Hua Tuo's "craniotomy" was a fabrication in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and there was no such thing in history.

The account of Hua Tuo's death in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is also purely fictitious. Hua Tuo's decision to perform a craniotomy to treat Cao Cao's head wind was just a "joke" by Luo Guanzhong.

"The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" said: Cao Cao suffered from head wind and asked the famous doctor Hua Tuo to treat him. Hua Tuo said to Cao Cao, the root cause of your head wind disease is called "wind saliva", which grows in the brain. Only by taking "Ma Fei Powder" first and then splitting the head with a sharp ax can the "wind saliva" be removed completely. Cure your headache. Cao Cao, who had always been very suspicious, became furious when he heard Hua Tuo's treatment plan. He believed that Hua Tuo wanted to avenge Guan Yu who was killed, so he designed such a treatment plan to kill himself by taking advantage of the operation. In a rage, Cao Cao immediately threw Hua Tuo into prison and eventually killed him. This record has been widely circulated with the help of the classic "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and storytelling, movies, and TV shows about the Three Kingdoms. Is the truth about Hua Tuo's murder really as recorded in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms"? If "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is not based on historical facts, then what is the real reason why Hua Tuo was killed by Cao Cao?

An important opportunity for Hua Tuo's death that has been ignored by people is that Cao Cao summoned Hua Tuo to treat himself. If Cao Cao did not call Hua Tuo to treat himself, Cao Cao and Hua Tuo, a hero in troubled times, would As a doctor, you will be your prime minister, and I will treat the common people's illnesses. There will be no boundaries between us. Hua Tuo cannot be killed by Cao Cao. Therefore, to interpret the reason why Hua Tuo was killed by Cao Cao, the first thing to solve is why did Cao Cao summon Hua Tuo to see a doctor for him?

Some people will say, isn’t this simple? Hua Tuo is a famous doctor!

"Three Kingdoms: Hua Tuo's Biography" and "Book of the Later Han Dynasty: Hua Tuo's Biography" indeed wrote "Taizu heard about it and summoned Hua Tuo" after recording a large number of miraculous diagnosis facts of Hua Tuo.

However, the last thing recorded in "Three Kingdoms" and "Book of the Later Han" before "Taizu heard about it and summoned Hua Tuo" was the death of Chen Deng, the governor of Guangling. Chen Deng died when Hua Tuo expected that he would inevitably become ill three years later (the disease will occur in the next three stages, and it can be cured by a good doctor, and the rescue will be carried out according to the period of time, but when Tuo is not around, he will die as promised). Next is "Taizu heard about it and summoned Hua Tuo". Therefore, after reading the two biographies of "Three Kingdoms" and "Book of the Later Han", we can understand that there are three possibilities for Cao Cao to summon Hua Tuo:

First, Cao Cao summoned Hua Tuo after hearing about Hua Tuo's large number of miraculous medical skills.

Second, Cao Cao summoned Hua Tuo after hearing that Hua Tuo’s prophecy about Chen Deng’s death had been fulfilled;

Third, Cao Cao summoned Hua Tuo after hearing the news about the above two aspects. Hua Tuo's;

The first situation is entirely possible. Cao Cao and Hua Tuo were fellow villagers, so it was abnormal that Hua Tuo's miraculous medical skills were not heard of by Cao Cao.

The second situation depends on the relationship between Cao Cao and Chen Deng.

Chen Deng is the person Cao Cao trusts most. Chen and his son did two things for Cao Cao and won Cao Cao's trust. First, Chen Deng's father, Chen Gui, once blocked the marriage between Lu Bu and Yuan Shu. For this reason, Lu Bu personally recovered his daughter who had been sent away. Lu Bu and Yuan Shu did not marry or join forces, which greatly reduced Cao Cao's resistance to unifying the north. Second, when Chen Deng went to see Cao Cao on Lu Bu's order, he secretly told Cao Cao: Lu Bu is brave but has no plans. Of). Cao Cao was very happy after hearing this. Because Cao Cao also believed that Lu Bu was a warlord who must be removed, Cao Cao immediately made Chen Deng's father, Chen Gui, a high-ranking official with a rank of two thousand shi, and made Chen Deng the prefect of Guangling. When they were leaving, Cao Cao personally held Chen Deng's hand and said: "We will deal with things in the east." All the things in the east are entrusted to you. It is nothing more than letting Chen Deng act as an internal agent for Cao Cao to eliminate Lu Bu.

