＊曹操为什么再一次感到报国无门？因为曹操已经看出，当时那些割据一方的诸侯都是一些自私自利、胆小怕事、无所作为的人。东汉王朝已经不可救药，天下大乱已不可逆转。即使不乱，腐朽的朝廷和官场也不需要什么“治世之能臣”，所以曹操不得不重新选择他的人生道路。那么，曹操做后选择了一条什么路呢？
曹操的选择是自己干。
Why did Cao Cao once again feel that there was no way to serve the country? Because Cao Cao had already seen that the feudal lords who were separatist at that time were all selfish, timid, and ineffective. The Eastern Han Dynasty is already incurable, and the chaos in the world is irreversible. Even if there were no chaos, the decadent imperial court and officialdom did not need any “capable ministers to govern the world”, so Cao Cao had to choose his life path again. So, what path did Cao Cao choose after he did it?
Cao Cao’s choice was to do it himself.
实际上对于曹操人生道路的选项历来是有两种说法，一种是大家比较熟悉的许劭说的“治世之能臣，乱世之奸雄”；另一种说法见于《世说新语》，据说是桥玄说的，说法是“乱世之英雄，治世之奸贼”。所以当曹操处于乱世的时候，他其实是有两个选项的：一个是英雄，一个是奸雄。但是我认为至少，从公元190年到公元200年这十年当中，曹操不愧为“乱世之英雄”。因为只有曹操才用自己微弱的一己之躯担负起天下的兴亡。如果说还有人的话，那就是孙权的父亲孙坚，但是孙坚的谋略显然不如曹操。
In fact, there have always been two versions of Cao Cao’s choice of life path. One is the familiar saying of Xu Shao, “A capable minister in governing the world, a traitor in troubled times.”; Another saying can be found in “Shi Shuo Xin Yu”, which is said to be said by Qiao Xuan. It is said to be “a hero in troubled times and a traitor in governing the world.”. So when Cao Cao was in troubled times, he actually had two options: one was a hero, and the other was a traitor. But I think at least during the ten years from AD 190 to AD 200, Cao Cao was worthy of being a “hero in troubled times.”. Because only Cao Cao can bear the rise and fall of the world with his own weak body. If there is anyone else, it is Sun Jian, Sun Quan’s father. However, Sun Jian’s strategy is obviously inferior to Cao Cao’s.
那么在这十年间曹操干了些什么事呢？三件事：一是略地，二是募兵，三是屯田。这三件事情都与黄巾起义有关系，那么黄巾起义我们知道是地地道道的官逼民反，但是在曹操他们看来，却是必须予以剿灭的反贼。在这个天下大乱的时候，黄巾军趁着帝国的官僚、将领、诸侯们争权夺利的时候发展壮大起来了，于是在公元192年聚集在青州的黄巾军进入了兖州，兖州刺史刘岱不听鲍信的劝告，结果被黄巾军所杀。这个时候鲍信和陈宫就请曹操来代理兖州牧，曹操代理兖州牧以后就跟黄巾军作战，最后战败了黄巾军，黄巾军向曹操投降。这个黄巾军是个奇怪的军事组织，它并不是一个纯粹的部队，它还有随军的家属和农民，就是当时的青州的黄巾军战斗员是三十万，随军家属和农民加起来一共是一百万，而且还带着农具和耕牛。那么曹操接受了黄巾军投降以后，就把当中能打仗的人把他编成一队，叫做“青州兵”。代理了兖州牧，曹操就有了根据地；收编了青州军，曹操就有了战斗队。
So what did Cao Cao do during these ten years? Three things: one is to slightly expand the territory, the other is to recruit troops, and the third is to cultivate farmland. “These three events are all related to the Huangjin Uprising, so we know that the Huangjin Uprising is a genuine government driven rebellion against the people, but in the eyes of Cao Cao and others, it is a traitor that must be exterminated.”. During this time of great chaos, the Yellow Scarf Army developed and expanded while the imperial bureaucrats, generals, and vassals were contending for power and profit. Therefore, in AD 192, the Yellow Scarf Army gathered in Qingzhou and entered Yanzhou. Liu Dai, the governor of Yanzhou, ignored Bao Xin’s advice and was killed by the Yellow Scarf Army. At this time, Bao Xin and Chen Gong invited Cao Cao to represent Yanzhou herdsmen. After acting for Yanzhou herdsmen, Cao Cao fought with the Yellow Scarf Army, which ultimately defeated them and surrendered to Cao Cao. The Yellow Scarf Army was a strange military organization. It was not a purely military organization. It also had accompanying families and farmers. At that time, the combatants of the Yellow Scarf Army in Qingzhou were 300000, and the accompanying families and farmers added up to a total of one million, and they also brought farm tools and farm cattle. After Cao Cao accepted the surrender of the Huangjin Army, he formed a team of those who could fight, called the “Qingzhou Soldiers.”. Acting as Yanzhou herdsman, Cao Cao had a base area; After incorporating the Qingzhou Army, Cao Cao had a combat team.
但是曹操还有一个问题，就是这么多人你如何安置，如何养活？这个时候他的一个重要的谋士叫做毛玠，就向他提出了一个战略性的意见。毛玠说：
“今天下分崩，国主迁移，民生废业，饥馑流亡，公家无经岁之储，百姓无安国之志，难以持久。今袁绍、刘表虽士民众强，皆无经远之虑，未有树基建本者也，夫兵义者胜，守位以财，宜奉天子以令不臣。修耕植，畜军资，如此则霸王之业可成也。”
But Cao Cao still has a problem, that is, how do you arrange and support so many people? At this time, one of his important advisers, Mao Jie, gave him a strategic opinion. Ms. Mao said:
“Today, with the collapse of the country, the relocation of the country’s leaders, the abolition of livelihood and industry, famine and exile, the absence of a reserve for the elderly in the public, and the lack of ambition for the people to secure the country, it is difficult to sustain. Although Yuan Shao and Liu Biao are strong in the people, they have no concerns about the future. They have not established a foundation, and those who are loyal to the army and righteousness have won. They should defend their positions with wealth, and should serve the Son of Heaven with orders instead of ministers. Cultivating and planting, and raising livestock and military funds, in this way, the cause of hegemony can be achieved.”
