Si Mahui (? —208), whose name is Cao De, was born in Yangzhai, Yingchuan (now Yuzhou City, Henan Province), a famous hermit in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He has a wide range of knowledge and is proficient in Confucian classics, special methods, art of war, Taoism and many other aspects, and is known as "Mr. Water Mirror". Si Mahui is elegant, does not pursue fame and fortune, but pays attention to learning and moral cultivation.

Si Mahui is quite famous in Jingzhou area, and has a deep friendship with celebrities such as Pang Degong and Xu Shu at that time. He once lived in Xiangyang for a period of time and had frequent contacts with local literati.

According to historical records, Si Mahui once recommended Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong to Liu Bei, calling them "Wolong" and "Feng Chu", and spoke highly of their talents and wisdom. This has also become a much-told story in the history of the Three Kingdoms.

Character evaluation:

Si Mahui enjoys a high reputation in history. He is famous for his noble character and outstanding talent. He is knowledgeable, proficient in the subset of classics and history, upright and virtuous. Politically, he is clean, not afraid of powerful people, and dares to speak out. In interpersonal communication, he is good at knowing people and employing people, and he is open-minded and informal.

As a counselor, Si Mahui has excellent wisdom and strategy. He once advised Liu Bei to help him resolve the crisis and win. He is good at analyzing the situation, can accurately judge the advantages and disadvantages of both sides and put forward practical suggestions. At the same time, he is also good at using psychological tactics to achieve his goals through psychological suggestion and induction.

Besides, Si Mahui is an outstanding character critic. He is good at observing and summarizing people's character, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, and has profound and accurate opinions on people. His comments are not only accurate but also concise and impressive.

Reference to the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Si Mahui