Chen Deng lived up to Cao Cao's trust. Lu Bu saw that after Chen Deng returned from Cao Cao's work, Chen Gui and Chen Deng were all in high positions. He was very angry and wanted to fall out with Chen Deng. Chen Deng actually moved Lu Bu with his words. Chen Deng said: After I met Cao Cao, I said that Lu Bu is a fierce tiger, and he can only be used by you if he is full. Cao Cao said, you are wrong. Lu Bu is an eagle. Only if he is hungry will he serve me. If he is full, he will fly away. Meat; if it is not full, it will bite people. The public said: It is like raising an eagle, if it is hungry, it will be used; if it is full, it will be raised.)

When Lu Bu heard that Chen Deng and Cao Cao called himself an eagle, he was so happy that he was relieved.

Therefore, in Cao Cao's heart, Chen Deng was a brave and resourceful hero. However, when Chen Deng fell ill, Hua Tuo clearly told him when he diagnosed and treated him: the disease will definitely recur in three years. . If there had been a good doctor at that time, it could have been cured. Three years later, Chen Deng's illness really broke out. Hua Tuo was not around at that time, and Chen Deng died of the illness. ).

Chen Deng’s death immediately spread throughout the world. Cao Cao valued Chen Deng so much, so Chen Deng's death as expected shocked Cao Cao greatly.

The second possibility is the main reason why Cao Cao summoned Hua Tuo after Chen Deng’s death. Because "The Biography of Hua Tuo" records the miraculous properties of Hua Tuo's treatment, it all happened when he was treating ordinary people and lower-level officials. These people and things can be said to be insignificant to Cao Cao. Chen Deng was different. He was a person whom Cao Cao trusted and valued. Chen Deng's death shocked Cao Cao on two points: first, Chen Deng fell ill as scheduled, and second, Chen Deng died due to Hua Tuo's absence. The former point is diagnosis and the latter point is treatment. Chen Deng's death proved that Hua Tuo was extremely authoritative in both diagnosis and treatment.

Of course Cao Cao needs such a miracle doctor.

As for the third possibility, it is the most realistic. With various rumors and the death of Chen Deng, the governor of Guangling, Hua Tuo's status as a miracle doctor has been established in Cao Cao's mind.

Therefore, Cao Cao decided to summon Hua Tuo to treat his illness.

Of course, there is another point, that is, Cao Cao needs it. The so-called Cao Cao needs means that Cao Cao must be sick. Why would a disease-free Cao Cao need a famous doctor like Hua Tuo? Cao Cao happened to have a headache. Headache is a persistent headache disease. As soon as the disease occurred, Cao Cao became panicked and felt very uncomfortable. If Cao Cao were born today and had a brain MRI, he would immediately know what was wrong with his head.

The subjective and objective conditions for Cao Cao to call Hua Tuo to treat his illness were met.

Hua Tuo, who was good at treating difficult diseases, saw that Cao Cao had a headache and immediately gave Cao Cao acupuncture. Pulling out the needles relieved the pain, which was particularly effective.

However, the relationship between Hua Tuo and Cao Cao at this time was "always around". Once Cao Cao suffered from head wind, Hua Tuo would treat him.

"Always at your side" does not follow him every day, so at this time, Cao Cao is not very dependent on Hua Tuo. Later, Cao Cao personally handled the affairs of the country (Taizu personally took charge of it) and was extremely busy, and his condition became increasingly serious (he became seriously ill). Therefore, Cao Cao asked Hua Tuo to be his dedicated doctor (making Tuo pay special attention to him).

There is a big difference between "watching" and "always being around". "Always at your side" is a general need, and "special care" is a dedicated health care doctor.

When is "Taizu personally in charge"?

