He also has a healthy sense of humor. And, perhaps most impressively, Jianbin is able to portray Cao Cao's inherent uncertainty. He is a man painted a traitor by history, but his actions demonstrated unwavering loyalty--even at great personal risk. Jianbin's portrayal allows equally for either interpretation.
Arsene Lupin Unwavering loyalty? He was the greatest traitor in the Three Kingdoms period. He was the one who defeated the major number of rivals, but also was the most hated person. The number of subordinates and people who wanted him dead and refused to serve him are uncountable.
Cao Cao did what he had to, to survive and secure the state. One of his most famous quotes was "I'd rather betray the world than let the world betray me." Meaning he basically did whatever he had to, for the greater good. He was a pragmatist who made agreements when he had to and broke them when they could not work for him. He was not a nice man and he wasn't going for popularity, he did what he needed to for the security of the state.
Compared to his peers, yes, he was a paragon of loyalty. Don't confuse the novel's fictitious accounts for actual history. Cao Cao was loyal to the Han until the day he died. He may have "betrayed" others, but his first and foremost allegiance was to the Han, and he never betrayed the Han.
Arsene Lupin No, i am not confused with novel events, bro. To use the Emperor to personal gain is not loyalty, and he historically did it. To defile women such as Zhang Ji's wife is not example of any type. To kill the entire family of Lü Boshe, even trying to avoid danger is not exemplary either. To show disrespect for the Emperor carrying weapons at court is not loyalty, but treachery and lack of respect. Are you saying that Chen Gong, that refused to join him after know his true character, or Xun Yu, one of his best advisers, were wrong? Gao Shun, Ju Shou, many people refused to join him, despite the nice crew he already had in his service. I can understand your point being Cao Wei fans, but he was a cunning traitor. He used his father's death at the hands of Zhang Kai a poor excuse to massacre thousands of innocents in Xu province. He used it as an excuse to destroy Tao Qian. Sorry, but that does not justify him. Of course, if you are a fan of Cao Cao, you will never agree with me, but all this i have just said is history, not the novel or Dynasty Warriors, yes? I respect your arguments, but at least, try to also recognize his flaws, like all the other warlords have, before stating your response. Good day.
For those of you who haven't seen the series: What Cao Cao did here was stall for as much time as he could so that the sun would eventually be shining towards his enemy, blinding them during the fight. He even placed that parasol specifically so that Yuan Shao would not notice.
Brilliant! I start watching the latest Three Kingdoms and it's so gud! I thought Cao Cao was cunning when he deployed a plan to divide Liu Bei and Lu Bu. What I didn't expected was seeing the boy emperor using a scheme to divided Cao Cao and Liu Bei. He secretly accused Cao Cao of being a tyrant while he was living in luxury under Cao Cao protection. His blood written edict pretty much guaranteed a long and bloody civil war. We need to remember how the boy emperor was abandoned and starving. Nobody come to his rescue except Cao Cao. His selfish action just prolong the civil war. Same goes for Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu. They all died trying to revive a corrupted Dynasty where super intelligent men kowtow to a child emperor. I'm at the scene with the 3 visits at the Sleeping dragon ridge. I realize both men was using each other's for their own goals. "Zhuge Liang created his own lord" Xu Shu previously explained to Liu Bei. To me, Zhuge Liang was the devil who invented divided and conquered. Liu Bei on the other hand knew about the rampage corruption of the Han. He should let it die and be reborn. Nope, he always complained about war and unrest while provoking Cao Cao instead of working together for a better future. There was this line I didn't really understand when I young. It's where a villager would shout "A dead Kongming have scared away Sima Yi!" Now I realize it's was a face saving propaganda, similar to western medias keep saying Ukraine is winning while ignoring the enormous casualties from the last Kherson and Kharkov offensives on September 18, 2022. Similar to Zhuge Liang disastrous Northern campaigns, they got absolutely nothing except deaths. The biggest lost was Wei Yan. Special note: I read about the 3 visits, it was fictional. It was actually Zhuge Liang who visited Liu Bei for a job. And he want the highest paying job. Cao Cao already have Xun Yu, Guo Jia and Sima Yi as his strategists. Sun Quan have Zhou Yu and Lu Su. Worthy mention. It was Xun Yu's suggestion that Cao Cao chose to escort Emperor Xian, who was then living in the ruins of Luoyang, to his own base at Xu (present-day Xuchang, Henan) in 196, taking on the role of protecting the emperor. Xun Yu's plan was to "control the insubordinate in the name of the emperor" (奉天子以令不臣); the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms subtly distorts this to "hold the emperor hostage to control the nobles" (挾天子以令諸侯). In the long run, this strategy would give Cao Cao a considerable political advantage over his rivals, allowing him to legitimise his actions by taking them in the name of the emperor. Guo's advice to Cao Cao on how to handle Liu Bei. Guo Jia told Cao Cao, "Liu Bei has great ambitions and has won the hearts of many people. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu are formidable fighters and they have pledged to serve him with their lives. From what I observe, Liu Bei will never truly submit to anyone, and his intentions are unclear. The people in the past once said, 'If you let the enemy off today, they will become a threat to you for a long time.' You should settle (Liu Bei) soon." At the time, Cao Cao was using Emperor Xian as a figurehead to command respect and had attracted many heroes to serve under him so he did not heed Guo Jia's advice. When Cao Cao later sent Liu Bei with an army to attack Yuan Shu, Guo Jia and Cheng Yu warned Cao, "Liu Bei will rebel if you let him go!" By then, Liu Bei had already left and he really did rebel against Cao Cao as he later seized control of Xu Province from Che Zhou, the provincial governor appointed by Cao Cao. Cao Cao regretted not following Guo Jia's advice. -Fu Zi Update I'm at the scene where Liu Biao is dead and Cai Mao with a large army surrendered to Cao Cao. The show mentioned subtlety where Zhuge Liang using scorched earth to burn every resident buildings, this forced civilians to fled with Liu Bei. In other word, they're being used a human shield. It remind me a lot about Ukraine and Zelensky. Liu Bei was like Zelensky to western medias. They need a hero to run their propaganda against the communist. Anyway.. The smartest person currently is Cai Mao. He won a battle without having to lost a single soldiers. He even got a promotion. Liu Bei should be like Cai Mao. My favorite part. E 35 part 3 of 3 at 00:11:47 Liu Biao son, Liu Cong surrender Jing province to Cao Cao. My second favorite part. Cao Cao using a scheme to recruit Guan Yu while he was in a life and death situation was the most interesting. Sun Quan try to recruit Guan Yu, but they end up beheading him after he refused lol
@@condorX2 he was chosen to be emperors because of his calmness during the war between the eunuch and generals. he is not a weak person even at a young age, he demostrate a level of steadiness that would be rare among adults. but the Han court is exhausted and there is nothing he can do to restore power.
I know all the different names for the same person confuse many people so I'll try to provide some explanation on this: In pre-modern day China, people are given a name by their parents shortly after birth. For example "Cao Cao", "Yuan Shao". As one reaches the age of 20, a "styled name" is given by a respected senior, often their teacher or an elder from their clan or community. For example "Mengde" is Cao Cao's style name he received when he entered adulthood, and "Benchu" is Yuan Shao's styled name. A general rule is to call each other by styled name to show respect among adults. Calling one by his original name is a sign of disrespect. For example when these two call each other "Cao Cao" and "Yuan Shao" they are literally showing hostility. But one should not call himself by his styled name - it's laughably arrogant. When address oneself by name, you use your official name. For example, Cao Cao would say "Cao pays respect to brother Benchu." Yuan Shao should answer "Brother Mengde, it's good to see you again, I, Yuan Shao, am honored to welcome you to my city." What's even worse is to call someone by his or her nickname or "child name" for example Cao Cao's is "Ahman". Calling an adult, especially one that had obtained other titles, by this name is a big spit to the face. In this clip you can see when Yuan Shao was tricked to believe Cao Cao is begging for peace he arrogantly called him "Ahman". Some people may also get another name that are used in highest form of respect, such as Zhuge Liang, his surname is Zhuge, name is Liang, styled name is Kongming, then many people address him as "Wolong Xiansheng" (Master Sleeping Dragon). These kind of names also include "General White Horse", "Lord of Magnificent Beard", "Master Jade Lotus" etc...a bit over the top but quite awesome in its original language and context.
Also to add that one's styled name (two characters) usually has the same meaning or conveys the same message with their name (one character during this period of history). Mengde literally translates into "great virtue" whereas his name "Cao" also means virtue. Guan Yu's name "Yu" means "feathers" whereas his styled name "Yunchang" literally means "high and far in the clouds".
