The life of Cao Cao

Emperor Ling dies. Grand General He Jin summons Dong Zhuo to the capital, intending to use him to coerce the Empress Dowager. You hear this and can only laugh: “If you mean to punish them, then execute the chief culprit. One prison officer is enough. Why summon generals from outside in such confusion?” Before Dong Zhuo arrives, He Jin has already been killed. Dong Zhuo arrives, deposes the Young Emperor and makes him Prince of Hongnong, then enthrones Emperor Xian. The capital falls into chaos.

He recommends you as Cavalry Commandant and wants to confer with you. You can see that this man is bound to meet his downfall, and refuse the appointment, changing your name and taking a back road east.

At Zhongmou, the soldiers guarding the pass seize you and take you before the county magistrate. At midnight, the magistrate summons you to the rear courtyard and asks why, when the Chancellor has treated you well, you bring disaster upon yourself. You say: “How can sparrows know the aspirations of a swan?” You add that you mean to return to your home region, issue a forged imperial edict, and summon the lords throughout the realm to raise troops and join in killing Dong Zhuo.

He personally unties you, abandons his office, and flees with you. His name is Chen Gong, courtesy name Gongtai.

After three days on the road, you reach Chenggao as evening falls. You point your riding crop into the depths of the woods: here lives Lü Boshe, your father’s sworn brother; you will ask to stay the night with him.

When the old man sees you, his first words are: “I hear that the court has sent notices everywhere, urgently seeking your capture. Your father has already taken refuge in Chenliu.” He thanks Chen Gong, then goes inside. A long while passes before he comes out and says there is no good wine in the house; he will go to the western village to buy a jug. He hurriedly mounts his donkey and rides away.

You sit for a long time. Night has fully fallen. You have defied Dong Zhuo’s orders, and on this road everyone looks as if they have come to seize you.

Suddenly, from behind the manor comes the sound of a knife being sharpened. You whisper: “Lü Boshe is no close kinsman of mine. His departure is suspicious; we should listen in secret.” You creep on tiptoe to the rear of the thatched hall and hear someone say: “Shall we bind and kill? How about it?”

Your father Cao Song returns to Qiao after resigning his post; during Dong Zhuo’s coup, he flees to Langya for refuge, later living in Hua County, Taishan. You ask Ying Shao, Administrator of Taishan, to bring your family to Yanzhou.

The one who brings the news is a soldier under Ying Shao, fleeing for his life. Before Ying Shao’s troops arrive, Tao Qian has secretly sent several thousand cavalry to ambush and capture them. Your family thinks Ying Shao has come to escort them, and takes no precautions. Your younger brother Cao De is killed inside the gate. Your father breaks through the rear wall and sends his concubine out first; she is fat and cannot get through in time. He hides in the latrine. He and the concubine are killed, and your whole family dies.

When you hear, you fall to the ground weeping. Those around you help you up, and you grit your teeth and say: “Tao Qian let his troops kill my father. I will not live under the same sky as him! I now raise my entire army to lay waste to Xu Province, and only then will my hatred be avenged!”

Before you set out, you tell your family: “If I do not return, go and rely on Mengzhuo.” Mengzhuo is Zhang Miao. You and Yuan Shao are both his friends; when Yuan Shao asks you to kill him, you refuse. In autumn, you campaign against Tao Qian and take more than ten cities in succession. In a great battle at Pengcheng, Tao Qian’s army is defeated; tens of thousands die, and the Si River stops flowing. You return and meet Zhang Miao. The two of you face each other in tears.

The following summer, you leave Xun Yu and Cheng Yu to defend Juancheng, then campaign against Tao Qian again, taking five cities and fighting all the way to Donghai. Everywhere you pass, many are slaughtered.

After you leave, Zhang Miao’s younger brother Zhang Chao and your subordinate Chen Gong, among others, secretly plot to rebel against you. Chen Gong says to Zhang Miao: “Now the provincial army is campaigning east, and the region is empty. Lü Bu is a stalwart warrior, unmatched in battle. If we invite him for the time being and jointly govern Yanzhou, we can observe the situation under Heaven and wait for events to change. This, too, is a chance to make our mark in the world.” Zhang Miao listens to him.

