Speaking of Cao Cao in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, everyone thinks that he is an adulterer, because Cao Cao "would rather teach me to lose to the world than to teach the world to lose to me". Why not be an adulterer? In fact, because Liu Bei is a Han clan, this novel is a positive character, and Cao Cao is a negative one to set off. So we can see that Cao Cao brutally killed the Lv Boshe family in order to protect his own life; To avenge his father's death, he crusaded against Tao Qian and cleaned Xuzhou. However, the real Cao Cao in history is a minister who has the ability to manage the world and a hero in troubled times-"He has lofty aspirations, a good plan in his belly, an opportunity to hide the universe, and an ambition to swallow the sky and spit the ground."
Cao Cao is ambitious. He is just a captain, dissatisfied with Dong Zhuo's bullying and playing politics. He offered a knife to assassinate Dong Zhuo. Although he failed and ran away, he was brave. Liu Bei was obsessed with being an emperor, while Cao Cao had the strength to be an emperor, but he didn't become an emperor. He knew that this was a big violation, but he "held the emperor to make the princes." Although ambitious, he is very clever.
Cao Cao has an open mind. Cao Cao thinks that he and Liu Bei are real heroes. Although Liu Bei lived in Cao Cao's house at that time, Cao Cao didn't kill him. Instead, Liu Bei was guilty and ran away. When Wancheng was at war with Zhang Xiu, Cao Ang, Cao Cao's eldest son, and Dian Wei, his lover, both died. But after surrendering to Cao Cao, Cao Cao still let bygones be bygones. "Cao Gong's mind is far better than the sea", which makes people admire.
Cao Cao loves talents very much. Cao Cao longed for the name Guan Yu for a long time. Under three harsh conditions, such as Guan Yu's surrender to the Han Dynasty but not to Cao Cao, Cao Cao took Guan Yu in, gave him a red hare for three days and a big feast for five days, and sealed it with gold, hoping to influence Guan Yu. When Guan Yu drove Liu Bei away, Cao Cao praised Guan Yu for "not forgetting his old master, coming and being clear, being a real husband" and gave him brocade robes and gold, which made his men unable to catch up. Cao Cao regarded Guan Yu as a rare talent, not only for Guan Yu, but also for all those who came to take refuge in him. When Xu You arrived, Cao Cao's performance was the most outstanding. "It's better to put on your shoes, step out to meet you, see Xu You from a distance, clap your hands and laugh, join hands and worship the ground first." Regardless of the past, what kind of spirit it is to recruit talents! Therefore, Cao Cao's civilian military commanders are the most and the strongest.
Cao Cao is a strategist. He grew stronger by suppressing the Yellow Scarf Army and the war against Dong Zhuo. In the battle of Guandu, Cao Cao used Xu You's plan to defeat Yuan Shao, which was the most beautiful battle Cao Cao played and established his hegemony.
Cao Cao is also a poet. Although he marched and fought, he still insisted on writing, reading widely, being good at poetry and learning ancient knowledge. Poems such as Watching the Sea, Longevity of the Turtle, and Short Songs are magnificent, generous and sad, and well-known.
"Ask the world who is a hero, who has a wine river and who has a grandfather"-this is Su Shi's evaluation. "Extraordinary people, outstanding people"-this is what Chen Shou praised in The History of the Three Kingdoms.
How can you not admire such a hero? No, idolization!