Previous article: When Kong Rong, a great man, met Cao Cao, a great man (5)
As early as the beginning of Jian'an, Cao Cao was promoted and re-employed by Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty because of his meritorious service in welcoming and serving the emperor. He was granted the title of Marquis of Wu Ping. Kong Rong believed that according to the old system, the fiefdoms of princes should not be within a thousand miles of the capital, and led a group of court ministers to collectively write a letter to clarify the reason. Wu Pinghou's fiefdom was in what is now Luyi County, Henan Province, about 300 miles away from Xudu. At that time, the four princes were divided, and the outcome of the duel between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao was still unpredictable. Cao Cao's sphere of influence was not within a radius of a thousand miles with Xudu as the center. Kong Rong's suggestion was obviously unreasonable and ignorant of current affairs. It is normal that it was not adopted, and it would definitely cause Cao Cao's inner displeasure.
In the second year of Jian'an (AD 197), Yang Biao, mentioned earlier, was one of the three princes at that time. He was equivalent to the current Chairman of the Military Commission, but he had no soldiers in his hands and was a bare commander. He is an old minister who cannot be controlled by the newly powerful minister Cao Cao, and has many conflicts with Cao Cao. Yuan Shu, who was entrenched in Huainan at that time, openly proclaimed himself emperor, arousing public outrage. Cao Cao used the excuse that Yang Biao was Yuan Shu's brother-in-law and wanted to kill Yang Biao to establish his authority. After Kong Rong heard the news, he didn't even have time to put on his official uniform, so he went to Cao Cao to argue and save Yang Biao: "The fourth generation of the Yang family has a reputation for virtue and has a reputation in the world. The ancients said that father, son, and brothers are not equally guilty, so Yuan Shu is blamed for it." It makes no sense to implicate Yang Biao! Is it true that he keeps saying that his good deeds will bring blessings to his descendants? "Cao Cao excused himself: "This matter was decided by the emperor, and there is nothing I can do about it." Kong Rong asked sternly: " According to your opinion, if the young King Cheng of Zhou wants to kill Duke Zhao, doesn’t the regent Zhou Guild know? Justice and justice. If you kill innocent people indiscriminately like this, people's hearts will be distracted and everyone will abandon you. If you don't take back your life, I, Kong Rong, am a man of the Lu country. I will take off my court uniform and resign tomorrow. I'm done with you!" Cao Cao had no choice but to let Yang Biao go.
In the fourth year of Jian'an (AD 199), Cao Cao recruited Zhang Xiu, eliminated Lu Bu, and controlled the entire Yuzhou, Xuzhou, and Yanzhou. Liu Bei also attached himself to Cao Cao. The decisive battle between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, who controlled Jizhou, Youzhou, Bingzhou, and Qingzhou, was inevitable. Kong Rong believed that Yuan Shao had a large territory and a strong army, his counselors were resourceful, and his generals were brave enough to defeat the three armies, making it difficult to win. Cao Cao rejected all opinions, adopted Xun Yu's strategic policy, and resolutely sent troops to fight Yuan Shao. In the fifth year of Jian'an (AD 200), Cao Cao finally won the great victory in the Battle of Guandu and won a major strategic turning point in unifying the north.
A few years later, Yuan Shao's base camp Jizhou was captured. Cao Cao's son Cao Pi took the opportunity to seize Yuan Shao's daughter-in-law Zhen. Amid the outpouring of congratulations to Cao Cao for his victory, Kong Rong wrote to Cao Cao, saying, "King Wu defeated Zhou and gave Daji to Duke Zhou." Cao Cao was also a man who read poetry and books, but he couldn't find any allusions? Puzzled. After the class teacher returned to the court, he asked Kong Rong for advice. Kong Rong said with a smile: "Contact what is happening, just use your imagination." Historical records record: King Wu of Zhou attacked Shang Zhou, and Shang Zhou was defeated and burned himself. The Zhou army killed He killed the vixen Daji who brought disaster to the country and the people. There is no historical allusion that King Wu gave Daji to Ji Dan, the Duke of Zhou who had assisted him with meritorious services. Kong Rong spoke freely and fabricated a fictitious historical story, intending to ridicule the Cao family and his son for their bad habit of collecting wives. Cao Cao finally realized that this was too harmful, right? It's simply a personal attack, no curse words! Feeling ashamed and angry, holding a grudge.
After several years of fighting, Cao Cao recovered Qingzhou, Jizhou, Bingzhou and part of Youzhou. Yuan Shao's remaining forces fled to the Wuheng tribe in western Liaoning, and Liu Bei fled to Jingzhou and attached himself to Liu Biao. The north was basically unified and controlled by Cao Cao's authoritarian Eastern Han Dynasty.
In the twelfth year of Jian'an (AD 207), Cao Cao was about to go north to Youzhou to conquer Wu Heng and the remaining forces of Yuan Shao. Most officials and generals expressed opposition, fearing that if the army went north for an expedition, Liu Biao would support Liu Bei in a surprise attack on Xudu from behind. Kong Rong teased in public: "The general went on an expedition and was depressed overseas. In the past, Su Shen did not pay tribute to Zhu Shi, and Ding Ling stole Su Wu's cattle and sheep. This can be combined with the case."
In order to not interfere with the upcoming military operation of 830,000 troops going south to conquer Liu Biao and Liu Bei in Jingzhou, and Sun Quan in Jiangdong (later known as the famous Battle of Chibi), and to eliminate the possible hidden dangers of internal and external cooperation, Cao Cao decided to raise the butcher knife. Kill the flag. Don't forget that Liu Bei was Kong Rong's savior. Cao Cao, who was suspicious by nature, had every reason to suspect that the enemy's friend might be the enemy.
