In the early days of Cao Cao's entrepreneurship, he was attached to his eldest brother Yuan Shao and secretly plotted his hegemony. After the Battle of Yanzhou, Cao Cao successfully expelled Lü Bu and regained his position as Yanzhou Mu. At this time, Cao Cao could also be regarded as a prince of one side; compared with Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zhan, Cao Cao's actions were not enough to make the world look sideways.
Until the situation in Luoyang City suddenly changed, so that Cao Cao found an opportunity. He adopted the political strategy of "serving the Son of Heaven to order no subjects" put forward by the strategist Mao Jiu, and took the initiative to lower his posture to welcome Back Emperor Xian of Han, thus standing on the nominal commanding heights. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it is said that Cao Cao "blackmailed the Son of Heaven to order the princes", which is actually quite different from the strategy of feng Tianzi.
Emperor Xian's return to the east – the opportunity for Cao Cao's rise
After Dong Zhuo came to power, in order to avoid the threat of the Kwantung Coalition Army, he forcibly moved the capital to Chang'an City. Just when Cao Cao chose to wait and see in Yanzhou, the situation in Chang'an City underwent a series of sudden changes. First, Dong Zhuo was eliminated by Wang Yun and Lü Bu in conspiracy, and then the Western Liang generals Li Yu and Guo Feng, at the instigation of Jia Xu, led troops into Chang'an to kill Wang Yun, and Lü Bu fled to Chang'an. Immediately afterward, Li And Guo launched another fierce infighting for the regime.
Under these circumstances, Cao Cao ordered his confidant Wang Bi to enter Chang'an, and secretly contacted his old friends Ding Chong, Zhong Xuan, and others. In the second year of Emperor Xingping's reign (195 CE), Ding Chong, Zhong Xuan, and others, who were then waiters at the Yellow Gate, secretly contacted Li Feng's general Yang Feng, who planned to assassinate Li Yu. Although the matter did not succeed, Yang Feng's act of turning against Guo Feng made the two sides fight each other again. One side kidnapped Emperor Xian of Han, while the other side simply controlled the Wen and Wu officials. For a time, the people in Chang'an City were not happy, and the Manchu Dynasty was miserable.
Under the circumstances again, Emperor Xian of Han finally formulated a plan to return to Luoyang in the east. After some rivalries between forces, coupled with Cao Cao's dispatch of people to secretly mediate, Emperor Xiandi of Han finally successfully got rid of the "clutches" of Li Guo and Li Guo under the protection of Yang Feng, Zhang Yang and others, and thus stepped onto the road to Luoyang.
Twists and turns- the transformation of Cao Cao's identity
The return of Emperor Xian of Han to Luoyang attracted the attention of many people. Yuan Shao, Lü Bu, and others all had the intention of holding Emperor Xian of Han hostage in an attempt to stand on their own. However, in the end, it was Cao Cao who insisted on doing it. As early as after he stabilized the situation in Yanzhou, his confidant Mao Jiu put forward the clever strategy of "Feng Tianzi to order not to be subordinate".
According to the Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms? The Biography of Xun Yu records: "Taizu yifeng Yingdu Xu, or Shandong Weiping, Han Xian and Yang Fengxin sent Tianzi to Luoyang, and Zhang Yang in the north, and did not have a death system." In the face of Cao Cao's move, many of his subordinates expressed their opposition. Cao Cao couldn't make up his mind for a moment, so he asked Xun Yu for advice. The latter was well aware of Cao Cao's intentions, so he gave him two successful examples: "Former Jin Dynasty Wenna Zhou Xiang King and princes Jing Cong, Gao Zu Dongfa for the Yi Emperor Mu Su and the world returned to the heart." Xun Yu strongly agreed with Mao Jiu's strategy of following the Son of Heaven; because once this matter was successful, it would make Cao Cao nominally invincible.
In this way, Cao Cao finally ordered his brother Cao Hong to lead troops to meet Emperor Xian of Han. Unexpectedly, Cao Hong could not get close to Emperor Xian of Han at all. According to the Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms? The Records of Emperor Wu records that "Cao Hong was sent to the west, and the Wei generals Dong Cheng and Yuan Shu refused to take risks, and Hong was not allowed to enter." At this time, Cao Cao had not yet trusted Emperor Xian of Han, so Cao Hong's soldiers and horses were stopped by the state governor Dong Cheng. However, Emperor Xian of Han also noticed Cao Cao's actions, and in June of the same year, Emperor Xiandi issued an edict naming Cao Cao the general of Zhendong and the Marquis of Feiting.
Although Feng Tianzi's plan was aborted, Cao Cao did not forget to brush a wave of good feelings in front of Emperor Xian of Han. After being made the general of Zhendong, Cao Cao followed this name and sent someone to meet Emperor Xiandi and express his gratitude. At the same time, Cao Cao also sent some rich supplies to Emperor Xian of Han and his princes and ministers. In this way, Cao Cao's image in the eyes of Emperor Xian of Han also became more and more good.
Willow Dark Flowers Bright - The fulfillment of Cao Cao's wish
Just when Cao Cao thought that the Fengtianzi strategy could not be completed, things took a turn for the better. Because after Emperor Xian of Han returned to Luoyang, his subordinates Yang Feng, Han Xian and others saw the desolate scene in the city and gradually infighting. Although Cao Cao had sent some grain and vegetables before, for the civil and military officials, it was just a drop in the bucket. Even the important members of the DPRK below Shang Shulang had to go to dig wild vegetables outside the city to fill their hunger. For a time, Emperor Xiandi of Han fell into confusion and loss here.
Seeing this situation, Dong Zhao helped Cao Cao a lot. He went so far as to send a letter to Yang Feng in the name of Cao Cao to express his intention to form an alliance. Yang Feng was overjoyed to learn that Cao Cao wanted to help him get rid of Han Xian, so he supported Cao Cao in entering Luoyang in front of Emperor Xian of Han. Emperor Xian of Han was already satisfied with Cao Cao's "humble" attitude, and seeing that Yang Feng supported it, he also agreed to this plan. In August of the first year of Jian'an (196 AD), Cao Cao officially entered Luoyang, and finally realized the strategy of feng tianzi to order not to submit.
Soon after, Cao Cao was made a lieutenant colonel, a lu shang shushi, and awarded the title of Jie Yu. At this time, Cao Cao finally completed the transformation from local separatist forces to holding the power of the imperial government. After receiving tianzi's approval, Cao Cao first drove out Han Xian and Zhang Yang, and then defeated Yang Feng with a trick and drove him out of Luoyang. In this way, Emperor Xiandi of Han completely became a "marionette" in Cao Cao's hands. Cao Cao's political means were abandoned, and he won the support of many courtiers with only a few simple moves, and finally took the first step to dominate the Central Plains.
Reference book: Romance of the Three Kingdoms