You had originally ordered Chen Gong to stay behind with troops in Dong Commandery. He takes those troops and goes east to welcome Lü Bu as Governor of Yanzhou, occupying Puyang. The commanderies and counties all respond; only Juancheng, Dong'e, and Fan remain to hold out for you. You lead your army back.

You launch a night attack on Lü Bu’s separate camp west of Puyang and take it by dawn. Before you can withdraw, Lü Bu’s reinforcements arrive. You call for volunteers to break the enemy line; a man named Dian Wei is the first to step forward. Arrows rain down, but he does not even look; he only says to the men beside him: “When the enemy comes within ten paces, tell me.” Holding a dozen or more halberds, he cries out and charges; everyone he reaches falls at his hand.

The Tian clan, a great family of Puyang, act as your inside men, and you enter the city. You burn the East Gate, declaring that you will retreat no farther. As soon as battle is joined, you are defeated.

Flames curl out through the gate opening. Lü Bu’s cavalry seize you, but do not recognize you, and ask, “Where is Cao Cao?” You say, “The one riding away on the yellow horse is he.” They let you go and pursue the man on the yellow horse. The fire on the gate is still fierce; you charge through the flames, fall from your horse, and burn the palm of your left hand. Major Lou Yi helps you onto a horse.

Back at camp, the officers have not yet seen you, and are terrified. You force yourself to comfort the soldiers and order the army to hastily build siege engines. You and Lü Bu face each other for more than a hundred days. Locusts rise, the people are starving, and both sides withdraw.

You want to welcome the Son of Heaven, but your generals have doubts. Some say the lands east of the mountains are not yet pacified; Han Xian and Yang Feng have only just brought the Son of Heaven to Luoyang, and are linked northward with Zhang Yang. They cannot be brought under control at once.

Xun Yu says: “In the past, Duke Wen of Jin received King Xiang of Zhou, and the feudal lords followed him like shadows. When Emperor Gaozu campaigned east for the Righteous Emperor, dressed in mourning, the realm gave him its allegiance.” He adds: “To seize this moment, uphold the sovereign and answer the people’s hopes: this is great accord. To uphold the utmost fairness and win over the powerful: this is great strategy. To support the highest righteousness and draw in the finest men: this is great virtue.” Cheng Yu also urges you.

You first send Cao Hong west with troops to welcome the emperor, but Dong Cheng and Yuan Shu’s officers hold the passes against him. Cao Hong cannot get through.

In autumn, in the seventh month, Yang Feng and Han Xian escort the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang. You too arrive in Luoyang to guard the capital; Han Xian flees. The emperor grants you the insignia of authority and the axe, and appoints you to oversee the affairs of the Secretariat.

In your youth, you served here as Commandant of the Northern District of Luoyang. Luoyang is now in ruins; the palaces are rubble, and wild grass grows up the steps. When the Son of Heaven first arrives, he lives in the residence of Zhao Zhong, the former Regular Palace Attendant, in the city’s west. When you were young, it was a name everyone in Luoyang knew.

You pay your respects to the emperor, draw Dong Zhao to sit beside you, and ask him: “Now that I have come here, what plan should I pursue?”

He says: “General, you raise a righteous army to punish violence and disorder, enter court to attend the Son of Heaven, and support the royal house; this is the achievement of the Five Hegemons. The generals here each have different intentions and opinions, and may not necessarily obey. To stay here and assist the court is not expedient; the only course is to move the emperor to Xu.”

He adds: “The court has been driven from place to place and has only just returned to the old capital. People near and far look on, hoping for peace at last. If the emperor moves again now, the people’s hearts will not be won. Yet extraordinary deeds bring extraordinary achievements. I ask you to weigh the greater good.”

In the first month, you arrive at Wan. You campaign south and encamp by the Yu River; Zhang Xiu leads his men in surrender. You are delighted and invite Zhang Xiu and his commanders to drink.

You rise to pour the wine, while Dian Wei stands behind you holding a great axe with a blade a foot wide; whoever you approach, he raises the axe and stares at them. The banquet ends, and not one of Zhang Xiu’s commanders dares raise his head.

