The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

As the son of Cao Cao, Cao Zhi had never lacked money since he was a child.

Of course, living in a wealthy family, Cao Zhi also heard a lot of truths.

But he still had bad luck and lost several opportunities to rise.

A philosopher once said that habit is a tenacious and powerful force that can dominate life.

In life, the accumulation of little habits becomes wisdom and also forms destiny.

"Cao Zhi was the third son of Cao Cao and the younger brother of Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi."

"Cao Zhi was a man of great talent at a young age. When he was in his teens, he could recite poems, essays, and prose of hundreds of thousands of words, and was also good at writing."

"After reading his essay, his father Cao Cao asked Cao Zhi whether he had hired someone to write it for him."

"Cao Zhi immediately said that he could discuss and write, and if Cao Cao didn't believe him, he could take a test."

"Cao Zhi was a man of simplicity and convenience, not concerned with solemn ceremonies, and did not seek luxury in his carriages, horses, and clothes."

"Plus, he was always able to answer Cao Cao's questions and tests fluently, so he was especially favored by Cao Cao."

"In the ninth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao eliminated Yuan Shao and captured Yecheng."

"From then on, he used Yecheng as a stronghold and conquered all directions. Cao Zhi therefore followed his father on many expeditions since he was a child."

"In the tenth year of Jian'an, Cao Zhi followed Cao Cao to conquer Yuan Tan, attacked Nanpi, hunted down Yuan Tan, and pacified Jizhou."

"Three years later, he followed Cao Cao to the north to conquer the Wuhuan in the three counties and won a great victory."

"At that time, the Bronze Sparrow Tower in the back garden of the Wei Palace in Ye County had just been built. Cao Cao took Cao Zhi and Cao Pi to the stage and asked them to write a poem each."

"As a result, Cao Zhi wrote a brilliant essay in one stroke, and Cao Cao therefore valued Cao Zhi even more."

"In the 16th year of Jian'an, Cao Zhi was granted the title of Marquis of Pingyuan. In July of the same year, he followed Cao Cao in the western expedition against Ma Chao. The following year, he followed the army to attack Sun Quan."

"In the 19th year of Jian'an, Cao Zhi was renamed Marquis of Linzi."

"In July of the same year, Cao Cao went to attack Sun Quan and asked Cao Zhi to stay in Ye County and warned him."

"I was 23 years old when I served as the magistrate of Dunqiu County. Looking back on my actions back then, I have no regrets to this day."

"Now Cao Zhi is at the same age, and he should also encourage himself and strive for progress."

"During the period in Yexia, Cao Zhi followed his father to join the army."

"He also feasted and enjoyed himself with Wang Can and other literati in Ye, exchanged poems and wrote many banquet and travel poems."

"Cao Zhi was favored by Cao Cao because of his outstanding talent, and people like Ding Yi in the court also acted as supporters of Cao Zhi."

"Cao Cao was hesitant about this and wanted to make Cao Zhi the heir several times."

"But Cao Zhi was a man of few rules, not concerned with beautifying his personal image, and had no restraint in drinking."

Su Shi: Cao Zhi's life is like a warning bell, telling people that if they want to achieve great things, they should avoid being indecisive.

Cao Zhi was the third son of Cao Cao, King of Wei, and Empress Wuxuan Bian.

At a young age, he was well-versed in the Book of Songs, the Analects of Confucius, and the prose and poetry of the pre-Qin and Han dynasties, which enabled him to develop a sharp eloquence.

Although he was born into a royal family, he had a frank and natural temperament and did not care about solemn appearance, which made him quite favored by his father Cao Cao.

I wrote a poem called "The White Horse" with great enthusiasm, and there are two rhetorical questions in the poem.

Throwing yourself on the edge of a sharp blade, how can you save your life?

If you don't even care about your parents, how can you talk about your children and wife?
This reveals Cao Zhi's ambition, which is to put personal feelings aside and sacrifice his life for his country, which is what his life is devoted to.

But why did such an ambitious and talented young man, born in an imperial family and highly regarded by his father Cao Cao, die of depression in his later years?