In August of the first year of Jian'an (196), Cao Cao welcomed Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty to Xuchang, "to serve the emperor and command the world." At this time, Cao Cao had already lost all his power in the government and the public. In the fifth year of Jian'an, he defeated Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu. In the seventh year of Jian'an, Yuan Shao died of illness. In the ninth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shang and made Yecheng his capital. In the first month of the tenth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao killed Yuan Tan. The Yuan Group collapsed. It should be said that the demise of Yuan Shao's group was the beginning of Cao Cao's "personal management" of the central government. The busyness of the government caused Cao Cao to suffer from frequent headaches. It was at this time that Cao Cao decided to let Hua Tuo "exclusively watch" for him. "Exclusive vision" means dedicated medical service. At this point, Hua Tuo has lost his identity as a wandering doctor, and his freedom of movement has been restricted. This is a very important point.

However, Hua Tuo stayed with Cao Cao for a while but asked for leave and went home.

What excuse do you use to ask for leave?

There are two records: one is going home to get the prescription ("Book of the Later Han Dynasty"), and the other is receiving a letter from his family ("Three Kingdoms"). Regardless of the excuse, Cao Cao approved the lie anyway.

Why did Cao Cao allow leave?

First, you must not be inaccurate when you go home to get a prescription. How can you treat a disease if it is not accurate?

The second is to win people's hearts. Wouldn't it be a loss of faith to be a miraculous healer if you don't allow leave when you receive a letter from home?

Excuses are one thing, but what about the real reasons?

"Book of the Later Han·Hua Tuo Biography" states four reasons: first, Hua Tuo has a weird personality (evil in nature), second, he is not satisfied with Cao Cao (it is rare to be satisfied), and third, he is ashamed to do so. Medical (shame on medical profession), fourth is homesickness (missing home and longing for home).

The original biography of "Three Kingdoms" only mentions one reason: homesickness (missing home for a long time).

After Hua Tuo got home, he repeatedly extended his leave and did not go to work because his wife was not well. Cao Cao wrote many times and sent local officials to urge him, but Hua Tuo would not leave.

Why didn't Hua Tuo start even after Cao Cao urged him so urgently?

"Three Kingdoms" said that "Tuo relied on his ability to anorexia." "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" says it is "relying on ability and getting tired of things". The two history books said the same thing: Hua Tuo relied on his outstanding medical skills and was unwilling to serve as a doctor for Cao Cao alone.

Cao Cao was furious when he knew that Hua Tuo was still alive and dead. He sent someone to check and found that Hua Tuo's wife was pretending to be ill. So Hua Tuo was arrested and thrown into prison in Xudu (now Xuchang, Henan). After interrogation, Hua Tuo admitted that he had indeed committed the crime of "deception."

Xun Yu, Cao Cao's chief adviser, said to Cao Cao: Hua Tuo's medical skills are so brilliant, and his existence is related to the lives of many people, so it is better to pardon him. However, Cao Cao couldn't listen. He replied to Xun Yu: Don't worry, is there no doctor like him in the world?

As a result, the superstar died and the miracle doctor died in vain.

The mystery of the cause of death

Cao Cao has always loved, cherished and valued talents, and Hua Tuo was a rare miracle doctor; in this case, why did Cao Cao kill Hua Tuo?

From Cao Cao's point of view, Cao Cao wanted Hua Tuo to see a doctor specifically for him, and he was reasonable when Hua Tuo's wife was sick: If Hua Tuo's wife was indeed sick, Cao Cao also promised to give Hua Tuo a gift. Xiaodou received forty hu of dendrobium (hù, household; before the Song Dynasty, ten bushels of dendrobium were equal to one hu), allowing him to continue his leave. Cao Cao's approach was obviously a way to win over Hua Tuo, but it was not an easy thing for Cao Cao to use this method. It at least showed that Cao Cao was in urgent need of Hua Tuo. However, Hua Tuo neither appreciated nor took Cao Cao's orders seriously. He deceived Cao Cao by saying that his wife was sick and refused to go to Cao Cao's camp. Cao Cao became furious. To Cao Cao, who holds the power of life and death, Hua Tuo is just a skilled man (a rat).

