但是不管哪一种猜测，我们可以肯定，我们无法准确知道曹操当时的想法，但是可以准确知道的是曹操这一下把权贵是得罪了，把宦官集团也得罪了。但是宦官集团拿他没有办法，因为第一，曹操是对的，执法如山嘛，你有什么话说。第二，曹操有后台。那么宦官集团想了一个什么办法呢，就跟皇帝说，皇上，曹操可是个人才，执法如山啊，让他当个副县级的公安局长委屈了，应该升为正县级，但是调到边远地区。升你一级你给我滚，别在我跟前晃。于是曹操就担任了顿丘令，没过多久曹操又被朝廷调回来，担任议郎，议郎是什么概念呢，用现在的话说就是调研员，是个闲差；然后后来又派到地方上，又调回来当议郎。曹操想了，议郎就议郎吧，我就好好调研吧，到地方上就到地方上吧，我就好好执政吧，可是怎么样呢？曹操把他治国的方略，以及对当前政治的一些建议写成文章交上去，泥牛入海无消息，根本没人搭理。他在地方上打击豪强，整顿秩序，如以卵击石，蚍蜉撼树，根本没有什么大的效果。
However, no matter what kind of speculation, we can be sure that we cannot accurately know Cao Cao’s thoughts at that time, but what we can accurately know is that Cao Cao has offended the powerful and the eunuch group. But the eunuch group has no way to take him, because first of all, Cao Cao is right and runs the law like a mountain. What do you have to say. Second, Cao Cao has a backstage. So what idea did the eunuch group come up with? They told the emperor, “Your Majesty, Cao Cao is a talented person who runs the law like a mountain. He was wronged to be a deputy county police chief, and should be promoted to the county level, but transferred to remote areas.”. Get out of here and don’t dangle in front of me when you’re promoted. So Cao Cao took up the position of Dunqiu Ling, and before long, Cao Cao was transferred back by the imperial court to serve as a counsellor. What is the concept of a counsellor? In modern words, he is a researcher, and he is an idle worker; Later, he was sent to the local government and transferred back to be the Chancellor. Cao Cao thought about it. Let’s talk about the Lang. I’ll do a good research. Let’s go to the local level and govern. But what about it? Cao Cao wrote and submitted his strategy for governing the country, as well as some suggestions for current politics. However, there was no news and no one paid any attention. “He has had no significant effect in cracking down on the powerful and rectifying order in local areas, such as striking stones with eggs and shaking trees with fatties.”.
曹操到地方上执政也是很严厉的，据说是给曹操的调令一下，比方说把曹操调到去当济南相，当地大大小小的权贵闻风遁逃啊，说曹操来了我们在这个地方还能呆啊？窜入他郡，都跑别的地方去了。小报告一封一封地送达御前，不停地有人去告曹操的刁状。这个时候曹操感到，他在官场上恐怕是混不下去了，他感觉到大汉王朝已江河日下，这个政权也行将就木，他做的任何努力都无济于事，只会给自己招来祸灾。之所以没有惹出杀身之祸来，是因为他有曹嵩这个大后台，他的父亲官居太尉，也就是当时名义上的三军总司令，权贵还不敢把他怎么样。但是长此以往，是肯定没有好果子吃的，于是曹操谢绝了朝廷的再一次任命，这次是任命他做两千石，级别两千石的东郡太守，曹操辞掉了这个任务，借口自己有病，然后回到了自己的家乡，闭门读书，闲暇的时候打打猎来娱乐自己。但是曹操并没有忘记国家大事，他仍然关心着自己的国家和民族。
“Cao Cao is also very strict when he comes to power at a local level. It is said that he was given a transfer order, such as transferring Cao Cao to become the Prime Minister of Jinan. Local dignitaries, large and small, fled after hearing the wind, saying that when Cao Cao comes, can we still stay in this place?”? Fleeing into his county, they all went elsewhere. The small report was sent to the imperial court one by one, and there were constant complaints against Cao Cao. At this time, Cao Cao felt that he might not be able to continue in the officialdom. He felt that the Han Dynasty was already in decline and that the regime was also on the verge of extinction. Any effort he made would be of no avail and would only bring disaster to himself. The reason why he didn’t cause a fatal accident was because he had Cao Song as the main backstage, and his father, the official lieutenant, was also the nominal commander in chief of the three armies at that time. The powerful still dared not do anything to him. However, in the long run, there must be no good fruit to eat, so Cao Cao declined another appointment from the imperial court. This time, he was appointed as the governor of the Dongjun County with a rank of 2000 stones and 2000 stones. Cao Cao resigned this task, pleading that he was ill, and then returned to his hometown, studying behind closed doors, and hunting in his spare time to entertain himself. But Cao Cao did not forget state affairs, and he still cared about his country and nation.
＊通过易中天先生的分析可以看出，年轻的曹操的确是个“治世能臣”，不管是做拥有实权的洛阳北部尉，还是做虚职的议郎，曹操都尽职尽责。然而当时权归当道，使他空有以腔报国热情却难以施展，最终曹操托病辞官。曹操难道不想做能臣了吗？做能臣究竟需要什么条件呢？
According to Mr. Yi Zhongtian’s analysis, it can be seen that the young Cao Cao is indeed a “capable minister of governing the world.” Whether he is a northern Luoyang captain with real power or a lawmaker with a virtual position, Cao Cao is dutiful and responsible. However, at that time, the return of power to power made it difficult for him to exert his enthusiasm for serving the country with a vacant voice. Finally, Cao Cao resigned from office on the pretext of illness. Don’t Cao Cao want to be a powerful minister anymore? What exactly are the conditions for being a capable minister?
