Chapter 10 Chapter Nine: The Literati Started With Lowliness

Cao Pi only said that "literati look down on each other, which has been natural since ancient times", but he ignored the self-deprecation of literati because he was a feudal emperor.In fact, among the literati who were attached to feudal emperors and warlords, there have always been many people who are self-deprecating, who are loyal to help others, and even help and accomplices, revealing their servility and comedian appearance.Some wise men in the Three Kingdoms period, that is, politically uneducated literati, are more disgusting than uneducated people in life. In the history of Chinese literary criticism, the earliest specialized theoretical article is generally considered to be Cao Pi's "Dianlun·Dissertation".The article breaks the title and writes that "literati look down on each other, since ancient times", and cites Ban Gu's contempt for Fu Yi as an example.He also believes that "literature is not a whole, and it is seldom possible to prepare good ones. Therefore, each has its own strengths and ignores its weaknesses."He can understand, but he does not agree with the literati's "invisible trouble".It is also written in "Book with Wu Zhi", "Looking at the literati of ancient and modern times, they can hardly stand on their own with fame and integrity."As a feudal emperor, poet, and literary critic, it should be said that Cao Pi said what no one said, and hit a fatal spot of literati who are engaged in literature, and it still has warning value for generations to come.However, his main job is the feudal emperor after all, and writing poems and essays is only a hobby. These criticisms are not equal to political evaluation.According to the tradition of "entering the world" since Confucianism and Mencius, most literati, especially the so-called "smart men", always get involved in politics, and some even become literati politics. family (or politicians).There are many examples of characters from the Three Kingdoms.

Pre-Qin literati are commonly referred to as "shi".During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period, Wang Gang Jieniu, the feudal lords separated their regimes, and there were constant wars, which is quite similar to the Three Kingdoms period.However, there is another fundamental difference. At that time, the "scholar" was still a respected social class. Various schools of thought preached their own ideas and contended for coexistence. Most of the "scholars" were able to stick to their relatively independent personality and ideals.After Qin Shihuang "burned books and buried Confucianism" and Han Wudi "respected only Confucianism", Confucianism, Law, and Taoism, which had been castrated by feudal imperial power politics, gradually became the commentary of autocratic rule, and the "scholars" who relied on them also Correspondingly, he gradually became a defender of autocratic rule.It is not by making a name for yourself, but by being an official and seeking glory and glory, which naturally became the basic choice of "scholars", thus forming a group of "scholar-bureaucrats". The group of "scholar-bureaucrats" is no longer the previous social class, but has gradually become a subordinate class in the autocratic and centralized system, in which many members have been castrated, and the overall structure is often changing with time.

People in this class have dual identities: they are bureaucrats and literati. This dual identity determines that they should not only abide by the clear rules in the autocratic and centralized system, abide by the orthodox "three cardinal guides and five constants" of the feudal patriarchal clan, and be unconditionally loyal to the monarch, but also accept the unspoken rules in the autocratic and centralized system. , help and even accomplice.The autocratic and centralized system was originally a big pot of political pollution. Except for some honest gentlemen who really admired Confucius and Mencius and were capable of self-discipline, quite a few "scholar-bureaucrats" and candidates for "scholar-bureaucrats" were inevitably alienated and infected with servility and comedian virus.Li Kang, who was a county magistrate during the reign of Emperor Wei Ming, wrote an article "On Destiny", calling self-deprecating literati "people who are rare in the world".He criticized this kind of people for "admiring the noble face and wandering between snobbery", "taking peeping as the spirit, using turning back as flexibility", but taking humiliation as pride, and "naturally taking it for granted".As a vicious product of this kind of social history, self-deprecation of literati is not uncommon even for "governing the world". In the "troubled times" of the Three Kingdoms, it is naturally more varied and emerges endlessly.

From the early period of the Three Kingdoms period to the middle period of the Three Kingdoms period, Jia Xu's power and resourcefulness had an important impact on the warlords in the northern region and even the historical trend at that time.He took refuge in Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, Guo Fan, Zhang Xiu, and Cao Cao successively. When Cao Pi became emperor, he became an empress official to Taiwei, and he was named Wei Shouxiang Hou. He lived to be 77 years old before dying.During his lifetime, he advised Zhang Xiu to outwit Cao Cao, and later persuaded Zhang Xiu to assess the situation and return to Cao Cao, and in the 16th year of Jian'an (211), he offered advice to Cao Cao to separate Han Sui and Ma Chao, and won the battle. Extremely shrewd, called a wizard.But he has changed masters many times like this, and he must be loyal. He always regards "family and body" as the principle of interest, and he does not hesitate to let tens of millions of people fall to the ground.

As early as in March of the third year of Han Chuping (192), Dong Zhuo was killed, and the Liangzhou soldiers who followed Dong Zhuo were terrified. "The school captain Li Jue, Guo Fan, Zhang Ji, etc. wanted to disband and return to their hometown." Jia Xu, who was looking for the captain, took the initiative to stop them and said: "I heard that Chang'an Zhongyi wanted to kill the people of Liangzhou, but the kings abandoned the crowd and went alone, that is, a pavilion leader can restrain the king. It is better to lead the crowd to the west and withdraw the troops there. , to attack Chang’an, to avenge Dong Gong. Fortunately, it helps the country to conquer the world; After that, they captured Chang'an, drove away Lu Bu, killed Wang Yun, and massacred more than 10,000 soldiers and civilians.Next, Li, Guo and others fought for years and poisoned Chang'an, which further caused an unprecedented tragedy of "people eating each other, bones piled up, and roads full of filth".Li Jue and others wanted to confer meritorious deeds on Jia Xu, but he just declined lightly and said, "What is the merit of this life-saving plan?" Pei Songzhi specially commented on this matter, and commented sharply: "Fu Rengong is hard to come by." , and the source of chaos is easy to come into being, so there is a chance of disaster that will cause disasters for hundreds of generations. At that time, the original evil will become a tyrant, and the world will begin to open; resulting in the reunion of strict ranks, the great stalks, and the mourning of the country. Li Minying and Zhou Yu's coolness, can't Jia Xu say it? Xu's crime is so serious! Since ancient times, there has never been such a chaos!" Jia Xu wanted to "save" himself and the masters of Li and Guo. "Fate" did not hesitate to help the murderer and help the evil, and the mastermind to become evil. The crime of being a cruel thief is really heinous, and his humble character is really indescribable!For thousands of years, such a word has brought disaster to the country and the people, he is really a very rare negative teacher!