In the minds of ancient Chinese scholars, "The first thing is to heal the country, and the second is to treat people." As a scholar, being an official and governing the country is valued by others, but being a doctor is not valued by others.

Since Cao Cao is "in charge of the affairs of the country", he has the power of life and death, and can use the national code to kill people openly; the person who annoys him is another doctor who has a low status, so he can kill him. It's okay; therefore, Cao Cao acted emotionally because of his anger. These are the two main reasons why Cao Cao killed Hua Tuo.

First, it can be killed; second, it is okay to kill. However, this is only a superficial phenomenon; what really led to Hua Tuo's murder was that Cao Cao never regarded Hua Tuo as a "human being". All the systems at that time maintained Cao Cao's authority and did not protect Hua Tuo's right to exist at all!

From Hua Tuo's point of view, he provided an excuse for Cao Cao to wield the butcher's knife.

First, I don’t want to be a doctor. Hua Tuo is willing to be a free doctor and treat people all over the world. Not willing to serve just one person. Therefore, it was not Hua Tuo's original wish to serve as a doctor under Cao Cao. Therefore, Hua Tuo, the attendant doctor, did not want to do it. This was one of the reasons why Hua Tuo did not go to Xudu because his wife was ill. However, since Hua Tuo is a "person", he has the right to choose whether to go or not!

Second, homesickness. The "Hua Tuo Biography" in "Book of the Later Han Dynasty" and "Three Kingdoms" all mention that Hua Tuo spent a long time treating Cao Cao, was far away from home, and was homesick. Therefore, he was reluctant to serve Cao Cao because of his homesickness. It is Hua Tuo's right to choose whom to serve, so what's wrong with that?

Third, I don’t understand Cao Cao. Hua Tuo lacked understanding of such a traitor in troubled times as Cao Cao, and he lacked understanding of the power of life and death given to Cao Cao by the autocratic system. Hua Tuo's excuse for not going was that his wife was ill, but this was a very easy reason to see through. What should I do if Cao Cao finds out? Hua Tuo didn't seem to think deeply or have any response plan. A generation of famous doctors like Hua Tuo were just "rats" in Cao Cao's eyes. Not only Cao Cao, but all officials at that time did not regard people other than officials as human beings, let alone talents. We say that Cao Cao loves talents, but they never love talented people. All autocratic rulers distinguish between "people" and "talents" and only love "talents" but not "people". This is the most common view of talent under an authoritarian system.

Those who truly regard Hua Tuo as a famous doctor and a person worthy of respect are ordinary people, patients among the common people, and future generations.

Therefore, Hua Tuo's idea of ??not being Cao Cao's doctor because his wife was sick was too simple and naive. However, Cao Cao had the legal basis to kill Hua Tuo, and Hua Tuo was thoughtless and naive. However, how can a famous doctor who was wrongfully killed be held responsible for his own murder?

Neither the "Hua Tuo Biography" in "Three Kingdoms" or "Book of the Later Han" mentioned that Hua Tuo wanted to perform a craniotomy to treat Cao Cao's head wind. The account of Hua Tuo's death in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is purely fictitious. However, the fiction of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is not completely unreliable. It also has its basis: first, Hua Tuo can use "Ma Fei San" to perform abdominal surgery, and second, Hua Tuo was killed by Cao Cao. "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" extended it to opening the head of Cao Cao, which is logical. However, Hua Tuo's craniotomy to treat Cao Cao's head wind was a fiction written by a novelist.

"The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is one of the four classic Chinese classics, and Hua Tuo is a famous doctor in the Chinese world. Therefore, the story that Hua Tuo split Cao Cao's head with a sharp ax to remove his saliva is widely circulated, but it is not the historical truth of Hua Tuo's death at all. (Ming Dynasty) Hu Yan: "Hua Tuo's Tomb" I kept the golden needle secret for a long time, and the tomb was deserted and cold for thousands of years. I have always rejected Chen Linxi in vain, but in the end Xiling couldn't stop crying.

Regarding Hua Tuo's death, there is a very popular theory in recent years: Hua Tuo relied on his superb medical skills to blackmail Cao Cao and ask Cao Cao for an official position, but was killed by Cao Cao.