After Puyang, he keeps several hundred personal guards circling your great tent, standing by your side all day and sleeping beside your tent at night.

Zhang Xiu has a trusted follower named Hu Che'er, the bravest in his army. You admire his strength and courage and reward him with gold from your own hand.

You stay for several days, and Zhang Xiu hosts a banquet for you each day. One day you get drunk and return to your quarters, then privately ask those around you: “Are there any women in this city?”

Your nephew Cao Anmin sees what you have in mind and whispers: “Last night I caught sight of a woman beside the guest quarters, a great beauty. I asked about her: she is the wife of Zhang Ji, Zhang Xiu’s uncle.”

You advance to Xiapi, where Lü Bu personally leads cavalry to meet you and you rout him utterly. You pursue him to the city walls and write to him, setting out the consequences, for good and ill. Beneath the walls, you see him climb the White Gate Tower and call to your soldiers: “You men need not press me; I will give myself up to the Illustrious Lord.” Then comes Chen Gong’s voice: “Cao Cao is a rebel. What ‘Illustrious Lord’!”

He does not surrender. Chen Gong and the others urge him to seek help from Yuan Shu and to ride out and fight; he is defeated again, retreats into the city, and holds it fast, while you cannot take it. You fight for many days. Your soldiers are exhausted, and you want to withdraw. Following Xun You and Guo Jia’s plan, you divert the Si and Yi rivers to flood the city. The winter water runs yellow up to the foot of the walls, rising higher each day.

You dig trenches around the city and divert water into it. More than a month later, Lü Bu’s officers Hou Cheng, Song Xian, and Wei Xu bind Chen Gong and lead their troops out to surrender. Lü Bu climbs the White Gate Tower with his attendants; as the siege tightens, he finally comes down and surrenders.

You sit atop the White Gate Tower, with Liu Bei beside you. They bring Lü Bu up, bound. He says, “The bonds are too tight. Loosen them a little.” You say, “One must bind a tiger tightly.” He looks up at you: “Why have you grown so thin, my lord?” You ask, “How do you know me?” He says, “Long ago in Luoyang, we met in the garden of the Wen family.” You say, “Yes. I had forgotten. I am thin because I regret that we did not meet sooner.”

He says, “The only one you feared, my lord, was me. Now I have submitted, and the realm is nothing to worry about. If you command the infantry and let me command the cavalry, the realm will easily be brought to order.”

Chen Gong is brought up, bound, as well. You ask him, “Gongtai, you have always claimed to be rich in wisdom and stratagems. How has it come to this?” He turns and points at Lü Bu: “It is only because this man would not heed my words that things have come to this. Had he listened, he might not have been captured.” You ask what will become of his aged mother. He says, “I have heard that those who rule the realm through filial piety do not harm another man’s parents. Whether my aged mother lives or dies rests with you, my lord.” You ask about his wife. “Whether my wife and children live or die also rests with you, my lord.” You say nothing more.

He says, “Allow me to go out and be executed, to uphold military law.” He walks out on his own; no one can stop him. You see him off in tears, and he does not look back. Ten years ago, on that road at Chenggao, he was just as silent.

You return to the tower. Lü Bu is still there. The ropes bite tight; he turns to Liu Bei: “Xuande, you are a guest here, while I am a captive. Can you not say a word to make this easier for me?” You laugh: “Why not speak to me, instead of pleading with Lord Liu?” You mean to spare his life and tell them to loosen the ropes. Your Registrar, Wang Bi, steps forward briskly: “Lü Bu is a formidable captive. His men are close by outside; we must not loosen his bonds.” You spread your hands: “I meant to ease them, but the Registrar will not allow it. What can I do?” The ropes stay tight.

The finest cavalry general in the realm stands before you. Doubt shows on your face. Liu Bei speaks: “My lord, have you not seen how Lü Bu served Ding Jianyang and Grand Preceptor Dong?”

Ding Yuan. Dong Zhuo. Both once entrusted their lives to him.

You nod. Lü Bu points at Liu Bei: “That fellow is the least trustworthy of all.” And so Lü Bu is strangled to death.

