At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the world was in turmoil, and the princes were divided. Cao Cao quelled the "Yellow Turban Rebellion", provided a strong backing for the Han Dynasty, and returned the peace of the people. He was not only courageous, but also far-sighted, breaking through the shackles of the gate valve clan and implementing "hiring by talent", which greatly promoted the political ecology at that time. His son, Cao Pi, had a gentle temperament and was good at winning over the major clans to regain power, which was regarded as an important period in the transition period from the Han Dynasty to the Wei Dynasty.
Regarding the differences between the two in terms of management talents, how the two dealt with the oppression of the scholars, and what are the profound implications of the policies and measures they adopted, these are all important questions worthy of our attention.
In 196 AD, that is, in the first year of Jian'an, Cao Cao adopted Xun Yu's words, placed Emperor Xian of Han in Luoyang, and placed him in Xuchang, and since then, Cao Cao has officially taken charge of the Han State. At this time, the Han Dynasty was in turmoil, and when the etiquette collapsed, Cao Cao's arrival brought peace to the people.
Cao Cao was born poor, and his grandfather Cao Teng was a powerful eunuch during the time of Emperor Wu of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Because of this, many wealthy families disdain him. Cao Cao went through a lot of hardships and finally reached his ideals. However, these bullying nobles did not let go of attacking his family background.
Cao Cao knew very well that most of the literati who were innocent on the surface were actually a group of ungrateful opportunists who formed parties for their own selfishness. The reason why the Central Plains is chaotic is because of their own decay and decay, which has led to their own evil consequences. Cao Cao was very angry by the cynicism of these people.
Cao Cao met many literati, but he didn't do anything, and he knew the meaning of seeking truth from facts and winning with talent. Therefore, he resolutely carried out a reform of "not looking at one's background, but only one's talents", and implemented a brand-new employment system, so that capable people could give full play to their talents and make a name for themselves.
However, these children of the family are still very proud in their hearts by relying on their superior status, and often laugh at Cao Cao's actions, thinking that he has other plans. On the one hand, they felt that Cao Cao posed a threat to their rule, and on the other hand, they also developed a great disgust at their own destruction. The contradictions between the two countries are gradually intensifying. Cao Cao hated this villain even more, and he decided to resolutely eradicate this scourge.
In the second year of Jian'an, when Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty was sent to Xuchang, Cao Cao had a conflict with the famous Yang Biao, and even had the idea of killing him. At this time, Kong Rong stepped forward and made a good suggestion to Cao Cao: don't kill others indiscriminately.
Yang Biao is known for his iron-faced selflessness and high morality. Cao Cao was already dissatisfied with his performance at the court, and if he did anything more, it would inevitably provoke a violent reaction from the literati, which would jeopardize his reputation. In addition, although Kong Rong is a scholar, he has always been at odds with Yang Biao, and at this time he came out to relieve Cao Cao, which can not only win the hearts of the people, but also take advantage of the situation. After some consideration, Cao Cao finally chose to be lenient with Yang Biao.
But this incident touched the sore spot of the reform of the aristocracy at that time. Cao Cao knew very well that the literati at that time supported themselves on the surface, but they may not be like this in their hearts. If you leave it alone, sooner or later, your prestige will be shaken.
Cao Cao was worried about the scholars and decided to increase his surveillance on them. He established many strongholds in Xuchang and reported the movements of the scholars in great detail. On the other hand, he sent his henchman Cao Pi to sow discord within Cao Wei and provoke civil strife.
In the 13th year of Cao Cao's reign in Jian'an (208 AD), he finally seized an excellent opportunity to "lure" the leader Kong Rong who opposed him. Kong Rong was invited by Cao Cao to drink in his tent, and when he was drunk, he was killed by one of Cao Cao's soldiers, pretending to be sick and dying. Kong Rong was an upright person, very concerned about the government and politics, and often put forward some critical opinions. He ridiculed Cao Cao's campaign against Wuhuan for not yielding any results, intending to expose the shortcomings of the Wei surname. Cao Cao was ashamed and angry, determined to get rid of this "stone that was in the way".
