First,? Cao Cao is suspicious and cruel by nature.
Cao Cao is a man of great talent and tactics. He is jealous, insecure and impulsive, which makes him suspicious and cruel.
Cao Cao's suspicious nature was vividly demonstrated in Yang Xiu's murder avoidance incident. Cao Cao paid attention to talents, but avoided them. Yang Xiu is a very clever man. Later, Yang Xiu helped Cao Zhi fight against Xelloss, which made Cao Cao feel suspicious. Cao Cao believed in the life principle of "Better die than die", so Yang Xiu had to die.
Second, Cao Cao is a talented person who knows people well and is good at his duties.
How to use talents is very important to the war, and the best way to win the world is to use talents. Among the three countries, Cao Cao is a model who can use talents. Cao Cao really loves talents. Therefore, talented and good at treating others is also a major feature of Cao Cao's character.
Take Guan Yu as an example. Cao Cao was kind to Guan Yu. He knew that Guan Yu was bound to become a menace after he left, so he was very polite to Guan Yu. This also shows that Cao Cao's ability to use talents is only a fact.
Third, respect ceremony and law.
Cao Cao's thought is influenced by Confucianism, and its foundation belongs to the category of Confucianism. He advocates benevolence, righteousness and propriety, and tries to educate the people and the administration with benevolence, morality and propriety, that is, "governing propriety first". On the other hand, the well-documented history of Cao Cao's attaching importance to the law and neglecting the technique, imposing severe punishment and strict law constitutes another important aspect of Cao Cao's thought. This is called "putting chaos into punishment first".
Therefore, Cao Cao's thought is a contradictory unity. Cao Cao in troubled times not only emphasized criminal law, but also remembered the use of ethics. He has always respected etiquette and law, used both hands, and showed his unique ability to cheat in both etiquette and law.
Although Cao Cao's character is various, his cunning and treachery are the most prominent. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cao Cao always embodies his personality whether he is doing things or being a man.