The choice of successors between Cao Pi and Cao Cao is an important political event in the late Jian 'an period, which will directly affect the development route of Cao Cao's "Great Wei". In Cao Cao's mind, whoever inherits him must adhere to the current development line. So in Cao Cao's mind, who is more suitable to inherit him, Cao Pi or Cao Zhi? Of course, there are also different views and records. For example, Ye Shi, a native of the Southern Song Dynasty, thinks that Cao Cao intends to choose talented people among the philosophers as successors, and he does not specialize in guarding official positions. It has been recorded that "Cao Zhi was educated and demonstrated by force", so Ye Shi thought that Cao Zhi could win the world with a little wisdom. Song Xiang, a native of the Qing Dynasty, said: "Cao Zhi is indifferent to fame and fortune and has a heart of loyalty, while Cao Pi has the meaning of replacing the Han Dynasty, so Cao Cao established Cao Pi." He thinks Cao Zhi is indifferent to fame and fortune, and Cao Cao thinks Cao Pi is the eldest son. If Cao Zhi is established, it may have bad political consequences, so Cao Pi was established. But in any case, when choosing a successor, Cao Cao has both ability and political integrity, and his attitude is quite cautious. So what criteria did Cao Cao use to examine them and finally decide? First, in terms of literary talent, Cao Cao read widely and loved talents all his life, especially for his own couple. Therefore, he hopes that his successor must also have outstanding literary talent, as Cao Cao himself said: "Like others, there is only Cao Zhi", which shows Cao Cao's love for Cao Zhi; According to records, "at the age of ten, I read poems, talked about words and wrote hundreds of thousands of words." Good belongs to the text, and Taizu tasted it and said,' Are you evil?' Zhi knelt down and said,' What you said is what you said, and what you wrote is what you wrote. What can you do when you are interviewed?' At that time, Cecilia Yip Jue was newly formed, and Taizu was informed that all the Jinshi should take the stage and let them do their jobs. Bi Geng was impressed, and his hair was very different. "This shows that Cao Zhi has been able to read poems, discuss words and write hundreds of thousands of words in his teens. Since then, Cao Zhi's literary talent has attracted Cao Cao's attention. /kloc-in may of 0/8, Cao Cao was promoted to Wang Wei and established the state of Wei. At this time, Cao Cao did not immediately establish a prince, indicating that Cao Cao weighed Cao Pi and Cao Zhi. After the temporary residence of Cao Zhi in nineteen years, Cao Cao's intention was very obvious. According to the records, "Mao (Cao Cao) levied Sun Quan to keep his wisdom in Ye, saying,' I was a Dunqiuling when I was twenty-three. Think about what you are doing now. There are no plums this day. You are twenty-three years old today, don't be reluctant! "In July of that year, Sun Quan was levied, and later Cao Zhi moved to seal the temporary residence. In ancient times, the princes went out to war, and the princes supervised the country. Cao Cao left Cao Zhi to guard the power. Its significance lies in the moral of the ancient system. And for him, it is meaningful to encourage Cao Zhibei. Before that, it was usually Cao Pi who stayed in Yecheng. This change of role shows that Cao Pi's position has actually been threatened. Cao Zhi's literary talent is better than Cao Pi's. However, in the thesis, Cao Cao once considered Cao Chong born to Mrs. Huan. We are all familiar with Cao Chong, because his "boat as an image" and "wise minister" have been passed down to this day. In fact, Cao Chong's greatness mainly lies in his "understanding"; It is recorded that "every time you meet a prisoner, you should look at his wronged mood and ignore it." Diligent officials, who make mistakes, often say for Chen Mao that they should be lenient. Distinguish between benevolence and nature. "This highlights Cao Chong's ability and attitude to observe and deal with problems, which is really commendable for his teenage age. Cao Cao once gave his future to Cao Chong, which is what he valued. It is