After Chen Gong’s death, you provide for his aged mother until she dies of old age, and marry off his daughter.

The people below the tower → Read Lü Bu's story →

He grows vegetables in the garden behind his residence, watering them himself. One day, Xu Chu and Zhang Liao lead dozens of men into the garden and summon him at once. He has no choice but to follow them to your residence.

You laugh and say: “What great things you do at home!” He is so frightened that his face turns ashen. You take his hand and lead him all the way to the rear garden: “Xuande, it is not easy to tend a garden.”

The plums on the branches are green. You remember last year, on the campaign against Zhang Xiu, there was no water along the road, and the soldiers were all thirsty. You point your whip toward the distance, though there is nothing there: “There’s a plum grove up ahead.” At the sound of this, the soldiers’ mouths fill with saliva. Green plums sit on a plate, a jug of warmed wine beside them, and the two of you sit facing each other.

You are both half drunk; dark clouds gather, and a sudden shower threatens. A man in your retinue points toward a dragon-shaped waterspout in the far sky. You say a dragon can grow large or small, rise or hide, and may be compared with the heroes of the age, then ask him to name the heroes of the present age.

He names Yuan Shu. You laugh: “A dry bone in its grave. I’ll capture him sooner or later!” He names Yuan Shao. You say Yuan Shao is fierce in appearance but timid at heart, fond of plans but incapable of decision; he risks his life over small gains, yet clings to it when great deeds are at stake—not a hero. He goes on to name Liu Biao, Sun Ce, and Liu Zhang, then Zhang Xiu, Zhang Lu, and Han Sui. You clap your hands and laugh: “Such mediocre little men—why even mention them?”

He says: “Beyond these, I truly know no one.”

You look at him and say: “The heroes of the age are only you, my lord, and I. Men like Yuan Shao are not worth counting.”

He is eating when the knife and chopsticks fall from his hands. At that very moment, thunder cracks. He says: “The sage says, ‘When sudden thunder and fierce winds come, one must change one’s countenance.’ There is good reason for this. The might of a single peal can bring one to such a state!”

You laugh and say: “Can a grown man be afraid of thunder?” You no longer suspect him.

As soon as the rain stops, two men come charging into the rear garden with swords in hand; no one can hold them back. They are Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. You laugh and say: “This is no Feast at Hong Gate. Why would we need Xiang Zhuang and Xiang Bo?”

What you do not know is that the imperial in-law Dong Cheng says he has received a secret edict hidden in the Son of Heaven’s belt, ordering your death. After the thunder, he conspires with Dong Cheng and the others, but you happen to send him away, and he has no chance to act.

Yuan Shu is heading north from Xiapi, and you send Liu Bei and Zhu Ling to intercept him. Yuan Shu dies of illness. Cheng Yu and Guo Jia hear the news and come to tell you, “Liu Bei must not be allowed to go free.” You regret it and send men after him, but they cannot catch up. When he reaches Xiapi, he kills Che Zhou, the Inspector of Xu Province, and raises troops at Pei.

the man drinking across from you → Read Liu Bei's story →

In the eighth month, Yuan Shao advances with his camps stretching dozens of li from east to west. He builds earthen mounds and digs tunnels, shooting arrows into your camp until they fall like rain; even those walking must hold shields over their heads.

Your provisions are running low. You write to Xun Yu to discuss withdrawing to Xu. He replies: “At your weakest, you face him at his strongest. If you cannot hold them back, they will seize their chance. This is the great turning point for all under Heaven.” You listen to him.

You tell the men hauling provisions: “Give me fifteen days, and I will defeat Yuan Shao for you. You will have no more toil.” Even as you say it, you have no idea where those fifteen days will come from.

You and Yuan Shao have faced each other for months. Though you have repeatedly fought and slain his generals, your troops are few, your provisions are gone, and your soldiers are exhausted.

One night in winter, in the tenth month, you are taking off your clothes to rest when someone reports: Xu You has deserted and come to your camp.

Xu You is one of Yuan Shao’s advisers, and also an old friend of yours. He is greedy, and Yuan Shao cannot satisfy him. You run out barefoot to greet him, clapping your hands and laughing: “You have come from afar, sir. My cause will succeed!”