Liu Ye, another "smart man" of the Cao Cao Group, also has the "talent of the world". He was born in a branch of the royal family surnamed Liu, not only good at strategy, but also somewhat heroic. When he was in his 20s, Zheng Bao, Zhang Duo, Xu Gan and others, the leaders of trilogy in Yangzhou area, gathered together to separatist regime. Zheng Bao was particularly domineering and planned to coerce Liu Ye to come forward to advocate and "drive the common people to Jiangbiao".When Cao Cao sent an envoy to Yangzhou, Liu Ye immediately went to pay homage to the envoy and invited him to his home as a guest.He also invited Zheng Bao to kill him when he was unprepared, and then lied to "Cao Gong has an order, and anyone who dares to move will be guilty of the same crime as Bao", scaring away all Zheng Bao's entourage.After taking refuge in Cao Cao, he was promoted from Sikongcang Cao Yu to the chief book, and has been the commander of the army and the leader of the army, becoming one of the trusted think tanks.In the 20th year of Jian'an (215), when Hanzhong was conquered, "the mountains are too steep to climb, and the military food is quite scarce", Cao Cao had the idea of ​​"returning quickly", but he advocated "it is better to attack".Cao Cao adopted his suggestion, and "Hanzhong was flattened" in the First World War.

Cao Pi proclaimed himself emperor in the first year of Huangchu (220), made Liu Ye a servant, and granted him the title of Marquis of Guannei.Analyzing the situation in Shu and Wu, Liu Ye is still clear and logical, but he always hopes to meet Cao Pi's will.Cao Pi wanted to attack Shu, but the courtiers inside and outside said "no", so he acted as a double-faced faction.When he entered the court alone to meet Cao Pi, he always said "Keep cutting"; when speaking to the courtiers, he said "Don't cut".Yang Ji, the leader of the army, was the "emperor's close minister", and he was the most resolute in his opinion of inviolability; he respected Liu Ye, and every time he exchanged opinions with Liu Ye, Liu Ye said that he should not be invincible.Once, Yang Ji "remonstrated" against the invasion of Shu, and Cao Pi blamed him as "a scholar of the Qing Dynasty, how can he know about military affairs".Yang Ji said: "The sincerity of the minister is not enough. The minister Liu Ye was the emperor's counselor, and he often said that Shu cannot be defeated." So Cao Pi called Liu Ye to confront him, "The emperor asked Ye, but he didn't say anything."After meeting Cao Pi alone, he said that "conquest of the country" was a "big conspiracy" and that the use of troops was a "deceitful way".Seeing Yang Ji alone, he blamed Yang Ji for not knowing how to catch a "big fish" by "longitudining and following", and "waiting for control and then pulling it in". People "have to think carefully".His glib tongue "responsiveness" and his first and second ends finally aroused the criticism and criticism of "Ye is not loyal, but good at following what he wants", which also aroused Cao Pi's suspicion. After several experiments, he finally found the truth. Great white.Liu Ye was demoted to Dahonghe, frustrated and mad, and finally "death by worry".Pei's commentary quoted "Fu Zi" to criticize him, saying: "The proverb says 'Smart deceit is not as good as clumsy sincerity', believe it!... Only rely on talents and wisdom, do not follow the latitude and longitude of the world, do not push the heart on the inside, and be trapped in the vulgar outside, die Wouldn't it be a pity if you couldn't be at peace with the world?"

Looking at it now, Liu Ye is very different from Jia Xu. He is loyal and helpful, and he helps too much. Telling nonsense, the comedian who thinks he is clever and flexible, but is actually quite stupid and ridiculous, has fallen into the quagmire of split personality and loss of self.Pei Songzhi feels sorry for him, I think it's pitiful, deplorable and pathetic, it's hard to put it into words. If it is said that Jia Xu's bad idea and Liu Ye's double-dealing were all due to the reason of protecting himself and not being wise, then Hua Xin's evil deeds were consciously working for tigers.When he was young, he studied with Bing Yuan and Guan Ning, and the three became friends. At that time, people praised the three as "one dragon", with Hua Xin as the head of the dragon, Bing Yuan as the belly of the dragon, and Guan Ning as the tail of the dragon.According to "Shi Shuo Xin Yu · Virtue", Hua Xin and Guan Ning were weeding vegetables in the garden together, and found a piece of gold in the vegetable field. Guan Ning regarded it as if it was a tile and stone, and ignored it as usual, but he picked it up and weighed it. Weigh it again, and then throw it away.Once again, they were studying together at the same table, and occasionally a person riding the crown of the pavilion passed by the door. Guan Ning was studying as before, but Hua Xin stopped studying and ran out to stand and wait and see.From these two small incidents, Guan Ning saw that Hua Xin yearned for wealth and power, so he sat separately on the mat with him, and declared to his face that "you are not my friend".The idiom "Guan Ning cuts the seat" is based on this.

Hua Xin later became an official, followed Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shu, Sun Ce, and Sun Quan. During the Battle of Guandu, he joined Cao Cao. trust.In the nineteenth year of Jian'an (214), Empress Fu wrote a letter to her father, Fu Wan, "saying that Cao Cao was cruel and oppressive, and ordered the secret map to be leaked." The doctor Xili went to the palace to force Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty to abolish Empress Fu.Hua Xin led troops into the harem to subdue the Empress, and Empress Fu "closed her house and hid in the wall". Hua Xin, who was born as a literati, grabbed Empress Fu by her hair and dragged her to the outer hall.At that time, the puppet emperor Liu Xie was also sitting in the outer hall, sitting with Xi Xi, fearful and uneasy.Empress Fu was disheveled, walking barefoot, weeping and said to Liu Xie: "Can't you come back to life?" Liu Xie replied: "I don't know when my fate will be!" Turning around and asking Xi Xi: "Xi Gong, the world would rather have Is it evil?" As a result, Empress Fu was sent to the violent room, imprisoned and died, and the two princes she gave birth to were also poisoned. (See "The History of the Empress in the Later Han Dynasty") As a deputy, Hua Xin is so ruthless and ruthless. He just wants to earn performance, highlighting that he can resolutely implement Cao Cao's "supreme instructions" than Xi Ji, so that he can use the Queen's mother and son His blood further "stained" his "top son".Sure enough, under the rule of Cao Cao and Cao Pi, he had a prosperous career as an official, and was further promoted from Yushi Dafu to Xiangguo and Situ.Literati such as Hua Xin never believed that "good will be rewarded with good, and evil will be rewarded with evil", but only pursued peace and happiness in this world, and affirmed that helping the evildoers will bring good rewards.