@@amnesiacangel7212 Nerds are the one who rules the world and are inventing shit. Its not really a insult Seems you are looking for a insult then use the word autism. Its a very popular word that is frequently used by low intellects, who don't have a clue what autism means
@@Robin...222 It's just a drama. The real battle was not like that. Cao Cao and Yuan Shao NEVER drunk tea together during the battle. I am not even sure they saw each other's face since they were highest commander. I assume they wanted to stay in the best safest position of the basement.
Hans this series is not based on the real history, but on a Ming Dynasty novel, San Guo Yan Yi, which only contains 70% truth. So, to be more dramatic......However, this trick is mentioned in an ancient Chinese military strategy guidebook, Sun Zi Bing Fa, and so are many other tricks in this series.
Cao Cao was actually the real hero of that era, and Liu Bei was the guy who betrayed everybody that ever helped him. Portraying Cao Cao as cunning and comical couldn't be further away from history. This actor looks like a street scammer or something, while all history books record Cao Cao as a man of great disposition and charm. What a waste.
However, when this dram firstly launched in China, the actor of Caocao was criticized by the Three Kingdom fans. Because they still prefer the old version one.
Charles Shi That might be because of how different perceptions can be of Who Cao Cao actually was. He's either a brilliant hero or a devious villain, depending on who's telling the story.
@@Christian-rn1ur To me, he is both at the same time, since I see one perspective of the opposition of Cao Mengde, a ruthless, cutthroat villain who will use any advantage he can afford, while, at the same time, to his troops, generals, and the populace under his banner, he is a hero, a strategist, and a very smart businessman. The same could be said of Vlad Tepes.
Very hard not to be a fan of the actor that plays Cao Cao. What a magnificent actor with range. Almost like he can play any character at any given time. I'm not Chinese and not fan of Chinese soap opera and never seen this actor before but his talent/skill is so obvious.
The actor that plays Cao Cao is brilliant. I watched the whole series and and I can say I was truly upset when he died. His laugh and cunning ways were portryed perfectly.
Sun tzu said to "fight with the sun on your back so that the light be on the enemies' eyes" Cao cao intend to delay the war so at the moment of time Yuan Shao's army got blinded by sun
I love how Cao Cao still could’ve tricked Yuan Shao into leaving him with a province even though he could decimate Cao Cao’s army right now. Yuan Shao is indecisive even when he holds a massive advantage.
16:12 look at the way he runs away from Yuan, as if he were still that young companion of mischief fooling around together with Yuan back in the days... only this time he fooled Yuan for All Under Heaven, lol
The way Cao Cao stroke Yuan Shao's ego is pure genius. Also how he brought the emperor and stationed him in the vanguard ensuring that Yuan Shao despite his anger will not order a full frontal assault fearing for the safety of the emperor. I always say: Cao Wei, the only way.
Aye. I start watching the latest Three Kingdoms and it's so gud! I thought Cao Cao was cunning when he deployed a plan to divide Liu Bei and Lu Bu. What I didn't expected was seeing the boy emperor using a scheme to divided Cao Cao and Liu Bei. He secretly accused Cao Cao of being a tyrant while he was living in luxury under Cao Cao protection. His blood written edict pretty much guaranteed a long and bloody civil war. We need to remember how the boy emperor was abandoned and starving. Nobody come to his rescue except Cao Cao. His selfish action just prolong the civil war. Same goes for Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu. They all died trying to revive a corrupted Dynasty where super intelligent men kowtow to a child emperor. I'm at the scene with the 3 visits at the Sleeping dragon ridge. I realize both men was using each other's for their own goals. "Zhuge Liang created his own lord" Xu Shu previously explained to Liu Bei. To me, Zhuge Liang was the devil who invented divided and conquered. Liu Bei on the other hand knew about the rampage corruption of the Han. He should let it die and be reborn. Nope, he always complained about war and unrest while provoking Cao Cao instead of working together for a better future. There was this line I didn't really understand when I young. It's where a villager would shout "A dead Kongming have scared away Sima Yi!" Now I realize it's was a face saving propaganda, similar to western medias keep saying Ukraine is winning while ignoring the enormous casualties from the last Kherson and Kharkov offensives on September 18, 2022. Similar to Zhuge Liang disastrous Northern campaigns, they got absolutely nothing except deaths. The biggest lost was Wei Yan. Special note: I read about the 3 visits, it was fictional. It was actually Zhuge Liang who visited Liu Bei for a job. And he want the highest paying job. Cao Cao already have Xun Yu, Guo Jia and Sima Yi as his strategists. Sun Quan have Zhou Yu and Lu Su. Worthy mention. It was Xun Yu's suggestion that Cao Cao chose to escort Emperor Xian, who was then living in the ruins of Luoyang, to his own base at Xu (present-day Xuchang, Henan) in 196, taking on the role of protecting the emperor. Xun Yu's plan was to "control the insubordinate in the name of the emperor" (奉天子以令不臣); the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms subtly distorts this to "hold the emperor hostage to control the nobles" (挾天子以令諸侯). In the long run, this strategy would give Cao Cao a considerable political advantage over his rivals, allowing him to legitimise his actions by taking them in the name of the emperor. Guo's advice to Cao Cao on how to handle Liu Bei. Guo Jia told Cao Cao, "Liu Bei has great ambitions and has won the hearts of many people. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu are formidable fighters and they have pledged to serve him with their lives. From what I observe, Liu Bei will never truly submit to anyone, and his intentions are unclear. The people in the past once said, 'If you let the enemy off today, they will become a threat to you for a long time.' You should settle (Liu Bei) soon." At the time, Cao Cao was using Emperor Xian as a figurehead to command respect and had attracted many heroes to serve under him so he did not heed Guo Jia's advice. When Cao Cao later sent Liu Bei with an army to attack Yuan Shu, Guo Jia and Cheng Yu warned Cao, "Liu Bei will rebel if you let him go!" By then, Liu Bei had already left and he really did rebel against Cao Cao as he later seized control of Xu Province from Che Zhou, the provincial governor appointed by Cao Cao. Cao Cao regretted not following Guo Jia's advice. -Fu Zi Update I'm at the scene where Liu Biao is dead and Cai Mao with a large army surrendered to Cao Cao. The show mentioned subtlety where Zhuge Liang using scorched earth to burn every resident buildings, this forced civilians to fled with Liu Bei. In other word, they're being used a human shield. It remind me a lot about Ukraine and Zelensky. Liu Bei was like Zelensky to western medias. They need a hero to run their propaganda against the communist. Anyway.. The smartest person currently is Cai Mao. He won a battle without having to lost a single soldiers. He even got a promotion. Liu Bei should be like Cai Mao. My favorite part. E 35 part 3 of 3 at 00:11:47 Liu Biao son, Liu Cong surrender Jing province to Cao Cao. My second favorite part. Cao Cao using a scheme to recruit Guan Yu while he was in a life and death situation was the most interesting. Sun Quan try to recruit Guan Yu, but they end up beheading him after he refused lol 😅
@@josephmatthews7698 it's the same way we all venerate leaders like Julius Caesar, Charlemagne, etc. They all are deemed great in their own right due to something they did. Cao Cao is no different. He may be cruel, yet everything he does seems to have a purpose. He looks more into the big picture. And that is his strength.
@@kgo4026 he's not tough. Committing genocide and familial exterminations is a sign of cowardice not strength. A tough man wouldn't be so damned paranoid and scared.
@@SuperNintendawg thats why its a minor setback dawg. No other warlord can simply brush it off then come back even stronger. Cao cao the only one can do it after hes done with yuan shao. Cao cao have the best starting position to grow while Sun and Liu mostly moving around until certain point where they both got their place to grow.
Partly because of the upcoming Total War game, but also because part of my family is chinese, I have started to gain an increasing interest in Chinese history. Truly a fascinating history from which to learn from. After all, learn from the past to guide to the future. Modernity is after all more often than not a hindrance and a curse than an actual blessing. Thanks for the video! You deserve the thumbs up!
