Cao Cao, Emperor Wu of Wei, was born in a prominent bureaucratic family. Cao Teng, Cao Cao's grandfather, was a member of the eunuch group in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. It is said that he is a descendant of Cao Can, the prime minister of the Han Dynasty (there is no historical research). Father Cao Song is Cao Teng's adopted son. At that time, Cao Song's background was not clear, so Chen Shou called him "don't jump to conclusions", and some people said that Cao Cao was Xiahou's son. Cao Song official to Qiu. After three years of Xi Ping (174), Cao Cao, who was only twenty years old, was promoted to filial piety and became the A Lang of Luoyang. Soon, he was appointed as the northern commander of Luoyang. Luoyang, the capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty, is a place where imperial power and power coexist and it is difficult to govern. As soon as Cao Cao arrived at his post, he announced that it was forbidden to strictly observe the law and discipline, and made more than ten colored sticks to hang around the yamen. "Anyone who violates the ban will be beaten to death with a stick." The emperor's favorite eunuch's uncle Jian Shuo was forbidden to go at night. Cao Cao showed no mercy and executed him with a five-color stick. As a result, "the capital is gone, and no one dares to commit crimes."

In the first year of Zhong Ping (184), the Yellow Scarf Army uprising broke out. Cao Cao was worshipped as the riding captain and was ordered to jointly attack the Yellow Scarf Army in Yingchuan with Lu Zhi and others. As a result, the Yellow Scarf Army was defeated and tens of thousands of people were beheaded. Then moved to Jinan. During his tenure in Jinan, Cao Cao managed things as always. In more than ten counties in Jinan (now Jinan, Shandong), county officials are attached to your power, taking bribes and perverting the law, and have no scruples. Before Cao Cao, all countries ignored it. After Cao Cao took office, he made great efforts to rectify it, and once exempted eight out of ten long officials from punishment. Jinan shakes, corrupt officials flee. "The politics and religion are big, and one county is bright." At that time, it was extremely dark in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and there was even a system of buying officials. The court named Cao Cao as the negotiator, but Cao Cao refused to cater to the dignitaries, so he returned to the village on the pretext of illness, studied in spring and summer, hunted in autumn and winter, and lived in seclusion for the time being.

In the fifth year of Zhong Ping (A.D. 188), Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty set up eight viceroy in Xiyuan to consolidate his rule, and Cao Cao was appointed as the imperial army viceroy among the eight viceroy because of his family background.

In the sixth year of Zhong Ping (AD 189), Dong Zhuo, the secretariat of Xiliang, entered Luoyang, abolished Shaodi, established Xian Di Liuxie, and later killed the Empress Dowager and Shaodi, claiming to be a surname and specializing in state affairs. Cao Cao saw Dong Zhuo's perverse behavior and refused to cooperate with him, so he changed his name and surname and escaped from Luoyang (now northeast of Luoyang, Henan).

When Cao Cao arrived at Liu Chen, he "scattered his wealth and joined his righteous soldiers." Organize an army of 5000 people to prepare for a crusade against Dong Zhuo.

In the first month of the first year of Chuping in Xian Di (A.D. 190), Guandong County started a crusade against Dong Zhuo, and * * * elected Yuan Shao as its leader. As a deputy leader, Cao Cao participated in recruiting Dong Jun. In February, Dong Zhuo coerced Xian Di to move to Chang 'an (now northwest of Xi 'an, Shaanxi) and stayed in Luoyang to resist the Kwantung Army. Dong's Liangzhou army is brave and good at fighting. More than 100,000 Kwantung troops were stationed in Zaoshu (now north of Yanjin, Henan), and no one dared to enter. Cao Cao thought that Dong Zhuo "burned the palace and robbed the emperor, and the sea shook and the earth shook", so he should take the opportunity to fight a decisive battle with it and lead the army to the west alone. Cao Cao went to Xingyang Bianshui (now southwest of Xingyang, Henan Province) and confronted Xu Rong, the general of Dong Zhuo. Because of the great difference in the number of soldiers, Cao Cao was defeated and most of the soldiers were killed or injured. He was also injured by the flow vector, but was saved by his cousin Cao Hong. Back in Zizyphus jujuba, Cao Cao suggested that all armies should take their positions, and then divide their troops to Wuguan (now southeast of Fengdan, Shaanxi) to besiege Dong Zhuo, but the generals in Kanto refused to follow.

The Kwantung Army named after Dong Zhuo actually has ulterior motives and intends to wait for an opportunity to develop its own power. Soon, there was friction between the troops, and they fought each other.

In the third year of Chuping, Qingzhou Yellow Scarf Army made great progress, even breaking Yanzhou County and attacking Yanzhou Secretariat Liu Dai. Hebei Beixin and others welcomed Cao Cao as Yanzhou shepherd. Cao Cao and Bao Xin joined forces to attack the Yellow Scarf. Bao Xin died in battle. Cao Cao "set up an Indiana Jones and fought day and night" and finally defeated the Yellow Scarf. More than 300,000 people were killed and the population exceeded one million. Cao Cao, with his elite, formed an army named Qingzhou Bing.

In the autumn of the fourth year of Xian Di Chuping (AD 193), Cao Cao invaded Xuzhou (now Tancheng, Shandong Province) and expanded his power to the southeast. Xuzhou grazing, retreated to Tanxian County. Soon Cao Cao's provisions will be exhausted, and he will retreat to the army. The following summer, Cao Cao levied Xuzhou again, just to the East China Sea. During Cao Cao's expedition to Xuzhou, he was repeatedly killed, and along the way, "chickens and dogs were scattered and there were no pedestrians in the market."

Zhang Miao, the satrap of Liu Chen who had participated in the battle of Dong Zhuo, and Chen Gong, the ministry of Cao Cao, were dissatisfied with Cao Cao, so they rebelled and made Lu Bu the shepherd of Yanzhou. Lu Bu was a famous soldier at that time. First, he was the ministry of Dong Zhuo, and once conspired with Wang Yun to assassinate Dong Zhuo.

At that time, only Juancheng (now Shandong), Fan (now southeast of Fan County, Shandong) and Dong 'e (now northeast of Yanggu, Shandong) were still under Cao Cao's control, while Sima, Shou, Cheng Yu and the prefect of Dongjun all stood there, and the situation was very critical. Cao Cao rushed back from Xuzhou and heard that Lu Bu was in Puyang, so he marched into Puyang and besieged it. After more than one hundred days of stalemate between the two armies, the plague of locusts rose sharply, the two sides stopped fighting, and Cao Cao Jun returned to Juancheng.