In the middle of summer in July, there was a storm of storms. Everything in the valley was wrapped in a rising mist. A column of troops stretched for miles and winded. In the silence, there was only the monotonous sound of rain hitting trees, rocks, and grass. I can't see the road, I don't know where to go. Cao Cao looked at the army marching slowly in the mud, his face washed by the rain was expressionless, but his heart was collapsed - Cao Cao conquered Wuhuan and was taken to the pit by his pig teammates.

First, the sea swelled in summer on the march road washed away the road from the coast of Hebei to the north to Liaodong. So Tian Chou offered a plan and made a detour to Lu Longsai in Xu Wushan, Qian'an County, Hebei. Unexpectedly, the mountain pass through which this road is going to pass is also blocked by flash floods in the summer. So they had to open the mountains and fill the valleys, dig a road by themselves, and detour more than 500 miles from Baitan, Pinggang, and Xianbeiting before finally arriving at the destination Liucheng in Liaodong.

But the cheating daddy thing is not over. On the way back in September, due to the dry weather, Cao Cao's army marched 200 miles without water or food, and the harsh environment forced the victorious army to a dead end.

Cao Cao has always been a person who does not believe in fate, and the worse the environment, the tougher his attitude will be.

When I was a child, I loved cockfighting and lackeys. The family, who was bent on raising him into a "three-good" student, was very worried, and his uncle often worked hard to educate him. One day, Cao Cao committed an accident, but when he saw his uncle coming towards him on the road, he pretended to be crazy and stupid, hung his eyes slanted, crooked his mouth and drooled, saying that he had a stroke.

Compared with those decent families whose families are important ministers of the court for several generations, Cao Cao's background is actually a bit bad - Cao Cao's grandfather was a eunuch in real power, rich but not expensive, and he was very despised by others. So Cao Cao knew in his early twenties that he was racking his brains to find a famous person to say good things to him, and only when he had good reviews did he go out to mix. He also knows that there are a lot of people who don't like him, and if one family is closed, he will change it. He specially went to visit the celebrity Nanyang Zong Shilin at that time, and wanted him to say two good words, but he was repeatedly turned away. finally waited for an opportunity to hold a big banquet and sneaked in, waiting for Zong Shilin to get up, his hands were stretched out, Zong Shilin turned a blind eye and drifted away. Later, when he finally waited for Qiao Xuan, who admired him, Cao Cao publicized Qiao Xuan's praise of him everywhere: Qiao Xuan said, the world is in chaos, and only famous talents can calm the world, isn't this your Excellency? Qiao Xuan is also very righteous, not only touting him himself, but also specially asking his friends, Xu Shao, the head of the Yuedan Review, to praise him. This is the afterword that Cao Cao proudly took Xu Shao's evaluation of "a capable minister who rules the world, a traitor in troubled times" and said when he saw people.

Cao Cao was twenty years old, and he was filial and honest - he got a chance to come out and be an official. became the northern lieutenant of Luoyang (director of a public security bureau), and put more than a dozen five-color sticks on the left and right at the door. An uncle of Emperor Ling's favored Xiao Huangmen violated the curfew and was directly arrested and killed by Cao Cao.

When he was thirty years old, he was a Jinan minister. There are more than 10 counties under the rule, and the officialdom is full of flattery, corruption, bribery, and selling official positions, and the common people can't survive, so they ask God to worship the Buddha. As soon as Cao Cao took office, he dismissed eight of the ten county governors, and it was forbidden to pray to God and worship Buddha. The local tyrant hated him and threatened to kill his family, but he didn't care: the big deal was that Lao Tzu resigned and went home after doing this vote.

When he was thirty-five years old, Dong Zhuo entered the capital Luoyang and wanted Cao Cao to be a lieutenant of Xiao Cavalry, but Cao Cao refused and ran away. He ran all the way, and Dong Zhuo chased all the way until Cao Cao fled to his old friend Lu Bohao's house. Lu Boyao was not there, but his son and guests had already heard about Dong Zhuo's pursuit of Cao Cao, and while receiving him, they robbed him of his horses and belongings, intending to ask Dong Zhuo for credit. Cao Cao broke out of the encirclement with one knife and one sword. Within a few years, he and the princes of the world raised an army to defeat Dong Zhuo.

Until this September of the twelfth year of Jian'an. He is fifty-three years old, and he still has the temperament to do it when he thinks about it, and to carry it when he encounters dangers. This time, he was still victorious. But the victory came imperfectly, even a little tragically, and he had to swallow more cruel bitterness as he tasted the achievement: Cao Cao pacified Wuhuan in this march, wiped out the remnants of Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi, and unified the north. The winter water dried up, the land froze, and because of the hard march, his favorite strategist Guo Jia fell ill and died in Liucheng, and because of hunger, he could only kill thousands of war horses as food for the soldiers.