Once you are seated, he asks: “Yuan Shao’s army is strong. How will you face it? How much grain do you have now?” You say: “Enough for a year.” He says: “No, that’s not it. Tell me again!” You say: “Enough for half a year.” He says: “Don’t you want to defeat Yuan Shao? Why aren’t you telling me the truth?”

You say: “I was only joking just now. In truth, we have enough for a month. What should we do?”

He says: “You are alone with your army, holding the line without help from outside, and your grain is gone. This is a moment of danger. Yuan Shao has more than ten thousand carts of supplies at Gushi and Wuchao, where his camp is poorly guarded. Take light troops and strike there. Arrive unexpectedly and burn his stores. In no more than three days, Yuan Shao will be defeated of himself.”

Those around you all doubt him. Xun You and Jia Xu urge you to go.

You are about to campaign north against the Wuhuan of the three commanderies. The generals all say: “Yuan Shang is merely a fugitive. The barbarians are greedy and have no loyalty; how could they serve Shang? If we now march deep into their lands to attack them, Liu Bei will surely persuade Liu Biao to strike Xu. Should anything change, it will be too late to regret it.”

Guo Jia says: “Though your might shakes the realm, the Hu rely on their distance and will surely make no preparations. Take them unprepared and strike suddenly, and they can be destroyed.”

He adds: “The people of the four provinces have submitted only out of fear; your benevolence has not yet reached them. If you leave them and campaign south, Yuan Shang will use the Wuhuan’s strength to rally men who would die for their old master. If the Hu rise up, the people and the barbarians will answer together. This will stir Tadun’s ambitions and set him plotting to seize what he covets. I fear Qing and Ji provinces will no longer be ours.”

Of Liu Biao, he says only this: “Biao is a mere talker who sits and debates. He knows he lacks the talent to control Liu Bei. If he entrusts him with great responsibility, he fears he cannot control him; if he gives him little, Bei will not serve him. Even if you empty the state and campaign far away, my lord, you need not worry.”

In autumn, in the seventh month, you campaign south against Liu Biao. In the eighth month, Liu Biao dies. In the ninth month, you reach Xinye; Liu Cong surrenders, and Liu Bei flees to Xiakou. You advance on Jiangling and order the officials and people of Jing Province to begin anew with you. In a month, Jing Province’s navy, ships, and grain are all yours.

You write Sun Quan a letter: “Recently, I received the imperial command to punish the guilty. My banners point south, and Liu Cong has surrendered. I now command 800,000 naval troops, and am about to meet the general in a hunt at Wu.”

Jia Xu urges you to wait: “My lord, you once defeated the Yuan clan, and now you have taken the lands south of the Han River. Your fame and authority reach far, and your army is mighty. If you draw on the abundance of old Chu to feed your officers and soldiers, comfort the people and let them settle and enjoy their work, then the lands east of the Yangtze may submit without your exhausting your troops.”

You do not listen. You set out from Jiangling to attack Liu Bei, heading downriver.

Illness has already broken out in the camp. The men from the north cannot stomach the southern water. At the first clash, your army is beaten and falls back to the north bank. Zhou Yu and his men are on the south bank.

Your ships lie packed together along the north bank. Across the river, Zhou Yu’s subordinate Huang Gai watches them for a long time and says they are joined bow to stern: they could be set ablaze and the enemy put to flight.

Huang Gai sends a letter, saying he will surrender. In it he writes: “To pit the people of the six commanderies of Jiangdong, including the Shanyue, against a million men of the Central Plains is to face an enemy too numerous to overcome, as all under Heaven can see.” He adds: “On the day of battle, I will lead the vanguard and act as events allow; the day I serve you is close.” You summon the messenger alone and say to him yourself: “I fear you are deceiving me. If Gai is sincere, I will grant him rank and rewards beyond those given before or after.”

When the day comes, a strong southeast wind is blowing. Ten ships lead the way; when they reach midstream, they raise their sails all at once. The men aboard shout together, “We surrender!” All your soldiers come out of camp to watch, craning their necks and pointing, saying that Huang Gai is coming to surrender.