Xu You is another kind of literati.When he was young, he was friendly with Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, and they could be regarded as old friends.During the Chuping period of the Han Dynasty (190-193), he was in Jizhou with Yuan Shao, and often made discussions in the sitting.In the fourth year of Jian'an (199), after Yuan Shao wiped out Gongsun Zan and led the four states, he, Tian Feng and Xun Zhan "became the masterminds" and became one of the "think tanks" of this old friend.But "Xu You is greedy for money", Yuan Shao couldn't satisfy his excessive desire. At the critical moment of the Battle of Guandu the following year, he spontaneously betrayed Yuan Shao who had treated him well for ten years, changed his family, and defected to another old friend. Under Cao Cao's command.As soon as Cao Cao heard that Xu You was coming, he didn't care to put on his shoes, and went out to greet him barefoot. As soon as he met him, he slapped his hands and said with a smile on his face, "Ziyuan (Xu You's word), come here, I can help you!" You brought a very precious "meeting gift" and offered advice to Cao Cao. He sent light soldiers to attack Wuchao and burned the rations hoarded by Yuan Jun. "In just three days, the Yuan family was defeated."Cao Cao acted according to his plan, quickly reversed the unfavorable situation, and finally won a major victory in the Battle of Guandu.

In the battle of Wuchao, Cao Jun captured Chunyu Zhongjian, the general of Yuan Jun, and cut off his nose for meritorious service.When Cao Cao saw Chunyu Zhongjian, he asked him "Why is this so?" Zhongjian replied, "Winning or losing is up to the heavens, so what's the use of asking?", and said, "I don't want to kill."But Xu You was burning a yin fire beside him, and said in a strange way: "Looking at the mirror in the morning, it is good not to forget people!" As a result, an old colleague was killed just because of this.After Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao and occupied Jizhou, Xu You "relyed on his meritorious service, and played with Taizu from time to time".Every time during the banquet, he always drives people crazy, calling Cao Cao by his nickname to show off, saying: "Ah, you don't want me, and you don't want Jizhou!" "Internal suspicion".Later, he accompanied Cao Cao out of the east gate of Yecheng. Xu You said to the left and right, "This family (Cao family) must belong to me, so you can't come in this gate." amnesty.Regardless of how taboo Cao Cao was and how bloodthirsty he was, Xu You's death is indeed his own fault.He is so greedy for money, betrays his friends, betrays his lord, praises his merits, and humiliates others. He really accumulates too many "literati's incompetence" in one person, which has been very typical since ancient times and today. Yang Xiu also has similarities.In terms of literary talent, although he is not first-class among Jian'an literati, he is also quite well-known.According to the "Dianlue" quoted in Pei's annotation, "Since the crown prince of Wei (Cao Pi) has come down, he has been striving to make friends with him."Cao Zhi was especially fond of Yang Xiu, and the famous "Book with Yang Dezu (Yang Xiu's Words)" in the history of Chinese literary criticism reflected the intention of referencing him as a "fellow lover".As for Yang Xiu's reply, although the writing was brilliant and he had some comments on the "Seven Sons of Jian'an", but the whole text showed a flattering meaning to Cao Zhi, and his literary quality and character were inferior.Because of this, he was not content with being a writer (although there was no writers' association and no professional writers at the time), but used his intelligence for political betting.Cao Zhi's literary talent is the most outstanding in the world, and his poems and Fu are well established. The splendor is above Cao Pi, and Cao Cao also has the temperament of a poet. He once planned to make Cao Zhi the prince.Yang Xiu was then the chief secretary of the prime minister's mansion, equivalent to today's personal secretary. After spying on Cao Cao's political intentions, he made an oblique choice between the Cao brothers who were also literary friends, and served as a co-author with Ding Yi and Ding Yan brothers. Cao Zhi's "wings".On the one hand, he still didn't forget to perfunctory Cao Pi and gave Cao Pi Wang Maojian or something.On the other hand, he tried his best to build momentum for Cao Zhi's invitation to favor.When Cao Cao wanted to summon his sons to ask questions, Yang Xiu helped Cao Zhi "answer and teach more than ten questions", so that Cao Zhi could always answer correctly first and win favor.Little did he know that there were so many times, Cao Cao couldn't help but "strange his success", and asked the truth.In order to examine Cao Pi and Cao Zhi's ability to deal with things, once, Cao Cao ordered his two sons to leave a gate in Yecheng, and secretly ordered the gatekeepers not to open the gate.Yang Xiu taught Cao Zhi in advance, "If you don't leave the house, you will be ordered by the king to behead the guard." So Cao Zhi killed the doorman to go out, but Cao Pi "returned if he couldn't come out." Yang Xiu's political investment was mostly in Cao Zhi's side, which aroused Cao Pi's dissatisfaction, so he used a vehicle-mounted discarded rice paddy, and Wu Zhi, the head of the court song, went to the government to discuss countermeasures.Yang Xiu found out and reported it to Cao Cao immediately.Cao Pi was afraid, and asked Wu