Cao Cao 曹操 Cáo Cāo (155-220), the chancellor of Eastern Han is another central figure in the story of the Three Kingdom. He was often portrayed as deceitful and ruthless. A critic by the name of XuShao 许劭 [xǔ shào] living during that period was famed for his ability to assess a person’s potential and talents. Cao Cao visited him but XuShao initially refused to say anything because he despised Cao Cao. However upon persistent questioning he said 治世能臣, 乱世奸雄 [zhì shì néng chén, luàn shì jiān xióng ]; “in time of peace a capable minister, in troubled time an ambitious scoundrel”. Cao Cao laughed and as was his nature, took it as a compliment.
Because 奸 [jiān] means treacherous and evil while 雄 [xióng] means powerful and associated with hero as in 英雄 yīngxióng (hero), there are several interpretations to 奸雄 jiān xióng. XuShao's choice of words may also be deliberate, Cao Cao was too powerful to offend yet he did not want to tell a lie, hence the ambiguity. A hero or a scoundrel? That is up to you. The partly fictional Romance of the Three Kingdom tends to portray him as the villain but historical facts tends to view him more kindly.
说曹操曹操就到 [shuō Cáo Cāo Cáo Cāo jiù dào] – “Speak of Cao Cao and he appears” is probably the most famous phrase to come out from the Romance of the Three Kingdom. The English equivalent is “Speak of the devil”. This phrase is still in common usage today.
When Emperor Han Xian 汉献帝 (Hàn Xiàndì) was attacked, someone recommended that he sought Cao Cao’s help. He agreed and ordered a message to be sent. But before it was delivered, Cao Cao arrived to save the king. Henceforth, the proverb became widespread.
Did you know that this ruthless general is also an accomplished poet? In future posts, I will share with you some of his poems…
No comments:
Post a Comment