The videos I watched became popular in ancient times

Cheng Yu, whose courtesy name was Zhongde, was a native of Dong'e, Dongjun. He was eight feet and three inches tall, with a beautiful beard.

When the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in the first year of Zhongping (184 AD), the county magistrate Wang Du responded to the rebellion and burned down the granary. As a result, the county magistrate fled the city out of fear.

Cheng Yu took the opportunity to send people to monitor Wang Du's whereabouts. Wang Du abandoned the city and went outside to plunder. At this time, Cheng Yu found Xue Fang, a wealthy man in the city, and persuaded him that now that the rebels had left the city, there was a lot of food in the city.
Although Wang Du has captured the county town, he does not have the ability to defend it. It would be better for him to unite the soldiers and civilians outside the city and return to the city to defend it with us.

Xue Fang agreed strongly, but the soldiers and civilians outside the city refused to obey. Cheng Yu had no choice but to send a small team of cavalry to the high mountain in the east to raise the flag, and asked Xue Fang to shout that the enemy troops had attacked. Seeing this, the officials and civilians outside the city rushed back into the city.

"Cheng Yu was elected as the county magistrate by the people, which made it difficult for Wang Du to capture the city after a long siege. During his retreat, he was defeated by Cheng Yu in one fell swoop, thus preserving Dong'e."

"In the third year of Chuping (192 AD), Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou, invited Cheng Yu to assist him, but Cheng Yu refused."

"At that time, Liu Dai, Yuan Shao, and Gongsun Zan were married. Yuan Shao settled his family in Liu Dai's home to get rid of Han Fu's control, and Gongsun Zan also sent his capable general Fan Fang to assist Yuan Shao."

"Later, Gongsun Zan's relationship with Yuan Shao broke down, and he defeated Yuan Shao and threatened Liu Dai to hand over Yuan Shao's family members, saying that if he did not hand them over, he would send troops to attack Liu Dai in a few days. Liu Dai was very worried, and his subordinate Wang Yu suggested: "Cheng Yu has a plan and can make decisions on major issues." Why not ask him for advice?"

"I then summoned Cheng Yu and asked him to think of a solution for him. Cheng Yu said that if he gave up Yuan Shao who was nearby and sought help from Gongsun Zan who was far away, he would be tying himself up in knots and giving up a bright future."

"Gongsun Zan is no match for Yuan Shao. Even though he has defeated Yuan Shao now, it is only a temporary advantage. He will eventually be defeated by Yuan Shao."

"Liu Dai followed Cheng Yu's advice. Before the cavalry led by Fan Fang arrived, Gongsun Zan had already been defeated by Yuan Shao. Afterwards, Liu Dai wrote a letter to recommend Cheng Yu as the cavalry commander, but Cheng Yu refused on the grounds of poor health."

"In the third year of Chuping (192 AD), Bao Xin and others welcomed Cao Cao to be the governor of Yanzhou and appointed Cheng Yu as the magistrate of Shouzhang County. Cao Cao raised an army to avenge his father and fought a great battle with Tao Qian under the city of Xuzhou. He sent Xun Yu and Cheng Yu to guard Yanzhou."

"Zhang Miao and Chen Gong took the opportunity to betray Cao Cao and welcomed Lu Bu into Yanzhou. At this time, only Juancheng, Fan County, and Dong'e County were still in the hands of Xun Yu and Cheng Yu."

"Now that Lü Bu's army is approaching, the people of the three counties are very scared. You are highly respected in Yanzhou, please show up and comfort the people."

"Cheng Yu went to Fan County to see the county magistrate Jin Yun and persuaded him to choose his lord carefully, saying that Lu Bu was a reckless man."

"Being rude and arrogant will not last long. Lord Cao has a righteous heart and will definitely protect the people of Dawn. I hope you will consider it carefully, so I killed the lobbyist sent by Lu Bu."

"Cheng Yu sent troops to block the Cangting ferry, so Chen Gong could not cross the river. At this time, Dong'e Ling Zao Zhi had led the officials and people to defend the city."

