My reflection on reading the Zizhi Tongjian (資治通鉴), which chronicles the Three Kingdoms era of ancient China, leads me to appreciate how fortunate we are today. We live in a republic with a democratic system, division of labor, and balance of power—things that simply didn't exist in ancient times. Today I want to discuss the inevitable collapse of the Wei (魏) dynasty, which traces back to its very foundation. The Paradox of Cao Cao's Genius Cao Cao (曹操) formally established the empire's foundation, enabling his son Cao Pi (曹丕) to force the emperor to abdicate. But here lies the tragedy: both father and sons were multi-talented geniuses, and therein lay their fatal flaw. Geniuses excel at multiple things simultaneously, which becomes extremely difficult to balance. Cao Cao was an excellent statesman, outstanding literary figure, skilled in martial arts, and possessed remarkable leadership. His son Cao Pi inherited these gifts—brilliant in politics and literature—while his other son Cao Zhi (曹植) was perhaps the most tragic figure, a literary genius trapped by political circumstance. The Fatal Flaw: Sentimentality The Cao family's greatest contradiction was being both rational statesmen and deeply sentimental artists. How could someone write such beautiful poetry without profound sentiment? Yet this very sentimentality proved fatal. Compare Cao Cao with Sima Yi (司馬懿), who later established his own dynasty and unified the nation. Sima Yi was educated but utterly unsentimental—historical records show no poetry from him. He could order massacres without hesitation, as when he eliminated Gongsun Yuan (公孫淵) in the northeast, killing thirty thousand people to create terror that would prevent future rebellions. A sentimental person could never order such killings. But to maintain power in feudal times, ruthlessness toward everyone—including family members—was essential. Cao Pi's Burden After Cao Pi claimed the throne, he faced enormous tragedy. Drawn into political conflicts while still pursuing his writing, he became overburdened and died young, around his forties. Though he gave his brother Cao Zhi cruel tests (like the famous "seven-step poem"), he ultimately gave him opportunities—revealing his own sentimental nature despite his political acumen. This emotional side caused problems: he would get drunk before important events, sometimes not even showing up. The Pattern of Decline This contradictory characteristic—excelling at both rational politics and emotional literature—created an impossible tension. Even with intentions to unify the nation, at critical moments they couldn't stand firm and act decisively. This allowed the Sima family to gradually seize control. The Sima family understood that in those chaotic times, there was no right or wrong—only power. They would do anything to maintain control. Meanwhile, though Cao Pi forced the emperor down and ruled for decades, and his son became emperor for thirty years, they couldn't capitalize on their strength. Perhaps there's truth in the Chinese saying: "Born in hardship, die in comfort" (生於憂患,死於安樂). Cao Cao wanted to unify the nation; his son probably wanted it less; his grandson perhaps didn't care at all. Despite being the largest and most powerful kingdom, they lacked the ruthless ambition of the Sima family. The Inevitable Conclusion Perhaps another tragedy was that successive generations no longer maintained the balance or remembered the ordinary people—abandoning Cao Cao's original plan. They became too sentimental compared to the Sima family's calculated ruthlessness. Even if later Cao descendants wanted to act, they lacked the talent and ability. Eventually, they were replaced by the Sima family. In the end, as the saying goes: "The beginning determines the end" (始已註定終). The Cao family's fate was sealed from the very start—their greatest strength, their humanity and sentimentality, became the weakness that destroyed them. Powered by Firstory Hosting
