Cao Cao, a man of the year in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, was known for his wisdom and courage and established his own Wei power. However, in his lifetime, he made five major decision-making mistakes that brought fatal damage to his career.
First, Cao Cao made a fatal mistake in his treatment of Zhang Xiu. In the second year of Jian'an, Zhang Xiu surrendered to Cao Cao, but Cao Cao, because of his greed for beauty, forced Zhang Xiu's wife Zou to marry him, which aroused Zhang Xiu's anger, which eventually led to Cao Cao's defeat in Wancheng, and the loss of the important general Dian Wei and his eldest son Cao Ang, laying the groundwork for Sima Yi's later usurpation.
Secondly, Cao Cao also made mistakes in his treatment of Sima Yi. Cao Cao praised Sima Yi's talent at first, but later became suspicious of him and tried to get rid of him many times, but failed because of Sima Yi's strategy and cultivation. However, Cao Cao's son, Cao Pi, trusted Sima Yi too much and appointed him as the prime minister of Zuo, resulting in Sima Yi seizing the power of the court and eventually seizing de facto control of Cao Wei's regime.
mistakenly killed the divine doctor Hua Tuo. Cao Cao's headache could not be cured for a long time, and when he heard that Hua Tuo's medical skills were exquisite, he sent someone to invite him. However, Cao Cao misunderstood Hua Tuo's meaning and killed him by mistaking him for an assassination. This deprived Cao Cao of the opportunity to suffer from a headache, which led to an aggravation of his illness and his death in 220 AD.
Hua Tuo's death was not only a personal tragedy for Cao Cao, but also a loss for the entire society. If Hua Tuo had not been killed, Cao Cao might have lived a long life, avoided political instability, and improved the lives of the people. However, Hua Tuo's medical skills and skills disappeared as a result, bringing regret and disappointment to countless patients.
Cao Cao also made another serious mistake, which was the misplacement of Liu Bei and his right-hand man Guan Yu. Cao Cao missed the opportunity to get rid of Liu Bei and Guan Yu, which led to Liu Bei being able to establish Shu Han, forming a situation where the Three Kingdoms were in power. This mistake not only put Cao Cao in a passive position in the struggle against Liu Bei, but also laid a hidden danger for the future political situation.
Cao Cao led an army of one million to the south of the Yangtze River and confronted Sun Quan, but faced the dilemma of unfavorable water warfare. Pang Tong's chain of iron ropes became a plan to overcome the predicament, however, the appearance of Huang Gai broke Cao Cao's defense.
Huang Gai pretended to surrender, advocated a fire attack strategy, and gained Cao Cao's trust. However, this move was actually a trap set by Zhou Yu and Huang Gai. After the fire attack was launched, Cao Cao's army suffered heavy losses, and Cao Cao himself was almost killed. After the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao lost the opportunity to unify the whole country, and also laid the foundation of Eastern Wu and Shu Han.
February**Dynamic Incentive Plan Cao Cao failed because he did not fully understand the enemy's situation, blindly followed the advice of others, and did not trust his own strategists. This lesson tells us that decision-makers in war must keep a clear head and act cautiously in order to avoid repeating Cao Cao's mistakes.
Although Cao Cao's achievements and mistakes coexisted in his life, his failures provided us with opportunities for reflection and growth. History tells us that good and bad depend on each other, and failure contains the seeds of success. Reflecting on Cao Cao's mistakes can help us better cope with the challenges of the present and the future, which is also a valuable asset given to us by history.