What is the basis for this statement?

First, psychological imbalance; Hua Tuo was originally a scholar, but eventually became a doctor, and felt very unbalanced; especially after his medical skills became more and more famous, he came into contact with many dignitaries. , seeing these scholars becoming officials one by one, made me feel even more unbalanced. Therefore, the "Book of the Later Han Dynasty·Hua Tuo Biography" calls Hua Tuo "evil in nature and hard to understand." Hua Tuo's character became more and more strange because he could not be an official, and it was difficult to get along with others.

The second is to recuperate and respect yourself; after Cao Cao killed Hua Tuo, he publicly told people: Hua Tuo could cure his head disease, but deliberately did not cure it, in order to increase his own worth. If I don't kill him, he won't be able to completely cure my head wind disease. (After Tuo died, Taizu's head wind was not cured. Taizu said: Tuo can cure this, the villain is kind to me and wants to take care of myself, but I If you don’t kill this son, you will never cut off this root.)

The third is to exaggerate the condition; Cao Cao just had a "head wind" disease, but Hua Tuo said that the disease could not be cured and that long-term treatment would only give him a few more years to live.

I think: these three reasons cannot be established. Because it seems reasonable but is actually unreasonable.

Let’s talk about the first “psychological imbalance” first.

Is Hua Tuo an official fan? Chen Gui, the Prime Minister of Pei Province, recommended him to be a filial and honest person, but he refused to accept the offer. Taiwei Huang Wan summoned Hua Tuo, but Hua Tuo declined. Xiaolian and Zhengpi (bì, must) were the two avenues for becoming an official in the Eastern Han Dynasty, but Hua Tuo was unwilling to take them. Because Hua Tuo was born in troubled times and did not want to be an official. How could a person who didn't want to be an official coerce Cao Cao into giving him an official position?

It may be true that Hua Tuo was mentally unbalanced, but it can only be speculation to say that Hua Tuo blackmailed Cao Cao and asked for an official position because of his psychological imbalance. Hua Tuo is indeed a scholar, and he does want to be an official and be ashamed of being a doctor. However, being ashamed of being a doctor does not mean that he will blackmail Cao Cao into being an official. There is only a possible relationship between the two but not a necessary relationship.

If according to this new theory, if Hua Tuo wants to be an official, he should obey Cao Cao instead of contradicting him.

An upright person like Hua Tuo hated Cao Cao's behavior. However, Hua Tuo still responded to Cao Cao's call to treat his illness and was "always by his side." Hua Tuo neither asked Cao Cao for an official position, nor did he delay his treatment of Cao Cao. Later, he used his wife's illness as an excuse not to go to Cao Cao's call, because he did not want to be favored by Cao Cao, but he also did not want to be imprisoned in Prime Minister Cao's cage like a prisoner. The words "recuperate" and "cut off the roots" are purely strong words. If Cao Cao blamed him for "recuperating his illness", why didn't Hua Tuo please Cao Cao by "cutting off his roots"? It can be seen that Hua Tuo summoned Cao Cao purely for treatment rather than seeking an official position. Leaving Cao was because he was unable to cure the disease rather than because he was unwilling to cure the disease.

Therefore, there is a question that must be discussed when discussing Hua Tuo's death: Was Hua Tuo happy to be a doctor or was he ashamed of it?

Hua Tuo did not want to be an official in troubled times, and he had always done so; he should not be recommended before, and he would not be attached to Cao Cao later. The reason is that Hua Tuo's orthodox thoughts are very strong, and Cao Cao's "obeying the emperor's orders but not submitting" is inconsistent with Hua Tuo's orthodox thoughts; as a good doctor, Hua Tuo has the desire to help the world. Even though he is in prison, he is still willing to pass down medical books to the world, hoping that his medical skills can save lives. He taught Wu Qin Xi to keep fit and acupuncture to treat diseases.

It can be seen that Hua Tuo is happy to be a doctor but not ashamed of it.

Why does Hua Tuo, who enjoys being a doctor, still have the thought that "he was a scholar by nature, and his career is based on medicine, and he always regrets himself"? Doesn’t this contradict Hua Tuo’s willingness to be a doctor?