"There was also a Yanzhou official Xue Ti who conspired with Cheng Yu and finally defended the three cities. Cao Cao returned to Yanzhou and said to him, "Without you, I would have no place to stay." So he appointed Cheng Yu as the governor of Dongping and stationed him in Fan County."

"In the first year of Xingping (194 AD), Cao Cao and Lu Bu fought in Puyang, and the situation was unfavorable several times."

"At this time, a locust plague broke out, so both sides had to withdraw their troops. At this time, Yuan Shao sent an envoy to persuade Cao Cao to ally with him and to move his family to Yecheng."

"Cao Cao had just lost Yanzhou and his food and supplies had been exhausted, so he agreed to Yuan Shao's request."

"At this time, Cheng Yu had just returned from his mission. Cao Cao summoned him, and Cheng Yu took the opportunity to say, "I heard that the general wants to send his family away and make peace with Yuan Shao." Cao Cao remained silent."

"Cheng Yu said that he was deliberately provoking Cao Cao. I think the general was afraid of the things he encountered. Otherwise, why didn't he think so far ahead? Yuan Shao occupied the land of Yan and Zhao and had the ambition to annex the world, but his intelligence was not enough to do such a big thing."

"General, think about it yourself. Can you be willing to be Yuan Shao's subordinate? You have enough troops now. How can you follow the footsteps of Han Xin and Peng Yue? Although Yanzhou is incomplete now, there is still a city."

"There are no less than 10,000 soldiers capable of fighting. With the general's bravery and Xun Yu, if we reorganize the remaining troops and make good use of them, we can still achieve an eternal cause."

"I hope the general will reconsider this carefully!" So Cao Cao gave up the idea of ​​joining forces with Yuan Shao.

"In the first year of Jian'an (196), Cao Cao defeated the Yellow Turban Army. In July, Emperor Xian of Han, Liu Xie, returned to Luoyang from Chang'an (now northwest of Xi'an, Shaanxi) under the escort of Yang Feng, Dong Cheng and others. "

"Some of his subordinates were skeptical about welcoming Emperor Xian of Han. The main reason was Cao Cao's own lack of strength."

"This was because the various forces in Shandong had not yet been pacified, and Cao Cao's base was not stable."

Li Bai: Cheng Yu is a rare all-rounder among the counselors of the Three Kingdoms period. In summary, he has the talent of a strong warrior, the courage of a hero, the spirit of integrity, and, naturally, the foresight.

According to historical records, Cheng Yu was a native of Dong'e. He was tall, handsome, and had a dignified appearance. His image was quite similar to Guan Yu, and he had the physique of a military general.

During the early years of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Wang Du, the county magistrate of Dong'a, rebelled and responded, allowing the rebels to enter the city.

The county magistrate escaped over the city wall, and the people in the city also fled in panic, all the way to the nearby mountains.

In a panic, Cheng Yu thought of sending people to inquire about the situation of the rebels. Upon inquiry, he found that the rebels were not stationed in the city, but stationed in the west of the city.

So Cheng Yu discussed with the Xue Fang, a prominent family in the county: Looking at the current situation, Wang Du and his gang are just a mob, looting property and not doing anything great; Dong'a City is strong and well-equipped, so we might as well return to the city and defend it.

Xue Fang thought it made sense, but the people disagreed. They felt that the rebels were in the west and they should run east. How could they turn back?
Cheng Yu lamented, "It's impossible to discuss affairs with ignorant people," so he sent people to raise the rebel flag on the eastern mountain, shouted that the rebels were coming from the east, and then led the way to run into the city.

As a result, the people all ran back to the city. When Wang Du's army came to attack the city, the people in the city united as one, but they were eventually defeated by Cheng Yu's troops when they were retreating.

It should be said that the preservation of Dong'e was entirely due to Cheng Yu's advice and efforts. In this "Battle for the Defense of Dong'e", the images of all living things, directed by Cheng Yu, are quite interesting.

Everyone is afraid of death and seeks profit while avoiding harm. Smart people try to save themselves, while foolish people often just flee in panic.

For smart people, like Xue Fang, you can explain the reason to them; for foolish people, like the people of Dong'a, you need to put them in danger.

