＊曹操在赤壁之战后进行了三次战争，即破马超、韩遂，征孙权，伐张鲁。在这三次战争中，因为曹操要急着回到后方进行政治活动，所以都有半途而废之嫌。可以说曹操是三次放弃了军事牌，在后方却是三次打赢了政治牌，他的政治地位一升再升，最后几乎和皇帝的权力相当。此时曹操如果要称帝，已经没有人能够阻挡，那么他为什么最终没有称帝呢？
＊拥有和皇帝一样的政治待遇，并且大权独揽，曹操除了名义上不是皇帝，已经是事实上汉朝的最高统治者。这个时候，曹操不管是篡汉自立，还是代汉自立，都是轻而易举的事情。但在这样有利的局面下，曹操终其一生都没有当皇帝，这是为什么呢？
After the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao waged three wars, namely, defeating Ma Chao and Han Sui, conquering Sun Quan, and attacking Zhang Lu. In these three wars, because Cao Cao was eager to return to the rear for political activities, there was a suspicion of giving up halfway. It can be said that Cao Cao gave up his military cards three times, but he won the political cards three times in the rear. His political status rose and rose, and ultimately almost equal to the power of the emperor. At this time, if Cao Cao wanted to become emperor, no one could stop him, then why didn’t he finally become emperor?
“Having the same political treatment as the emperor, and assuming sole power, Cao Cao was in fact the supreme ruler of the Han Dynasty, except that he was not an emperor in name.”. At this time, whether Cao Cao usurped the Han Dynasty to stand on his own, or stood on his behalf, it was an easy matter. But in such a favorable situation, Cao Cao never became an emperor in his entire life. Why is this?
比较通行的说法，认为曹操审时度势、知难而退，把代汉自立的这样一个任务留给了他的儿子曹丕。这个也是有根据的，根据《三国志》裴松之的注，建安二十四年的时候，以陈群、桓阶、夏侯惇为代表的一些人向曹操劝进，劝曹操当皇帝。陈群他们的观点是这样的，说大汉王朝已经名存实亡，普天之下没有一寸土地、一个子民是汉王朝的，留它干什么？夏侯惇的观点是，皇帝是什么？皇帝就是万民之主，什么人是万民之主？能够拯救人民的，能够安抚人民的就是万民之主。现在谁在拯救和安抚人民？曹公啊，为什么不能当？可是曹操没有接受。曹操引用了孔子的一句话说：“施于有政，是益为政”，什么意思呢？就是只要对政治产生影响，那就是执政，不一定要有一个执政的名分。然后他又说：“若天命在吾，吾为周文王”，如果说天命确实在我们曹家，那我就做个周文王吧。因为我们都知道，周文王是三分天下有其二，而服事殷，已经有了这个天下的三分之二的地盘他都没有去推翻殷王朝；但是周文王的儿子周武王是灭掉了殷纣王，取而代之的。所以大家都说这个话的意思就是，我做周文王，儿子做周武王吧，都是这么认为的。
A popular saying is that Cao Cao judged the situation and retreated despite difficulties, leaving the task of self-reliance in the Han Dynasty to his son Cao Pi. This is also valid. According to Pei Songzhi’s note in the “Records of the Three Kingdoms”, in the 24th year of Jian’an, some people represented by Chen Qun, Huanjie, and Xia Houdun advised Cao Cao to become emperor. Chen Qun’s point of view is that the Han Dynasty has already existed in name only, and there is not an inch of land in the world, and one of its people belongs to the Han Dynasty. Why should we leave it? Xia Houdun’s point of view is, what is the emperor? The emperor is the lord of the people. Who is the lord of the people? The one who can save the people and appease them is the Lord of the People. Who is saving and pacifying the people now? Duke Cao, why can’t I be? But Cao Cao didn’t accept it. Cao Cao quoted a quote from Confucius: “When applied to a government, it is beneficial to the government.” What does it mean? As long as it has an impact on politics, it is governing, and there is no need for a reputation for governing. Then he said, “If the destiny is mine, I will be King Wen of Zhou.” If the destiny is indeed in our Cao family, then I will be King Wen of Zhou. As we all know, King Wen of Zhou had two thirds of the world, while serving Yin, who already had two thirds of the world, did not overthrow the Yin Dynasty; But King Wu of Zhou, the son of King Wen of Zhou, destroyed King Zhou of Yin and replaced him. So what everyone means by saying this is that I will be King Wen of Zhou and my son will be King Wu of Zhou. That’s what everyone thinks.
但是史学大师吕思勉先生不同意。吕先生说，曹操说吾为周文王，正见得曹操不肯篡汉；至于说他把这个任务留给了儿子，吕先生用了四个字来评价：“岂非梦呓”？他说你们这是说梦话。这个地方我是不太弄得懂、弄得清楚，我对吕先生是最为敬重的，我以前的讲座也多次引用吕先生的观点。但是我觉得，说曹操没有把这个事儿留给他儿子，好像也不大说的过去。
But Mr. Lv Simian, a historian, disagreed. Mr. Lv said, ‘Cao Cao said that I am King Wen of Zhou, which shows that Cao Cao is not willing to usurp the Han Dynasty.’; As for saying that he left this task to his son, Mr. Lu used four words to evaluate it: “Isn’t it balderdash?”? He said you were talking in your sleep. “I don’t quite understand or understand this place, and I have the greatest respect for Mr. Lv. In my previous lectures, I have repeatedly cited Mr. Lv’s views.”. But I don’t think it’s likely to make sense to say that Cao Cao didn’t leave this matter to his son.