But at this time, he wrote poetry. It is the five chapters we have known since childhood, "Stepping Out of the Summer Gate". At that time, he was going through a cold winter, a hunger, a war. It was then that he saw the sea. It was a bitter drink, but he still had to toast Chee with a glass

s (Cheers). Some people cry when they are hungry and cold, and some people are hungry and cold, so they polish the match and fantasize about a hot meat bun. But there are still people who are shaking while warming up, while knocking on the empty bowl and singing - not a lack of heart, but a real spirit.

He wrote about the sea - "The journey of the sun and the moon, if out of it; The stars are splendid, if out of it" ("Watching the Sea"); He wrote about the desperate hunger and cold—"Drifting, boats are difficult." The cone does not penetrate the ground, and the moth is profound. The water is exhausted, but the ice is strong" ("The Soil is Different"); What's more, he wrote about himself - "Lao Ji is in the woods, and he is determined to be thousands of miles; The martyrs are in their twilight years, and their hearts are strong" ("Turtle Although Shou").

He likened himself to an old horse, a martyr, who traveled far and wide for his ambition. Cao Cao's ambition is very simple, he said in "Let the County Self-Evident Benzhi Order", "I want to make meritorious service to the country", and in the longer term, it was written in the poem "To the Wine", "For the wine song, in peacetime, the officials do not call the door." There are nine years of storage in three years of ploughing, and the barn is full of grain. Spotted white is not loaded". -- The standard Confucian picture of prosperity. And he, unlike those poets who can't be used, are full of grievances, and therefore have the courage to move their mouths and not use their hands, he has done everything he wants.

Among his contemporaries, Cao Cao wrote the most and most delicately about the suffering of the times. "Pickled Dew Walking" and "Bitter Cold Walking", the weather is cold, there is no food, hunger is everywhere, and there are no living people. So much so that Liu Xian, the author of the literary essay "Wenxin Carving Dragon", said that he loves to complain and is bound by mourning, and he is a "Zheng Sheng" such as "Shao" and "Xia" in the "Book of Songs". Zhong Rong rated him as inferior in "Poems", and the sin was "Gu Zhi".

"Gu Zhi", in Cao Cao's own words, means "strong, but also does not believe in the destiny of heaven". He was the most candid poet of his time, so frank that it was sometimes unsettling because he couldn't make a guess. He is not rigid - he is not confined to etiquette, nor is he limited by his past self. During an expedition to Wu, it rained heavily, and there were many complaints in the army. Cao Cao knew that someone wanted to persuade him, so he directly issued a notice stating that "those who have advice are dead", but Jia Kui still admonished him, so he was imprisoned. But a few days later, Cao Cao issued another notice, saying that Jia Kui had no malicious intentions, and the official was reinstated (what about the death of those who said that they had good advice?). ）。 For another example, in "The Biography of Wei Zhi Liu Jiao", he ordered that we should not engage in the Eastern Han Dynasty's set of standards for judging people by wind reviews. Since the funeral, the Wind Cult has withered. The standard of wind evaluation is no longer applicable to judging talents. Anyone who has done something before, is not to blame in the past.

His frankness and toughness are like a sharp sword, splitting through a pool of stagnant water in the chaos of the late Han Dynasty.

But he still has to face the problems that all heroes of the past have faced: as he grows older, his intense self-confidence and ability to execute evolve into a fierce defensive character under the brutal attacks of time such as gray hair, wrinkles, memory loss, and loose skin—he becomes suspicious, ruthless, and ruthless in any attempt to challenge his authority. Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty was in Xuchang, and all the guards were Cao Cao's people, and Zhao Yan explained his situation to Emperor Xian, and was immediately killed by Cao Cao. He killed his political opponent Yuan Tan, and even forbade others to cry: those who dare to cry will kill the whole family. He also raised spies, lurked in his son's subordinate house to spy on secrets, and could not tolerate anyone talking about him behind his back.

It seems that he expected that some of his actions would be criticized in later generations, and he defended himself. But he defended himself, and did not ask for general understanding. It seems that I sincerely think so, and I will tell you to hear it, as for believing it or not, whatever it is. In the wet and cold winter of the thirteenth year of Jian'an, before the battle of Chibi that was later erected for Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liangshu, Cao Cao wrote poems with his greatest desire to unify the world.

It's this "Tanka Xing". He writes:

Qingqing Zijin, leisurely my heart.

But for the sake of the king, he has been groaning so far.

These four verses were copied from the Book of Songs. According to the original context of the Book of Songs, the following should be a sticky answer: "Even if I don't go, Zining will not be heard".

