"I would rather teach me to be negative to the whole world than to teach the whole world to be negative to me." This sentence from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is often used by people to evaluate Cao Cao's character. Also in the Three Kingdoms, Lv Boshe's whole family was killed, which triggered a Millennium debate. The mainstream view is that the Lv Boshe family died at the hands of Cao Cao.

First, the death of Lv Boshe in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms

The story of Cao Cao's cruel treatment of a family happened in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. "In the fourth time, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty abandoned Chen and Dong thief Meng De offered a knife." At that time, Cao Cao was fleeing with Chen Gong, the county magistrate who spared himself, with Dong Zhuo as the pursuer behind him.

Cao Cao fled with Chen Gong for several days and arrived in China.

That day, it was getting late, and they urgently needed to find a place to stay. In desperation, Cao Cao remembered a sworn brother of his father Cao Song and lived here. He suggested spending the night.

Chen Gong and Cao Cao went there hopefully.

After seeing Cao Cao, Lv Boshe, an old friend of Cao Song, seemed to have the care of his elders: "I heard that the imperial court was full of official documents, and I was anxious to catch you. Your father walked away from Chen. How did you come? " After Cao Cao explained Chen Gong's help to himself, Lv Boshe showed friendliness to Chen Gong. Then arrange Chen Gong and Cao Cao to rest at home.

Then, Lv Boshe went into the house and took a long time to come out.

"The old lady doesn't have good wine at home, so she can go to the West Village to treat her." After Lv Boshe told Chen Gong, he got on the donkey and left in a hurry.

Perhaps out of trust in my father's old friend, plus my embarrassment when I ran away, after Lv Boshe went out, Cao Cao and Chen Gong rested in the house and didn't think much.

In fact, danger is approaching the exhausted Cao Cao.

The sound of sharpening a knife came from behind the house! Cao Cao's nerves tightened immediately.

"Lv Boshe is not my next of kin, so this is suspicious and should be bugged." Cao Cao subconsciously doubted the Lv Boshe family.

"What if I tie it and kill it?" This sentence of Lv Boshe's family suddenly made Cao Cao's heartstrings tense.

It is better to strike first than to give in easily. Together with Chen Gong, Cao Cao directly killed a family of eight in Lv Boshe.

All the men, women and children of the Lv Boshe family survived. Just as Cao Cao sighed, he found a pig tied in the kitchen.

"Tie and kill"! Is it that Lv Boshe and his family discussed killing pigs to entertain Cao Cao and himself who fled? Chen Gong immediately thought that Cao Cao had killed the kind Lv Boshe family by mistake. It's all because Cao Cao is too suspicious!

Lv Boshe's family died, and Chen Gong and Cao Cao left in a hurry.

However, after walking two miles, Lv Boshe came face to face, with fruits and vegetables in his hand and two bottles of wine hanging on the saddle of the donkey.

Why didn't you leave when I came back? Lv Boshe asked Cao Cao.

"People who have committed crimes dare not stay long." Cao Cao replied.

"I have told my family to kill pigs. Why do you hate my dear and your prince for one night? Please transfer quickly. " Lv Boshe's retention of Cao Cao is very elder.

And Cao Cao just rode away.

Then the plot took a turn. After a long walk, Cao Cao suddenly rushed to Lv Boshe and asked, "Who is this man?" Lv Boshe hasn't made any answer, Cao Cao's sword has cut him down. ...

Chen Gong was very dissatisfied and asked Cao Cao why he was so heartless.

"I would rather teach me to be negative about the world than teach the world to be negative about me." Cao Cao said this sentence.

Second, the historical mystery of Cao Cao's killing of Lv Boshe

The case of Cao Cao's killing of Lv Boshe was characterized as an unjust case, which was Cao Cao's manslaughter. The most important thing is that the "official" has admitted this. After Cao Cao killed eight people in Lv Boshe's family, Chen Gong complained: "Meng De was so thoughtful that he killed a good man by mistake!" . After Cao Cao rebelled and killed Lv Boshe, Chen Gong even reprimanded Cao Cao: "It is a great injustice to kill while knowing it!" Immediately, Chen Gong called Cao Cao and Dong Zhuo to get rid of Cao Cao.

But is the truth of history really as written in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms? First of all, there are not many descriptions of Chen Gong in the History of the Three Kingdoms. Secondly, Pei Songzhi quoted The Fish Classic to supplement Chen Gong's life, but never mentioned that Chen Gong had made a county magistrate or released Cao Cao in good faith. Therefore, it is almost unconvincing to regard Chen Gong's accusation against Cao Cao in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms as history.

Did Cao Cao really kill the Lv Boshe family?

Pei Songzhi cited three other books to illustrate. The reflection of Shu Wei records: "I rode my old friend Gao Lv Boshe several times, but Boshe was not there. His son and his guests robbed Mao, took horses and things, and Mao personally killed several people. " "Shiyu" said: "Taizu has been extravagant, and he has traveled luxuriously, and his five sons are here, and he is the master for the guests. Taizu committed suicide with suspicion and killed eight people with his sword at night. " Sun Sheng Miscellanies also said: "Mao heard the sound of his food container and thought he was trying to save himself, so he killed him at night. Then sad; I would rather be negative than negative! Go ahead. "

Judging from these three materials, especially Wei's official books, it is likely that Cao Cao killed a family. But the reason for the killing was that Lv Boshe's family started first, while others said Cao Cao was too suspicious. Therefore, in the case of Cao Cao killing Lv Boshe, the biggest doubt is Cao Cao's motivation. Unfortunately, there are not many relevant historical materials left behind, which often makes people confused.

As for Luo Guanzhong's arrangement for Cao Cao in the fourth time, it shows his suspicious and vicious conspiracy, which is dominated by the thought of "respecting Liu and opposing Cao Cao". Whether Cao Cao really killed Lv Boshe or not, Luo Guanzhong is likely to write such a story because of his paranoia.

Is it Lv Boshe's fault or Cao Cao's fault that Cao Cao got rid of his father's old friend Lv Boshe? It is difficult to find evidence in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

History has never lacked treacherous people, but history is definitely not all treacherous people. Evaluating Cao Cao needs more perspectives.