When they are just over two li from your ships, they all catch fire at once. The flames blaze, the wind roars, and the ships race like arrows, burning up the northern fleet and spreading all the way to the camps on shore. Many men and horses burn or drown.

You retreat on foot along Huarong Road. The way is blocked by mud, and then a strong wind rises. You order the weak soldiers to carry grass and fill the road so the cavalry can pass. The weak soldiers are trampled by men and horses, sink into the mud, and die in great numbers. Once you emerge, you are overjoyed. Your generals ask why. You say: “Liu Bei is my equal. He only devised his plan a little too late. Had he set the fires earlier, none of us would have escaped.”

When you reach Baqiu, plague breaks out in the army again, and you burn the ships that remain, sighing: “If Guo Fengxiao were here, he would not have let me come to this.”

Later, you write to Sun Quan: “At the battle of Chibi, there was an outbreak of disease. I burned my ships and retreated of my own accord, letting Zhou Yu win this undeserved fame.”

the man across the river → Read Zhuge Liang's story →

Some say the troops west of the Pass are strong and skilled with long spears; only a handpicked vanguard can withstand them. You say: “The battle lies with me, not with the enemy. Though the enemy is skilled with long spears, I will make them unable to thrust. Just watch.”

You and Ma Chao face each other with armies at the Pass, while you secretly send Xu Huang and Zhu Ling to cross the Puban Ford by night and make camp west of the river.

Then you cross north yourself. Just as the vanguard reaches the far bank, Ma Chao and the others suddenly attack. You remain seated on your folding stool, not rising. Xu Chu says, “The enemy is numerous. Our troops have all crossed; we should leave.” He helps you onto a boat.

Ma Chao’s cavalry pursues, shooting arrows that fall like rain. Xu Chu cuts down the men climbing aboard and raises a saddle with his left hand to shield you. The boatman is hit by an arrow and dies; Xu Chu poles the boat with his right hand, and you barely make it across. The commandant Ding Fei releases cattle and horses to lure the enemy; they break ranks to seize them.

The generals see the army defeated and, not knowing where you are, are terrified; when they find you, grief and joy mingle, and some weep. You laugh: “Today I was nearly trapped by these little bandits!”

Each time you cross the Wei, Ma Chao’s cavalry scatters your men; you cannot establish a camp, and the ground is too sandy for ramparts. A man named Lou Gui comes to offer a plan: “The weather is cold. We can pile up sand for a wall, pour water over it, and it will be ready in a night.” You have many silk bags made to carry water and build through the night; by dawn, the wall stands.

Earlier, they sent envoys asking you to cede the land west of the river and make peace, but you refused. They challenge you again and again, but you still refuse. Now they again press you to cede territory, offering to send hostage sons.

Jia Xu says you can pretend to agree. You ask him for a plan. He says: “Only divide them.”

In winter, in the tenth month, you return to Luoyang. You rebuild the office where you served as Commandant of the Northern District of Luoyang, making it finer than before.

Sun Quan sends an envoy with a memorial, saying he is willing to attack Guan Yu and prove his loyalty. You march south against Guan Yu, but before you arrive, Xu Huang has already defeated him and lifted the siege of Fancheng. You garrison your troops at Mopi.

Sun Quan sends another memorial, declaring himself your subject and saying Heaven’s mandate is yours. You hold the letter up for those outside to see: “Does that boy mean to perch me over a furnace?”

Palace Attendant Chen Qun and Minister of the Secretariat Huan Jie submit a memorial: “Since the reign of Emperor An of Han, power has left the imperial house, and the succession of the state has been broken several times. Today, only the title remains; not a foot of land or a single person belongs to Han.” They add: “Your Highness has answered the call of the age. You possess nine-tenths of the realm, yet serve Han.”

Xiahou Dun comes to speak as well: “All under Heaven know that Han’s mandate is spent and a new dynasty is rising.” “Your Highness has been in command of the armies for more than thirty years. Your achievements and virtue are renowned among the people, and all under Heaven look to you. You answer Heaven and follow the people—what is there left to doubt?”

More than thirty years. You recall the order you gave ten years ago, which contains these words: “If I were not here, I know not how many would call themselves emperors, how many would call themselves kings.”