曹操杀崔琰还可能有别的原因，那么还有什么原因呢？我再提出两个原因，一个是报复杀人。我们知道曹操得到崔琰是什么时候，是建安九年，建安九年曹操拿下了邺城，自己当了冀州牧，把崔琰从监狱里放出来曹操大宴宾客，很得意地说：哎呀，我刚才查了一下户口，说这个冀州有三十万人，这可是一个大州啊。很得意，这个是小人得意了，刚刚从监狱里放出来的崔琰站起来说：曹公啊，现在天下分崩，生灵涂炭，王师驾到不先存问风俗，不先安抚百姓，先想到是自己捞了多少油水，得了多少粮食、人口、军队，可以扩充自己的势力，这难道是敝州百姓寄希望于明公的吗？这个话一说所有的宾客脸都吓白了，曹操马上改容，肃然起敬，对，崔先生你说得对。正义的力量，道德的力量，但是我觉得这个疙瘩可能曹操心里就结下了。
There may be other reasons why Cao Cao killed Cui Yan, so what are the other reasons? I propose two more reasons. One is revenge killings. “We know when Cao Cao got Cui Yan. It was the ninth year of Jian’an. In the ninth year of Jian’an, Cao Cao took Yecheng and became a herdsman in Jizhou. He released Cui Yan from prison as a guest at Cao Cao’s banquet. He proudly said, ‘Oh, I just checked my household registration and said that there are three to one million people in Jizhou. This is a big state.'”. “I’m very proud. This is the pride of a villain. Cui Yan, who was just released from prison, stood up and said, ‘Duke Cao, now that the world is divided and lives are in ruins, Wang Shi has arrived without first questioning the customs and comforting the people, first thinking about how much oil and water he has obtained, how much food, people, and army he can expand his own power. Is this what the people of our prefecture are hoping for from Duke Ming?'”? “At the mention of this, all the guests’ faces turned white, and Cao Cao immediately changed his countenance and stood in awe. Yes, Mr. Cui, you were right.”. “The power of justice, the power of morality, but I think this knot may have formed in Cao Cao’s heart.”.
＊崔琰对曹操的那一番大义凛然的话，不得不让所有的人都肃然起敬，可是曹操的心底很可能结下了一个疙瘩。从公元204年结怨到公元216年杀人，曹操等了十二年，他终于用崔琰的死解开了那个疙瘩。崔琰用自己的死证明了自己是个光明磊落的君子，曹操则用自己的死证明了自己是个奸雄。那么崔琰之死只是这么简单吗？
“Cui Yan’s words of righteousness towards Cao Cao had to make everyone revere him, but Cao Cao’s heart was likely to have a knot in his heart.”. After twelve years of waiting, Cao Cao finally untied the knot with Cui Yan’s death, from the time of making a grudge in 204 to the time of killing someone in 216. Cui Yan used his own death to prove that he was an upright gentleman, while Cao Cao used his own death to prove that he was a traitor. So is Cui Yan’s death just that simple?
第三种可能就是安排后事，他杀崔琰是为了安排后事。因为我们知道曹操晚年的时候接班人的问题提到了议事日程上来，曹丕、曹植兄弟两个为了争夺这个储位展开了明争暗斗。这个时候曹操秘密征求百官的意见，很多人都秘密回信给曹操说我赞成选谁，惟独崔琰公开回信，说：《春秋》大义立嫡以长，你选接班人要选年纪最大的，也就是要选曹丕，何况五官中郎将——就是曹丕了——仁孝聪明，应该当太子，我崔琰愿意以死来捍卫这个正道。曹操看了以后大吃一惊，因为曹植的妻子是崔琰的侄女，要按私情崔琰应该支持曹植的，但是他支持曹丕，所以曹操非常敬重。那么按说这个它不该成为曹操杀崔琰的原因对不对，观点不是一致吗，但是非常有意思的是裴松之在这个地方加了一条注，注的是什么呢？说曹植的那个妻子，也就是崔琰的那个侄女，有一天因为穿了一件漂亮衣裳被曹操杀了。他这条注没有注在《三国志·曹植传》，而注到了《三国志·崔琰传》，而且注到这个地方，我觉得裴松之好像在暗示什么，暗示说崔琰的死其实与曹植、曹丕兄弟争夺这个储位可能是有关系的。那么事实上也有人因此而死，比方说杨修。
The third possibility is to arrange future affairs. He killed Cui Yan to arrange future affairs. “Because we know that in Cao Cao’s later years, the issue of his successor was on the agenda, and Cao Pi and Cao Zhi fought openly and secretly for the throne.”. At this time, Cao Cao secretly solicited the opinions of various officials, and many people secretly wrote back to Cao Cao saying that I was in favor of choosing someone. However, Cui Yan publicly replied, saying, “In the Spring and Autumn Annals, the great righteousness of the emperor was to choose the eldest successor, that is, Cao Pi. Moreover, the Five Officials Zhonglang General – Cao Pi – was benevolent, filial, intelligent, and should be the crown prince. I, Cui Yan, am willing to defend this right path with death.”. Cao Cao was shocked when he saw it, because Cao Zhi’s wife was Cui Yan’s niece, and Cui Yan should have supported Cao Zhi based on his personal feelings. However, he supported Cao Pi, so Cao Cao respected him very much. So it shouldn’t be the reason why Cao Cao killed Cui Yan, right? Aren’t the views consistent, but it’s very interesting that Pei Songzhi added a note to this place. What’s the note? Cao Zhi’s wife, Cui Yan’s niece, was killed by Cao Cao one day for wearing a beautiful dress. His note was not written in “The Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms – Biography of Cao Zhi”, but in “The Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms – Biography of Cui Yan”. In addition, I think Pei Songzhi seems to be implying something that the death of Cui Yan may have something to do with Cao Zhi and Cao Pi’s contention for the throne. So in fact, some people died, such as Yang Xiu.
