Among the military generals of the early Han Dynasty, we usually think of the "Three Heroes of the Early Han Dynasty". However, some people may overlook one point: although Zhang Liang is known as "strategizing and winning a thousand miles", there is no detailed record in the history books about his handling of government affairs and commanding large armies, which makes his title of "seeking saints" somewhat doubtful; Similarly, although Xiao He excelled in nation-building and the pacification of the people, his military exploits were negligible, which made his performance in the field seem very mediocre; As for Han Shin, his military prowess is undeniable, but his political prowess is relatively weak, which makes him appear to be less than good in the political field.
In the history of China, there have been some people who have been able to show outstanding talents in their respective fields, but there are very few who can truly be called "all-rounders". They must not only have outstanding military talents, but also outstanding wisdom and leadership skills, so that they can be praised as "all-rounders."
In the early Han Dynasty, there was a figure known as the "first person of military merit", the Han Xiangguo, and the Marquis of Pingyang, and he was Cao Shen. Although he may still have some gaps compared to other "all-rounders" in history, his performance is enough to prove that he is a true "all-rounder".
Cao Shen was born in a wealthy family, with far-sighted vision and excellent knowledge. Compared to the other veterans of the Abundance Group, he stands out from the rest. The "Historical Records" records the origins of the elders of the Fengpei Group, among them, Liu Bang is a black-and-white "gangster", Xiao He is a scribe, Fan Xu is an individual butcher, and Zhou Bo is an early farmer, drummer and mason.
However, when it came to Cao Shen, everything was different. Sima Qian said that he "lived in the county as a proud official", and the word "hao" was very important. In various historical materials of the early Han Dynasty, "Haoqiang" is often mentioned, referring to a tycoon with extensive economic power and influence in the local area.
Therefore, Sima Qian's statement that Cao Shen was a "heroic official" is enough to prove that his background is unusual.
What makes Cao Shen special is his vision and heart. Normally, when a subordinate is promoted to a superior, the superior's heart will be somewhat unnatural. However, Cao Shen is an exception.
In his opinion, the promotion of his subordinates does not mean his failure, but proves that his former subordinates have extraordinary abilities and potential. Therefore, when Liu Bang was promoted as Pei Gong, Cao Shen not only did not disagree, but lowered his posture and assisted him with all his might.
Cao Shen's heart is indeed worthy of our respect. If we think about the difference between Cao Shen and Liu Bang's background, we will admire Cao Shen's broad-mindedness and lofty vision even more.
In general, the reason why Cao Shen was able to be so open-minded was mainly because he saw that Liu Bang was extraordinary.
Cao Shen, known as the first person to make military achievements, has made great contributions to Liu Bang. In the second year after Liu Bang won the victory of "Chu and Han Rivalry", the Western Han Dynasty began to rank and order, and Cao Shen was recognized as the "first person of military merit".
Although the final ranking was Xiao He first and Cao Shen second, his merits were unmatched. According to statistics, Cao Shen won a total of two countries for Liu Bang, 122 county seats, captured two princes and above, 6 generals, and 5 feudal officials at the county guard level, and was the undisputed champion.
His exploits are astounding and admirable.
Taishi Gong once said that the reason why Cao Shenzhi's military exploits were "unbeatable" was because he knew how to "paddle water". However, this view is not entirely true. Just as the victory of the "three major battles" is inseparable from the wise strategy of the first one, the column commanders on the front line cannot be said to be just "paddling".
Cao Shen was able to achieve such results, not only because of following the "soldier immortal" Han Xin, but also because of his personal military quality. At the same time, this sentence also makes us think: Why did Liu Bang's close attendant Cao Hui become Han Xin's general?
First of all, in June, the king of Han sent troops to Chenggao, proclaimed himself a Han envoy in the morning, and galloped into the military camp of Zhao State. While Zhang Er and Han Xin were still asleep, the King of Han seized their seals in their bedrooms, summoned the generals with banners, and replaced their positions.
When Zhang Er and Han Xin woke up, they were surprised to learn that King Han was coming. The king of Han took the two armies into his own possession and ordered Zhang Er to defend the land of Zhao. Then, worshiping Han Xin as the Xiangguo, he collected the army that Zhao had not sent troops to attack the Qi State.
Han Xin successively defeated the Wei State and the Dai State, and the Han King continued to send people to collect his elite soldiers and send them to Xingyang to resist the Chu army. After Xiang Yu was defeated, the King of Han attacked and captured the army of the King of Qi.
In the first month of the fifth year of the Han Dynasty, the King of Han moved Han Xin, the king of Qi, to the king of Chu, and set the capital under Pi. Although Tai Shi Gong's words have their truth, we cannot ignore Cao Shen's personal performance in battle.
Not only did he follow Han Shin to many victories, but he also excelled in specific operations. Therefore, Cao Shen's success depends not only on Han Shin, but also on his personal ability.
At the same time, Tai Shigong's words also aroused our curiosity about how Cao Shen became the general of Han Xin.
This text records the "glorious deeds" of Liu Bang, the "commander of the light pole", who repeatedly seized the military power of the soldier Han Xin, although Han Xin's army was basically recruited by him, but why did Liu Bang succeed repeatedly?
The reason is that Liu Bang installed an undercover agent next to Han Xin, that is, Cao Shen. This not only explains why Han Xin was played by Liu Bang, but also explains why after Han Xin's death, Cao Shen not only did not receive the slightest suspicion from Liu Bang, but was highly used.
Cao Shen has always been trusted by Liu Bang, and he helped Liu Bang successfully contain Han Xin. In the early Han Dynasty, he advocated "rule by inaction" and opened a prosperous era. However, many people believe that the Han Dynasty implemented "rule by inaction" from the beginning of Liu Bang, which is actually inaccurate.
During Liu Bang's reign, he did pay attention to cherishing the people's power, but he did not stop "tossing". It took him eight years to clean up the princes and kings with different surnames, which caused a heavy burden on the people at the bottom.
Therefore, when talking about "ruling by inaction", don't mention Liu Bang, because this matter has nothing to do with him.
Who were the earliest advocates of "rule by inaction"? It is none other than Cao Shen. Before his death, Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, appointed Cao Shen to replace Xiao He as the prime minister of the Han Empire. However, as a political veteran, it was impossible for Empress Lü to completely entrust the country to an inexperienced young man.
As a result, Cao Shen was appointed as the state minister of Qi, a position that Empress Lü hoped would test his ability to govern. As soon as Cao Shen took office, he summoned local elders and students and asked them how to calm the people.
In the course of his consultation, he met Gai Gong, who proposed that the key to governance is to be quiet and to allow the people to settle themselves. Cao Shen was deeply inspired and adopted Gai Gong's advice.
His philosophy of governance focused on the rule of inaction and the freedom of production for the people at the bottom, and for three years, he adhered to this proposition, and achieved remarkable results. The "no toss" advocated by Cao Shen is not inaction.
For the appointment of **, he attaches great importance to experience and talent. He resolutely dismissed those who could only talk empty words and do not do real things. For those who are down-to-earth and talented, he will promote.
Cao Shen's philosophy of statecraft was widely recognized, and the Han Empire entered a stage of recuperation, laying a solid foundation for later prosperity. Cao Shen is a true all-rounder, his noble birth, able to succumb to reality, his open-mindedness, a far-reaching pattern, his noble character, deeply trusted, he knows both civil governance, but also good at martial arts, he has been in and out of the phase, outstanding achievements.
His all-round ability was deeply admired even by the traitorous male Cao Cao. Therefore, Cao Shen can be said to be a well-deserved pillar of the Han Empire.