Throughout history, Cao Chong was a high-profile figure who, despite his age of thirteen, was widely known for his astonishing intelligence.
However, there are different voices for the evaluation of this young genius. Sima Yi, in particular, had a different view of Cao Chong, believing that he was not only smart, but also stupid. Let's delve into the life of this teenage hero and reveal the truth hidden behind him.
In 196 AD, Cao Cao's concubine, Mrs. Huan, gave birth to Cao Chong, a child nine years younger than his eldest brother Cao Pi, who showed extraordinary intelligence and agility from an early age. Every time he talked to his father Cao Cao, he could speak conclusively, which made Cao Cao feel very pleased. One of the most famous is the Elephant Incident.
At that time, Sun Quan of Wu gave Cao Cao a huge elephant, and Cao Cao wanted to know its weight, but the ministers were helpless. At this time, Cao Chong, who was only six years old, came up with an ingenious method: place the elephant on the boat and then estimate the weight based on the ship's ups and downs. Cao Cao was so impressed by this idea that he decided to make Sima Yi, the minister he had always admired, his teacher Cao Chong, in the hope of better cultivating Cao Chong's talents.
However, Sima Yi's evaluation of Cao Chong has a different view. He was well aware of the deceit above the court, fighting openly and secretly, so he was not optimistic about Cao Chong's prospects. Although Cao Cao appreciated Cao Chong's talent, Sima Yi believed that Cao Chong's cleverness was only superficial, and that there was stupidity hidden behind it.
He firmly believed that Cao Chong was destined to be unable to inherit the throne, because he was neither the eldest son nor the son-in-law, which was impossible according to the rules of the time. Although Cao Cao arranged Sima Yi as Cao Chong's teacher, in fact, he did not intend to let Cao Chong take over the position, which also made Sima Yi feel very disappointed.
Cao Chong's life was full of glory and tragedy. He was intelligent, kind and kind, but he also aroused jealousy and hatred for it. Once, he skillfully saved a subordinate and escaped the prime minister's punishment, but he incurred the jealousy of his brothers.
Especially after the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao was defeated, and Cao Pi and others were even more jealous of Cao Chong. Cao Chong's suggestion was greatly appreciated by Cao Cao, which made Cao Pi and others feel angry and dissatisfied. In full view of everyone, Cao Chong was tormented by a serious illness and finally died young at the age of thirteen. The cause of his death is not clearly recorded in the history books, but it is generally believed that Cao Pi and others committed it.
Cao Chong's life is an interweaving of the smart and the stupid, the kind and the dark. He was praised for his cleverness, but it also became a burden to him. And Sima Yi, as his teacher, knew all this, but he couldn't do anything about it. He may have foreseen Cao Chong's fate, but he couldn't change it. In that court full of deceit, Cao Chong was destined to become a real hidden dragon.