Zhi what to do.Wu Zhi said: "What's the trouble? Tomorrow, you will be deceived by receiving the silk car in the silk car. If you repair it, you will have to re-white it. If you re-white it, you will push it away. If there is no test, then he will suffer." Cao Pi followed his plan, and Yang Xiu really did. He was fooled, and went to report again, but no one was checked, "the Taizu was suspicious."Although Cao Cao has the temperament of a poet, he is even more of a politician. He always has to follow political rules when playing cards, and finally chose Cao Pi as his successor.Yang Xiu's bet was wrong, but he still didn't know how to be a man with his tail clamped. Instead, he showed off his cleverness and engaged in political speculation under the eyes of Cao Cao.In May of the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an (219), Cao Cao's attack on Hanzhong was unfavorable, and he planned to withdraw his troops. The password he issued was "chicken ribs".The officials didn't know what it meant, but Yang Xiu packed up his luggage. When others asked him why, he said, "It's a pity to throw away the husband's ribs. If you eat it, you will get nothing. Compared with Hanzhong, you know the king wants to return it."Little did he know that he was clever and mistaken, angered Cao Cao, settled new accounts and old accounts together, and executed him on the charge of confusing the army's morale and collaborating with princes (forming a party for personal gain).The proximate cause is to show off one's talent and promote one's self, making a taboo of not being able to appear superior to the master when helping others, while the distant cause and root cause are supporting and suppressing one's pedigree. The political bet is wrong, and in the end it becomes a political victim. It is indeed sad and self-inflicted. Ni Heng, a good friend of Yang Xiu and Kong Rong, is a different kind of literati, "rarely talented in debate, but still arrogant and arrogant, and likes to be slow".When he traveled to Xudu in the early years of Jian'an, someone suggested him to meet famous scholars Chen Qun and Sima Lang. He said arrogantly, "How can I learn from Tuguer?"People asked him again, "What do Xun Wenruo and Zhao Zhi grow up to do?" He actually replied, "Wen Ruo can use his face to hang a watch, and when he is young, he can make the supervising chef treat guests." personality.He only looked down on Kong Rong and Yang Xiu, and often called "Kong Wenju, the eldest son, Yang Dezu, the younger son, and the rest of the sons are too busy to count."At that time, You Hengnian "started to be weak, but Rong was forty", which shows how disrespectful he is.Fortunately, Kong Rong was open-minded and loved talents, so he recommended him to Cao Cao many times. Cao Cao also loves talents, and wanted to see them, but he "professed to be mad and refused to go, but he spoke freely." Cao Cao was angry because of this, but because of his talent and reputation, he didn't want to kill him.I heard that Mi Heng is good at drumming, "Nai Zhao is the history of drums", "Guests at the conference, read and test the syllables", of course it also implies humiliation.When Mi Heng went, he played a spoof, unhurriedly stripped off his coat and underwear in front of Cao Cao, stood naked, and then put on Gushi clothes and pants, "Going to Laos, the color is not bad."Cao Cao was still tolerant, and said with a smile, "I wanted to humiliate Heng, but Heng humiliated Gu instead."Even Kong Rong criticized him afterwards, saying that you should be an elegant gentleman, "you should be an evil man (how can you do this)".Kong Rong then conveyed Cao Cao's love for talents to him, and he agreed to see him, but when he went, he "sit at the gate of the camp and beat the ground with a staff and cursed at him".Cao Cao tolerated him again, and said to Kong Rong: "You Heng Lizi, you are like a bird's ear when you kill him alone. Considering that this person has a false reputation, he will be said to be far and near. I will send it to Liu Biao. It depends on what to do." So he sent people to ride to see him off. When I went to see Liu Biao in Jingzhou, Mi Heng's old problem remained unchanged, "sitting and getting big".People asked him why he was crying, and he said, "The one who sits is a tomb, and the one who lies down is a corpse. Between the tombs, can there be no sadness", which means that all the people present are actually "tombs".Liu Biao also forgave him first, and treated him "very politely", but he had no feeling of gratitude, and "slower to insult Biao", which led Liu Biao to send him to Huang Zu.From Huang Zu's side, Ni Heng still didn't appreciate the "kind treatment" and went so far as to call Huang Zu a "dead man" in public, and was killed at the age of twenty-six.For details of these deeds, see "Book of the Later Han·Wenyuan Biography", and Pei Annotation of "Three Kingdoms" is attached to "Xun Yu Biography".Chapter 23 writes "You Zhengping naked and scolding thieves" and regards him as a hero of righteousness who "would rather be a broken piece of jade than a whole", which is misreading and misleading.Mi Heng's inaction shows another kind of self-deprecating personality, that is, he only sees "I" in his eyes, and he is arrogant and rebellious. He is both cynical and arrogant, and he wants to squeeze into the vanity fair and power field. He is also a cultural hacker. The duality of political comedians and political comedians, from wanton humiliation to self-humiliation and self-destruction, is