In other words, as a leader or commander, you need to know how to employ people, and it should be different for each person:

Some people only need to be made aware of the fact, otherwise it will be dangerous, this is to drive them with benefits and harms;
For some people, you need to make them know the reasons, treat them with sincerity, gain their trust, and control them with loyalty and righteousness.

During the Chuping period, Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan were competing for supremacy, and both wanted to win over Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou.

Liu Dai was hesitant about what to do next, so his subordinates suggested that Cheng Yu, who was very strategic, could be consulted.

At that time, Gongsun Zan had just defeated Yuan Shao and seemed to have the upper hand, so it seemed better to support Gongsun Zan.

Cheng Yu disagreed. He analyzed that Yanzhou was close to Yuan Shao but far away from Gongsun Zan's territory.
It is better to seek the distant than the near. Far water cannot quench the immediate thirst. Moreover, in the long run, Gongsun Zan will never be a match for Yuan Shao.

As a result, Yuan Shao destroyed Gongsun Zan. This shows Cheng Yu's foresight. Liu Dai wanted to keep Cheng Yu, but Cheng Yu declined. After Liu Dai's death, Cao Cao entered Yanzhou and recruited Cheng Yu, who happily went.

The villagers were puzzled by his different choices, but Cheng Yu just smiled and said nothing. It is common sense that a good minister chooses his master and serves him.

The counselors at that time were all good at choosing bosses. As for why they chose Cao Cao, Cheng Yu gave an explanation when he persuaded Jin Yunshi, the magistrate of Fan County, during the second "Battle of Dong'a".

This incident happened during Cao Cao's conquest of Xuzhou, which is the background of the so-called Tao Qian giving up Xuzhou to Liu Bei three times.

As soon as Cao Cao's army arrived at the front line in Xuzhou, Zhang Miao rebelled and joined Lu Bu, occupying most of Yanzhou. Only Xun Yu and Cheng Yu were left to defend the three cities of Juancheng, Fan and Dong'a.

The situation was extremely urgent at the time. There were rumors that Lu Bu's adviser Chen Gong would take Dong'a and send troops to attack Fan County.

People were in a panic, and the situation was precarious. Xun Yu said to Cheng Yu: The most urgent task is to stabilize the people's hearts. If the people's hearts are not stable, the three cities will be difficult to protect. As a local with a very high prestige, you should go and lobby them.

"At the same time, Emperor Xian of Han moved from Guanzhong to Luoyang, and he was surrounded by forces such as Han Xian and Yang Feng. They allied with Zhang Yang in the north. If Cao Cao went to war with them, it would be difficult for him to subdue them immediately."

"If these people interfere, it will not be easy to welcome Emperor Xian of Han. At this time, only Xun Yu and Cheng Yu agree to welcome the emperor."

"He persuaded Cao Cao that if Emperor Xian of Han was brought to Luoyang, there would definitely be righteous men who would come to support the Han Dynasty."

"At this time, if you welcome Emperor Xian of Han and obey the wishes of the people, it will be a great act of obedience. If you use the justice of the court to subdue heroes, it will be a great act of strategy. If you support justice and recruit talents, it will be a great act of virtue."

"With these reasons, Han Xian and Yang Feng must not interfere. If we don't act quickly, other forces may take advantage of us as time goes by, and it will be too late to regret it."

"Cao Cao finally persuaded Emperor Xian to move the capital to Xuchang (today's east of Xuchang, Henan). Cao Cao was given the title of general and Marquis of Wuping, and Cheng Yu was also given the title of minister."

"From then on, it created a strategic advantage of using the emperor to control the princes, and laid the foundation for the smooth implementation of the subsequent war of unification."

"In the fifth year of Jian'an (200 AD), Cao Cao and Yuan Shao broke out: the "Battle of Guandu""

"At this time, Yuan Shao's army was stationed in Liyang and preparing to cross the Yellow River to the south. At this time, there were only more than 700 soldiers led by Cheng Yu guarding the city."

"After Cao Cao learned that Yuan Shao had crossed the Yellow River to the south, he quickly sent someone to inform Cheng Yu and planned to send 2,000 troops to reinforce Juancheng."

