Why did Cao Cao divide the world into three parts, and Li Yuan and Liu Bang unified for seven years?

Mondo History Updated on 2024-01-29

1. Cao Cao's life experience is tired, and the eunuch's stigma

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao Cao, as a prince, mainly relied on welcoming Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty to order the world. However, his background became an indelible stain, and Cao Cao, who was born in a family of eunuchs, found it difficult to gain the approval of scholars. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, relatives and eunuchs frequently intervened in court politics, which aroused the disgust of scholars. After the eunuchs got rid of the general He Jin, they were immediately counterattacked by the scholars, putting Cao Cao in a difficult situation. Cao Cao's background became the focus of attacks by Yuan Shao and other opponents.

Cao Cao came from the family of Cao Teng, a famous eunuch in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and it was difficult to get rid of the label of eunuch. In contrast, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu were born into a family, and they rose rapidly in the late Eastern Han Dynasty by virtue of their protégés and former officials. Cao Cao's background made it difficult for the family doctors to truly identify with him, and Sima Yi, Kong Rong, You Heng and others all had a contemptuous attitude towards Cao Cao.

In order to control the family, Cao Cao relied on military power and the puppet emperor "Emperor Xian of Han". However, this move coerced the Son of Heaven to order the princes, resulting in Cao Cao not being able to claim the title of emperor as quickly as Liu Bang and Li Yuan. At the same time, Cao Cao, who retained Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty, had to deal with the counterattack of the loyal ministers of the Han family. Cao Cao not only had to fight against Liu Bei, Sun Quan, Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Lü Bu, Ma Chao and other princes, but also had to stabilize the rear, which was one of the reasons why Cao Cao had difficulty dominating the world.

Second, Cao Cao's strength is not superior, and his opponents are not weak due to his talents.

Although Cao Cao established a strong power with many talents in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, he did not form a crushing advantage compared with Liu Bei and Sun Quan. Liu Bei took Kuangfu Han as the banner and attracted Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Fa Zheng and other military generals. With his tenacity and perseverance, Liu Bei became Cao Cao's strongest opponent and established Shu Han.

After Sun Ce's death, the young Sun Quan took over Jiangdong and consolidated his position by defeating Huang Zu and the Battle of Chibi. With the assistance of Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Lü Meng, Lu Xun and others, Sun Quan successfully resisted the offensive of Cao Wei and Shu Han. Correspondingly, Cao Cao faced a stronger opponent, and it took 22 years to unify the north, giving Sun Quan and Liu Bei the strength to fight. In this context, the pattern of three parts of the world has also been established.

3. Cao Cao acted impulsively, and it was difficult to unify when he lost control.

Li Shimin once commented on Cao Cao: "The emperor is a majestic and often difficult luck." The responsibility of the pillars is the same as the time;Kuang Zheng's work is different from the past. "Cao Cao's abilities as a general are excellent, but as a prince and emperor, he has shortcomings. Cao Cao's style of action shows an impulsive and irrational side.

In 194, in order to avenge his father, Cao Cao personally conquered Xuzhou, but was betrayed by the Yanzhou scholars and lost his foothold. In 197, Cao Cao personally conscripted Zhang Xiu, but he was killed because of his greed for beauty. This style of action cost Cao Cao dearly at critical moments. Before the Battle of Chibi, the strategists advised him to pacify Jingzhou and not to rush into a decisive battle, but Cao Cao's heart swelled, which eventually led to a crushing defeat. These impulsive actions became one of the reasons why Cao Cao could not dominate the world as quickly as Liu Bang and Li Yuan.

Epilogue. There are many reasons why Cao Cao divided the world, and the fatigue of his life experience, the strength of his opponents and his uncontrollable behavior were all key factors that made it difficult for him to dominate the world in his life. In contrast, Li Yuan and Liu Bang had relatively weak opponents in the process of dominating the world, and their talent advantage was more obvious, which enabled them to quickly end the war and unify the world.

Cao Cao's Three Divisions of the World: Limitations and Challenges under the Intertwining of Historical Factors

This article provides a detailed analysis of why Cao Cao was unable to dominate the world in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, as well as his comparison with Li Yuan and Liu Bang. Through the analysis of Cao Cao's life experience, strength and style of acting, it is not difficult to see the huge challenges and limitations he faces. The article first mentions the eunuch label of Cao Cao's life, which undoubtedly became an important reason why it was difficult for him to gain recognition in the scholar class. Compared with opponents from families such as Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, Cao Cao's position was more fragile. The tiredness of his life made him have to use "Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty" as a puppet in the process of unifying the world in order to maintain his legitimacy in the position of ruler.

Secondly, the article mentions that Cao Cao's strength did not form a crushing advantage, and compared with Liu Bei's and Sun Quan's opponents, Cao Cao did not occupy a significant advantage in talent allocation. Liu Bei took Kuangfu Han as the banner and attracted a series of top civil and military generals such as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Zhuge Liang, etc., and built a strong team. With the assistance of Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Lü Meng, Lu Xun and others, Sun Quan successfully stabilized the Jiangdong territory. In contrast, Cao Cao's opponents also have good abilities and excellent teams, which makes Cao Cao fall into a difficult situation in the process of unifying the world.

Finally, Cao Cao's impulsive and uncontrollable style of acting became a key factor in his inability to dominate the world. The article gives examples of his personal conquest of Xuzhou and Zhang Xiu, as well as the plot of not listening to the advice of his advisers before the Battle of Chibi. This impulsive behavior caused Cao Cao to lose his foothold at a critical moment and pay a heavy price. Compared with the cautious and steady behavior of Li Yuan and Liu Bang, Cao Cao's impulsive behavior became a constraint on his inability to gain an advantage in the face of complex situations.

Overall, this article provides an in-depth analysis of Cao Cao's historical background, strength, and style of conduct, revealing the reasons why he was unable to dominate the world. Cao Cao's various challenges and limitations put him in a difficult situation in the process of unifying the world, and finally divided the world into three parts. The article vividly presents the demeanor of the hero of the troubled times in combination with historical details, and provides a useful reference for us to understand history.

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