Don't look at Cao Cao's usual cunning appearance, he is a good hand at fighting. fought in the south and the north, got the Yuan Shao brothers, cleaned up Lu Bu, and surrendered Liu Biao, and Ma Chao did not escape the palm of his hand. It can be said that he is really an expert in Wen Taowu, and he is unrivaled for a while.
But when it comes to giving birth to a son, this Cao Mengde is also quite capable. Counting the toes, he had 25 sons in his life! Isn't it amazing, you say? Among this large number of sons, there are also some outstanding characters. But you see, Cao Cao still sighed, and he had to give birth to a son like Sun Quan. Why is that?
Let's talk about the five "little overlords" of the Cao family and the little overlord Sun Quan of Jiangdong.
Let's talk about the five young masters of the Cao family first. The eldest son, Cao Ang, is smart, brave and resolute, and his father Cao Cao is very fond of him. But fate made people, this young master followed his father on the expedition in the second year of Jian'an, encountered a surprise attack by Zhang Xiu, and died young, which made people sigh.
Cao Cao's eldest son, that is, the later Emperor Wen of Wei Cao Pi, this is a typical example of both civil and military. Not only is he erudite, but he is also a good hand at archery and horseback riding. In the end, he defeated his younger brother Cao Zhi in the family succession battle and became the king of Wei.
Let's talk about Cao Zhang, this one loves martial arts but not literature, and it can be said that his strength is off the charts, but he is slightly inferior in resourcefulness. This kind of tough guy image is also quite marketable in that troubled era.
Cao Zhi, ah, this is a talented man with great literary talents, and his poems and essays are written vigorously, but unfortunately he has a wild personality, and he failed to win the final battle for the son. After losing, he devoted himself to literary creation, leaving us with many precious literary legacies.
The last Cao Chong is extremely smart, which can be described as "a symbol of wisdom in childhood". His story "Cao Chong Called the Elephant" was widely circulated. Unfortunately, the fact that this little god died at the age of 13 is really sad.
Let's take a look at Sun Quan again, this Jiangdong little overlord is really not simple. was only 18 years old, and took over the Jiangdong cause of his brother Sun Ce. Surrounded by strong enemies outside, and unstable inside, the situation can be described as full of dangers. But this young overlord was able to deal with it calmly, uniting Zhou Yu externally against the enemy, stabilizing people's hearts internally, and developing the economy. It can be said that Sun Quan not only inherited his brother's legacy, but also carried forward the foundation of Jiangdong and became an exemplary person.
Next, let's take a closer look at the headaches that give Mr. Cao a headache.
Let's talk about personality first, Cao Cao, a "traitorous male", is suspicious and stubborn, which is a big problem in his time. In his life, betrayal and conspiracy abounded, Dong Cheng, Zhang Miao, Zhang Xiu, and Geng Ji were all making small moves behind Cao Cao's back. The result? Cao Cao became more suspicious and almost became the archetype of "not trusting anyone".
Let's take a look at his generals. Cao Cao's fierce generals are like clouds, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, Dian Wei, Xu Chu, all of them are famous tiger generals. But here's the problem, although these people are all brave, they are a little powerless in commanding large-scale group army battles and independent operations. They were more likely to carry out Cao Cao's orders than to fight on their own.
Besides, Cao Cao's team of strategists, Xun Yu, Guo Jia, and Chen Qun, these are all temporary choices. Their resourcefulness is indeed extraordinary, but they are all living in the shadow of Cao Cao. They can come up with good strategies, but it is difficult for them to establish their prestige like Zhuge Liang, and once Cao Cao is gone, their role is greatly reduced.
So, the real problem with Cao Cao is that he is too strong. This strength allowed his generals and advisers to operate within his framework. They may be able to shine under Cao Cao's leadership, but once they don't have Cao Cao, they will be powerless. This is Cao Cao's sorrow, he has been paying for his strength and suspicion all his life, and this is why he has the feeling of "giving birth to a son like Sun Zhongmou". In his opinion, a ** person who can take charge of himself and lead the group is probably what he dreamed of.
Although the generals of the Cao family were brave, most of them fought under the command of Cao Cao and lacked the ability to independently command the overall situation. Cao Cao personally marched, so he was worried that there would be no one to guard the rear; I don't want to recruit in person, and I am worried that no one on the front line will be able to take charge alone. This is simply a dilemma for Cao Cao.
Therefore, when Cao Cao met Guan Yu, why he appreciated it so much, and even wanted to take it for his own use, it is not difficult to understand. In Cao Cao's view, Guan Yu is not only brave, but more importantly, he has the kind of loyalty and handsomeness that is independent. This is exactly what Cao Cao lacks. These qualities of Guan Yu are simply rare and valuable assets in Cao Cao's eyes. It's a pity that Guan Yu finally chose Liu Bei and failed to become Cao Cao's right-hand man.
Let's go back and look at Old Man Cao's thoughts.
Cao Cao is suspicious and likes to control everything, and is a type who "can't sleep without holding things in his hands". This character is not so easy to serve. What do you think, although his generals and strategists are all outstanding, they are all tightly controlled by Cao Cao, how dare they play at will? This led to a problem: Cao Cao could not really delegate power to others.
Back to Cao Cao's sons. In fact, what he needs most is a strong son who can sit in the base camp independently and solve problems for him. It's a pity that fate makes people, and the sons who are most likely to shoulder this heavy responsibility, such as Cao Ang and Cao Chong, all died young, which frustrated Cao Cao's wish.
What about the rest of the sons? Although Cao Zhang is brave, he lacks strategy and cannot take charge alone; Cao Zhi is talented, but his personality is wild and uninhibited, and he is unreliable; As for Cao Pi, although he was somewhat strategic, he was too cautious and cautious, lacking strength and decisiveness. These sons are not the ideal ** people in Cao Cao's mind.
Look at Sun Quan again, this little overlord is really an excellent successor. Not only did he inherit the legacy of his elder brother Sun Ce, but he also managed Jiangdong in good order, and he had clearly proven himself to be a qualified leader.
Cao Cao reached the age when he should choose the best person, but found that his sons were not ideal one by one. This makes him anxious, always worried that once he dies, these sons will be able to take over the great cause, keep the foundation, and continue to conquer the world. Look at Sun Quan, who can fight and manage, Cao Cao is envious in his heart, how much he wishes he had such a perfect successor!