Thanks! I've found Chinese history to be deeply compelling--and there's just sooo much of it. I don't want to come across as presumptuous, I just like sharing stuff I love, so if you're already aware of this stuff, don't mind me at all. Otherwise, you may want to check out: 1. The "four great Chinese novels." They're all historical fiction with varying levels of fantastical/mystical elements: Romance of the Three Kingdoms (the basis of this TV show); Water Marigin; Journey to the West (there's a great, slightly abridged English translation that's simply titled "Monkey" I'd recommend reading first); and Dream of the Red Chamber. 2. The Fengshen Yanyi! 封神演義 Usually translated as either "The Creation of the Gods" or "The Investiture of the Gods." I got ahold of a four-volume bilingual edition a few years ago, and it is probably my most-prized book. Written about 500 years ago, it's part-history, part-mythology, and is really cool. Definitely my favorite of the "classics." English translations can be hard to come by, though. 3. There's a book called "When China Ruled the Seas," by Louise Levathes. It's fairly short nonfiction about how Chinese fleets were plying the oceans oceans all over the world centuries before the Europeans, but this brief period of exploration was basically lost to history after a subsequent emperor erased the records. Really fascinating stuff--and it's pop-nonfiction, so short and easy to read! 4. "Tun Huang" is, while not my favorite, arguably the most well-known novel by Inoue Yasushi, one of Japan's greatest writers, focuses a great deal on Chinese history. Likewise his other novel, "Blue Wolf," which focuses on the Mongol Invasion. He had a background as a newspaper journalist in pre-war Japan, so his writing is very clear and accessible. Heavily recommended! 5. I'm getting further and further from the topic at hand here, but if you're delving into Chinese history and culture, I'd be remiss if I didn't point you at Xiao Hong. Another turn-of-the-century writer, her short stories are -phenomenal.- The collection, "The Dyers' Daughter," is the perfect place to start. 6. And lastly, there's tons of pop-culture media based off of Chinese history and classics. Most of it sucks. The TV show the clip is from? Almost perfect. Maybe also keep an eye out for the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" grand strategy games by Tecmo-Koei (I think the latest is on Steam and PS4, though I can't remember if it's localized in English or not). There's also a total conversion mod based on the same period for Rome Total War, and maybe Medieval 2 Total War, if you can't wait for the next TW game or can't run it, or if it ends up being terrible. There's also the Kessen series of semi-historical RPGs on the PS2; IIRC the first two are based on the three kingdoms era. And so, so, so many movies.
I've never really been interested in Chinese history, as I have grown up learning and being fascinated by almost exclusively European (and near east) history. I've visited Japan, and so have researched their history a bit, but not extensively. One of my best friends is even Chinese, who immigrated from Henan when he was 15, about 13 years ago. But even knowing him, I never cared much to learn about the histories of China. So, when I saw that Total War's next historical title was going to be the Three Kingdoms period, I was a little bit disappointed, and definitely not looking forward to it's release as much as I did for previous titles (we won't get into the whole Warhammer debacle, which IO'm not too pleased with...Total War, IMO, should be exclusively historical...but hey, I'm not the one those games are made for, so it's neither here nor there). My only exposure to the period was the Dynasty Warriors series, of which I only played DW3, years ago, and my knowledge of China's history as a whole could probably be boiled down to the Opium Wars, Boxer Rebellion, and Mao. Having said all of that....I love the game, and am now fascinated by the Three Kingdoms period. Furthermore, I'm eager to learn more about the histories of China.
Not many people mention how cao cao tricks yuan shao into thanking the emperor for the gifts. He puts him in a position where yuan shao has to acknowledge the emperor and thus also cao cao.
At first I was like, what's the point of the umbrella? It barely covers anything. Now I understand it's to prevent Yuan Shao to notice the sun. Brilliant execution, I must say.
Best Scene in the whole 95 episode show - but many contenders - Cao Cao just gained his raider calvary, tactical advantage (sun in their face), confused the masses, and threw Yuan Shao off his game (humiliating him in the aftermath and making him act with emotion instead of a cool calm Sima Yi or Sleeping Dragon). We can all learn a thing or two from Cao Cao when it comes to life...
@@VerilyTriumphant I agree- and further - i try to conduct myself in life as Zhuge Liange - Like i literally ask myself what would he do - its a lingering effect of this I hope i never forget bc so far it has helped me from making impulsive mistakes or emotional... mistakes ....
People watching this video may not know the relationship between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao. They have been friends since childhood. They have done absurd pranks when they were young. When someone else married, they took the bride away! Of course it is not an insult to the "bride." Just a pure prank. so Yuan Shao said ('那些丑事') those embarrassing things. In this war, they are decisive in life and death. In fact, it is very sad, because they do not represent them personally, but the huge family interests behind them.
TBH, many of his advisors were telling Cao Cao to continue with the war. This part wasn't mentioned in great detail with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms version.
Had Yuan Shao triumphed here, it could have easily saved everyone more than a 100 years of continuous wars and deaths but then again we wouldn't have this masterpiece of a classic.
The only nitpick I have with this show is Dian Wei being relegated to a conversation referencing how he died. Thank you for this upload, time to watch the whole series again on youtube!
Although the commonly cited reason is the sun, the more overlooked aspect is Xu Chu's cavalry flank. Of course this battle is entirely ficticious and the real guandu battle was a series of skirmishes, culminating in 2 encampment sieges and a supply depot raid.
I get why they always simplify these old battles for movies/TV/etc., but someday I'd love to see them depict an ancient battle more realistically as it plays out across a longer period of time. Also, in all the time this video's been up, yours is the first comment to compare this scene to the actual, historical battle! I'd like to pin it, but can't right now because UA-cam seems to have changed their policies about how that works, but hopefully I'll remember once I've "earned" that "privilege " (again).
@@Netherfly That is true, although I believe the show's adaptation is quite faithful to the original text of the ROMANCE of the three kingdoms, which suggested Cao Cao had 220k, Yuan shao had 700k, and had a massive battle. Of course the book dramaticized the event for narrative purposes becuase the real battle was probably not as climactic. In that sense, the show's actually not the problem, its the novel lol. Thanks for replying!
If Cao Cao lost here, The Wei Kingdom would be replaced by the Yuan's dynasty (which could perhaps later collapse due to the son's rivalries) and the Jin could have possibly never arose, it's an interesting concept to imagine.
Just my interpretation: I love it that caocao initially thinks liu bei a naive fool with such a “simple” solution. But then realizes that liu bei is not a fool as liu bei perceives, analyzes and comes to the exact same conclusions of the situation. And that liu bei is completely serious, backed with deep analysis and thought and completely dedicated/commited to the solution, which is actually a heavy responsibility, I think cao cao found a deep respect in his future adversary here
Cao Cao is like Bill the Butcher from Gangs of New York. The actor is so great that you're rooting for the bad guy, or at least sympathetic to him. And against a bumbling fool like Yuan Shao, I'm glad he won.
Cao Cao adored Art of War. This type of field allowed him to use one its advice to maximum effect. " fight with the sun on your back so that the light be on the enemies' eyes"
@@artofthepossible7329 Cao Cao said that out of everyone in his childhood only he himself and Yuan Yi (Murdered early by Yuan Shu before he could take office) kept on reading and studying such books. This is in contracts to Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Zhang Miao, and Liu Yu had pretty much stopped studying.
Yuan Shao would’ve easily crushed Cao Cao with numerical superiority if Xu You didn’t leak the info about Wuchou. A pity, cause Yuan Shao was winning at Guandu.
Cao is his origin name from father etc.... Mengde is his second name when he became older (mean adult) someone(famous) grant him this name also Cao is his family name too :D :D :D
Cao cao = formal name Cao Mengde = name used for friends and people close to him i believe its a chinese cultural thing where people have formal and informal names
Cao Cao, formal name. it is an insult to call a person's full name in ancient China. Mengde style name, used to show respect, and recorded in the family tree. Ah-Man baby name, it is a serious insult to an adult.
15:35 I'm assuming this is something very rude to do in such a formal meeting? The way Yuan Shao (and the score) changes so dramatically at the sudden change in Cao Cao's sitting posture seems to indicate as much.
I intentionally moved my capital to the border so my enemies can take the emperor for themself lol, screw the emperor, I'm willing to trade him with wooden fish if I could
This showed up in my recommended a day after I returned to Total War Three Kingdoms. Abandoning that game instead of developing it further was a crime. Sure, there were some problems and especially siege system is trash compared to what Shogun 2 got me used to, but it's still legitimarely my favourite Total War game due to how well mechanics show the complicated political situation both abroad, and internally.
Cao Cao is supposed to be the bad guy in all the media I've seen, but from what I understand from actual history he was simply the most competent and far-sighted of the leaders of the time.