also recorded that "Zhou Buyi, the nephew of Liu Xian, had different talents when he was young, and Cao Cao said that Cao Chong could be a teacher; Cao Chong's death made Cao Cao suspicious and sent an assassin to kill him. "This shows that Cao Cao attaches great importance to Cao Chong's talent, but Cao Chong is not as good as Xelloss and Cao Zhi in other aspects. Second, from the perspective of political ambition and talent, Cao Zhi failed to become an heir after all. There are many reasons, but there are two fundamental reasons: 1, political ambition, that is, usurping the ambition of the Han Dynasty; 2. Political ability, that is, ruling ability; On these two points, Cao Cao is not sure about Cao Zhi. Cao Cao said in the later Fatwa: "Zijian (Cao Zhi) is the most important among children." The so-called "great event" is undoubtedly the ambition to usurp the Han Dynasty. It can be seen that Cao Cao considered the choice of heirs in connection with the completion of the great cause of usurping the Han Dynasty. Therefore, he asked the heir to have the ambition to usurp the Han Dynasty and the ability to rule. At that time, Cao Cao thought that Cao Zhi had such talents, and Cao Cao also had high hopes for Cao Zhi. However, with the development of Cao Zhi's performance, Cao Cao can no longer be satisfied. Cao Zhi lacked a clear intention to usurp the Han Dynasty, but was confined to traditional ideas and attached to the Han Dynasty. Bookish, not good at political posture; On the contrary, Cao Pi was ambitious, and Cao Pishan made friends with politicians, especially celebrities. In the 13th and 14th years of Jian 'an, Cao Pi marched into Jingzhou from Cao and Yangzhou from Jingzhou. After returning to Ye, he participated in the discussion of "the wind blows in the sky" and put forward that "it is appropriate not to seize the festival", which was supported by senior officials and a captain. In July of the seventeenth year of Jian 'an, Cao Cao made a Western Expedition, with Ma Chao and other Guanzhong generals and Cao Zhi's entourage. Xelloss stayed in Yecheng and joined the army with Cheng Yu. At the same time, Su Bo and Yin Tian revolted in Hejian, but Cao Pi left Jia Xin to suppress it and put it down in time. Regarding how to deal with surrender, Cheng Yu discussed with Cao Pi and decided to ask Cao Cao before making a decision. There is a record: "When Mao came back, he said,' You are not only good at using military tactics, but also good at being a father. "Judging from Cao Cao's words, it shows that he attaches great importance to xelloss's political status. Cao Zhi lags far behind Cao Pi in this respect. Thirdly, in terms of consulting subordinates, The History of the Three Kingdoms states: "At the beginning, I was going to die handsome, and I was undecided, and I secretly visited the group company." "Wei Jian, thanks to history. Before the Prince was born, Hou Zhi was brilliant and deeply loved. Mao became suspicious and ordered a secret visit abroad by letter. "Explain that Cao Cao extensively solicited the opinions of subordinates in subordinate institutions on the issue of setting up heirs and adopted a cautious and concealed approach. It is clearly recorded in Historical Records that five people were interviewed. They are Dr. Jia Xu, Shang Shu Cui Yan, Yu Xingqing, Shi Zhong Huan Jie and Yang Jun. In addition, Mao Jie, servant of Shangshu, Rockett of Cao and Cheng Ding, assistant minister of Huangmen were also interviewed. Cao Cao asked the governors for their opinions so solemnly, and based on their centralized views, he collected the main reasons for supporting Cao Pi and Cao Zhi and their respective support rates, thus making a tendentious judgment. There are indications that things are developing in favor of Cao Pi. 1. The most effective people who support Cao Zhi are the Shi Ding brothers. Ding Kun once admonished Cao Cao: "When I was young, I was born with benevolence and filial piety, but I was smart and knowledgeable, and I was almost ignorant. As far as knowledge is concerned, this article is unparalleled. In today's world, no matter how young or how long, they are willing to walk away from them and die