As a scholar who was "commonly versed in several classics", Hua Tuo's original intention was to become an official. However, at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the politics of Hua Tuo was extremely chaotic, and Hua Tuo had no backing or background. , Therefore, studying and becoming an official can only be a luxury wish for Hua Tuo.

Since you can’t be an official, you still have to survive, so let’s practice medicine. Anyway, making a living by practicing medicine was no problem for Hua Tuo, who was highly skilled in medicine. Therefore, Hua Tuo embarked on the path of Fang Langzhong; and the longer he walked on this road, the higher his medical skills became, and the deeper he felt: how much the common people need famous doctors like Hua Tuo in troubled times! It is this combination of social needs and Hua Tuo's superb medical skills that created Hua Tuo, a miracle doctor who was willing to practice medicine.

Although Hua Tuo felt unsatisfied with his profession of medicine, he showed great enthusiasm during his long years of practicing medicine.

Hua Tuo was walking on the road and saw a patient with throat obstruction. He wanted to eat but couldn't. His family took him in a car to seek medical treatment. Hua Tuo heard his painful voice and stopped the car to see for himself. After reading it, Hua Tuo said to the patient's family: There was a cake shop on the roadside where I came just now, which had minced garlic and vinegar. Go there and buy three liters of these two things. Drink them and your illness will naturally heal. The patient's family members hurriedly followed the instructions. The patient who drank the vinegar and garlic paste immediately vomited out a worm and was cured immediately. At this time, Hua Tuo had already left, so the patient hung the insect on the side of the car and came to Hua Tuo's home to express his gratitude. Hua Tuo hadn't come back yet. His child was playing at the door. When he saw someone coming, he immediately said to himself that he might have met my father. The roundworm beside the car was proof of this. The patient entered Hua Tuo's home and saw dozens of these roundworms hanging on the north wall of Hua Tuo's house.

This example is very typical. As soon as the patient groaned, Hua Tuo heard the sound and came, took the initiative to diagnose the patient, told the patient the treatment method, and left. The patient rushed home to express his gratitude. When Hua Tuo's children saw the roundworm hanging on the side of the patient's car, they knew that their father had cured it. When the patient saw the same roundworm hanging on the side of Hua Tuo's house, he knew that Hua Tuo had cured this roundworm. expert.

Let’s talk about the second point: “Take care of your health and respect yourself”.

This is what Cao Cao said after he killed Hua Tuo. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that Cao Cao's words have some exculpatory factors for himself, and this factor is very important. Hua Tuo was a famous doctor of his generation. Before killing Hua Tuo, Cao Cao's important adviser Xun Yu tried his best to dissuade Cao Cao from killing Hua Tuo. Therefore, after killing Hua Tuo, Cao Cao would be criticized by public opinion. Cao Cao's "nurturing my illness to respect myself" The statement is not credible. In fact, head wind is indeed difficult to cure.

However, we must also see the other side. As a patient, Cao Cao is eager to seek treatment, but as a doctor, Hua Tuo has no way to treat him. It is very difficult for the two to understand each other. Hua Tuo believed that head wind was difficult to cure, while Cao Cao believed that he was "taking care of himself".

Finally, let’s talk about the third item: “Exaggerating the condition.”

In my opinion, exaggerating the condition is called being honest;

Headache is a stubborn disease. Although this disease causes headaches, it is difficult to cure. It occurs frequently and the pain is severe. Moreover, headwind disease generally has complications. Cao Cao's complications were palpitation and dizziness. I think Hua Tuo told Cao Cao that the disease was incurable and he was being truthful and speaking frankly about his condition. This is honesty, not blackmail. Therefore, there is only one real cause of Hua Tuo's death, that is, he offended and angered Cao Cao. Cao Cao did not treat Hua Tuo as a "person", nor did he respect Hua Tuo's life choices.

Liu Yuxi, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty, once said a famous saying in "Hua Tuo Lun": "How can we really fear the hatred of those in charge?" Like Cao Cao, a "man in charge" who has the power of life and death. Being motivated is really terrible.