I start watching the latest Three Kingdoms and it's so gud! I thought Cao Cao was cunning when he deployed a plan to divide Liu Bei and Lu Bu. What I didn't expected was seeing the boy emperor using a scheme to divided Cao Cao and Liu Bei. He secretly accused Cao Cao of being a tyrant while he was living in luxury under Cao Cao protection. His blood written edict pretty much guaranteed a long and bloody civil war. We need to remember how the boy emperor was abandoned and starving. Nobody come to his rescue except Cao Cao. His selfish action just prolong the civil war. Same goes for Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu. They all died trying to revive a corrupted Dynasty where super intelligent men kowtow to a child emperor. I'm at the scene with the 3 visits at the Sleeping dragon ridge. I realize both men was using each other's for their own goals. "Zhuge Liang created his own lord" Xu Shu previously explained to Liu Bei. To me, Zhuge Liang was the devil who invented divided and conquered. Liu Bei on the other hand knew about the rampage corruption of the Han. He should let it die and be reborn. Nope, he always complained about war and unrest while provoking Cao Cao instead of working together for a better future. There was this line I didn't really understand when I young. It's where a villager would shout "A dead Kongming have scared away Sima Yi!" Now I realize it's was a face saving propaganda, similar to western medias keep saying Ukraine is winning while ignoring the enormous casualties from the last Kherson and Kharkov offensives on September 18, 2022. Similar to Zhuge Liang disastrous Northern campaigns, they got absolutely nothing except deaths. The biggest lost was Wei Yan. Special note: I read about the 3 visits, it was fictional. It was actually Zhuge Liang who visited Liu Bei for a job. And he want the highest paying job. Cao Cao already have Xun Yu, Guo Jia and Sima Yi as his strategists. Sun Quan have Zhou Yu and Lu Su. Worthy mention. It was Xun Yu's suggestion that Cao Cao chose to escort Emperor Xian, who was then living in the ruins of Luoyang, to his own base at Xu (present-day Xuchang, Henan) in 196, taking on the role of protecting the emperor. Xun Yu's plan was to "control the insubordinate in the name of the emperor" (奉天子以令不臣); the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms subtly distorts this to "hold the emperor hostage to control the nobles" (挾天子以令諸侯). In the long run, this strategy would give Cao Cao a considerable political advantage over his rivals, allowing him to legitimise his actions by taking them in the name of the emperor. Guo's advice to Cao Cao on how to handle Liu Bei. Guo Jia told Cao Cao, "Liu Bei has great ambitions and has won the hearts of many people. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu are formidable fighters and they have pledged to serve him with their lives. From what I observe, Liu Bei will never truly submit to anyone, and his intentions are unclear. The people in the past once said, 'If you let the enemy off today, they will become a threat to you for a long time.' You should settle (Liu Bei) soon." At the time, Cao Cao was using Emperor Xian as a figurehead to command respect and had attracted many heroes to serve under him so he did not heed Guo Jia's advice. When Cao Cao later sent Liu Bei with an army to attack Yuan Shu, Guo Jia and Cheng Yu warned Cao, "Liu Bei will rebel if you let him go!" By then, Liu Bei had already left and he really did rebel against Cao Cao as he later seized control of Xu Province from Che Zhou, the provincial governor appointed by Cao Cao. Cao Cao regretted not following Guo Jia's advice. -Fu Zi Update I'm at the scene where Liu Biao is dead and Cai Mao with a large army surrendered to Cao Cao. The show mentioned subtlety where Zhuge Liang using scorched earth to burn every resident buildings, this forced civilians to fled with Liu Bei. In other word, they're being used a human shield. It remind me a lot about Ukraine and Zelensky. Liu Bei was like Zelensky to western medias. They need a hero to run their propaganda against the communist. Anyway.. The smartest person currently is Cai Mao. He won a battle without having to lost a single soldiers. He even got a promotion. Liu Bei should be like Cai Mao. My favorite part. E 35 part 3 of 3 at 00:11:47 Liu Biao son, Liu Cong surrender Jing province to Cao Cao. My second favorite part. Cao Cao using a scheme to recruit Guan Yu while he was in a life and death situation was the most interesting. Sun Quan try to recruit Guan Yu, but they end up beheading him after he refused lol ✌️
Your analysis is well-written and objective. Unlike many who simply love Liu Bei because of his populist approach and "feel good" ideals but ultimately is a hypocrite and is one of the biggest reasons the conflict and bloodshed was unnecessarily prolonged.
Battle of Guandu (This scene) in a nutshell (my thinking) Cao Cao: bro let's not fight, what do you think about peace? we make a deal? Yuan Shao: okay deal Cao Cao: okay no kthxbye *runs away like in **16:12*
Cao cao is really have quality of the king or emperor. Untill death he never claim him self as emperor but most of his officers respect him as their king.
Chen Jianbin's portrayal of Cao Cao is perfect. He embodies a character who is both cunning, manipulative and ruthless.
He also has a healthy sense of humor. And, perhaps most impressively, Jianbin is able to portray Cao Cao's inherent uncertainty. He is a man painted a traitor by history, but his actions demonstrated unwavering loyalty--even at great personal risk. Jianbin's portrayal allows equally for either interpretation.
Arsene Lupin Unwavering loyalty? He was the greatest traitor in the Three Kingdoms period. He was the one who defeated the major number of rivals, but also was the most hated person. The number of subordinates and people who wanted him dead and refused to serve him are uncountable.
Cao Cao did what he had to, to survive and secure the state. One of his most famous quotes was "I'd rather betray the world than let the world betray me." Meaning he basically did whatever he had to, for the greater good.
He was a pragmatist who made agreements when he had to and broke them when they could not work for him. He was not a nice man and he wasn't going for popularity, he did what he needed to for the security of the state.
Compared to his peers, yes, he was a paragon of loyalty. Don't confuse the novel's fictitious accounts for actual history. Cao Cao was loyal to the Han until the day he died. He may have "betrayed" others, but his first and foremost allegiance was to the Han, and he never betrayed the Han.
Arsene Lupin No, i am not confused with novel events, bro. To use the Emperor to personal gain is not loyalty, and he historically did it. To defile women such as Zhang Ji's wife is not example of any type. To kill the entire family of Lü Boshe, even trying to avoid danger is not exemplary either. To show disrespect for the Emperor carrying weapons at court is not loyalty, but treachery and lack of respect. Are you saying that Chen Gong, that refused to join him after know his true character, or Xun Yu, one of his best advisers, were wrong? Gao Shun, Ju Shou, many people refused to join him, despite the nice crew he already had in his service. I can understand your point being Cao Wei fans, but he was a cunning traitor. He used his father's death at the hands of Zhang Kai a poor excuse to massacre thousands of innocents in Xu province. He used it as an excuse to destroy Tao Qian. Sorry, but that does not justify him. Of course, if you are a fan of Cao Cao, you will never agree with me, but all this i have just said is history, not the novel or Dynasty Warriors, yes? I respect your arguments, but at least, try to also recognize his flaws, like all the other warlords have, before stating your response. Good day.
For those of you who haven't seen the series:
What Cao Cao did here was stall for as much time as he could so that the sun would eventually be shining towards his enemy, blinding them during the fight. He even placed that parasol specifically so that Yuan Shao would not notice.
Brilliant!
I start watching the latest Three Kingdoms and it's so gud!
I thought Cao Cao was cunning when he deployed a plan to divide Liu Bei and Lu Bu.
What I didn't expected was seeing the boy emperor using a scheme to divided Cao Cao and Liu Bei. He secretly accused Cao Cao of being a tyrant while he was living in luxury under Cao Cao protection. His blood written edict pretty much guaranteed a long and bloody civil war.
We need to remember how the boy emperor was abandoned and starving.
Nobody come to his rescue except Cao Cao.
His selfish action just prolong the civil war.
Same goes for Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu.
They all died trying to revive a corrupted Dynasty where super intelligent men kowtow to a child emperor.
I'm at the scene with the 3 visits at the Sleeping dragon ridge.
I realize both men was using each other's for their own goals.
"Zhuge Liang created his own lord" Xu Shu previously explained to Liu Bei. To me, Zhuge Liang was the devil who invented divided and conquered.
Liu Bei on the other hand knew about the rampage corruption of the Han.
He should let it die and be reborn. Nope, he always complained about war and unrest while provoking Cao Cao instead of working together for a better future.
There was this line I didn't really understand when I young. It's where a villager would shout "A dead Kongming have scared away Sima Yi!"
Now I realize it's was a face saving propaganda, similar to western medias keep saying Ukraine is winning while ignoring the enormous casualties from the last Kherson and Kharkov offensives on September 18, 2022.
Similar to Zhuge Liang disastrous Northern campaigns, they got absolutely nothing except deaths. The biggest lost was Wei Yan.
Special note:
I read about the 3 visits, it was fictional.
It was actually Zhuge Liang who visited Liu Bei for a job. And he want the highest paying job.
Cao Cao already have Xun Yu, Guo Jia and Sima Yi as his strategists.
Sun Quan have Zhou Yu and Lu Su.
Worthy mention.
It was Xun Yu's suggestion that Cao Cao chose to escort Emperor Xian, who was then living in the ruins of Luoyang, to his own base at Xu (present-day Xuchang, Henan) in 196, taking on the role of protecting the emperor.
