Cao Cao 曹操

Under Emperor Huan, Cao Teng became a Regular Palace Attendant and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Feiting; his adopted son Cao Song succeeded him and rose to Grand Commandant, but no one knew Cao Song's origins. As a youth Cao Cao was quick-witted and skilled in stratagems, but he liked to play the knight-errant and lived dissolutely, so the world did not think him remarkable; only Qiao Xuan and He Yong saw something exceptional in him. Qiao Xuan told him that the one to bring peace to the realm would surely be him. At twenty he was recommended as "filial and incorrupt" (xiaolian) and became Commandant of the Northern District of Luoyang, and when the Yellow Turbans rose at the end of the Guanghe era (184), he suppressed the rebels of Yingchuan as Chief Commandant of Cavalry. As Chancellor of the Jinan State, he memorialized the throne to dismiss eight senior officials notorious for corruption. Records, Wei 1 §1–3

After Dong Zhuo deposed the emperor and set up a new one, he made Cao Cao Colonel of Valiant Cavalry, hoping to plan affairs with him, but Cao Cao changed his name and slipped back east by byways. At Zhongmou a pavilion head grew suspicious and seized him, but he was released at the request of a local man who had secretly recognized him. At Chenliu he spent his family fortune to gather a loyal army, and in the winter of the 6th year of Zhongping (189) he first raised troops at Jiwu. In the 1st year of Chuping (190) provincial governors and commandery administrators rose in arms with Yuan Shao as leader of the alliance, but no one would advance first; Cao Cao marched west, was defeated by Xu Rong at the Bian River in Xingyang and struck by an arrow, and escaped by night on a horse given to him by his cousin Cao Hong. Records, Wei 1 §5–9

In the 3rd year of Chuping (192), a million Yellow Turbans from Qing Province entered Yan Province and killed its Inspector, Liu Dai, whereupon Bao Xin and others welcomed Cao Cao to serve as Governor of Yan Province. Cao Cao took in more than 300,000 surrendered soldiers and over a million men and women, and gathered the best of them into a force he called the Qingzhou Army. In the 1st year of Xingping (194), when his father Cao Song, who had taken refuge in Langya, was killed by Tao Qian, he attacked Tao Qian, killing great numbers of people wherever he passed. Meanwhile Zhang Miao and Chen Gong rebelled and welcomed Lü Bu; fighting Lü Bu at Puyang, Cao Cao fell from his horse and burned the palm of his left hand. The following year he defeated Lü Bu repeatedly and pacified Yan Province. Records, Wei 1 §22–23 · 28–30 · 33–34

In the 1st year of Jian'an (196), on the advice of Xun Yu and Cheng Yu, he received the Emperor, and on the advice of Dong Zhao and others he moved the capital to Xu and became General-in-Chief. When Yuan Shao was ashamed to rank below him, he yielded the post of General-in-Chief and became Minister of Works; that same year, adopting the proposals of Zao Zhi, Han Hao and others, he first established agricultural colonies (tuntian). When Cheng Yu urged him to deal early with Liu Bei, who had come to him after being driven out by Lü Bu, he replied that this was a time to gather in heroes, and that he could not kill one man and lose the hearts of the realm. Records, Wei 1 §37–41

In the 2nd year of Jian'an (197), Zhang Xiu, who had surrendered at Wan, rebelled again; Cao Cao was struck by an arrow and lost his eldest son Cao Ang and his nephew Cao Anmin. Cao Cao said that his mistake had been failing to take hostages at once, and that from then on he would not be defeated again. In the 3rd year of Jian'an (198) he besieged Lü Bu at Xiapi and, following the plans of Xun You and Guo Jia, breached the rivers to flood the city; a little over a month later he captured Lü Bu and Chen Gong and put them both to death. Records, Wei 1 §43 · 48–49

In the 4th year of Jian'an (199), when Yuan Shao, having absorbed Gongsun Zan, prepared to attack Xu, the generals thought him too strong to resist, but Cao Cao said that Yuan Shao's ambition was great but his wisdom small, his countenance fierce but his nerve weak. In the first month of the 5th year of Jian'an (200), when the plot of Dong Cheng and others came to light, he overrode his generals' fear that Yuan Shao would strike from behind and personally attacked Liu Bei, capturing his wife and children and securing the surrender of Guan Yu at Xiapi. In the fourth month, using Xun You's plan, he drew Yuan Shao's army to the west, then raided Baima and beheaded Yan Liang, and next used his baggage train as bait to behead Wen Chou. Records, Wei 1 §54 · 58–63

