Liang State was Xiayi, so the site of the city was in the east of Dangshan County, Anhui Province. The Liang State was passed down to the sixth generation. In 220 AD, the Cao Wei regime was established, and Liu Mi, the king of Liang, was demoted to the Marquis of Chongde, and the Liang State was abolished. Qiao Xuan went to meet Zhou Jing, listed and counted all kinds of evil deeds of Chen Guoguo and Yang Chang, and asked Zhou Jing to appoint himself as Chen Guo's engagement, so as to thoroughly investigate the evidence of Yang Chang's crimes. Zhou Jing felt that Qiao Xuan was heroic, so he agreed to his request. After Qiao Xuan took office, he arrested Yang Chang's disciples and verified Yang Chang's crimes in detail. However, Yang Chang's actions like this are not the self-expansion of personal consciousness. The actual situation is that Yang Chang is a person with a very good background, and the key to his unscrupulous behavior is that his backstage is very hard. The backstage of Yangchang is Liang Ji, a powerful minister, a relative, and a general. After learning that Qiao Xuan was cleaning up Yangchang's doormen and thoroughly investigating Yangchang's crimes, Liang Ji sent a fast horse to deliver documents and go to rescue Yangchang. After Zhou Jing received Liang Ji's letter, he immediately sent a document according to Liang Ji's intentions, intending to recall Qiao Xuan and suspend the thorough investigation of Yangchang. Qiao Xuan received Zhou Jing's documents, and on the one hand, he gave Zhou Jing a written reply according to the actual situation, and he did not go back directly to report the relevant situation to Zhou Jing; on the other hand, he continued to carefully investigate and collect the facts and evidence of Yang Chang's crime, and accelerated the speed than before. In the end, Yang Chang's crime was clear and the evidence was conclusive, and he was arranged by Qiao Xuan to be escorted into Beijing in a prisoner car.

Because of this incident, Qiao Xuan was not afraid of the reputation of the powerful and greatly boosted in the society at that time.

After Qiao Xuan was recommended as filial piety, the imperial court appointed him as the left lieutenant of Luoyang. At that time, Liang Budo [Liang Ji's younger brother] was Henan Yin, Qiao Xuan went to see him because of business, Liang Budo was very unkind to Qiao Xuan in the conversation with Qiao Xuan, and he was very mean. Qiao Xuan was ashamed to be humiliated by Liang Budo, so he resolutely abandoned his official position and returned to his hometown.

Qiao Xuan was too punctual in Hanyang, and Huangfu Zhen, the then Shangtai County, committed the crime of embezzlement. After Qiao Xuan arrested Huang Fuzhen, he tortured him severely. After the evidence of the crime was confirmed, Qiao Xuan imposed punishment (shaving hair) and flogging (whipping) on Huangfuzhen in accordance with the laws of the imperial court. In the end, Huang Fuzhen died in the bazaar of Jidi, and the people of the county were shocked by Qiao Xuan's law enforcement.

At that time, Taizhong Doctor Gai Sheng and Emperor Han Ling were old friends and had a very close relationship. Gai Sheng once served as the Taishou of Nanyang, and during his tenure, he was corrupt and collected hundreds of millions of stolen goods. After Qiao Xuan was appointed Shang Shuling, he went to the imperial court to recommend that Gai Sheng be deposed, that he be imprisoned, and that all his property obtained by bribery be confiscated. Emperor Ling of Han disagreed, and instead promoted Gai to the rank of servant. So, Qiao Xuantuo resigned due to illness, and the imperial court allowed him to worship him as Guanglu doctor.

Qiao Xuan is still a generous person. It is reported that there is a little personal grudge between Qiao Xuan and Nanyang Taishou Chen Qiu, and the two are not in harmony. However, when Qiao Xuan mastered the famous weapons of the country and sat in the position of the third duke, he did not suppress talents because of personal grudges, let alone retaliate with the power in his hands. On the contrary, after determining that Chen Qiu was indeed a talent, he also vigorously recommended Chen Qiu as a court lieutenant. Chen Qiu was later also the third duke, and was executed for plotting to kill the eunuch.

Cai Yong, a famous writer and calligrapher in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the father of the talented woman Cai Wenji, was called "Cai Zhonglang" by later generations because of his official position to Zuo Zhonglang General, and praised Qiao Xuan in "Taiwei Bridge Xuan Monument".

"There is an indomitable and indestructible wind that is on the verge of a big festival. ”

In the seventh year of Jian'an (202 AD), Cao Cao garrisoned Junyi (now Kaifeng, Henan) and sent troops to repair and control Suiyang Canal. During this period, he sent people to worship Qiao Xuan in the ether prison, and also wrote a sacrificial text with love and literature (see my article "Sacrifice with Love and Text: Cao Cao Sacrifice to Qiao Xuan").

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