Cao Cao, some other tales about him.

[Clarence K]

* All tales below are translated from <shi shuo xin yu>, a book written in Jin, recording some of the bizarre, unorthodox behaviour of famous people from the Three Kingdom to North Jin period.

Cao Cao received an envoy from the Hun state. Since he feared that his look might not impress the guest, he asked Cui Ji-Gui, a very handsome man at the time, to act for him, while he disguised as a sword-bearing guard standing right next to the seat. After the meeting, he sent spies to ask the guest, "who does the King of Wei look?" The guest replied, "He is indeed very handsome, but the guard next to him is the true hero." Upon receiving the reply, Cao Cao sent troops to murder the envoy.

<shi shuo xin yu> Volumn 3 Part 14 Para 1.

When Cao Cao was young, he went out with Yuan Shao. They bypassd a bridal ceremony. Uninvited, they slipped into the host's garden. After night fell, they shouted, "thieves, buggery!" All people inside the house dashed out to help, Cao Cao then went into the room and kidnapped the bride. The three then made way to escape. However Yuan Shao was then trapped in the bush, and could not move. Cao Cao saw it and then shouted aloud "the thief is here, come and get him." Yuan Shao was so terrified he threw himself out of the bush, and both escaped.

<shi shuo xin yu> Volum 3 Part 27 Para 1.

Cao Cao feared assassination. He always tell his guards that if someone made an attempt on his life, his six sense would warn him. Then he secretly instructed a very close servant of his to hide a dagger under his cloth the next day. He said, "I would then say that my six sense warn me of an assassination, then arrest you and order your execution. But do not fear, for it would be false and I would reward you handsomely." The servant agreed. Without fear, he concealed a dagger under his cloth and went about to serve Cao Cao. Cao Cao did what he said and beheaded the man, who died without any knowledge that he was tricked. Others just believed this, and no one ever dared to make attempts on Cao Cao again.

<shi shuo xin yu> Volum 3 Part 27 Para 3.

Cao Cao always said that he would kill during a dream, without any consciousness, and warned about the guards not to approach him when he is asleep. One day he pretended a nap, one favourite servant of his tries to cover his exposed body with quilt, he turned around and hacked the servant to death. Afterwards no one dared to stay any closer to the man when he was asleep.

<shi shuo xin yu> Volumn 3 Part 27 Para 4.

Yuan Shao, when still young, sent someone to assassinate Cao Cao during the night. Cao Cao was asleep, the assassin hurled a sword from afar but missed. The sword was thrusted into the side of the bed below Cao Cao's body. Cao Cao predicted that the next one would be aimed a bit higher. He turned around facing downwards, pressing his limbs and abdomen hard against the bed. The second sword came, and indeed missed him by inches higher.

<shi shuo xin yu> Volumn 3 Part 27 Para 5.

Cao Cao has a Geisha (same meaning as the Japanese word), whose singing was unrivalled but also had a fiercely acrid temper. Cao Cao hated the temper so much that he desired to kill her several times, but was dissuaded by his love of her voice. But her temper got worse and worse that Cao Cao found himself impossible to bear. He then ordered to train a hundred girls singing. Few months later a girl could sing as pleasantly as the bad-tempered one. He then executed the old one.

<shi shuo xin yu> Volumn 3 Part 31 Para 1.

[Musou]

What a... interesting man he was.

[waynethegame]

Interesting. Thanks for posting! But, like all the other folk tales (e.g. Zhao Yun's wife pricking his finger with a needle and he dies b/c of it) these are probably fabrications and not at all true.

[Zhilong]

Entertaining tales.

He is indeed very handsome, but the guard next to him is the true hero." Upon receiving the reply, Cao Cao sent troops to murder the envoy.

Fabrications withstanding, i can't make sense of the motive behind him killing the envoy... Is it to demonstrate his lack of tolerance to being exposed and unable to outwit the envoy? I would have thought it would be a compliment to him for the envoy to say he was the real hero and no amount of disguise would be able to mask his heroism...

Any thoughts?

[Kong Wen]

Yeah, I just thought Cao was upset that the envoy could see through his plot. Either than or the fact that the envoy didn't agree with Cao's idea of who was prettier.

[Shadowlink]

* All tales below are translated from <shi shuo xin yu>, a book written in Jin, recording some of the bizarre, unorthodox behaviour of famous people from the Three Kingdom to North Jin period.

Cao Cao received an envoy from the Hun state. Since he feared that his look might not impress the guest, he asked Cui Ji-Gui, a very handsome man at the time, to act for him, while he disguised as a sword-bearing guard standing right next to the seat. After the meeting, he sent spies to ask the guest, "who does the King of Wei look?" The guest replied, "He is indeed very handsome, but the guard next to him is the true hero." Upon receiving the reply, Cao Cao sent troops to murder the envoy.

<shi shuo xin yu> Volumn 3 Part 14 Para 1.