实际上呢，年轻的曹操可能还不懂得一个道理，就是做一个能臣是要有条件的，什么条件呢？第一，要看时世，只有在治世才可能做能臣，如果在乱世，那恐怕就只能像诸葛亮《出师表》说的那样，“苟全性命于乱世，不求闻达于诸侯”；第二呢，要看政局，政局如果混乱那也是做不成能臣的，连孔子都说邦有道则智、邦无道则愚，什么叫愚呢，就是装傻，比装疯含蓄一点；第三要看人主，就是这个皇帝是个昏君呢还是个明君，如果是昏君你也做不成能臣；第四，即便是治世、是明君、是一个好的政局，那你还要看皇帝的心情和兴趣。比方说汉文帝，那不是昏君，汉文帝的时代也是西汉王朝最好的时代，号称文景之治，汉文帝也非常欣赏贾谊这个人，应该说是贾谊做能臣的条件都具备了，但是怎么样了最后？“可怜夜半虚前席，不问苍生问鬼神”，还是不用他，最后把他打发到长沙，害得贾谊终日以泪洗面哭死在那里。所以做能臣是要有条件的，而曹操所处的那个时代不具备这个条件。
In fact, the young Cao Cao may not understand the truth that being a capable minister requires conditions. What are the conditions? First, depending on the current situation, it is only possible to be a capable minister in a world of governance. If it is in a troubled world, it may only be possible, as stated in Zhuge Liang’s “Graduation Table”, to “devote one’s life to the troubled world and not seek to be heard or reached by the princes”; Secondly, it depends on the political situation. If the political situation is chaotic, it is impossible to become a capable minister. Even Confucius said that if a state has the Tao, it is wise, and if a state has no Tao, it is foolish. What is foolishness? It is to pretend to be foolish, which is a bit more implicit than pretending to be crazy; The third thing to look at is whether the emperor is a fatuous ruler or a wise ruler. If he is a fatuous ruler, you cannot become a capable minister; Fourth, even if it is governing the world, being a wise ruler, and being a good political situation, it depends on the emperor’s mood and interest. For example, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, that was not a fatuous monarch. The era of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty was also the best era of the Western Han Dynasty, known as the rule of Wen and Jing. Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty also greatly appreciated Jia Yi as a person. It should be said that Jia Yi had all the conditions to be a capable minister, but what happened in the end? “Poor midnight empty front table, don’t ask the common people about ghosts and gods,” but still don’t use him. Finally, he was sent to Changsha, causing Jia Yi to cry and die there all day long. Therefore, it is necessary to have conditions to be a capable minister, and Cao Cao’s era did not have this condition.
曹操出仕的时候，还不能算是乱世，但已经是乱世的前夜。曹操这个出仕是在汉灵帝时期，而灵帝和桓帝，和他的叔叔桓帝，这两朝是政治最黑暗腐败的代名词，一提起最坏的时代：桓、灵两朝。所以诸葛亮最后的《出师表》不是说嘛，未尝不叹息痛恨于桓灵也。那么灵帝是一个什么样的人呢，他的兴趣在哪里，他的兴趣不在国家大事，在文学艺术，据说灵帝辞赋是写得很好的，对建筑艺术也有研究。他当时在宫殿里研究什么呢，研究自来水和排水系统，在宫殿里设计了一整套上下水系统，非常之好。成功以后灵帝又下令说，要让老百姓都喝上自来水，于是在京城里面大动土木。这个你是皇帝啊，你要管的是天下的兴亡，不是上下水，那么朝政交给谁呢？两拨人：外戚、宦官。而且这个灵帝他因为要做这么多事情，他要有钱，钱从哪里来，卖官。灵帝朝是卖官的，而且明码实价、公开招标。价钱大概是级别一石是一万，比方说你要买一个四百石的副县级的官做，四百万；你要买一个两千石的正部级的官做，两千万；如果你想位列三公，就是太尉、司徒、司空，再加一千万，明码实价。这是公开买卖，如果朝廷的正式任命也要交钱，不过可以只交一半或者三分之一，可以讲价。
曹操出仕的时候，还不能算是乱世，但已经是乱世的前夜。曹操这个出仕是在汉灵帝时期，而灵帝和桓帝，和他的叔叔桓帝，这两朝是政治最黑暗腐败的代名词，一提起最坏的时代：桓、灵两朝。所以诸葛亮最后的《出师表》不是说嘛，未尝不叹息痛恨于桓灵也。那么灵帝是一个什么样的人呢，他的兴趣在哪里，他的兴趣不在国家大事，在文学艺术，据说灵帝辞赋是写得很好的，对建筑艺术也有研究。他当时在宫殿里研究什么呢，研究自来水和排水系统，在宫殿里设计了一整套上下水系统，非常之好。成功以后灵帝又下令说，要让老百姓都喝上自来水，于是在京城里面大动土木。这个你是皇帝啊，你要管的是天下的兴亡，不是上下水，那么朝政交给谁呢？两拨人：外戚、宦官。而且这个灵帝他因为要做这么多事情，他要有钱，钱从哪里来，卖官。灵帝朝是卖官的，而且明码实价、公开招标。价钱大概是级别一石是一万，比方说你要买一个四百石的副县级的官做，四百万；你要买一个两千石的正部级的官做，两千万；如果你想位列三公，就是太尉、司徒、司空，再加一千万，明码实价。这是公开买卖，如果朝廷的正式任命也要交钱，不过可以只交一半或者三分之一，可以讲价。