＊通过易中天先生的分析可以看出，崔琰之死可能有多方面的原因，但是参与曹植、曹丕兄弟争夺储位可能是原因之一，所以曹操对他敬畏的崔琰也是毫不手软的。据史书记载，在曹操死去的前一年，杨修也是因为陷入了夺嫡之争而被曹操杀害，事实果真如此吗？易中天先生将为我们分析杨修真正的死因。
＊从刚才易中天先生的分析可以看出，晚年的曹操在逐步地安排政权过渡的后事。如果说在打天下的过程中，人才对他的事业至关重要；而在权力过渡的时候，对任何有可能影响权力过渡的人才，曹操一点都不会心慈手软的。那么崔琰之死可能就是与此有关联，而在历史上的杨修也同样被认为是参与了夺嫡之争，那么易中天先生又是如何看待杨修之死的？杨修之死与他的个人性格有什么关联吗？
“From Mr. Yi Zhongtian’s analysis, it can be seen that there may be various reasons for Cui Yan’s death, but participation in Cao Zhi’s and Cao Pi’s brothers’ contention for the throne may be one of the reasons. Therefore, Cao Cao is not soft on his revered Cui Yan.”. According to historical records, the year before Cao Cao’s death, Yang Xiu was also killed by Cao Cao because he was caught in a dispute over the usurpation of his family. Is this really the case? Mr. Yi Zhongtian will analyze the real cause of Yang Xiu’s death for us.
From Mr. Yi Zhongtian’s analysis just now, it can be seen that in his later years, Cao Cao was gradually arranging the aftermath of the regime transition. If talent is crucial to his career in the process of winning the world; During the transition of power, Cao Cao will not be lenient to any talent who may affect the transition of power. So the death of Cui Yan may be related to this, and in history, Yang Xiu was also considered to have participated in the struggle for the usurpation of imperial power. How did Mr. Yi Zhongtian view Yang Xiu’s death? Is there any connection between Yang Xiu’s death and his personal character?
杨修是一个什么样的人呢？聪明人，杨修可以说是聪明绝顶，第二，杨修又是一个谦恭的人。由于杨修这个人又聪明又谦恭，所以他和曹操所有儿子的关系都很好，曹操的儿子都争着跟他交朋友，杨修谁也不敢得罪，他也都去交朋友。所以杨修的死他不因为得罪了谁，他没得罪人，但是杨修还是被曹操杀了。那么《三国志》也好，《后汉书》也好，都认为杨修的死是因为在夺嫡之争当中杨修是站在曹植一边的，再加上杨修是袁术的外甥，这样一些原因曹操在自己临死之前把杨修杀了。
What kind of person is Yang Xiu? “Smart people, Yang Xiu can be said to be extremely smart. Secondly, Yang Xiu is also a humble person.”. Due to Yang Xiu’s intelligence and humility, he has a good relationship with all of Cao Cao’s sons. Cao Cao’s sons strive to make friends with him. Yang Xiu dare not offend anyone, and he also goes to make friends. So Yang Xiu’s death was not because he had offended anyone. He didn’t offend anyone, but Yang Xiu was still killed by Cao Cao. Both the Three Kingdoms Annals and the Book of the Later Han Dynasty believe that Yang Xiu’s death was due to his side with Cao Zhi in the battle for imperial power, and that Yang Xiu was Yuan Shu’s nephew. These are some of the reasons why Cao Cao killed Yang Xiu before he died.