That person is indecisive and cannot be a hero.

In the 25th year of Jian'an in the Han Dynasty, Cao Cao was critically ill. When Cao Zhi arrived, he did not see his father for the last time.

At this moment of grief, his brother Cao Zhang, who had arrived earlier than him, spoke to him privately.

Before my father died, he urgently summoned me to make you the crown prince.

Cao Zhang had always admired Cao Zhi's literary talent and ability, and always stood on Cao Zhi's side in the struggle for the throne between Cao Zhi and Cao Pi.

However, Cao Zhi used the Yuan brothers as an excuse and did not want to seize the throne. In the end, Cao Pi successfully ascended to the throne.

At this time, Cao Zhi's indecisiveness had begun to show.

Cao Zhi wavered when he should have argued and hesitated when he should have made a decision.

In history, Cao Zhi was not the only one who missed opportunities due to indecision.

The same was true of Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty.

He almost missed the best opportunity to become emperor because of his indecision during the Chenqiao Rebellion.

He was hesitant when faced with the support of the soldiers, and was finally forced to put on the yellow robe before he could successfully ascend the throne.

I treat my brothers like brothers, and my brothers treat me like a baby rabbit

If you crave stability, you will have no freedom; if you want freedom, you must go through some dangers. These are the only two paths.

Cao Zhi thought he chose the second one, but actually he chose the first one.

Cao Zhi's indecision only cost the lives of those around him.

In the fourth year of Huangchu in Wei Dynasty, Cao Pi recalled all the vassal kings of Cao family back to the capital Luoyang in the name of meeting the solar terms.

Not long after, news of Cao Zhang's sudden death spread from the palace.

"Cao Zhi once rode his carriage on the lane in Ye County reserved for Cao Cao's use, and even opened the south main gate of the Wei Palace and rode out from the middle of the gate, which made Cao Cao furious."

"But Cao Pi knew how to use means to restrain and beautify himself."

"Cao Cao once went to war, and Cao Pi and Cao Zhi saw him off together on the roadside."

"Cao Zhi spoke and praised Cao Cao's merits, while Cao Pi, following the advice of his subordinates, said nothing and bid farewell to his father in tears."

"This made Cao Cao think that Cao Zhi's rhetoric was more than gorgeous, but his inner sincerity was not as good as his brother's."

"Cao Pi also used political tricks to disguise himself and get people from all walks of life to speak well of him, so that Cao Cao gradually alienated Cao Zhi and took a fancy to Cao Pi."

"In the 22nd year of Jian'an, Cao Pi was finally made the crown prince by Cao Cao."

"In the same year, Cao Zhi's fiefdom was increased by 5,000 households, bringing the total to 10,000 households."

"After Cao Pi was crowned as the heir to the Wei Kingdom, Cao Cao was worried that Yang Xiu, the chief clerk who had supported Cao Zhi in the past, would cause trouble."

"He interfered with the harmony between Cao Zhi and Cao Pi, and simply arrested and killed him, which made Cao Zhi feel even more uneasy."

"In the 24th year of Jian'an, Cao Ren was surrounded by Guan Yu in Xiangyang."

"Cao Cao then appointed Cao Zhi as the General of Southern Army and acting General of Conquering the Enemy Army, and ordered him to lead troops to rescue Cao Ren."

"I didn't expect Cao Zhi to be so drunk that he couldn't obey orders at all."

"This made Cao Cao very regretful, so he stopped sending Cao Zhi on missions."

"After Cao Pi succeeded to the throne, he ordered the execution of Cao Zhi's supporters Ding Yi, Ding Yi and others."

"Cao Zhi and other princes of the same surname were also sent to their respective fiefdoms and could not stay in the capital."

"Faced with suspicion and persecution after Cao Pi became emperor, Cao Zhi wrote "Song of the Yellow Bird in the Wild Field" in grief and indignation to show the danger of the political environment at that time."

"In the second year of Huangchu, the regent Guan Jun catered to the wishes of Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi."

"He reported to the emperor that Cao Zhi had been drunk and behaved arrogantly, and that he had kidnapped and threatened the envoys sent by the imperial court to monitor the princes."

