"There is a Hamlet in every reader's heart" because each person is unique, and therefore our understanding and perception of things are also different.
Historically, the Three Kingdoms period was a period of abundant talents, and various strategists emerged one after another. In the minds of many people, Zhuge Liang, who was looked at three times, was undoubtedly the most outstanding strategist.
Among the strategists of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang can only be regarded as the top five, so who is the real first strategist? Let's take a look. This strategist once assisted Cao Cao, Cao Pi and Cao Rui, and even "survived" the three bigwigs, and finally did not end his life as a three-generation elder, but went further and became Emperor Gaozu Xuan, famous in later generations.
He is Sima Yi, who is known as the "Tomb Tiger".
Each strategist has his own unique talents, and Sima Yi's wisdom and scheming are unmatched. During the Three Kingdoms period, the ruler of the Han Dynasty, Cao Cao, was very eager to get more talented people to assist him.
Therefore, Sima Yi was favored by Cao Cao, and he became interested in Sima Yi at first sight. However, Sima Yi was unwilling to submit to Cao Cao's leadership, so he refused Cao Cao's repeated invitations on the grounds that he was suffering from gout.
However, a "boss" like Cao Cao will not easily give up any "employee". Eventually, in 208 AD, Cao Cao became the chief prime minister, and after the defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs, he forcibly recruited Sima Yi as a literary scholar.
Cao Cao said to Sima Yi: "If you still pretend to be sick, I will arrest you." Under the pressure of this sentence, Sima Yi had to give up sick leave and return to work. Some people may think that Sima Yi is a timid person who is afraid of death, but in fact, in the moment of life and death, even a saint will choose to survive, let alone ordinary people.
He just chose to protect his life. In the same year, Cao Cao did another thing that frightened Sima Yi. That is Cao Cao's killing of Kong Rong and his family.
Kong Rong was a famous literati and could not be killed as easily as ordinary people. In order to get rid of the suspicion of his own ** general, Cao Cao decided to send someone to collect evidence of Kong Rong's crimes, which was large and complicated, and in the end, Cao Cao beheaded Kong Rong on the grounds of disloyalty and filial piety, as well as his overly publicized arguments in writing.
Sima Yi saw all this and understood more clearly the darkness and ** of the reign at that time, so he had to bow his head to Cao Cao in order to protect himself. But who knows what other motives he had for his patience?
Although Cao Cao looked at Sima Yi differently, he was still suspicious, his personality was gloomy and jealous, and he often reminded Cao Pi to beware of Sima Yi.
Cao Pi's close relationship with Sima Yi enabled Sima Yi to remain safe and sound under Cao Pi's protection. Sima Yi's loyalty and dedication to Cao Cao also earned him Cao Cao's trust.
Therefore, Cao Pi's succession to the throne is inseparable from the participation of Sima Yi, a member of the "think tank". This also shows that Sima Yi has a unique vision and knows who to assist and who to make the sovereign.
Therefore, after Cao Pi became emperor, Sima Yi was named the Marquis of Anguo and gained Cao Pi's trust. During Cao Pi's invasion of Wu, he was assigned the responsibility of "outside the town of An", that is, to ensure the safety of the people and the food and grass of the soldiers**.
Cao Pi made it clear that this was for the sake of sharing worries, not fame and fortune. Sima Yi therefore accepted the task.
Sima Yi's lack of arrogance may be the secret of his longevity. After Cao Pi's death, Cao Rui succeeded to the throne, and Sima Yi was reused to assist Cao Rui. Sun Quan wanted to take the opportunity to attack Wei and sent Zhuge Liang's elder brother Zhuge Jin and Zhang Ba and others to send troops.
Cao Rui couldn't accurately judge the situation, so he sent Sima Yi to fight Sun Quan. Soon, Zhuge Jin was defeated, Zhang Ba was beheaded, and Sun Quan was defeated, losing thousands of generals.
Sima Yi was considered Zhuge Liang's number one enemy. After Zhuge Liang accepted Liu Bei's entrustment in the White Emperor City, he promised Liu Bei to restore the Han dynasty and continue the Northern Expedition. However, Zhuge Liang's several Northern Expeditions were not very successful, especially in the contest with Sima Yi, and he did not perform as well as the other side.
It can be seen from the handling of Liu Bei's subordinate Meng Da that Meng Da took refuge in Cao Pi after Liu Bei's death, but wanted to rejoin Shu under the lure of Zhuge Liang. Their correspondence was discovered by Sima Yi.
He appeased Meng Da on the surface, but secretly led troops to encircle and suppress him, and finally killed him. When Zhuge Liang learned of this, he strengthened his determination to go on the Northern Expedition. Zhuge Liang's several northern expeditions failed, mostly due to the lack of grain and grass.