really not enough to teach. Peng Yi and Mi Heng have both similarities and obvious differences.He is "proud in appearance and neglects a lot", and few people take notice of him.During Liu Zhang's rule of Shu, he offended many people due to his arrogance, and was slandered by everyone.After Liu Bei entered Shu, he "wanted to accept and talk about the First Lord, so he went to see Pang Tong".Pang Tong had never had any contact with him, and he lay down on Pang Tong's bed as soon as he left.Jointly recommended by Pang Tong and Fazheng, he was appreciated by Liu Bei and ordered to "promote military affairs and instruct generals". Liu Bei led Yizhou Mu and promoted him to be in charge of governance.Peng Yi was a vassal from the bottom of the society, "once he was above the people of the state, his appearance was arrogant, and he was very proud of himself."Zhuge Liang believed that he "has a big heart and broad ambitions, and it is difficult to be safe", so he belittled him in front of Liu Bei many times.Liu Bei also saw that Peng Yi had serious problems and was alienated, so he released him as the prefect of Jiangyang (now Luzhou City, Sichuan). Peng Yi was extremely dissatisfied with staying away from the political center, so he went to see Ma Chao, and scolded Liu Bei as "old revolutionary and rebellious".In ancient times, leather was used as soldiers, so it was called "soldier leather", and calling "old leather" was like calling "veteran oil".He also instigated Ma Chao to rebel, saying, "You are on the outside, I am on the inside, and the world is not settled."Ma Chao lived under Liu Bei's fence, and was always in fear. He was shocked when he heard the words, and kept silent. He immediately reported the incident.Peng Yi was arrested and sent to prison, where he wrote a letter to Zhuge Liang, servilely begging for mercy.He compared Liu Bei's kindness to himself in the past to "the generosity of the elements (the father's favor is distributed to the son)", saying that he was "rebellious once in a while" and "responsible to my loving father is a crime of death."He also defended his "internal and external remarks" to Ma Chao, saying that the cost was intended to "discuss Cao Cao together", and falsely accused Ma Chao of "not distinguishing between them, which hurts people's hearts".He also praised Zhuge Liang as "the current Yi and Lu", and begged him to "understand his original heart" and give him a way out.Comparing before and after, how domineering and domineering he was when he was proud, and he was still bold when he was frustrated. He not only attacked the current master, but also instigated Xiliang's surrender. After being imprisoned, he was full of ugly appearances. It can be seen that it is clear that another is a typical example of a non-literate person.Although he was only 37 years old when he was killed, Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang's killers were strict enough and ruthless, but he was self-deprecating and causing trouble after all, and he did not deserve pity. Zhang Song, Peng Yi's fellow from Sichuan, is also a bitch, but in a different way.This man is short in stature and unattractive in appearance, but he is knowledgeable and talented, and has always been dissolute and unruly.Under Liu Zhang's rule, his elder brother Zhang Su served as the prefect of Guanghan, and he served as Biejia. Liu Zhang once sent him as an envoy to visit Cao Cao, but Cao Cao despised him for his wretched description and treated him poorly. Yang Xiu showed him the military book written by Cao Cao, and he could recite it after reading it. He thought it was a strange talent, and suggested that Cao Cao use it, but it was not adopted.Frustrated, Zhang Song returned to Yizhou by way of Jingzhou, but unexpectedly received Liu Bei's hospitality.During the banquet, Liu Bei inquired about the width and narrowness of Sichuan, the number of people in the military treasury, and the distances of the key roads, and Zhang Song answered them in detail one by one.He also drew a map of the mountains and rivers in central Shu and gave it to Liu Bei, so that he could know the reality of Yizhou, actively betray the master and the enemy, and become a spy. In the sixteenth year of Jian'an (211), Cao Cao sent troops to conquer Hanzhong. Liu Zhang worried that he would take Shu by the way, and he was afraid.Zhang Song suggested that Liu Bei was "the clan of the envoy and the deep enmity of Duke Cao" and "good at using soldiers". It is best to ask Liu Bei to come to Shu to help.Liu Zhang didn't know that he had become Liu Bei's spy, so he acted according to his plan, which resulted in the wolf being lured into the house.In the second year, Liu Bei used Cao Cao's conquest of Wu and Cao Jiangle's invasion of Jingzhou as an excuse to ask Liu Zhang for "tens of thousands of soldiers and assets", threatening to "go east".Zhang Song thought that Liu Bei was really going back to Jingzhou, so he hurriedly wrote to say: "Now that the big event is ready, how can we explain it away?" He was afraid that Liu Bei would not take Yizhou.Zhang Su knew about it, and was afraid that he would be affected by the disaster, so he reported it to Liu Zhang.So Liu Zhang beheaded Zhang Song and turned against Liu Bei, and Liu Bei got the reason to take Shu.Although Zhang Song's treachery can't be said to be selling the "country", it is at least selling the sovereignty of the group in exchange for the maximum benefits of his own prosperity. The political quality is very bad. It