"Officials from relevant departments were ready to sentence Cao Zhi to death, but the empress dowager opposed it." "Cao Pi only demoted Cao Zhi to the title of Marquis of Anxiang as a punishment, and changed his title to Marquis of Juancheng in the same year."

Xin Qiji: What really changed Cao Zhi's fate was not reason or money, but the development of three habits.

Three years after Cao Cao's death and Cao Pi's ascension to the throne, the brothers reunited for the first time. One of the princes was killed in the palace, which aroused all kinds of suspicions. Moreover, Cao Zhang had always been on the side of Cao Zhi.

As for Cao Zhi, he was just immersed in the pain of his brother's death and wrote "Elegy for the King of Rencheng" with tears.

The deeds of Chongyi will be equal to those of Qi and Lu.

How can it happen so suddenly? It’s not fate that has given it to me.

The benevolent mourn the death of others, including those of different kinds.

Moreover, we were born together, how can I not feel sad and miserable?

He praised Cao Zhang's achievements, denounced the injustice of fate, and lamented the impermanence of life and death.

He expressed his own sadness, but did not think about his own situation.

But how could Cao Pi, who inherited Cao Cao's heroic spirit, let the sword fall so easily? The sword turned and came towards Cao Zhi.

As for Cao Zhang's death, Cao Pi simply said that he died in his mansion and then dismissed him.

After three rounds of drinking, Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi, proposed playing a poetry game. No one could be perfunctory or evasive, and the loser would be punished.

When it came to Cao Zhi, Cao Pi suddenly ordered him to write a poem within seven steps, one sentence at a time.

Thus, the "Seven-Step Poem" that has been passed down through the ages came into being. It must be said that Cao Zhi's attainments in poetry are unprecedented and unparalleled.

This sad poem talks about the love between brothers line by line, but does not mention the word "brothers" at all.

Boil the beans and make soup, strain the beans to make juice.

Osmunda burned under the kettle, and the beans wept in the kettle.

He grew up from the same root, why is it too urgent?
As fate would have it, Cao Zhi’s failure was due to his indecisiveness, and his success was also due to his indecisiveness.

This time his indecision saved his life.

Cao Zhi chose to close his eyes when the time came, which led to his brother's unexpected misfortune.

When the god of death's scythe was about to chop down on him, he suddenly opened his eyes and emitted a sharp light.

The word "indecisive" in "indecisive" originally means hesitation, which is a manifestation of rich emotions and greed for old feelings.

In fact, Cao Zhi's indecisiveness had almost put Cao Pi to death before he came to power.

In the 22nd year of Jian'an in the Han Dynasty, a great plague spread on both sides of the Yellow River and Cao Zhi's good friend Wang Can died.

Chen Lin, who was over 60 years old, also fell ill and could not get up. Liu Zhen, Ying Yan and Xu Gan fell ill and passed away one after another. Cao Zhi's daughter, who was just half a year old, also died.

"In the third year of Huangchu, Cao Zhi was made the King of Juancheng, with a fief of 2,500 households."

"It was also during this time when Cao Zhi passed by the Luo River on his way back to his fiefdom of Juancheng that he wrote his famous poem, 'Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River.'"

"In the fourth year of Huangchu, Cao Zhi was renamed the King of Yongqiu."

"In the same year, Cao Zhi was ordered to go to the capital to pay homage to the emperor."

"Cao Zhi presented a memorial and two poems to protect himself, aiming to reflect on his sins and express gratitude to the grace of Cao Pi, the King of Wei."

"Cao Pi was very satisfied after reading it, and even issued a mildly worded edict of praise to reply and encourage him."

"In the sixth year of Huangchu, Cao Pi went east to attack Sun Quan and passed through Yongqiu County, the fief of Cao Zhi, on his way back."

"Cao Pi not only visited Cao Zhi's residence in person, but also increased his fiefdom by 500 households."

"In the first year of Taihe after Emperor Ming of Wei, Cao Rui, ascended the throne, Cao Zhi's fiefdom was changed to Junyi County."

