preface
In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, anyone who can achieve a career is inseparable from the assistance of strategists, and "Wolong and Phoenix Chicks can win the world" is the most vivid example!
And Cao Cao, the hero of the troubled times, can achieve the great cause of the world, and it is inseparable from the help of the four strategists under his command!
Who are these four advisors?
Xun Yu
In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Xun Yu, with his extraordinary strategic vision and profound political wisdom, became Cao Cao's indispensable think tank and humerus's minister.
In the early years, Xun Yu had shown extraordinary talent, known as "Wang Zuo's talent", in the face of the troubled times, Xun Yu did not blindly follow, but after careful consideration, he chose Cao Cao as his lord.
He knew that although Yuan Shao was powerful, it was difficult to achieve great things, so he resolutely defected to Cao Cao, a decision that not only changed his personal fate, but also profoundly affected the direction of the history of the Three Kingdoms.
Under Cao Cao, Xun Yu was not only known for his precise strategic planning, but also showed outstanding talents in many fields such as politics, military affairs, and talent recommendation.
At the critical moment of the Battle of Guandu, Xun Yu tried his best to defy public opinion, adhered to the strategy of sticking to it, and finally helped Cao Cao win more with less and defeat the powerful Yuan Shao, which not only consolidated Cao Cao's position in the north, but also demonstrated Xun Yu's extraordinary wisdom as a strategist.
In addition to military affairs, Xun Yu also knew the importance of talents for the rise and fall of the country, and he recommended a large number of outstanding talents to Cao Cao, including Guo Jia, Xun You, and Zhong Xuan, who later became important generals and strategists under Cao Cao, and made great contributions to the stability of Cao Wei's regime.
Xun Yu's elegance and harmony enabled him to give Cao Cao firm support and valuable advice on important occasions, and became one of Cao Cao's most trusted advisors in his later years.
Xun Yu did not neglect the people's livelihood and cultural construction while paying attention to military and political affairs, he put forward many policies conducive to the development of people's livelihood and agriculture, actively promoted cultural prosperity, and laid a solid economic and social foundation for the stability and development of Cao Cao's regime.
Guo Jia
Guo Jia, whose name is filial piety, with his extraordinary wisdom and far-reaching strategy, has become one of the most dazzling strategists under Cao Cao, and his short life is like a bright meteor, illuminating the road for Cao Cao to dominate the world.
Guo Jia was born in Yingchuan Guo's family, and served under Yuan Shao's account in his early years, but soon recognized Yuan Shao's limitations, resolutely left, and stayed at home for six years, until Xun Yu's insight recommended him to Cao Cao, Guo Jia's talent was truly displayed.
Cao Cao and Guo Jia hit it off at first sight, both of them deeply admired each other's talents, Cao Cao even said "The one who makes a lonely person into a great cause must be this person", and Guo Jia also sighed at Cao Cao's good knowledge and responsibility, and recognized him as his true master.
In the second year of Jian'an (197), Guo Jia put forward the famous theory of "ten victories and ten defeats", which analyzed in detail the advantages and disadvantages between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, greatly boosted the morale of Cao's army, and also formulated long-term strategic goals for Cao Cao.
In the ensuing Battle of Guandu, Guo Jia's resourcefulness was fully verified, he not only accurately predicted the development of the battle situation, but also gave Cao Cao many advice, helping him successfully defeat the powerful Yuan Shao and establish Cao Cao's hegemony in the north.
In addition to strategic planning, Guo Jia is also good at perceiving people's hearts, and has an accurate grasp of the enemy's psychology and behavior.
When Cao Cao conquered Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, Guo Jia advocated withdrawing the army, taking advantage of the contradictions between the two Yuan to reap the benefits of the fisherman, and these decisions all showed Guo Jia's extraordinary wisdom and insight.
But God is jealous of talent, Guo Jia's life is fixed in his most glorious period, in the twelfth year of Jian'an (207 years), on the way to conquer Wuhuan with the army, Guo Jia died of illness at the age of 38, his early death made Cao Cao lose his right arm, and also made countless people in later generations sigh.