would be even more extraordinary if the Wuxing literati had mastered the military and political power, and Zhong Hui was an outstanding representative.He is the youngest son of Zhongyou, the grandson of the Cao Cao Group. He has been intelligent since he was a child.From the Zhengshi period (240-249) into the official career, he successively held a series of important positions such as Secretary Lang, Shangshu, Zhongshu Shilang, etc. Cao Mao, the Duke of Gaogui Township, was awarded the title of Marquis of Guannei in the year (254) when he came to the throne.After Cao Mao was imprisoned, he recognized his family politically, actively joined the Sima family, and was favored by Sima Shi and Sima Zhao brothers.From the second year of Zhengyuan (255) with Sima Shi to conquer the anti-Sima clan's mother Qiu Jian and Wen Qin, "knowing the secrets" and making contributions, to the second year of Ganlu (257) offering advice to Sima Zhao to suppress the anti-Sima clan As for the rebellious Zhuge Dan, he received "prosperous treatment" and was regarded by Sima Zhao as his "ovary (Zhang Liang)", and he was named Chenhou, and the official was appointed as a servant.But he would rather be a servant in the position of Jiuqing, and stay in Sima Zhao's general's mansion as a Zhonglang to take care of the secretary's office, just like a confidential secretary today.During this period, he spared no effort to help Sima to fight against the opposition. Because of his tricks or tricks, the world-famous literati Ji Kang and Lu An were both regarded as "ideological criminals" and physically eliminated. In the fourth year of Jingyuan (263), Sima Zhao deployed three routes to attack Shu. Zhong Hui, as a confidant, supervised the military forces in Guanzhong with the title of General Zhenxi (equivalent to today's commander-in-chief), and led more than 100,000 people to act as the main force. Zhuge Xu each led 30,000 people to cooperate with partial divisions.On the way to march, he told Sima Zhao secretly that Zhuge Xu had flinched, which led to Zhuge Xu's dismissal and punishment, and his 30,000 men were all under his command.Deng Ai established the first victory in destroying Shu, and he colluded with the supervisor Wei Guan, general Hu Lie and others to falsely accuse Deng Ai of wanting to rebel. As a result, Deng Ai and his son were arrested, escorted back to Beijing in a prison car, and killed on the road.However, Zhong Hui himself "claims that his fame is unrivaled in the world, and he cannot be subordinated to others, and all the sharp soldiers are in his own hands." He soon joined forces with Jiang Wei, the surrendered general of the Shu Han, in an attempt to support the rebellion and separate one side.It's a pity that the rebellion failed and was killed in the rebellion at the age of 40.In Zhong Hui's body, it reflects the evil character of literati like him, scheming, helping the tyrants to abuse people, and cruelty to succeed. Once the military and political power is in control, it will evolve into a schemer and careerist with human fission.The fallacies have been spread for a long time, and the "Cultural Revolution" is not far away. Kang Sheng, Zhang Chunqiao and others all have Zhong Hui's heart-to-heart transmission. Can kind people not be vigilant? Even if there is no "rebellion", there are also capital crimes. During the Three Kingdoms period, there was a strong contrast with the emergence of talents and the ability to compete for display, but some outstanding talents were accused of crimes and brutally killed.The death of Wei Yan is famous, and the deaths of Tian Feng, Cui Yan, Mao Jie, Kong Rong, Liu Feng, and Deng Ai are equally embarrassing.The root cause of this disaster, in addition to the personal factors of the powerful, mainly lies in the feudal autocratic centralized system. The concept of "employing people like tools" is deeply embedded, and there is an unchanging "rule of iron and blood". When writing about Wei Yan, as soon as he appeared in Chapter 53, Zhuge Liang pointed out that "there is a rebellious bone in the back of his head, and he will rebel after a long time", and he was ordered to kill him.Fortunately, Liu Bei stopped Wei Yancai to save his life, but he still received a stern warning from Zhuge Liang: "You can repay the Lord with all your loyalty, and don't have any disagreements; if you have any disagreements, I will take your head anyway!" Hou Yufu's tricks", and Yang Yi, Jiang Wei, and Ma Dai acted according to the plan, beheading Wei Yan who "will oppose Xichuan in the future".This story has spread widely, influenced deeply, and passed down for a long time, which few other stories can match. For hundreds of years, how many people have been considered to have "rebellious bones", and have been designated as "rebels" by the powerful, and they have been relegated, exiled, imprisoned, and killed, and their relatives and friends have also suffered.How many people also tried to examine the historical facts and dialectical reasons, trying to defend Wei Yan, clear his charges, and vindicate his grievances.As of now, although the conclusion of the coffin is still inconclusive, the state of different opinions will continue. After reading the "Three Kingdoms" carefully, the so-called "anti-bone" Yuner did not exist in Wei Yan and Zhuge Liang, and it was all fabricated.Wei Yan served Liu Bei in Jingzhou, "followed the former master into Shu, and made several military exploits", and was promoted to General Yamen.Liu Bei became the