Why didn't Cao Cao kill Zhang Xiu?
In March 220 AD, Cao Cao became seriously ill and knew that his days were numbered.
Cao Cao, who was living in the military, thought of his life at that time, and couldn't help but say something like this: I have never disappointed in my life, but if there is a ghost in the sky, Cao Ang asked me if my mother was in ** after I died, how should I answer?
As the saying goes, a man dies for his confidant. Before Cao Cao died, looking back on his life, Cao Ang's death still haunted him.
We know that Cao Ang died in Zhang Xiu's rebellion in Wancheng. This made Cao Cao feel very uncomfortable, because he thought that Zhang Xiu could only die, but the fact is that Zhang Xiu was not only not killed, but also got **Houlu under Cao Cao.
People can't help but ask, why didn't Cao Cao kill Zhang Xiu.
Back to the beginning again.
Zhang Xiu settled in Wancheng and defected to Liu Biao in order to protect himself. When Cao Cao goes south, he will take Wancheng.
In 197 AD, Cao Cao conquered Zhang Xiu, who felt defeated and was willing to surrender. Cao Cao was very happy and allowed the widow Zhang Ji to marry him.
Zhang Ji was Zhang Xiu's uncle, Zhang Ji was a cavalry general, and all of Zhang Xiu's armed forces were inherited from Zhang Ji. Therefore, Zhang Ji is Zhang Xiu's great benefactor. Therefore, Zhang Xiu was very angry at Cao Cao for snatching Zhang Ji's widow.
After Cao Cao found out, he wanted to get rid of Zhang Xiu, so he sent someone to buy Hu Che'er, a general loyal to Zhang Xiu, but he didn't know that Hu Che'er had returned, and told Zhang Xiu the news.
Zhang Xiu attacked Cao Jun without thinking and caught Cao Jun off guard. His eldest son Cao Ang and nephew Cao Anmin were killed, and the general Dian Wei was killed in battle. Cao Cao himself almost lost his life, but narrowly escaped.
Cao Cao couldn't let go of Zhang Xiu, and in 198 he crusaded against Zhang Xiu again. At the same time, news came from the north that Yuan Shao was going to attack Xudu, and Cao Cao had to temporarily let Zhang Xiu go and withdraw his troops to return.
In 199, Cao Cao killed Lü Bu and took Xuzhou. This year, Yuan Shu died of illness. As the situation becomes clearer, Cao Cao and Yuan Shu must decide how to contend with each other.
In June 199, Yuan Shao sent an army of 100,000 to the south, and the war officially began. In order to put pressure on Cao Cao, Yuan Shao sent Zhang Xiu to isolate Cao Cao. Since Zhang Xiu killed Cao Cao's son and offended Cao Cao, Yuan Shao naturally thought that Zhang Xiu would be on his side.
However, Zhang Xiu's chief strategist Jia Dang favored Zhang Xiu's surrender to Cao Cao, because Cao Cao's strength was much weaker, and surrendering Cao Cao was a blessing in disguise, while surrendering Yuan Shao was just the icing on the cake. Jia Xu believed that Cao Cao would never embarrass Zhang Xiu because of Cao Ang's death.
Zhang Xiu's surrender helped Cao Cao greatly, and Cao Cao immediately began to honor Zhang Xiu as a general of Yangwu and married his own son Cao Jun to Zhang Xiu's daughter.
Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu are related, which is actually a manifestation of Cao Cao's reckoning after the autumn.
When Zhang Xiu surrendered, this time he really surrendered, and he was promoted to Poqiang General during the Battle of Guandu.
In 205, Zhang Xiu followed Cao Cao and defeated Yuan Tan at Nanpu, retaking 2,000 households for his own clan. Don't underestimate these 2,000 households, because the population had been reduced to one-tenth due to the war. Under Cao Cao, there was no general who did not have a thousand households, and Zhang Xiu himself had 2,000 households, which shows that Cao Cao attached great importance to him.
So, when we say that Cao Cao needed Zhang Xiu's strength in the Battle of Guandu, why did Cao Cao not settle the account in the autumn after the Battle of Guandu?
Or is Zhang Xiu's rebellion mainly Cao Cao's own fault, and it was he who struck first and did not conform to his own character, which led to such a result?
At the same time, Cao Cao was a pragmatist.
For example. At that time, Lü Bu attacked Yanzhou, and most of the cities in Yanzhou surrendered to Lü Bu. This person named Bi Chen is Cao Cao's"Other states"。Other states"Kind of like today"Secretary-General", high status, ride in a carriage, so called"Other states"。
When Lü Bu attacked Yanzhou, he also captured Bi Chen's family. Cao Cao called Bi Chen and said:"Get your family here. "When Bi Chen heard this, he immediately knelt down, burst into tears, and said that he did not hesitate. Cao Cao was moved to tears and deeply satisfied.
Who would have thought that this Bi Chen would pretend to be an artist and rush to Lu Bu when he walked out of the door. Not only was he teased by Cao Cao, but his tears were also in vain. Later, Cao Cao won a complete victory and captured Bi Chen, but he still kept him in the official and did not kill him.
Therefore, it is understandable that Cao Cao did not kill Zhang Xiu.