Xun Yu's plan was to "control the insubordinate in the name of the emperor" (奉天子以令不臣); the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms subtly distorts this to "hold the emperor hostage to control the nobles" (挾天子以令諸侯).
In the long run, this strategy would give Cao Cao a considerable political advantage over his rivals, allowing him to legitimise his actions by taking them in the name of the emperor.
Guo's advice to Cao Cao on how to handle Liu Bei. Guo Jia told Cao Cao, "Liu Bei has great ambitions and has won the hearts of many people. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu are formidable fighters and they have pledged to serve him with their lives. From what I observe, Liu Bei will never truly submit to anyone, and his intentions are unclear. The people in the past once said, 'If you let the enemy off today, they will become a threat to you for a long time.' You should settle (Liu Bei) soon." At the time, Cao Cao was using Emperor Xian as a figurehead to command respect and had attracted many heroes to serve under him so he did not heed Guo Jia's advice. When Cao Cao later sent Liu Bei with an army to attack Yuan Shu, Guo Jia and Cheng Yu warned Cao, "Liu Bei will rebel if you let him go!" By then, Liu Bei had already left and he really did rebel against Cao Cao as he later seized control of Xu Province from Che Zhou, the provincial governor appointed by Cao Cao. Cao Cao regretted not following Guo Jia's advice.
-Fu Zi
Update
I'm at the scene where Liu Biao is dead and Cai Mao with a large army surrendered to Cao Cao.
The show mentioned subtlety where Zhuge Liang using scorched earth to burn every resident buildings, this forced civilians to fled with Liu Bei.
In other word, they're being used a human shield.
It remind me a lot about Ukraine and Zelensky.
Liu Bei was like Zelensky to western medias.
They need a hero to run their propaganda against the communist.
Anyway.. The smartest person currently is Cai Mao.
He won a battle without having to lost a single soldiers. He even got a promotion. Liu Bei should be like Cai Mao.
My favorite part.
E 35 part 3 of 3 at 00:11:47
Liu Biao son, Liu Cong surrender Jing province to Cao Cao.
My second favorite part.
Cao Cao using a scheme to recruit Guan Yu while he was in a life and death situation was the most interesting.
Sun Quan try to recruit Guan Yu, but they end up beheading him after he refused lol
Cai Mao got a promotion by essentially screwing over his nephew. Then he lost his head to Zhou Yu’s plot.
@@condorX2 he was chosen to be emperors because of his calmness during the war between the eunuch and generals. he is not a weak person even at a young age, he demostrate a level of steadiness that would be rare among adults. but the Han court is exhausted and there is nothing he can do to restore power.
That just minor plan, the big plas is to move the heavy cavalry behind Yuan's army
"Just watch me make a fool of him."- Yuan Shao, moments before Cao Mengde made a fool of him.
Yuan Shao: theres no way we can lose at guandu.
The gang loses at guandu
I know all the different names for the same person confuse many people so I'll try to provide some explanation on this:
In pre-modern day China, people are given a name by their parents shortly after birth. For example "Cao Cao", "Yuan Shao".
As one reaches the age of 20, a "styled name" is given by a respected senior, often their teacher or an elder from their clan or community. For example "Mengde" is Cao Cao's style name he received when he entered adulthood, and "Benchu" is Yuan Shao's styled name.
A general rule is to call each other by styled name to show respect among adults. Calling one by his original name is a sign of disrespect. For example when these two call each other "Cao Cao" and "Yuan Shao" they are literally showing hostility. But one should not call himself by his styled name - it's laughably arrogant. When address oneself by name, you use your official name. For example, Cao Cao would say "Cao pays respect to brother Benchu." Yuan Shao should answer "Brother Mengde, it's good to see you again, I, Yuan Shao, am honored to welcome you to my city."
What's even worse is to call someone by his or her nickname or "child name" for example Cao Cao's is "Ahman". Calling an adult, especially one that had obtained other titles, by this name is a big spit to the face.
In this clip you can see when Yuan Shao was tricked to believe Cao Cao is begging for peace he arrogantly called him "Ahman".
Some people may also get another name that are used in highest form of respect, such as Zhuge Liang, his surname is Zhuge, name is Liang, styled name is Kongming, then many people address him as "Wolong Xiansheng" (Master Sleeping Dragon). These kind of names also include "General White Horse", "Lord of Magnificent Beard", "Master Jade Lotus" etc...a bit over the top but quite awesome in its original language and context.
Also to add that one's styled name (two characters) usually has the same meaning or conveys the same message with their name (one character during this period of history). Mengde literally translates into "great virtue" whereas his name "Cao" also means virtue. Guan Yu's name "Yu" means "feathers" whereas his styled name "Yunchang" literally means "high and far in the clouds".
Thanks for the explanation! I had no idea where "Mengde" and "Ahman" came from, now I do.
Wow, this new to me
Chinese confuss this too we also need to do a lot of homework.
Thanks for this. Fascinating.
What a coincidence, I start playing Total War Three Kingdoms and suddenly this shows up in my recommended, thanks UA-cam
lol saame
Google knows.. gooooogle knoooows..
Remember google is watching you....
I really need to buy a pc for running three kingdoms
gdi it happened to me too, right as the moment I have to wage war against Yuan Shao lol
One often forgotten tactic of intimidation - When threatened don't yell or advance. Just simply smile.
nerd
@@amnesiacangel7212 :)
@@amnesiacangel7212 ;)
@@amnesiacangel7212 lol
@@amnesiacangel7212 Nerds are the one who rules the world and are inventing shit. Its not really a insult
Seems you are looking for a insult then use the word autism. Its a very popular word that is frequently used by low intellects, who don't have a clue what autism means
Notice how Cao Cao set up that umbrella so that Yuan Shao wouldn't notice the position of the sun.
Why they all see at the sun?
@@flaviuskenneth2232
It is very important turning your back on the sun when you fight. Else, sun might disrupt your (and your armies) visibility.
@@a13579-z but all those 700.000 man did see the sun why they didnt say anythings?
@@Robin...222 It's just a drama. The real battle was not like that. Cao Cao and Yuan Shao NEVER drunk tea together during the battle. I am not even sure they saw each other's face since they were highest commander. I assume they wanted to stay in the best safest position of the basement.
Hans this series is not based on the real history, but on a Ming Dynasty novel, San Guo Yan Yi, which only contains 70% truth. So, to be more dramatic......However, this trick is mentioned in an ancient Chinese military strategy guidebook, Sun Zi Bing Fa, and so are many other tricks in this series.
That actor playing Cao Cao is a delight, he's both comical and savvy at the same time in the way he plays that role.
Yeah. He makes Cao Cao the most likeable character in the entire series by far.
@@crusaderofthelowlands3750 well cao cao was one of the most likeable characters in that period by far
its pretty god damn good acting for most of the people in the series. Im genuinely impressed.
Ringo Yu who played Guan Yu is awesome too! He is also an underrated veteran actor
Cao Cao was actually the real hero of that era, and Liu Bei was the guy who betrayed everybody that ever helped him. Portraying Cao Cao as cunning and comical couldn't be further away from history. This actor looks like a street scammer or something, while all history books record Cao Cao as a man of great disposition and charm. What a waste.
Cao Cao's laugh at the end is pretty hilarious.
16:08 I lost my shit whenever I see that laugh, specially when he forcefully blinks.
For the whole video I though cao cao was in armor.. lol (came from tot:3 kingdoms. need to watch this series I guess)
I keep coming back to watch this just for that.
I like him running away at the end lol, with the serious music turning up
I love the way he runs off, ahahaaa. This guy plays Cao Cao perfectly.
However, when this dram firstly launched in China, the actor of Caocao was criticized by the Three Kingdom fans. Because they still prefer the old version one.
Chen Jianbin is a great actor, he plays a lot of different characters but you will never think of that it is the same person.
hahaha he runs off like a lego character
Charles Shi That might be because of how different perceptions can be of Who Cao Cao actually was. He's either a brilliant hero or a devious villain, depending on who's telling the story.
@@Christian-rn1ur To me, he is both at the same time, since I see one perspective of the opposition of Cao Mengde, a ruthless, cutthroat villain who will use any advantage he can afford, while, at the same time, to his troops, generals, and the populace under his banner, he is a hero, a strategist, and a very smart businessman. The same could be said of Vlad Tepes.
Zhuge Liang: *laughs in the distance*
Sima Yi: *face palms*
You mean
Sima Yi: IMBECILE!