king of Hanzhong, "he should be the most important general in the town of Hanchuan, and everyone thinks that it must be Zhang Fei, and Fei also agrees with his heart", but Liu Bei "extends to be the general who supervises Hanzhong and leads the Hanzhong prefect", so that "The whole army was shocked."Guan Yu is in Jingzhou, and Wei Yan is in Hanzhong. They are responsible for guarding the east and north "country gates" respectively, which shows how much they rely on.At that time, Liu Bei held a meeting of officials and asked Wei Yan, "What do you want to do when you are appointed as a minister with a heavy responsibility?"Wei Yan calmly replied: "If Cao Cao comes from all over the world, please reject it for the king; if a crowd of 100,000 come, please swallow it for the king!"Later practice proved that Wei Yan was not boasting or bragging, but had both strategy and bravery, and guarded the "Northern Gate" on his own, and he was even more responsible than Guan Yu.Therefore, Liu Bei proclaimed himself emperor and worshiped him as the general of Zhenbei.In the first year of Jianxing (223), the later master, he was also granted the title of Marquis of Duting, and his honor surpassed that of Zhao Yun's generals who were still alive at that time.In the past ten years, Zhuge Liang has never had any problems with him, and it has absolutely nothing to do with "rebellion" or not. Zhuge Liang led the Northern Expedition, and Wei Yan has always been an important general and participated in it from beginning to end.In the fifth year of Jianxing (227), Zhuge Liang was stationed in Hanzhong, "even more with Yan as the front of the governor, leading the prime minister Sima and the governor of Liangzhou". In the eighth year (230), Wei Yan was ordered to attack Qiangzhong (now south of Gansu Province), defeating Wei general Guo Huai's troops, and was promoted to former military division and general of the west because of his meritorious service.During this period, Wei Yan's special character of "being good at raising soldiers, being brave, and being arrogant" was highlighted, which inadvertently sowed the seeds of disaster for him.He "every time he shows up, he wants to invite tens of thousands of soldiers, and he will meet with Liang in Tongguan."He suggested that he lead 5,000 elite soldiers out of Ziwu Valley to attack Chang'an. Zhuge Liang led the main force to enter Guanzhong from Xiegu.But Zhuge Liang, who was only cautious in his life, believed that "it is better to be safe and calm in this crisis", and to take Longyou flatly, "restrict but not allowed".Because of this, Wei Yan thought that Zhuge Liang was too timid, and "sighed that his talents were inexhaustible", which would inevitably offend Zhuge Liang. His "exalted personality" makes it easier to offend treacherous villains, Zhuge Liang's confidant Yang Yi is one.When Zhuge Liang was critically ill, "Mi and Changshi Yang Yi, Sima Feiyi, and Jiang Wei, the guards, died and retired to the army. After the order was suspended, Jiang Wei followed; if the order was delayed or not, the army would spontaneously." .Wei Yan was extremely dissatisfied with this arrangement, thinking that after Zhuge Liang died, "the relatives and relatives of the family can return the funeral to the burial", and that "one person's death will abolish the affairs of the world", and "I should lead the army to attack the bandits." Take 10,000 steps back and say that even if you want to withdraw from the army, you should not be "restrained by Yang Yi", and you should only be a general after the end.So before Yang Yi sent out, he took the lead to lead his troops back to the south, "burning all the pavilions and roads."At the same time, Yang Yi and Yang Yi accused each other of being "rebellious", and submitted a table to Liu Chan, which made "Yu Xi hand over" in one day.The two sides quarreled, and there was a confrontation between the two armies. Wei Yan didn't have the prime minister's last will in his hand, so he couldn't make up his mind and lost the support of the people, so he had to flee to Hanzhong with his sons and several people.Yang Yi sent Ma Dai to chase and kill him, beheading him "to the head of Yi". Yang Yi actually "stepped on" Wei Yan's head, scolded him as "a mediocre slave, so he can do evil again", and exiled Wei Yan's three clans.It is true that Wei Yan himself was at fault for such a tragic end, but he did not rebel against the Shu Han.In his biography, Chen Shou specifically wrote, "Originally (inference) the intention is not to surrender to Wei in the north but to return to the south, but he wants to get rid of Shayi, etc." It is considered "rebellious" to be punished for "inconvenience to betray", and the three clans were implicated. There is no sufficient evidence to say that Zhuge Liang was the mastermind of Zhuge Liang's death. Similar to referring to people with "rebellious bones in the back of their heads", there were other things in the Three Kingdoms period.In the ninth year of Jian'an (204), Sun Quan was in Jiangdong, and had already won the initial victory in flattening the Shanyue people. He planned to use troops further and expand his territory.One day, Shen You, a well-known Jiangdong scholar among the staff members of the conference, expressed some critical opinions, which annoyed Sun Quan.This Shen You was intelligent since he was a child, and Hua Xin, a famous scholar, called him "Shen Lang", and praised "since Huan and Ling, although there are many talents, there has never been a young boy like this".He is "weakly crowned and erudite, with a lot of comprehensive knowledge, good at diction", and "also good at martial arts, annotated "Sun Tzu's Art of War", and he is very quick in speech.At that time, people praised him for his wonderful brushwork, tongue, and knife, "all three are beyond others", and he deserves to be called a rare talent.At the beginning, Sun Quan hired Shen You to his subordinates, and listened to him "discuss the strategy of the king and hegemony, and the affairs of the time", and he was "respectful and respectful".Shen You, like Zhou Yu and Lu Su, stated the "plan for annexation of Jingzhou", and Sun Quan also adopted it.However, Shen You is different from Zhou Yu and Lu Su. 