When Cao Cao was young, he went out with Yuan Shao. They bypassd a bridal ceremony. Uninvited, they slipped into the host's garden. After night fell, they shouted, "thieves, buggery!" All people inside the house dashed out to help, Cao Cao then went into the room and kidnapped the bride. The three then made way to escape. However Yuan Shao was then trapped in the bush, and could not move. Cao Cao saw it and then shouted aloud "the thief is here, come and get him." Yuan Shao was so terrified he threw himself out of the bush, and both escaped.

<shi shuo xin yu> Volum 3 Part 27 Para 1.

Cao Cao feared assassination. He always tell his guards that if someone made an attempt on his life, his six sense would warn him. Then he secretly instructed a very close servant of his to hide a dagger under his cloth the next day. He said, "I would then say that my six sense warn me of an assassination, then arrest you and order your execution. But do not fear, for it would be false and I would reward you handsomely." The servant agreed. Without fear, he concealed a dagger under his cloth and went about to serve Cao Cao. Cao Cao did what he said and beheaded the man, who died without any knowledge that he was tricked. Others just believed this, and no one ever dared to make attempts on Cao Cao again.

<shi shuo xin yu> Volum 3 Part 27 Para 3.

Cao Cao always said that he would kill during a dream, without any consciousness, and warned about the guards not to approach him when he is asleep. One day he pretended a nap, one favourite servant of his tries to cover his exposed body with quilt, he turned around and hacked the servant to death. Afterwards no one dared to stay any closer to the man when he was asleep.

<shi shuo xin yu> Volumn 3 Part 27 Para 4.

Yuan Shao, when still young, sent someone to assassinate Cao Cao during the night. Cao Cao was asleep, the assassin hurled a sword from afar but missed. The sword was thrusted into the side of the bed below Cao Cao's body. Cao Cao predicted that the next one would be aimed a bit higher. He turned around facing downwards, pressing his limbs and abdomen hard against the bed. The second sword came, and indeed missed him by inches higher.

<shi shuo xin yu> Volumn 3 Part 27 Para 5.

Cao Cao has a Geisha (same meaning as the Japanese word), whose singing was unrivalled but also had a fiercely acrid temper. Cao Cao hated the temper so much that he desired to kill her several times, but was dissuaded by his love of her voice. But her temper got worse and worse that Cao Cao found himself impossible to bear. He then ordered to train a hundred girls singing. Few months later a girl could sing as pleasantly as the bad-tempered one. He then executed the old one.

<shi shuo xin yu> Volumn 3 Part 31 Para 1.

about the singing lady. she was in luo shen right the tvb video. she did not have a bad temper she was going to go mute and so she have a bad temper since cao cao alway wanted her to sing.

[Starscream]

Cao Cao received an envoy from the Hun state. Since he feared that his look might not impress the guest, he asked Cui Ji-Gui, a very handsome man at the time, to act for him, while he disguised as a sword-bearing guard standing right next to the seat. After the meeting, he sent spies to ask the guest, "who does the King of Wei look?" The guest replied, "He is indeed very handsome, but the guard next to him is the true hero." Upon receiving the reply, Cao Cao sent troops to murder the envoy.

I've heard of a similar version of the same event, not sure whether it's historical or fictional, or the same source. I cannot remember if Cao Cao did send troops to kill the envoy or not, because logically speaking, why should Cao Cao bear a grudge against a person who praised him?

Interesting stories by the way! In any case, is Shi Shuo Xin Yu a compilation of folktales that's intertwined with history?

[Peter]

sorry to interupt this interesting discussion, I just wanted to know...
did the envoy just prasing Cao Cao without reconize it's Cao Cao? or did the envoy prasing Cao Cao because he( or she) knew before hand that Cao Cao is gonna be the guard (you know, like reciving the tip form the currupted official and stuff)?

b/c I kinda agree with Zhilong here, Cao don't have to worry about be prasied because he is the leader of the Wei (don't have to worry about other people's jeaulosy, right?)

sorry for the spelling mistakes, try not to make too many...

[Mengdez New Book]

sorry to interupt this interesting discussion, I just wanted to know...
did the envoy just prasing Cao Cao without reconize it's Cao Cao? or did the envoy prasing Cao Cao because he( or she) knew before hand that Cao Cao is gonna be the guard (you know, like reciving the tip form the currupted official and stuff)?

b/c I kinda agree with Zhilong here, Cao don't have to worry about be prasied because he is the leader of the Wei (don't have to worry about other people's jeaulosy, right?)

sorry for the spelling mistakes, try not to make too many...

The envoy praising Cao Cao without knowing that the guard was indeed Cao Cao. He just felt that the guard stand behind the fake Cao Cao looks better (true hero) than fake Cao Cao.

[Separation Anxiety]

It may have been that Cao Cao was angry because the envoy called the guard a hero, not the peron he thought was Cao Cao. Wouldnt you be a little angry if you were a powerful man and someone said your guard, not you was a hero.