"Cheng Yu did not accept it and wrote a letter to Cao Cao, saying that Yuan Shao had more than 100,000 soldiers and thought he was invincible. But when he found that there were few soldiers guarding the city, he must have looked down on me and would not send anyone to attack me."

"If you send reinforcements, Yuan Shao will definitely attack Juancheng when he passes by here."

"It would have been difficult to defend the city at that time, and our military strength would have been lost. Cao Cao followed Cheng Yu's advice, and Yuan Shao did not attack Juancheng."

"In the 212th year of Jian'an ( AD), Cao Cao sent troops to attack Han Sui and Ma Chao. He ordered Cao Pi to stay in the capital. The following year, Tian Yin and Su Bo launched a rebellion."

"When Cao Pi learned of this, he immediately sent General Jia Xin to suppress the rebellion. He soon put down the rebellion and captured more than a thousand people."

"According to the old law, they should all be killed. But Cheng Yu said that the reason why they killed those who surrendered in the past was because the situation was turbulent and they had to kill them. It was not enough to deter the scoundrels. Now the situation in the world is stable."

"The rebellion happened within our own country, so we should not kill these prisoners lightly. Even if we want to kill them, we should first ask Cao Gong's opinion."

"At this time, other ministers said that we can make our own military decisions without asking Cao Gong for permission. As for Cheng Yu, he did not say anything."

"After the court session, Cao Pi summoned Cheng Yu alone. He asked if Cheng Yu had anything to say just now."

"Cheng Yu said that Lord Cao said that he could make his own decisions only when he was facing a critical moment and needed to make a quick decision."

"Now that the rebels have been wiped out, this matter is no longer an emergency. That is why I hope the general will not be too aggressive."

"After hearing this, Cao Pi understood the reason and immediately sent someone to write a letter to Cao Cao. After reading it, Cao Gong really ordered not to kill those who surrendered."

"In the first year of Huangchu (220 AD), Cao Pi proclaimed himself emperor, and Cheng Yu was promoted to Marquis of Anxiang, with an additional households, for a total of households."

"I made my youngest son Cheng Yan and grandson Cheng Xiao marquises. When they were preparing to make them three dukes, Cheng Yu unfortunately passed away."

"Cao Pi shed tears for this and posthumously awarded Cheng Yu the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry and the posthumous title of Marquis Su. His son Cheng Wu succeeded him."

Su Shi: The worst situation was in Fan County. County Magistrate Jin Yun's mother, wife, children and other family members were captured by Lu Bu. It was only natural that he was the most likely to surrender.

Cheng Yu advised him that he should not act on his own initiative at this time and should not let his mind be disturbed.

The world is in chaos now, and heroes are emerging. There must be someone who can overcome the chaos and stabilize the world. Smart people should choose such a wise leader to follow; if you follow the right person, you will prosper, but if you follow the wrong person, you will fail.

Lü Bu is a common man with courage, but he is definitely not the one who can stabilize the world. Who is? Cao Cao is a man of extraordinary strategy, gifted by heaven, and he is the one.

If you betray your loyalty and surrender to Lu Bu, you and your family may end up in a bad situation. Think carefully about whether this is a good idea or not.

Jin Yun was finally persuaded and expressed his loyalty to Cao Cao with tears in his eyes.

Although it is impossible to be both loyal and filial, it is extremely difficult to make people go against human ethics.

Cheng Yu's logic in persuading Jin Yun seemed to allow him to make a choice, but in fact it left him with no choice.

Because Jin Yun might be faced with the situation where he could not be both loyal and filial, or he might be faced with the situation where he could not be both loyal and filial; he had to choose the lesser of two evils, and Jin Yun knew what was more important.

All wise counselors and lobbyists are well versed in human nature. They know that when it comes to difficult decisions, it is better to appeal to reason than to appeal to emotions, and it is better to explain the benefits and disadvantages than to explain reason.

Xu Zhong cited the examples of Liu Bang releasing Wang Ling and Liu Bei releasing Xu Shu, and believed that Cao Cao should release Jin Yun to fulfill his filial piety.

I think that this is a matter of time. The people recommended by Xu Zhong will only hurt their hair and flesh at most. If Jin Yun leaves, it will be the end of Cao Cao's life. (End of this chapter)