孙权担心沈友“终不为己用”，便揪住会上发言批评那么一条小辫子，以“人言卿欲反”五字定罪，把沈友杀掉了。沈友时年29岁，裴注全文引《吴录》记载，不胜其惋惜。 沈友的遭遇，比魏延的遭遇更具典型性，也更带普遍性。在封建专制集权的社会结构当中，君临天下的帝王者流无论相对开明还是专断独裁，总是至高无上，唯我独尊，一切以他的意志为转移。倘若像献帝刘协、后主刘禅那样沦为傀儡，也会有一个曹操或诸葛亮似的实际最高统治者，代行帝王权力。文武臣属只要不是董卓或曹操，就得遵守基本的封建君臣关系，以君为纲，怀着尊崇、敬畏、感戴的心情，把尽忠守分作为最高的政治准则。在帝王眼里，不管臣属是何等人才，一概工具、用具而已。用具、工具统称“器”，如《易·系辞上》所说，“备物致用，立成器以为天下利”，帝王用人才历来讲究“用人如器”。古、今汉语都有“器重”这个词，词义为重视，其实就是从“器”的本义用具、工具引伸出来的。“徐庶见先主，先主器之”，其实就是说刘备重视这个人才，把他视为一个颇为有用的人才工具。人才工具终究属于“器”，有用时或者喜欢时，可以当作宝贝；一旦无用了，不为己用了，或者不喜欢用了，随意闲置、抛弃或毁损，都在帝王一念之间。孙权对沈友正是这样做的，起先视之如宝贝，“礼聘”其人，“敬”重其言；一俟认定“不为己用”了，就听信谗言，“诬以谋反”，让其掉脑袋犹如割韮菜。“用人如器”的观念深层，隐藏着一条“铁血法则”：说你有“反骨”你就有“反骨”，没有也有；要你掉脑袋你必掉脑袋，不掉不行。这一条“铁血法则”贯穿历代封建王朝，因袭不变，非唯帝王们奉为天赋皇权，用得得心应手，抑且各级权势者也会逐层仿效，在自己的权力范围内施于不顺己意的人，就好比杨仪杀魏延那样。 将“铁血法则”加诸臣属，决非仅限于长了“反骨”一个由头，而是但凭权势者的“圣聪”独断。袁绍杀田丰，就不是因为后者对他怀有贰心，而是由于对他太忠，由忠而切谏，由谏而致祸。田丰其人为河北名士，天姿瑰杰，博览多识，权略多奇，“以王室多难，志存匡救”，接受袁绍“卑辞厚币”的礼聘，出任为别驾。他曾经献策，帮助袁绍讨平公孙瓒。建安五年（200）曹操攻袁绍，他又建议趁机袭击曹操的后方，“绍辞以子疾，不许”，痛惜失去了一次争霸中原的“难遇之机”。官渡之战前，袁绍要大举南下，田丰出来谏阻：“曹公善用兵，变化无方，众虽少，未可轻也，不如以久持之。将军据山河之固，拥四州之众，外结英雄，内修农战，然后简其精锐，分为奇兵，乘虚迭出，以扰河南，救右则击其左，救左则击其右，使敌疲于奔命，民不得安业；我未劳而彼已困，不及二年，可坐克也。 今释庙胜之策，而决成败于一战，若不如志，悔不及也。”袁绍非但不接受，反而因为“丰恳谏”而“怒甚”，给其加上“沮众（扰乱军心，削弱斗志）”的罪名，“械系”于大牢。结果官渡一战，袁绍果然大败。有人对田丰说，你的分析都应验了，“君必见重”。田丰却说： “若军有利，吾必全；今军败，吾其死矣。”袁绍一回来，就对左右说：“吾不用田丰言，果为所笑。”下令杀掉田丰。一个忠心耿耿的杰出人才，就只为主子袁绍“内多忌害”，猜疑将会为其“所笑”，成为刀下冤死之鬼。 与袁绍相比，曹操之重用人才，超出不止一个档次。然而，“用人如器”，器重时确实推重，损毁时毫不手软，崔琰便是一个极突出的例子。崔琰其人志节高雅，尚武事，习儒学，曾经师从汉末大儒郑玄治学。建安十年（205）曹操占领冀州后，将崔琰辟为别驾从事，对其说：“昨案户籍，可得三十万众，故为大州也。”初次见面的崔琰对答道：“今天下分崩，九州幅裂，二袁兄弟亲寻干戈，冀方蒸庶暴骨原野。未闻王师仁声先路，存问风险，救其涂炭，而校计甲兵，唯此为先，斯岂鄙州士女所望于明公哉？”其正气凛然，直言批评，顿时使曹操“改容谢之”，在场“宾客皆伏失色”。十三年（208）曹操担任丞相，征崔琰为东曹椽（丞相属官，掌管二千石长吏迁除及军吏事务），当面夸奖道：“君有伯夷之风，史鱼之直，贪夫慕名而清，壮士尚称而厉，斯可以率时（为时表率）者矣！”十九年（214）曹操西征陇右，留曹丕镇邺，特命崔琰傅之。曹丕好田猎，常“变易服乘”外出打猎，崔琰就引经据典，正颜强谏，终于教曹丕认错改过。二十一年（216）曹操受封魏王，初建魏国，又拜崔琰为尚书（掌奏章事，位虽不高实权甚大）。一段时间内，曹操为立不立曹植为王太子而犹疑不决，下令以保密方式谈意见。只有崔琰把意见明写在笏板上，表态说：“盖闻《春秋》之义，立子以长，加五官将（曹丕）仁孝聪明，宜承正统，琰以死守之。”曹植是他兄长的女婿，他不荐曹植，却保曹丕，直令曹操“贵其公亮”，将他升为中尉（比二千石武职官员，主管治安）。 崔琰曾经向曹操推荐过一个人，叫杨训。其人才干虽不足，但清贞守道，获得曹操礼辟为官。曹操称魏王以后，杨训为感恩，发出表章“称赞功伐，褒述盛德”，颇有趋附拍马之嫌。此事本来与崔琰无关，殊不知有些人讥笑杨训“希世浮伪”，牵扯上崔琰，责备他“所举”不当。崔琰从杨训那里要来表章底稿，仔细看过，给杨训写信评说道：“省表，事佳耳！时乎时乎，会当有变时。”他的本意在于“讥论者好谴呵，而不寻情理”，却不料惹翻了那些人，竟然诬告此信是在“傲世怨谤”。曹操或许正被杨训的马屁拍得高兴，一看崔琰此信并没有肯定表章内容，只说“省表（即看过表章了）”，只认为“事佳耳”，便抓住这三个字做文章。曹操火冒三丈地说，“谚言'生女耳'，'耳'非佳语”，意谓崔琰勉强评为“事佳”也极其轻慢。 进而深文周纳，上纲上线，把“会当有变时”定性为“意指不逊”，大逆不道，不由分说地“罚琰为徒隶”。所谓“徒隶”，就是施以髡刑（剃去头发），令服贱役。过了些日子，曹操派人去察看，想了解崔琰屈服不屈服，告饶不告饶，却发现崔琰“辞色不挠”，照旧在“通宾客，门若市人”。于是乎一硬到底，将崔琰赐死。就是那么一封信，几个字，曹操就搞了一次“莫须有”式文字冤狱，把他曾经夸为“有伯夷之风，史鱼之直”的杰出人才的宝贵生命给剥夺了。这真应了一句俗话：“用人就用人，不用人就屙尿淋。”当初夸崔琰，那是把他当作一个称心如意的工具在用；如今杀崔琰，则是将他视为一个废旧碍眼的用具在砸———全凭喜怒，因时而异。虽百代以下，嗅到从中散发出的铁腥气和血腥味，仍然难免毛骨悚然。 受到崔琰冤死牵连的，还有曹操集团的元老重臣毛玠。毛玠也是名士出身，早在初平三年（192）曹操任兖州牧时，他就进献了“奉天子以令不臣，修耕植以蓄军资”两大政略，为曹操尔后半辈子明确“经远之虑”，确定“树基建本”，以成“霸王之业”的总路线和总方针，立下首倡之功。后来他与崔琰同为东曹掾，并典选举（亦即考察、举荐官员），“务以俭率人，由是天下之士莫不以廉节自励”。曹操当时叹服道：“用人如此，使天下人自治，吾复何为哉？”再以后，他在奉公守职，清正廉洁，抚助孤贫，选立太子等一系列表现上，都以“雅亮公正，在官清恪”著称，曹操多次赞誉他“有古人之风”，“此古所谓国之司职，我之周昌也”。魏国初建时，毛玠即担任尚书仆射，仍主管选举事宜。那时候没有中组部长、人事部长，尚书仆射职之所司，就如同身兼今之两大部长。他在任内“拔贞实，斥华伪，进逊行，抑阿党”，营造出一种“吏洁于上，俗移乎下”的良好风气。但仅止由于“崔琰既死，玠内不悦”，就惹得“太祖大怒，收玠付狱”。幸得桓阶、和洽等“进言救玠”，他才保全了一条性命，“免黜”而“卒于家”。究其实，“内不悦”连“思想罪”都算不上，充其量给他安个“情绪罪”。如此作践人，真是名副其实的“用人如器”，权势者如曹操者流想怎么样就怎么样，孤即真理，其奈孤何？ 孔融另是一个类型。他是孔子二十世孙，幼有异才。年十余岁时，曾登门拜谒名士李膺，自告门者：“我，李君通家子孙也。”李膺一见孔融，便究问道：“高明父祖，尝与仆周旋乎？”他说：“然。先君孔子与君先人李老君，同德比义而相师友，则融与君累世通家也。”众人皆奇之，赞为“异童子”。太中大夫陈炜后至，听同坐者说过后，骤加评判道：“人小时了了者，大亦未必奇也。”孔融应声回击：“即如所言，君之幼时，岂实慧乎？”李膺大笑，面向他说：“高明长大，必为伟器。”16岁那年，他救助掩护反对宦官、避祸逃亡、遭受通缉的清流名士张俭，事泄后与兄长孔褒争担死责，因之而名震远近。经举荐，历任北军中侯，虎贲中郎将，任北海相时38岁。 任上崇学校，设庠序，举贤才，显儒事，做过一些实事。但在军阀割据，混战连年的漩流当中，他的长处无从发挥，短处却暴露无遗。 从任北海相到作青州刺史，“连年倾覆，事无所济”，夹在袁绍父子、公孙瓒、曹操之间漂来荡去，最后“仅以身免”。建安元年（196）追随曹操到了许都，任将作大臣，迁少府，位居九卿之列，方才过上安生日子。 作为曹操座上宾之一，孔融的文人迂腐秉性、辩给口才和幽默气质有增无减，不识时务也不自约束。他以“建安七子”的班首立名，按作家天性，与曹操“推平生之意”，时有狎侮。曹操制订禁酒令，他写信去调侃说：“天有酒旗之星，地列酒泉之郡，人有旨酒之德，故尧不饮千钟，无以成其圣。且桀纣以色亡国，今令不禁婚姻也。”故意唱反调。建安九年（204）曹操破邺城，让曹丕纳了袁熙之妻甄氏为妻，他又给曹操写信说：“武王伐纣，以妲己赐周公。” 曹操以为孔融的学问渊博，语出于书传所纪，自己没见到过，后来见了面，便请教出处。孔融答道：“以今度之，想其当然耳。”弄得曹操很没有面子。对于建都于许，是否杀太尉杨彪，孔融也发表过不合曹操意愿的意见。如裴注所引《汉纪》所说，“太祖外虽宽容，而内不能平”。到建安十三年（208），终于“令丞相军谋祭酒路粹枉状”列举了孔融四条“罪行”，定为“大逆不道，宜极重诛”（见《后汉书·孔融传》），将孔融下狱弃市，时年56岁。其二子年方8岁，也覆巢之下没有完卵，死于满门抄斩。昨日座上宾，翻成今日阶下囚和刀下鬼，孔融诚然也有太不检点之责。但文人清狂，哪里就严重到了“大逆不道”？真是罗织罪名，肆意拔高，不该死也得死。所以千百年以来，夹着尾巴做人成了一道祖传政治防身术，谁若违背了，纵然形同孔融那样的一代著名作家，也会落得家破人亡。 不仅是曹操那种嗜杀之君如此施为，而且连刘备那种“仁德”之主也难超越，只不过程度有差异罢了。刘备在中原逐鹿当中败多胜少，妻妾子女三次当俘虏，先前的儿女一个都没有存活下来，阿斗是在荆州所得。在甘夫人生阿斗之前，人到中年的刘备害怕“继嗣”无人，收养了“罗侯寇氏之子、长沙刘氏之甥”刘封作养子。 建安十六年（211）刘备入蜀时，刘封年20余岁，“有武艺，气力过人”。后随诸葛亮、张飞入蜀增援，“溯流西上，所在战克”，因功被封为副军中郎将。二十四年（219）刘封升职为副军将军，与孟达、申耽、申仪一起镇守上庸（今湖北竹山县）。关羽围襄樊，连续招令刘封、孟达“发兵自助”，刘、孟以“山郡初附，未可动摇”为由，“不承羽命”。其后关羽覆败，刘备开始“恨之”。再其后，刘封与孟达不和，孟达率部降魏。魏文帝曹丕派遣夏侯尚、徐晃率军配合孟达，向刘封发动进攻。孟达写信劝降，首先给刘封讲了“势利所加，改亲为仇，况非亲亲”的道理，接着指出刘备已“虑定于内，疑生于外”，“乱祸”必兴于“废立之间”，然后劝刘封“智贵免祸”，“早定良计”。刘封拒绝投降。申氏兄弟背叛了刘封，刘封只好“破走还成都”，受到刘备严厉斥责。“诸葛亮虑封刚猛，易世之后终难制抑，劝先主因此除之”。刘备心领神会，立即下狠手，将刘封“赐死”。此时此际，刘封追悔莫及：“恨不用孟子度之言！”当初收养子是为“继嗣”，如今杀养子亦为“继嗣”，刘封再有功，再守忠，也逃不脱工具作用发挥完了，便形同碍事废“器”，必须“除之”的下场。这其间，诸葛亮的点子和刘备的决策，都暗含着疑生“反骨”的因子，刘封纵然并无“反骨”，亦注定了死路一条。