Just as there has never been a shortage of talented people in Chinese history, there has never been a shortage of treacherous villains and accomplices in all dynasties. Why bother to accuse them? Lu Cui, the military counselor (senior staff officer) of the Prime Minister's Office, falsely reported Kong Rong's crimes. The leader of the supervisory department "Yushitai", the censor doctor Xi Li, verified the truth and suggested that Kong Rong's entire family be executed for his heinous crimes. Look at how impeccable this professional process is: Lu Cui is a subordinate of the Prime Minister's Office, and naturally a confidant of Prime Minister Cao. It is self-evident who Lu Cui's complaint represents; Xi Liu, who hates Kong Rong, is responsible for the investigation Collecting evidence, can he not turn this case into a solid case?
Let’s take a look at Kong Rong’s charges: Charge 1: Kong Rong secretly formed a clique and plotted evil; he met with Sun Quan’s envoys to slander the imperial court; he arrogantly said, “If you have the world, why bother with a golden sword?” Mao Jin Dao is the traditional form of Liu, which is a metaphor for the emperor of Han Dynasty with the surname Liu. Kong Rong's original intention was to insinuate that Cao Cao was too powerful and coveted the country and the country of the Han Dynasty, but now it has become evidence of Kong Rong's rebellion. The second crime is being disheveled and damaging to court etiquette. The third crime was that he and his friend Mi Heng got drunk and got drunk. They flattered and flaunted each other, which was disrespectful to the saint. They also questioned and distorted the ethical relationship between parents and sons, which was treason. Cao Cao didn't care whether Kong Rong's charges were true or not. For the sake of political interests, he needed Kong Rong to disappear immediately. So Kong Rong didn't even have a chance to defend himself and appeal, and was immediately beheaded in the street.
Kong Rong had a pair of eight-year-old children left alive. When the policemen kidnapped their father, they showed no emotion and played calmly. Passers-by asked questions, and the child said an eternal famous saying: "An You" The nest is destroyed but the eggs are not broken? "Cao Cao received reports from the people in Xudu, how can he be like an ordinary child? We can't leave any trouble in the future, we have to eradicate it. They also sent people to tie the child to the execution ground. The child stretched his neck and was executed without changing his face. People all sighed and sighed sadly.
Kong Rong had a good friend named Zhi Xi. He often warned Kong Rong that he might get into trouble if he was too upright, but of course Kong Rong didn't pay much attention. He is still too conceited. Have we forgotten the teachings of our ancestor Confucius: "If a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall, how can he take it lightly?" Kong Rong's family was found dead in the street, and no one from the government or the public who had been friends with Kong Rong dared to collect the bodies. Only Zhi Xi stepped forward and touched Kong Rong's body, crying sadly: "Wen Ju! If you just leave me and leave like this, what's the point of my life?" Cao Cao was furious after hearing the news and arrested Zhi Xi. He was imprisoned and prepared to be executed. Xun Yu, Cao Cao's number one counselor and minister, couldn't stand it anymore and interceded with Cao Cao: "Zhi Xi risked his life to collect the corpses of his friends. This is a great act of justice! Such a righteous man cannot be killed!" Cao Cao suddenly woke up and regained his sense: " Yes! I am a righteous person. If I kill such a righteous person, won't I be put in a place of injustice and made the world laugh at me?" So, he let Zhi Xi go and allowed the body to be collected and buried. From then on, Cao Cao treated Zhi Xi more kindly and courteously. Twelve years later, Cao Pi, the founding emperor of the Cao Wei Dynasty who ascended the throne of the Eastern Han Dynasty in the Zen Dynasty, specially commended Zhi Xi for his good deeds.
The dust has settled, the great Kong Rong meets the great Cao Cao, who is more brilliant? The answer seems obvious. In ancient and modern times, people at home and abroad have different opinions on the evaluation of the two.
Cao Pi has an interesting comment: "Kong Rong's body and energy are superb, and he is superior to others, but he cannot hold on to his arguments and is overwhelmed by arguments." The meaning can be roughly understood as: the style and literary talent of Kong Rong's articles are elegant and beautiful, otherworldly, and high-minded; however, Kong Rong is not good at reasoning and discussion, and his logical reasoning is not as good as his gorgeous rhetoric.
The writing is as good as the person! Just as he is good at prose but not at argumentative essays, he naturally does not understand politics and is not good at dancing in the power arena. If people who don't understand politics play politics again, tragedy is inevitable.
Kong Rong used his flesh and blood to defend the precarious position of Confucianism in the moral field in the late Eastern Han Dynasty without hesitation.
With his sense of responsibility of "who would be better off than me", his tragic courage of "sacrifice one's life for righteousness", and his perseverance of "knowing that something is impossible but doing it", he has warned the world that the Confucian spirit will never die! This also reflects the strong spiritual power of Confucian thought and Confucian culture that has endured hardships and passed down the fire for thousands of years, and continues to this day with great brilliance.
The Cao Wei Dynasty after Cao Cao's death, Guo Zuo only lasted for five generations and lasted for 46 years before disappearing into ashes. However, the traditional Confucian culture that Kong Rong persisted in continued for more than two thousand years with strong vitality. will continue. In this sense, Kong Rong may not have lost to Cao Cao in the end, at least mentally.
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