Cáo Cāo (Chinese : 曹操 ; pinyin : Cáo Cāo ; 155 – March 15 , 220) was a warlord and the penultimate Chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during its final years in ancient China. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period , he laid the foundations for what was to become Cao Wei and was posthumously titled Emperor Wu of Wei (魏武帝). Although often portrayed as a cruel and merciless tyrant , Cao Cao has also been praised as a brilliant ruler and military genius who treated his officers like his family. He was also skilled in poetry and the martial arts , and wrote many war journals.Life
Cao Cao was born in the county of Qiao (譙 , present day Bozhou , Anhui) in 155. His father Cao Song was a foster son of Cao Teng, who in turn was one of the favorite eunuchs of Emperor Huan. Some historical records , including Biography of Cao Man , claim that Cao Song was originally surnamed Xiahou (thus making Cao Cao a cousin of Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan , two of his most prominent generals). In the fictionalized Romance of the Three Kingdoms , Cao Cao's father was originally a Xiahou and was adopted into the Cao family.
Cao Cao was known for his craftiness as a young man. According to the Biography of Cao Man , Cao Cao's uncle often complained to Cao Song regarding Cao Cao's childhood indulgence in hunting and music with Yuan Shao. To counter this, Cao Cao one day feigned a fit before his uncle , who hurriedly informed Cao Song. Cao Song rushed out to see his son, who then acted normally. When asked , Cao Cao replied, "I have never had such illness , but I lost the love of my uncle , and therefore he had deceived you." Henceforth , Cao Song ceased to believe the words of his brother regarding Cao Cao, and thus Cao Cao became even more blatant in his wayward pursuits.
At that time , there was a man living in Runan named Xu Shao who was famed for his ability to evaluate one's potentials and talents. Cao Cao paid him a visit in hopes of receiving the evaluation that will earn him some reputation politically. Originally Xu Shao pondered and refused to make a statement ; however , under persistent questioning , he finally said, "You would be a capable minister in peaceful times and an unscrupulous hero in chaotic times." Cao Cao took this as a compliment and was very pleased as it was recorded that he "laughs and leaves" after receiving said comment. It is worth noting that there are two other versions of the comment in other unofficial historical records: "capable minister in peaceful times, righteous hero in chaotic times" and "sinister foe in peaceful times, great hero in chaotic times."
At twenty, Cao Cao was recommended to be a district captain of Luoyang. Upon taking up the post, Cao Cao placed rows of multicolored staffs outside his office and ordered his deputies to flog those who violated the law , regardless of their status. An uncle of Jian Shuo , one of the most powerful and influential eunuchs under Emperor Ling , was once caught walking in the city beyond the evening curfew hour by Cao Cao and given his fair share of flogging. This prompted Jian Shuo and other higher authorities to "promote" Cao Cao to another position outside the imperial capital (governor of Dunqiu County) to remove his management.
When the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in 184 Cao Cao was recalled to Luoyang and promoted to a captain of the cavalry (騎都尉) and sent to Yingchuan to put down the rebels there. He was successful in his military exploits and was further promoted to Governor of Dong Commandery (東郡).
Cao Cao's most celebrated poems
No comments:
Post a Comment