Cao Cao used Kong Rong's residence to spread rumors that he had ties to the enemy. As a result, the entire court was silent about Kong Rong's death, while Cao Cao was overjoyed and hopefully hoped that the scholars would settle down.
Five years later, Cao Cao planned another assassination of his henchman Xun Yu. Xun Yu once promised Cao Cao that he would make great contributions to the revitalization of the Han Dynasty like the Duke of Zhou. But Cao Cao had already had his own plans, and Xun Yu's proposal was exactly what he wanted and helped him a lot.
Xun Yu fell seriously ill, Cao Cao ordered poisoning his diet, and sent his henchman Guo Huai to visit, using this as an excuse to force Xun Yu to commit suicide by taking poison. Under the persecution of Guo Huai, Xun Yu finally accepted his fate and passed away with regret. Shilin was greatly shaken, and the celebrities lost the self-discipline of the organization and the freedom of expression, so they had to keep silent. Cao Cao was very happy, thinking that they should be quiet now. Finally, the center of the right is able to run smoothly and without interruption.
Emperor Wen of Wei Cao Pi established Wei on behalf of the Han Dynasty in the first year of the early Huang dynasty (220), but was strongly resisted by the Shi forces. Cao Pi knew very well that in order to consolidate his rule, the most important thing was to win the hearts of the people.
Cao Pi was a gentle man, he had been associated with some famous people since he was a child, and he was well aware of their hobbies. In order to reverse his father Cao Cao's arbitrary character, Cao Pi adopted the strategy of "slowly drawing pictures", and gradually narrowed the relationship with the family through the relationship between "power scheme" and "family".
In the second year, Cao Pi formulated the "Nine Grades of Officials Decree", with the scholars as the main leader of the selection and evaluation work. He issued an edict to restore the name of the Han Dynasty and inherit the system of the Han Dynasty, expressing his spirit of advocating morality. The move was immediate, and it immediately won the favor of the literati. Intellectuals regained their right to speak in Wei, enjoyed special rights, and were once again rejuvenated.
Cao Pi also respected the old ministers of the Han Dynasty, and severely punished those traitors who had ** them to show the inheritance of the Han style. Yang Biao and Wei Zifu, the two old departments, were reused again, and they were all moved. Above the court, there was a sound of admiration.
Cao Pi was secretly happy in his heart, thinking that this kind of humble scribe cared most about fame and appearance, so he could get their loyalty. With the support of the family, the foundation of the new dynasty can be more solid!
Throughout the history of the two dynasties, Cao Cao and Cao Pi rectified the arrogance of the scholars at that time in a way of "working together", making them change from "the word of the people" to "only the right to obey" and "only to act".
Cao Cao showed his decisiveness in governing the country, making major changes to the rigid system of selection and appointment, and boldly punishing the die-hards, thus enabling the Cao Wei regime to better play its role. However, Cao Pi showed a moderate side, he knew that his father's strength would trigger strong resistance, so after taking office, he quickly changed his strategy and adopted various compromise methods, gradually eliminating the prejudice of the scholars against him and making them one of his own.
What's more, both men chose to work with those closest to them. The reason for this lies in the fact that his henchmen may have different opinions;Or hide their ambitions and discuss the issue of Zen concessions. Both Cao Cao and Cao Pi showed a determination to give up personal emotions and even family affection in order to win in the struggle for power and profit.
On the whole, Emperor Wu of Wei paved the way for Cao Cao, and Emperor Wen of Wei Cao Pi won the hearts of the people, which is a commendable thing. Both kings showed different sides and ended up forming a very united ruling group. Such a dialectical strategy of "three generations and one change" laid the foundation for the Wei State to be forever.
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