Orthodoxy And The Construction Of Cao Cao’s Character Image

Cao Cao has two images in Chinese traditional culture: historical image and literary image.In the Western Jin Dynasty,Chen Shou wrote the annals of the Three Kingdoms and the book of Wei Wu.With the writing method and historical view of a historian,he shaped Cao Cao into an image of a loyal official in the Han Dynasty,a military genius who planned strategies and a political leader with outstanding ability.Pei Songzhi,from the Southern Song Dynasty,widely collected various historical materials to make notes on the annals of the Three Kingdoms.In addition to affirming its positive image,through the supplement of historical materials,he added the image of the traitor and power phase of Cao Cao who played with power skills and avoided killing.Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms at the end of Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of Ming Dynasty constructs the classic literary image of Cao Cao’s capable minister in governing the world and the treacherous hero in troubled times with rich imagination.In the works of historians and writers,there are obvious differences in Cao Cao’s image,and there are some changes in Cao Cao’s historical image and literary image in different historical periods.The difference between Cao Cao’s historical image and literary image is mainly related to the orthodox concept in ancient China.Chen Shou holds the concept of being Wei and pretending to be Shu and Wu,and writes the annals of the Three Kingdoms with Wei as the orthodoxy.Starting from the achievements of Cao Cao,he depicts Cao Cao as a generation of heroes and heroes,and uses spring and autumn strokes to protect the dark side of Cao Cao’s human nature.Pei Songzhi inherited Xi’s orthodoxy and believed that the Jin Dynasty inherited the Han Dynasty.Although the Cao and Wei dynasties were Zen to the emperor and then gave way to the Jin Dynasty,it was actually a matter of rebellion.The destruction of Shu Han by Emperor Wen of Wei is the symbol of the demise of Han Dynasty and the rise of Jin Dynasty.Based on a large number of historical materials,Pei Songzhi reveals that in addition to the bright and great image of Cao Cao,there is also a sinister and evil side.In order to portray the image of Cao Cao in the Three Kingdoms,Luo Guanzhong has been deeply influenced by the derogatory concept of Cao Cao in the song and Yuan Dynasties.