But in the fight against Sima Yi, the reasons for the defeat were more complicated. Some people say that Sima Yi does not dare to fight, but I think it is more that he cannot fight. Cao Rui's distrust of Sima Yi is not groundless, and he will still send people to accompany him when he is out on the expedition.
In the Battle of Wuzhangyuan, Zhuge Liang finally waited for an opportunity and trapped Sima Yi and his soldiers and horses in a canyon. However, the heavens were not beautiful, and a heavy rain extinguished the fire and ruined Zhuge Liang's hopes, resulting in his death in the Battle of Wuzhangyuan.
Coupled with Sima Yi's long-term strategy of not going to battle, Zhuge Liang was finally brought down. It's a great wisdom that doesn't cost a single soldier. Zhuge Liang's death and Gongsun Yuan's rebellion made Sima Yi's status rise day by day.
When his class returned to the court, he happened to encounter the death of Cao Rui, who died young.
Cao Rui entrusted his 8-year-old son to Sima Yi, hoping that he would take care of and respect his son like a father. Sima Yi also had the desire to assist the new crown prince, and took Zhuge Liang's support in the White Emperor City as an example.
However, the reality was far from what he imagined, and a colleague next to him named Cao Shuang made things difficult for Sima Yi out of jealousy, trying to eradicate him. However, the result was that Sima Yi eliminated Cao Shuang in turn.
At that time, Sima Yi's prestige in the court was too high, and it was easy to eradicate such dissidents, and there were many people in the court who were dissatisfied with Cao Shuang. Therefore, Cao Shuang's downfall is inevitable.
The defeat of Cao Shuang also marked the decline of the Cao family in the court, and the initiation of the Gaopingling Rebellion became the reason why their descendants could later be posthumously crowned Emperor Gaozuxuan.
Therefore, it is indisputable that Sima Yi became the most outstanding strategist of the Three Kingdoms period. "The most outstanding"It is not only his incomparable resourcefulness, but also his forbearance and low-key that are neither humble nor arrogant, which makes him stand out among many strategists.
Even when he went out to fight, he did not hold the power of the army like Zhuge Liang, but took the initiative to hand it in, which fully demonstrated his wisdom. And he also lived the longest, and was eventually posthumously crowned emperor.
He assisted three generations of emperors, and the early death of three generations of emperors gave him more opportunities to some extent. So why didn't he rebel early? It may be that the heart of rebellion has not always existed, if it weren't for Cao Shuang's frequent provocations, he might continue to assist a generation of kings, adapt to the changes of the times, and he is the real strategist who has the last laugh.
Jia Xu, a strategist of the Three Kingdoms, is known as the head of the poisoners. His cunning is like poison, and every move can catch his opponent off guard and even bring him to the end. Jia Xu had a unique discernment, saw through Cao Pi's monarchical temperament at a glance, and advised him to act cautiously, and finally Cao Pi became the lord of the Three Kingdoms with his infallible cautious attitude.
Xun Yu, Cao Cao's "partner", has outstanding talents but few people know about them. He participated in and won the Battle of Yanzhou, laid the foundation for Cao Cao's unification of the north, and also contributed a key strategy in the Battle of Guandu.
He was Cao Cao's indispensable advisor, but because of his short lifespan, he was not as widely known as Zhuge Liang.
Guo Jia, a wise and brave strategist, was once known as "Guo Jia is not dead, and Wolong is not out". He not only surpassed Zhuge Liang in wisdom, but was also a key figure in Cao Cao's great achievements.
In the battle of Xuzhou between Cao Cao and Lu Bu, he reminded Cao Cao with his unique insight that those who have courage and no plans will definitely be defeated. Cao Cao believed his words and successfully defeated Lü Bu. Unlike Xun Yu, Guo Jia is more like Cao Cao's friend and is deeply trusted by Cao Cao.
Even after Guo Jia's death, Cao Cao often missed this loyal general who once advised him.
Although Zhuge Liang's deeds are known to everyone, he can only barely rank fifth in the ranking of strategists. His "Teacher's Table" is a classic that we have memorized since childhood, and Zhuge Liang is regarded as the embodiment of justice.
However, even if the Han family he took over was already close to the number of qi, even if the most powerful person took over, I am afraid that it would not be able to save it. Everyone has their own heroes, and the identity of strategists is not simple, they are all great figures in history, but their encounters and endings are different.
Who, then, is the most powerful counsellor in your heart?
The following references are excerpted from Shakespeare's tragic work "Hamlet", the Chinese classic ** "The Complete Biography of Jigong", the historical biography "Zhao Kuangyin", the ancient Chinese history book "Jin Shu Xuandi Ji", and the classic Chinese medicine work "Typhoid Fever on Sun Disease". February** Dynamic Incentive Program