Very hard not to be a fan of the actor that plays Cao Cao. What a magnificent actor with range. Almost like he can play any character at any given time. I'm not Chinese and not fan of Chinese soap opera and never seen this actor before but his talent/skill is so obvious.
The actor that plays Cao Cao is brilliant. I watched the whole series and and I can say I was truly upset when he died. His laugh and cunning ways were portryed perfectly.
Sun tzu said to "fight with the sun on your back so that the light be on the enemies' eyes"
Cao cao intend to delay the war so at the moment of time Yuan Shao's army got blinded by sun
Also to give his cavalry time to circle around Yuan Shao's flank.
Double the damage... damn.. he's good....
But did they actually get blind ?
我只看到孙子曰：兵者，国之大事，死生之道，存亡之地，不可不察也，就是说打仗关系到一个国家的生死存亡，不可以犹犹豫豫，也不可大意马虎，要一击必胜，如果不能干掉对手，就必被其所杀
Lmao
this is how you have the leaders of 2 armies meet for a quick chat, NOT the B.S meeting in front of the King's landing wall.
they were whispering to each other from 500 meters away lol
Ah, a reminder of biggest season fail ever
😂
Mao and Chiang also met and signed peace agreement before the civil war... yet both sides were preparing for a bloody war
WE ARE STILL AND WILL NEVER BE OVER THE FACT HOW THEY WROTE FINALE SEASON
I love how Cao Cao still could’ve tricked Yuan Shao into leaving him with a province even though he could decimate Cao Cao’s army right now. Yuan Shao is indecisive even when he holds a massive advantage.
16:12 look at the way he runs away from Yuan, as if he were still that young companion of mischief fooling around together with Yuan back in the days... only this time he fooled Yuan for All Under Heaven, lol
Tony Li Hmmmm I think All Under Heaven is a history noun
Sima Yi did this little dance too.
The way Cao Cao stroke Yuan Shao's ego is pure genius. Also how he brought the emperor and stationed him in the vanguard ensuring that Yuan Shao despite his anger will not order a full frontal assault fearing for the safety of the emperor. I always say: Cao Wei, the only way.
Aye.
I start watching the latest Three Kingdoms and it's so gud!
I thought Cao Cao was cunning when he deployed a plan to divide Liu Bei and Lu Bu.
What I didn't expected was seeing the boy emperor using a scheme to divided Cao Cao and Liu Bei. He secretly accused Cao Cao of being a tyrant while he was living in luxury under Cao Cao protection. His blood written edict pretty much guaranteed a long and bloody civil war.
We need to remember how the boy emperor was abandoned and starving.
Nobody come to his rescue except Cao Cao.
His selfish action just prolong the civil war.
Same goes for Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu.
They all died trying to revive a corrupted Dynasty where super intelligent men kowtow to a child emperor.
I'm at the scene with the 3 visits at the Sleeping dragon ridge.
I realize both men was using each other's for their own goals.
"Zhuge Liang created his own lord" Xu Shu previously explained to Liu Bei. To me, Zhuge Liang was the devil who invented divided and conquered.
Liu Bei on the other hand knew about the rampage corruption of the Han.
He should let it die and be reborn. Nope, he always complained about war and unrest while provoking Cao Cao instead of working together for a better future.
There was this line I didn't really understand when I young. It's where a villager would shout "A dead Kongming have scared away Sima Yi!"
Now I realize it's was a face saving propaganda, similar to western medias keep saying Ukraine is winning while ignoring the enormous casualties from the last Kherson and Kharkov offensives on September 18, 2022.
Similar to Zhuge Liang disastrous Northern campaigns, they got absolutely nothing except deaths. The biggest lost was Wei Yan.
Special note:
I read about the 3 visits, it was fictional.
It was actually Zhuge Liang who visited Liu Bei for a job. And he want the highest paying job.
Cao Cao already have Xun Yu, Guo Jia and Sima Yi as his strategists.
Sun Quan have Zhou Yu and Lu Su.
Worthy mention.
It was Xun Yu's suggestion that Cao Cao chose to escort Emperor Xian, who was then living in the ruins of Luoyang, to his own base at Xu (present-day Xuchang, Henan) in 196, taking on the role of protecting the emperor.
Xun Yu's plan was to "control the insubordinate in the name of the emperor" (奉天子以令不臣); the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms subtly distorts this to "hold the emperor hostage to control the nobles" (挾天子以令諸侯).
In the long run, this strategy would give Cao Cao a considerable political advantage over his rivals, allowing him to legitimise his actions by taking them in the name of the emperor.
Guo's advice to Cao Cao on how to handle Liu Bei. Guo Jia told Cao Cao, "Liu Bei has great ambitions and has won the hearts of many people. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu are formidable fighters and they have pledged to serve him with their lives. From what I observe, Liu Bei will never truly submit to anyone, and his intentions are unclear. The people in the past once said, 'If you let the enemy off today, they will become a threat to you for a long time.' You should settle (Liu Bei) soon." At the time, Cao Cao was using Emperor Xian as a figurehead to command respect and had attracted many heroes to serve under him so he did not heed Guo Jia's advice. When Cao Cao later sent Liu Bei with an army to attack Yuan Shu, Guo Jia and Cheng Yu warned Cao, "Liu Bei will rebel if you let him go!" By then, Liu Bei had already left and he really did rebel against Cao Cao as he later seized control of Xu Province from Che Zhou, the provincial governor appointed by Cao Cao. Cao Cao regretted not following Guo Jia's advice.
-Fu Zi
Update
I'm at the scene where Liu Biao is dead and Cai Mao with a large army surrendered to Cao Cao.
The show mentioned subtlety where Zhuge Liang using scorched earth to burn every resident buildings, this forced civilians to fled with Liu Bei.
In other word, they're being used a human shield.
It remind me a lot about Ukraine and Zelensky.
Liu Bei was like Zelensky to western medias.
They need a hero to run their propaganda against the communist.
Anyway.. The smartest person currently is Cai Mao.
He won a battle without having to lost a single soldiers. He even got a promotion. Liu Bei should be like Cai Mao.
My favorite part.
E 35 part 3 of 3 at 00:11:47
Liu Biao son, Liu Cong surrender Jing province to Cao Cao.
My second favorite part.
Cao Cao using a scheme to recruit Guan Yu while he was in a life and death situation was the most interesting.
Sun Quan try to recruit Guan Yu, but they end up beheading him after he refused lol
😅
Cao Cao is such a troll! There's a reason why he's my favorite leader lmao.
@@josephmatthews7698 it's the same way we all venerate leaders like Julius Caesar, Charlemagne, etc. They all are deemed great in their own right due to something they did. Cao Cao is no different. He may be cruel, yet everything he does seems to have a purpose. He looks more into the big picture. And that is his strength.
@@josephmatthews7698 People venerate Liu Bei more and he was arguably worse.
@@josephmatthews7698 the Chinese are tough people they need a tough leader.
@@kgo4026 he's not tough. Committing genocide and familial exterminations is a sign of cowardice not strength. A tough man wouldn't be so damned paranoid and scared.
@@josephmatthews7698 yeah because conquering half of china is considered "weakness"
The director of this show literally played dynasty warriors 2-5 and said “I’m gonna make my show with the perfect cao cao” and it was done
"Cao Mengde will never be defeated in battle!"
Sun Quan and Liu Bei: "We're gonna end this man's whole career."
Sends ships as gifts
Fire ships
well technically, both only manage give cao cao a minor set back and nothing more. Didnt really end his career tho. XD
Coa coa died of illness and old age. Nobody stopped him.
@@ravezon hardly a "minor" setback, but his recovery was very impressive.
@@SuperNintendawg thats why its a minor setback dawg. No other warlord can simply brush it off then come back even stronger. Cao cao the only one can do it after hes done with yuan shao. Cao cao have the best starting position to grow while Sun and Liu mostly moving around until certain point where they both got their place to grow.
Partly because of the upcoming Total War game, but also because part of my family is chinese, I have started to gain an increasing interest in Chinese history. Truly a fascinating history from which to learn from. After all, learn from the past to guide to the future.
Modernity is after all more often than not a hindrance and a curse than an actual blessing.
Thanks for the video! You deserve the thumbs up!
Thanks! I've found Chinese history to be deeply compelling--and there's just sooo much of it. I don't want to come across as presumptuous, I just like sharing stuff I love, so if you're already aware of this stuff, don't mind me at all. Otherwise, you may want to check out:
1. The "four great Chinese novels." They're all historical fiction with varying levels of fantastical/mystical elements: Romance of the Three Kingdoms (the basis of this TV show); Water Marigin; Journey to the West (there's a great, slightly abridged English translation that's simply titled "Monkey" I'd recommend reading first); and Dream of the Red Chamber.
