On the criteria of selecting talents, Cao Cao, with his unique boldness of vision as a politician, contradicts the traditional criteria of selecting people by their doors and fame, and advocates that "it is the best choice". The famous "August Order" clearly stated that talents who are "humiliating, laughing, or heartless and have the skill of governing the country and using soldiers" should be employed, which is a fierce impact on the traditional personnel system whose only criterion is family status. Even Sima Guang, a conservative politician in the Song Dynasty, gave a positive evaluation of Cao Cao's selection criteria of "knowing people and being good at their duties, being neither humble nor supercilious, and being able to serve us".
There are talents in Luo Zhi, and there is a question of how to appoint them. At this point, Cao Cao also has a unique feature, which is Zhao Yi of A Qing Dynasty. As for the specific practice, Zhao Yiyou has a wonderful exposition:
When Gai Cao Cao just made his debut, he wanted to use all his strength to achieve something, so he traveled all over the world. Yangfu's so-called tso can use people beyond his means. And even the pack, the potential is set, Kong Rong, Xu You, Lou Gui, etc. , are killed with suspicion; Yu Xun, known as Cao's mastermind, was also threatened with death for resisting Jiu Xi. Even Yang was rewarded by Cao Cao, because he was killed than Chen Ho. Cui Yansu, who trusted Cao, also killed him with suspicion; Then I knew the nature of the male guess, which has long been exposed. The previous employment was specially revised for a temporary purpose. The so-called political skills are also useful. (Notes on Twenty-two Histories)
At the beginning of his business, when Cao Cao needed talents to help him conquer the world, he could be modest and treat useful talents like Liu Bei and Sun Quan. Cao Cao's kindness to Liu Bei and Guan Yu is well known. In fact, he gave preferential treatment to important counselors far above Liu and Guan Yu, so most of them could get the power of the people.
What is particularly rare is that Cao spent more than he could make ends meet at the beginning of his business, that is, he was able to let bygones be bygones, even enemies, showing the broad mind and tolerance of a politician.
For example, after the battle of Guandu, I found many letters of secret correspondence between "military people" and Yuan Shao. Someone proposed to find out and then put it away and kill it. Cao Cao said, "Shao is strong, and loneliness cannot protect himself." What about others? " (ditto), so life "burn".
Another example is Chen Lin, once a subordinate of Yuan Shao, who drafted Cao's denunciation for him and scolded Cao Zu for three generations. However, after joining Cao Cao, he was still reused and was not retaliated.
Another example is Zhang Xiu, who bears a grudge against Cao Cao because he killed his son. But after Zhang Xiu defected, Cao Cao let bygones be bygones, still worshipped him as General Yang Wu, and married his children in-laws. In the battle of Guandu, Zhang Xiu was a happener. After defeating Yuan Tan, Cao Cao rewarded his merits and added 2,000 households to the city. Other "generals don't have a complete family". (Biography of the Three Kingdoms Shu Wei Zhang Xiu)
Cao Cao's kindness, friendliness, comity and generosity to talents directly serve his political goals. His purpose is clear, to win people's hearts and let talents work for him. Once this goal cannot be achieved, or people who used to rely on it are disloyal to it, it will be ruthlessly cut off.
The experience of Yu Xun, the chief figure of Cao Cao's think tank, is very telling. After he abandoned salt to follow Cao Cao, he gave him great political support. Cao Cao also hit it off with him and even praised him as "my ovary". However, Yu Xun was educated in Confucian etiquette from an early age. After all, he is a scholar. The reason why he advised Cao Cao was that he hoped Cao Cao could "cut many people for scholars", so when he saw that Cao Cao was in a rising position of power, he wanted to join lord protector and Jiu Xi, which caused serious political differences with Cao Cao. He knew that Cao Cao was rebellious but refused to go along with it, which became a stumbling block to Cao Cao's personal ambition, so he was jealous. Regarding the ending of Yu Xun, some people say that it was poisoned by Cao Cao's medicated wine, while others say that it was coerced to commit suicide. Anyway, it didn't end well.
Like this, Yu Xun was not the only one who was treated with courtesy before being killed. Many people made contributions to Cao Cao's reunification in his early years, but later he had to retire in order to protect himself. Cheng Yu, an important counselor of Cao Cao, voluntarily surrendered the military power and begged for retirement on the grounds of "knowing enough and not humiliating"; Jia Xu, on the other hand, "pretends to be a non-Taizu old minister, but has a long-term plan, fearing suspicion, staying behind closed doors, abstaining from selfless friendship, marrying men and women, and not setting high doors." He Kui saw that "Mao's nature is strict, and because officials often add sticks", he "often poisons livestock and swears to death." These historical facts show that under Cao Cao's high-handed policy in his later period, his ministers were in a dilemma and uneasy psychological state.
Therefore, compared with Cao Cao's attitude of both appointing and doubting talents, he actually pursues a pragmatic policy on the issue of talents. In order to establish the cause of unifying the world in Wang Ba, he paid attention to and treated talents, showing his great talent and tolerance for talents. However, in order to maintain the absolute authority of the individual, he also doubts and stifles talents in vain, which shows the other side of his treachery on the issue of talents.