The Romance of the Three Kingdoms depicts Cao Cao as a usurper of the Han Dynasty, which is actually unfair.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, foreign relatives and eunuchs took turns in power, and the government and the public were in a state of chaos.

Entering the Jian'an era, the Eastern Han Dynasty was already beyond hope.

Regarding this, Sima Guang once commented in Zizhi Tongjian: "At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the world was in turmoil; all the land and people were not Han." Dong Zhuo abolished the establishment without permission, and Liu Yan made his own dragon robe, and was named Huainan's younger brother.

During the troubled times in the north, Cao Cao maintained his respect for the imperial court.

As early as the fifth year of Zhongping (AD 188), there was a conspiracy to overthrow Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty and establish a new ruler. When they tried to win over Cao Cao, who was Yilang at the time, he was rejected. When the coalition attacked Dong Zhuo, compared with others who were waiting and watching, Cao Cao took the lead.

Striving to forge ahead; in the second year of Chuping (AD 191), Han Fu, Yuan Shao and others wanted to establish Youzhou Mu Liu Yu as emperor, but Cao Cao rejected it again and made it clear: "You guys go north, I will go west." You can

Go and listen to the pastor of Youzhou in the north. I am still loyal to Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty in the west. Li Jie and others caused trouble in Chang'an. When Emperor Xian and his party fled from their hands in embarrassment, there were some who ignored them, some who took advantage of the situation, and some who added insult to injury. Cao Cao was

One of the few people who took the initiative to welcome Emperor Xian; in December of the 24th year of Jian'an (AD 219), after Wu and Wei cooperated to kill Guan Yu, Sun Quan came to persuade him to become a minister, but Cao Cao did not listen: "This guy wants to

I'll put it on the fire!"

Although this series of words and deeds showed Cao Cao's cautiousness and strategy, objectively it cannot be denied that they were a sign of respect for the imperial court.

As for Cao Cao's execution of Dong Cheng (originally a subordinate of Niu Fu, Dong Zhuo's son-in-law, and according to the standards of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he should be a "fish that slipped through the net") Fu Wan and other relatives of the emperor, after all, they were the ones who attacked Cao Cao in front of him and counterattacked in the back. How can they do it?

Do you expect Cao Cao to happily wait for death?

Moreover, the fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty was at the hands of his relatives and eunuchs. Cao Cao, who witnessed the chaos in the world, knew this clearly.

When Dong Cheng was executed and laid to rest, Cao Cao also stipulated that no one in his "harem" could interfere with government affairs. Even his own son Cao Zhang and others were to "be at home as father and son, and when in trouble, be king and ministers."

The talented Cao Zhi was dissolute. He once "opened the Sima Gate and left" privately, and his coachman (driver) was immediately executed (Cao Zhi fell out of favor largely because he violated the law. Cao Pi may have a thief's heart but not a thief)

Cao Zhi was brave, but Cao Zhi didn't take it seriously as a thief at all); Cao Zhi's wife's clothes were too gorgeous, and she was beheaded even though she was his daughter-in-law (too harsh) after she violated his order to promote frugality.

Based on these facts, looking back at Cao Cao's execution of Dong Fu and others, objectively he meant to avoid repeating the same mistakes, and it was not simply tit for tat.

Although Cao Cao held great power, he always respected the authority of Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty, and even put his life and death in the hands of Emperor Xian.

When Cao Cao and Jin met Emperor Xian, they followed the custom of the three princes meeting the emperor at that time, and there were Hu Lai on the left and right holding sharp swords.

In the 19th year of Jian'an, the same year after Cao Cao's execution and ambush, Emperor Xian once said to Cao Cao: "If you think I am worthy of assistance, please ask for assistance. If not, it is up to you." At that time, Emperor Xian could kill Cao Cao with just one order.

Death, Cao Cao was shocked after hearing such words and sweated profusely (after that, Cao Cao really did not dare to go to court).

Of course, after Cao Cao returned, he could have killed Emperor Xian in return, but Emperor Xian did not order Cao Cao to be killed, and Cao Cao did not feel disrespectful to Emperor Xian because of this.

It can be seen that Emperor Xian still trusts Cao Cao. At least he thinks that 1. he, or the world, still needs Cao Cao; 2. Cao Cao will not harm him.

I don’t understand why when Liu Bei said similar words to Zhuge, he was loyal and loyal, but when Emperor Xian said it to Cao Cao, he was deceiving the emperor.

Cao Cao said, "If there is no one in the world, I don't know how many people will be emperors and how many will be kings." This is actually something that everyone understands.

Objectively speaking, Cao Cao should be said to be the terminator and successor of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He allowed a terminally ill old man to spend his last years peacefully and successfully inherited his "legacy."

Few people deny Cao Cao's military and literary talents. What is slightly more controversial is his political achievements.

Personally, I think his political achievements are even worse than his military achievements.

Looking back at the history before the Three Kingdoms, during the reign of Emperor Huan of the Eastern Han Dynasty, China's population once reached more than 50 million, but by the time of the Three Kingdoms, it dropped sharply to more than 7 million. It was not even as good as the Warring States Period four or five hundred years ago, when "one hundred thousand people were beheaded" at every turn.

(There were still more than 10 million at that time).

It is impossible to kill all these people, but it is not difficult to starve to death.

The root cause is nothing more than natural and man-made disasters.

Since Emperor Huan and Ling Emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, droughts, floods, plagues, riots, and ethnic minority rebellions have continued, leaving the people in dire straits and the population and number of households declining significantly.

According to the records of the Later Han Dynasty, during the period of Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty, the major disasters were "in the spring and March of the ninth year of Yanxi (AD 166), four to five people died from starvation in Sili and Yuzhou, and even some households were wiped out." According to this estimate, this is the only

About three to four million people starved to death in these two places in one year; during the Han Ling Emperor's period, "in the first month of spring in the third year of Jianning (AD 170), the women of Hanoi ate their husbands, and the men of Henan ate their wives."

"In February of that year (AD 182), there was a severe epidemic." "In the summer of the sixth year of Guanghe (AD 183), there was a severe drought."

There are countless other small-scale natural disasters, ethnic minority rebellions or invasions.

Coupled with the Yellow Turban Uprising that broke out in 184 AD and the subsequent warlord melee, production was completely disrupted.

In such troubled times, restoring normal production order so that the people have enough food and clothing is an urgent and top priority.

However, among the various princes in the Three Kingdoms at the end of the Han Dynasty, many were talented in military affairs, but not many were effective in domestic affairs.