for them. Therefore, the real heaven is so blessed by David that they will always get endless benefits. " There are praise between the lines, especially pointing out that this "talented person" loves Cao Zhi, which can make David "give endless blessings forever", which is very infectious. Even Cao Cao felt that these words were a bit excessive, while Ding Kun declared that he "did not avoid cymbals and dared to talk endlessly". Shi Ding brothers really fully support Cao Zhi, mainly because Cao Zhi is a "wizard". Secondly, Yang Jun received support. "Although you combine your own thesis with that of an emperor, he is only good at it, so he is not well-founded, but his life is still very beautiful. ".Yang Jun's tendency to support Cao Zhi is obvious, but his confidence is not so sufficient. 2. On the contrary, judging from the situation of Cao Pi's supporters, Xing Yong said in his question and answer with Cao Cao: "Taking ordinary people as ancestors is also a warning to the previous generation. May your highness examine it deeply! " Mao Jie secretly remonstrated, saying, "Yuan Shao is near, and he has conquered the world regardless of his rank. It is not appropriate to smell a big event and waste it. To sum up: Xingqing and Mao Jie both started from history, and if they grow up, they may lead to disputes and civil strife, which is exactly what Cao Cao should worry about. Yuan Shaoli Yuan Shang instead of Yuan Tan. After his death, Tan and Shang brothers attacked each other and gave Cao Cao an opportunity, which led to his downfall. Liu Biao left Liu Qi for Liu Cong, which caused him to lose Jingzhou after his death. These are what Cao Cao saw and experienced with his own eyes, and he must be deeply touched. At the same time, Cui Yan (Cao Zhi is Cui Yan's nephew) argued in public that Cao Pi "should inherit orthodoxy" and rejected his words. This gave Cao Cao and his entourage a great shock, as you can imagine. Because of this, Cao Cao's understanding of xelloss's political status deepened, and the possible serious consequences of the birth of his youngest son forced him to give up the idea of making Cao Zhian his heir. Fourth, in terms of "family affairs", Cao Cao's choice of successors is both "family affairs" and "state affairs". Therefore, it is also full of emotional factors. "Sex is pure and dignity is incurable." Horse clothes are not gorgeous. It's hard to ask every time I see it. I got it right and I like it very much. "This shows that the current plant temperament and practices are very congenial to Cao Cao, and his speech and answers also make him very comfortable, so he is deeply loved. Cao Zhi took the lead in connecting with his father and son. Cao Pi knew that he was not as good as Cao Zhi in contacting his father and son, so he asked Jia Xu, and Jia Xu said, "May the general restore his respect for morality, devote himself to it, and die before he dies, which will not violate Zi Dao. That's all. "Jia Xu resourceful, his advice, seemingly ordinary, is actually a brilliant" self-fixation ",which has a strong pertinence for connecting father and son. Cao Pi knew this well, so he used it for reference. According to records, Cao Cao went to war, and Cao Pi and Cao Zhi sent him to the side of the road. Cao Zhi's contribution statement is very convincing. And xelloss cried and worshipped when he left; At this time, Cao Cao and others thought that Cao Zhi's rhetoric was gorgeous and sincere. Another article reads: "Godmother (Wang) is Mao's pet. And Deng Wendi is the heir, and the godmother has the power and influence. " Therefore, Cao Pi's "strict self-discipline, no affectation" has achieved good results, which largely offset Cao Cao's love for Cao Zhi. To sum up, Cao Cao finally appointed Cao Pi as his successor. During this period, Cao Cao experienced the process of clarifying perceptual knowledge with rational thinking. It is Cao Cao's wisdom to judge the current situation without emotion in choosing his successor. Of course, in the process of choosing a successor, a preview of Cao Cao usurping the Han Dynasty to build Wei, whether ultimately supporting Cao Pi or Cao Zhi, recognizing "Great Wei" is a prerequisite.