"The next year, he moved back to Yongqiu. During this time, Cao Zhi was often depressed that he had outstanding talents but nowhere to display them."

"So Cao Zhi submitted a petition to take the examination, expressing his wish to join the army and lead the army to attack Wu and destroy Shu."

"In the third year of Taihe, Cao Zhi was transferred to Dong'e, where he devoted himself to writing and studying Confucian classics."

"In the fifth year of Taihe, Cao Zhi again submitted a petition for permission to visit his relatives, expressing his desire to be allowed to visit and greet them."

"At the same time, Cao Zhi also submitted a memorial to Emperor Ming of Wei, stating that the court should be cautious in selecting talents."

"But in response to Cao Zhi's memorials, Emperor Ming of Wei, Cao Rui, simply responded with a cordial edict."

"During this period, Cao Zhi was persecuted in his official career and felt depressed and frustrated, so he wrote poems to express his worries about life."

"In the fifth year of Taihe, Emperor Ming of Wei, Cao Rui, issued an edict requiring all the princes of the royal family to come to the capital to pay homage in the first month of the sixth year of Taihe."

"In February after the audience, Cao Zhi was given the title of King of Chen with four counties including Chen County as his fief, and a fief of 3,500 households."

"During this period, Cao Zhi had repeatedly requested Cao Rui to summon him alone to discuss current affairs in the hope of being given a trial position, but his wish was never fulfilled."

"After returning to his fiefdom from the capital, Cao Zhi was filled with despair at the harshness and ruthlessness of the court's laws towards the Grand Master Prince."

"From then on, he was often depressed because he was eager to change his situation. He eventually died of illness in the sixth year of Taihe, at the age of 41."

"After Cao Zhi died, his son Cao Zhi followed his will and buried him in Yushan."

Ouyang Xiu: Cao Zhi was so talented, but unfortunately he lost to Cao Pi in the battle for the crown prince.

Cao Zhi's wife, Cui, was executed by Cao Cao as a warning to others because she dressed too extravagantly and ignored Cao Cao's frugal policies.

Cao Zhi's indecisive literati complex had already reached its peak and was about to burst out.

He took advantage of the opportunity when Cao Cao and Cao Pi went out to attack Sun Quan and drank alone in the palace until he was drunk.

After getting drunk, he naturally wanted to vent his emotions, so he drove around the palace recklessly.

He was drunk when he passed Sima Gate. He rushed out despite the guards' dissuasion and galloped on the Imperial Road.

In the orderly ancient times, only the emperor or his special envoys could pass through the gates of the imperial palace, and the imperial road was also exclusive to the emperor.

Rebellion against superiors and meddling in other people's affairs are both capital crimes.

In the end, Cao Cao ordered the execution of Sima Ling, the officer in charge of the palace gate guards.

However, Cao Zhi completely failed to live up to his father Cao Cao's expectations. In October of the same year, Cao Cao made Cao Pi the crown prince.

The essence of literature is the reasonable interpretation of emotions. Obviously, Cao Zhi, as a literary creator, always has the upper hand in major issues.

But Li Bai did not think so. In his later years, Li Bai admired Cao Zhi very much and was moved by his tragic and righteous character.

He wrote the famous "Song of the Wine" to express his condolence, but also to feel sad for himself.

Perhaps this is why Li Bai, who wrote thousands of talented poems throughout his life, was frustrated all his life and ended up like Cao Zhi.

This may also be the fate of all literary creators in that turbulent era.

If he was just an ordinary member of the Cao family, he might be able to live the rest of his life in peace in a small fiefdom.

If he was a talented scholar from another family, he might have shined in the Cao regime.

Some people say that Cao Pi is the most like Cao Cao among his four sons, inheriting Cao Cao's heroic qualities and his thoughtful and wise strategies.

But I prefer Cao Zhi because he is more real and more lovely.

He has lofty ambitions but is loyal and righteous, he has great literary talent but cares about his family.

After all, for most people, you don’t have a throne to seize, nor are you living in the chaotic times of the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

It is better to live a more complicated life and be a person with flesh and blood. (End of this chapter)