During the standoff at Guandu, with fewer than 10,000 troops and short of provisions, Cao Cao considered returning to Xu, but Xun Yu dissuaded him, saying that this was the great turning point for the realm. In the tenth month Xu You, an advisor of Yuan Shao, defected and urged him to attack Chunyu Qiong and the others escorting the grain wagons. Cao Cao personally led 5,000 infantry and cavalry out by night, and when told that enemy cavalry were approaching, he said, "Report when the enemy is at our backs," fought on, and beheaded Chunyu Qiong and all the rest. Zhang He and Gao Lan surrendered, and Yuan Shao's army collapsed. Among Yuan Shao's papers Cao Cao found letters sent by people in Xu and in his own army, but he burned them all. Records, Wei 1 §64–65 · 68–71

Yuan Shao died vomiting blood in the fifth month of the 7th year of Jian'an (202). Cao Cao attacked his sons Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang in turn, and in the 9th year of Jian'an (204) he besieged Ye and flooded it, so that more than half of those inside starved to death; in the eighth month he took Ye. Cao Cao offered sacrifices at Yuan Shao's tomb and wept. In the 10th year of Jian'an (205) he beheaded Yuan Tan and pacified Ji Province. In the 12th year of Jian'an (207) he campaigned against the Wuhuan, with whom Yuan Shang and his brother had taken refuge; following Guo Jia's advice, he cut through mountains and filled in valleys to advance more than 500 li, and won a great victory at White Wolf Mountain. Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi fled to Liaodong, where Gongsun Kang beheaded them and sent their heads. Records, Wei 1 §76 · 82–84 · 88 · 96–101

In the 13th year of Jian'an (208), when the Han abolished the Three Excellencies and established the office of Chancellor, Cao Cao became Chancellor. That year he marched south against Liu Biao; Liu Biao died, his successor Liu Cong surrendered, and Liu Bei fled to Xiakou. Cao Cao advanced to Jiangling and then set out against Liu Bei, but he fought at Red Cliffs to no advantage, and when a great epidemic killed many officers and soldiers, he led his army back. Liu Bei eventually took Jing Province and the commanderies south of the Yangtze. Records, Wei 1 §103–105

In the 15th year of Jian'an (210) Cao Cao issued an edict ordering that men be recommended for their talent alone. In the 16th year of Jian'an (211) Ma Chao rebelled together with Han Sui and others and massed at Tong Pass. As Cao Cao crossed the river northward, Ma Chao rushed at him by boat, and only when the Colonel Ding Fei let loose cattle and horses to lure the enemy away could he get across. Following Jia Xu's plan, he feigned consent to their request for a cession of land, then talked with Han Sui horse to horse about nothing but old times and sent him a letter full of alterations, making Ma Chao suspect Han Sui; he then crushed them and pacified Guanzhong. Records, Wei 1 §107–108 · 110–113

In the 18th year of Jian'an (213) he received ten commanderies of Ji Province and became Duke of Wei, and in the 20th year of Jian'an (215) he attacked Zhang Lu of Hanzhong and forced his surrender. In the 21st year of Jian'an (216) he rose to King of Wei, and the following year he made Cao Pi Crown Prince. In the 24th year of Jian'an (219), after Xiahou Yuan was killed by Liu Bei, he advanced to Hanzhong, but as Liu Bei held the passes, he returned to Chang'an in the fifth month. That year the Han River overflowed and submerged Yu Jin's army, and when Guan Yu besieged Cao Ren, he sent Xu Huang to relieve him. In the first month of the 25th year of Jian'an (220) Sun Quan sent him Guan Yu's head, and on the gengzi day Cao Cao died at Luoyang, aged 66. His testamentary edict ordered that mourning clothes be removed once the burial was over, that he be laid out in ordinary clothes, and that no gold, jade or treasures be buried with him. His posthumous title was King Wu. Records, Wei 1 §121 · 129 · 146–152 · 154 · 157 · 166–168 · 171–172

In his assessment, Chen Shou wrote that while Yuan Shao held four provinces and had no rival, Cao Cao laid his plans and brought the realm under his whip. He commanded the methods of Shen Buhai and Shang Yang and the extraordinary strategies of Han Xin and Bai Qi, employed people each according to their capacity, restrained his feelings and relied on calculation, and did not dwell on old grievances. Records, Wei 1 §173