2. The Fengshen Yanyi! 封神演義 Usually translated as either "The Creation of the Gods" or "The Investiture of the Gods." I got ahold of a four-volume bilingual edition a few years ago, and it is probably my most-prized book. Written about 500 years ago, it's part-history, part-mythology, and is really cool. Definitely my favorite of the "classics." English translations can be hard to come by, though.
3. There's a book called "When China Ruled the Seas," by Louise Levathes. It's fairly short nonfiction about how Chinese fleets were plying the oceans oceans all over the world centuries before the Europeans, but this brief period of exploration was basically lost to history after a subsequent emperor erased the records. Really fascinating stuff--and it's pop-nonfiction, so short and easy to read!
4. "Tun Huang" is, while not my favorite, arguably the most well-known novel by Inoue Yasushi, one of Japan's greatest writers, focuses a great deal on Chinese history. Likewise his other novel, "Blue Wolf," which focuses on the Mongol Invasion. He had a background as a newspaper journalist in pre-war Japan, so his writing is very clear and accessible. Heavily recommended!
5. I'm getting further and further from the topic at hand here, but if you're delving into Chinese history and culture, I'd be remiss if I didn't point you at Xiao Hong. Another turn-of-the-century writer, her short stories are -phenomenal.- The collection, "The Dyers' Daughter," is the perfect place to start.
6. And lastly, there's tons of pop-culture media based off of Chinese history and classics. Most of it sucks. The TV show the clip is from? Almost perfect. Maybe also keep an eye out for the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" grand strategy games by Tecmo-Koei (I think the latest is on Steam and PS4, though I can't remember if it's localized in English or not). There's also a total conversion mod based on the same period for Rome Total War, and maybe Medieval 2 Total War, if you can't wait for the next TW game or can't run it, or if it ends up being terrible. There's also the Kessen series of semi-historical RPGs on the PS2; IIRC the first two are based on the three kingdoms era. And so, so, so many movies.
@@Netherfly dynasty warriors is a great game series based off of realistic events in china
Lord Sadicus I recommend records of the three kingdoms for most of the real experience.
The Japanese game suikoden pretty much is water margin lol
Hell it even translates into water margin (sui-ko-den) = sui hu zhuan
I've never really been interested in Chinese history, as I have grown up learning and being fascinated by almost exclusively European (and near east) history. I've visited Japan, and so have researched their history a bit, but not extensively. One of my best friends is even Chinese, who immigrated from Henan when he was 15, about 13 years ago. But even knowing him, I never cared much to learn about the histories of China.
So, when I saw that Total War's next historical title was going to be the Three Kingdoms period, I was a little bit disappointed, and definitely not looking forward to it's release as much as I did for previous titles (we won't get into the whole Warhammer debacle, which IO'm not too pleased with...Total War, IMO, should be exclusively historical...but hey, I'm not the one those games are made for, so it's neither here nor there). My only exposure to the period was the Dynasty Warriors series, of which I only played DW3, years ago, and my knowledge of China's history as a whole could probably be boiled down to the Opium Wars, Boxer Rebellion, and Mao.
Having said all of that....I love the game, and am now fascinated by the Three Kingdoms period. Furthermore, I'm eager to learn more about the histories of China.
God I love Cao Cao and Chen Jianbin. 16:04 - like a cat preparing to pounce on its prey, 16:12 like a child, overjoyed that his little plan worked
Vid is 16 minutes long without any flashy fighting, but you could feel the tension and animosity in every exchange. Bravo
Probably one of the best scenes in television history. (The ending anyways) The actor who played Cao Cao truly embodied the spirit.
Maverick Stone you should watch the old version during 1990
Sima Yi and Xu Chu are also brilliant characters in the show.
FoI2eman 82 love the show but I’ll never forgive them taking the “10 ways Cao Cao is better than Yuan Shao” from Guo Jia and giving it to Xu Chu.
Not many people mention how cao cao tricks yuan shao into thanking the emperor for the gifts. He puts him in a position where yuan shao has to acknowledge the emperor and thus also cao cao.
At first I was like, what's the point of the umbrella? It barely covers anything. Now I understand it's to prevent Yuan Shao to notice the sun. Brilliant execution, I must say.
The first time I saw this I was certain Guo Tu was secretly working for Cao Cao
Turns out he isn't, he's just an idiot.
Yea he was just an idiot.
@@yousafmehmet Agreed, he was probably Yuan Shao's worst advisor out of the bunch. Xu You, Tian Feng, and Ju Shou were way better than him
@@celestialarcher9268 Guo Tu doesn't deserve to be a Strategist for Yuan Shao anyway.
I’ve been playing dynasty warriors since 2002. I absolutely love this whole story so I’m excited I found a live action portrayal.
Cao cao is so manipulative. And that moment he says "Yuan Shao". In Chinese culture, it means all respect is gone
Not to mention Cao Cao referred to himself as Cao Mengde
When Yuan Shao appears: *DW4: In full bloom starts playing.*
As a Dynasty Warriors fan, this brings me so much happiness.
I found youuuuuu
How
15:34
It's what you all came here to see.
Nope, it's 16:03 XD
Shou Yanbo 15:42 for me--when he first laughs.
+Shou Yanbo yep when he runs away all funny looking 😂
Cacao is the best character!
Cao Cao trolling Yuan Shao
and by the end of the battle, my money is on that the tea table and such is still unscathed. XD
Wow everyone saying they got from total war. Where's my DW people at?
Right here!
And where is my ROTK people?
I play DW and ROTK so count me in 🙋♂️
Present!
@@sieg-sandrodeshannon3035 been here for about 30 years now... NES, Rotk 1 and 2 :)
Cao Cao is fucking adorable.
Best Scene in the whole 95 episode show - but many contenders - Cao Cao just gained his raider calvary, tactical advantage (sun in their face), confused the masses, and threw Yuan Shao off his game (humiliating him in the aftermath and making him act with emotion instead of a cool calm Sima Yi or Sleeping Dragon). We can all learn a thing or two from Cao Cao when it comes to life...
Even Sima Yi acted with emotion towards Zhuge Liang later on in the show. Zhuge Liang is simply fantastic and Sima Yi was not his match.
@@VerilyTriumphant I agree- and further - i try to conduct myself in life as Zhuge Liange - Like i literally ask myself what would he do - its a lingering effect of this I hope i never forget bc so far it has helped me from making impulsive mistakes or emotional... mistakes ....
16:03 The way he moves his head like this is just the best thing ever. Nothing will ever say "I got you" more than this.
“Invites you for tea and a chat.” 😉
People watching this video may not know the relationship between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao. They have been friends since childhood. They have done absurd pranks when they were young. When someone else married, they took the bride away! Of course it is not an insult to the "bride." Just a pure prank. so Yuan Shao said ('那些丑事') those embarrassing things.
In this war, they are decisive in life and death. In fact, it is very sad, because they do not represent them personally, but the huge family interests behind them.
the main key of this fight is xu you defection,if he had not join with cao cao,i think cao cao armies would have retreated to xuchang
TBH, many of his advisors were telling Cao Cao to continue with the war. This part wasn't mentioned in great detail with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms version.
你太小看曹操了，许悠的确对这次战役有功，但曹操一方的郭嘉却早已料定了袁绍的败亡，袁绍之败非许悠一人尔
The scene where he looks up to realize the sun is facing his army is a great shot.
Hes like the Chinese version of Ragnar from Vikings lmfao
Ew. No.
Except he's real
Especially with that little head gesture at 16:04
I finally know what that gif is from now!
Who else is here because of total war?
dog king
Dynasty Warriors, close enough lol
Giết bắc kỳ Kill the north What do you mean?
Here here
Heh, kid... I'm here because of Dynasty Warriors.
Had Yuan Shao triumphed here, it could have easily saved everyone more than a 100 years of continuous wars and deaths but then again we wouldn't have this masterpiece of a classic.
It'd be awesome if they have this whole series on Netflix. Imagine a whole epic for us to watch.
"It will take a greater man than you to defeat Cao Cao!"
I will never stop finding it funny the way Cao Cao runs off like a little kid at the end.
The only nitpick I have with this show is Dian Wei being relegated to a conversation referencing how he died. Thank you for this upload, time to watch the whole series again on youtube!
Gigas0101 what is name of the series?
@@GinoNL Three Kingdoms (2010)
Infyra thank you😁
Cao Cao was always my favorite from the Dynasty Warriors games.
I feel bad for the emperor,he's being used by big name like a doll and not having a total control of his kingdom
I can't believe how much he suffering
Don’t worry, he live in luxury all of his life. Cao cao and his son treated him well, not kill him.