But Cao Cao, he did not open a pen, wrote:

Yo yo deer chirping, eating wild apples.

I have guests, drummers and shengs.

It's as clear as the moon, when can it be done?

Worries come from it, and they cannot be cut off.

The more strange it is, the more vain it exists.

Talking about the old kindness.

The moon stars are scarce, and the black magpie flies south.

Three turns around the tree, what branches can be followed?

The mountains are not tired of being high, and the sea is not tired of being deep.

Zhou Gong vomited and fed, and the world returned to the heart.

Talking about the deer, talking about the banquet, and finally talking about "returning to the heart" - the "Book of Songs" is to write "Lover, reply to my letter quickly", but what he wrote is "People who want to do a career, shouldn't they come to me?" "Recruiting with love poems, written so tough but likable, this is the most distinctive "Cao Cao style" poem.

But Cao Cao didn't seem to care much about being known as a poet. With the "toughness" of his character, as long as he is determined to concentrate on something, he can achieve something. He studied the art of war, and he had the earliest "Sun Tzu" note. Cao Cao loves to drink, and when he talked about drinking later, he had to mention "how to solve worries, only Du Kang"; He wrote out a recipe for "Nine Brewing Spring Wine" in his hometown and dedicated it to Emperor Liu Xie of the Han Dynasty, so there was a future "Gujing Tribute Wine". He was a good reader, and he also urged his children to read, so much so that many years later, his son Cao Pi still remembered him during his military journey, and he couldn't let go of the book. He forged a sword, but the criterion was which son loved to read. He accepted the most outstanding literati in the world, even if they had just written an essay to scold him to the death. Cai Yong is more than 20 years older than him, and when he was still a nobody, Cai Yong was a well-known genius in the world. The two are both friends of Qiao Xuan (Xiao Qiao's father), and they nod their friendship (Cao Pi can only be whitewashed by the "friends of Guan Bao" who have a very iron relationship but do not often come and go). But when he gained power, he still thought about exchanging Cai Yong's daughter Cai Wenji from the Huns for gold and jade, which could be regarded as his explanation to Cai Yong.

Chen Lin once wrote an essay for Yuan Shao to crusade against Cao Cao, scolding him for being "ugly, unvirtuous, cunning, and so messy", in short, it was very obscene. But on the contrary, the descendants of famous families are obsessed with and calculating, which is not worth mentioning here in Cao Cao. He was impatient to worry about it. No matter how loud the reputation of his family background is, he does not prevent him from tasting it in his heart, and sometimes he secretly despises it. When he was thirty-five years old, the imperial court placed the "Eight Captains of the West Garden", and Cao Cao and Yuan Shao were among them. Yuan Shao was born in the Runan clan, and his family has produced five of the country's top leaders in four generations. But Cao Cao was not short of breath at all. Later, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao raised troops together to serve the king, and Yuan Shao got a jade seal symbolizing imperial power, thinking that it was a good omen for his own power, and touched Cao Cao's arm sitting next to him and showed it to him. Cao Cao smiled, but he despised Yuan Shao's short-sightedness in his heart. Yuan Shao later heard that Kong Rong was under Cao Cao's command, so he wrote to him, asking him to quickly find a reason to kill Kong Rong, because he and Kong Rong did not like each other in the past, Cao Cao smiled again and refused. When Zong Shilin, who humiliated him back then, fell into his hands, Cao Cao smiled and asked, is Mr. willing to associate with me now? Then he treated him kindly. In the early years of Jian'an, Cao Cao welcomed Emperor Xian of Han to Xudu, and Yuan Shao ordered Cao Cao to move the emperor to Juancheng, but Cao Cao refused. Yuan Shao was furious, hateful and scolded, Cao Cao should have died a long time ago, without me saving him, he would still be today! But in the ninth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao's sons, occupied Yecheng, went to Yuan Shao's tomb to worship, and gave Yuan Shao's wife and children property.

He cast the bronze bird platform, originally for the military, but later people felt that it must be for the collection of beauties, and it seems that an unusual place and many beauties must be needed to be regarded as a qualified "hero totem". Jiang Yan, a descendant who admired him, followed this line of thought and wrote in "Tongjue Prostitute" that after Cao Cao's death, the nostalgia of the beauties - He Zhanzhan in the early night, and the lonely candle reflected in the blue curtain. There is no way to caress the shadow, but there is no sorrow.

The "romance" pursued by the cultural people of the entire Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties is demeanor and backbone, Wen can rely on horses to write poems, martial arts can set the country and secure the country, go out without being angry, and do what you love at home. Cao Cao did all of this.

It's also a lot of fun.