After Cao Cao's defeat in the Battle of Chibi, he was even more emotional: "If Feng Xiao is here, I will never be so badly lost!" It shows the importance of Guo Jia's position in Cao Cao's heart.
Jia Xu
With his unfathomable wisdom and complex and changeable political skills, he played a pivotal role in the turbulent years from the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the early years of the Three Kingdoms, and was known as the "poisoner", and was regarded by later generations as one of the most outstanding military strategists and strategists in the Three Kingdoms period.
Jia Xu's resourcefulness is first reflected in his accurate judgment of the situation and his unique strategic vision, which he has already shown in his early years under Dong Zhuo.
After Dong Zhuo's death, instead of sinking, he calmly analyzed the situation and successfully persuaded Li Dao and Guo Yan to counterattack Chang'an, although this move indirectly accelerated the decline of the Han Dynasty, but also highlighted his extraordinary insight and decision-making power.
Subsequently, he became Zhang Xiu's strategist, twice used exquisite strategies to defeat Cao Cao, and before the battle of Guandu, he judged the situation and successfully persuaded Zhang Xiu to surrender to Cao Cao, realizing another major turning point in his personal destiny.
After becoming Cao Cao's strategist, Jia Xu was even more like a fish in water, and made great contributions to Cao Cao's hegemony.
When Cao Cao and the Guanzhong coalition forces held Weinan, he successfully broke up the alliance of Ma Chao and Han Sui with a discordant strategy, so that Cao Cao was able to pacify Guanzhong in one fell swoop.
Jia Xu's wisdom is not limited to the military field, he also has a deep understanding of the governance of the country, moral classics and other issues, he believes that the rule of the country should be based on the people's livelihood, and the way of governance should adhere to the principles of pragmatism and the rule of law.
Jia Xu was well aware of the truth that "accompanying the king is like accompanying the tiger", so he was always cautious and cautious when giving advice to Cao Cao, only offering advice when the lord asked, and never easily revealing his true thoughts, this wisdom enabled him to protect himself in the treacherous political struggle, and finally to die a good death.
Sima Yi
Sima Yi, an important figure in the Wei State during the Three Kingdoms period, he played a crucial role in Cao Cao's hegemony, as an important minister of the Wei State, Sima Yi not only made great contributions to military strategy, but also played an important role in political and internal management.
Sima Yi's military prowess played a key role in supporting Cao Cao's hegemony strategy, and in the process of unifying the north, Cao Cao faced many strong enemies, such as Yuan Shao, Lü Bu, Cao Hong, etc., and Sima Yi, as Cao Cao's important adviser, provided many valuable strategic advice.
In the war against Yuan Shao, Sima Yi proposed the strategy of "chasing and fighting", successfully helping Cao Cao defeat Yuan Shao and establishing his supremacy in the north.
Especially after the Battle of Chibi, Sima Yi's suggestion made important adjustments to Cao Cao's northern strategy, which stabilized Wei in a chaotic situation.
In the process of Cao Cao's hegemony, he not only had to deal with external enemies, but also had to deal with internal government affairs and management issues, and Sima Yi, with his superb political skills and clear mind, provided Cao Cao with an effective governance plan.
He helped Cao Cao rectify the administrative structure of Wei, improve the efficiency of officials, improve financial management, and ensure the financial stability of the state, which not only strengthened Wei's internal strength, but also laid a solid foundation for Cao Cao's hegemony.
After Cao Cao's death, Sima Yi's political wisdom and strategic vision also played an important role in Cao Pi's succession, not only helping Cao Pi to stabilize Wei's power, but also showing a high level of strategic strategy in dealing with diplomatic relations with Shu Han and Eastern Wu.
However, as an outstanding statesman and military strategist, Sima Yi was adept at taking advantage of the situation and was skilled in planning, and he gradually accumulated power after Cao Cao's death, and finally achieved de facto control of the Wei state, which had a profound impact on the political landscape of the Three Kingdoms period.
epilogue
Three of Cao Cao's four strategists have defected to Yuan Shao, and Yuan Shao reused them to help him achieve the great cause of the world, which can be seen that Cao Cao's success is by no means accidental, whether it is personal ability, or the vision of knowing and employing people, it is beyond Yuan Shao's reach.