@@thanhtc1988 Luxury is meaningless if you don't have peace of mind, liberty, love and respect. What was done to the Emperor was terrible.
THE SUN!!
Cao Cao was waiting for the sun.
“Just watch me make a fool of him.”
Famous last words
"Yo bro, wanna become my vassal?"
Although the commonly cited reason is the sun, the more overlooked aspect is Xu Chu's cavalry flank. Of course this battle is entirely ficticious and the real guandu battle was a series of skirmishes, culminating in 2 encampment sieges and a supply depot raid.
I get why they always simplify these old battles for movies/TV/etc., but someday I'd love to see them depict an ancient battle more realistically as it plays out across a longer period of time.
Also, in all the time this video's been up, yours is the first comment to compare this scene to the actual, historical battle! I'd like to pin it, but can't right now because UA-cam seems to have changed their policies about how that works, but hopefully I'll remember once I've "earned" that "privilege
" (again).
@@Netherfly That is true, although I believe the show's adaptation is quite faithful to the original text of the ROMANCE of the three kingdoms, which suggested Cao Cao had 220k, Yuan shao had 700k, and had a massive battle. Of course the book dramaticized the event for narrative purposes becuase the real battle was probably not as climactic. In that sense, the show's actually not the problem, its the novel lol. Thanks for replying!
2:38 Asian parents when their kids get an A-
If Cao Cao lost here, The Wei Kingdom would be replaced by the Yuan's dynasty (which could perhaps later collapse due to the son's rivalries) and the Jin could have possibly never arose, it's an interesting concept to imagine.
What a troll Ahahahahahahahahwhahaha the way he just walk away
They really picked a great Cao Cao
I feel like he's a Chinese Johnny Depp or Jack Sparrow.
Right?! That's the first thing I thought of too!
Lmao i thought the same dude
LoL good one I am actually related to Johny Depp
but with negative energy
for some strange reason, this Cao Cao is worrying me.
FuriousDragon12 I guess that means you think cao cao has a good actor playing him..? Haha.
After 27 episodes, every time he was on screen i was worried for someone elses life. He's always so smiley and positive then somene gets beheaded
Cao Cap never lost a battle.
Red Cliff: Hold my beer.
Just my interpretation: I love it that caocao initially thinks liu bei a naive fool with such a “simple” solution. But then realizes that liu bei is not a fool as liu bei perceives, analyzes and comes to the exact same conclusions of the situation. And that liu bei is completely serious, backed with deep analysis and thought and completely dedicated/commited to the solution, which is actually a heavy responsibility, I think cao cao found a deep respect in his future adversary here
From "Total War: THREE KINGDOMS - Fates Divided Announcement Trailer"
Guo Tu: "It's bigbrain time."
Lol
Cao Cao is like Bill the Butcher from Gangs of New York. The actor is so great that you're rooting for the bad guy, or at least sympathetic to him. And against a bumbling fool like Yuan Shao, I'm glad he won.
0:00 me and the boys showing up to the club
The thumbnail had me thinking I this was a cut scene from the Total War: Three Kingdoms game.
One of the best scenes in the entire show.
great acting, at 5:10, when yuan shao looks away cao cao looked at him in concern as if he is checking for the sun
The acting is incredible. Cao Cao crafty with the "Reinforcement ++"😶
so he stalled so the reinforcements can get behind them and the sun is shining into their eyes while they attack. what an absolute snake.
You know, Yuan Shap's voice really sound like his portrayal in Total War :X
How am I getting this recommended when i just startedy khuzait playthrough of Bannerlord
Yuan shao also play his role really good
I still cant believe yuan shao lost with large army
Cao Cao adored Art of War. This type of field allowed him to use one its advice to maximum effect. " fight with the sun on your back so that the light be on the enemies' eyes"
@@artofthepossible7329 Cao Cao said that out of everyone in his childhood only he himself and Yuan Yi (Murdered early by Yuan Shu before he could take office) kept on reading and studying such books. This is in contracts to Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Zhang Miao, and Liu Yu had pretty much stopped studying.
Yep, UA-cam recommended this to me... Also Cao Cao is just a mighty troll. lol
Yuan Shao would’ve easily crushed Cao Cao with numerical superiority if Xu You didn’t leak the info about Wuchou. A pity, cause Yuan Shao was winning at Guandu.
As bonus, he got Zhang He
The best Chinese movie series.
is Cao cao=Cao Mengde？？？
+Avlonitis Stephen Yes, Cao Cao Mengde, Mengde is his stylized name, I think.
Cao is his origin name from father etc.... Mengde is his second name when he became older (mean adult) someone(famous) grant him this name also Cao is his family name too :D :D :D
Cao cao = formal name
Cao Mengde = name used for friends and people close to him
i believe its a chinese cultural thing where people have formal and informal names
Cao Cao, formal name. it is an insult to call a person's full name in ancient China.
Mengde style name, used to show respect, and recorded in the family tree.
Ah-Man baby name, it is a serious insult to an adult.
Yes
Who would have thought that after 1000 of years these guys will be remembered in 21st century
Sid Sharma
1220-1280 AD was China's Song Dynasty.
A book from 500 years have them another 1000 more to infinite fame
15:35 I'm assuming this is something very rude to do in such a formal meeting? The way Yuan Shao (and the score) changes so dramatically at the sudden change in Cao Cao's sitting posture seems to indicate as much.
Also immediately calls him Yuan Shao instead of the earlier "Brother Benchu". The act is up!
For as long as there’s breath in him,Cao Mengde will never be defeated in battle!
Wan Castle, Chibi, Hanzhong. ;)
And then the red cliffs happened
Cao Cao and Yuan Shao at Lau Lau in Tau Nao.
General Yuan is fleeing from the battlefield...a shameful display!
the emperor is nothing but a burden in my hands. Sooo true in three kingdoms total war hahaha
I intentionally moved my capital to the border so my enemies can take the emperor for themself lol, screw the emperor, I'm willing to trade him with wooden fish if I could
Only is useful if it is possible to annex the empire.
This showed up in my recommended a day after I returned to Total War Three Kingdoms.
Abandoning that game instead of developing it further was a crime. Sure, there were some problems and especially siege system is trash compared to what Shogun 2 got me used to, but it's still legitimarely my favourite Total War game due to how well mechanics show the complicated political situation both abroad, and internally.
16:13 awwww that cute running
Cao Cao is supposed to be the bad guy in all the media I've seen, but from what I understand from actual history he was simply the most competent and far-sighted of the leaders of the time.
I start watching the latest Three Kingdoms and it's so gud!
I thought Cao Cao was cunning when he deployed a plan to divide Liu Bei and Lu Bu.
What I didn't expected was seeing the boy emperor using a scheme to divided Cao Cao and Liu Bei. He secretly accused Cao Cao of being a tyrant while he was living in luxury under Cao Cao protection. His blood written edict pretty much guaranteed a long and bloody civil war.
We need to remember how the boy emperor was abandoned and starving.
Nobody come to his rescue except Cao Cao.
His selfish action just prolong the civil war.
Same goes for Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu.
They all died trying to revive a corrupted Dynasty where super intelligent men kowtow to a child emperor.
I'm at the scene with the 3 visits at the Sleeping dragon ridge.
I realize both men was using each other's for their own goals.
"Zhuge Liang created his own lord" Xu Shu previously explained to Liu Bei. To me, Zhuge Liang was the devil who invented divided and conquered.
Liu Bei on the other hand knew about the rampage corruption of the Han.
He should let it die and be reborn. Nope, he always complained about war and unrest while provoking Cao Cao instead of working together for a better future.
There was this line I didn't really understand when I young. It's where a villager would shout "A dead Kongming have scared away Sima Yi!"
Now I realize it's was a face saving propaganda, similar to western medias keep saying Ukraine is winning while ignoring the enormous casualties from the last Kherson and Kharkov offensives on September 18, 2022.
Similar to Zhuge Liang disastrous Northern campaigns, they got absolutely nothing except deaths. The biggest lost was Wei Yan.
Special note:
I read about the 3 visits, it was fictional.
It was actually Zhuge Liang who visited Liu Bei for a job. And he want the highest paying job.
Cao Cao already have Xun Yu, Guo Jia and Sima Yi as his strategists.
Sun Quan have Zhou Yu and Lu Su.
Worthy mention.
It was Xun Yu's suggestion that Cao Cao chose to escort Emperor Xian, who was then living in the ruins of Luoyang, to his own base at Xu (present-day Xuchang, Henan) in 196, taking on the role of protecting the emperor.
Xun Yu's plan was to "control the insubordinate in the name of the emperor" (奉天子以令不臣); the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms subtly distorts this to "hold the emperor hostage to control the nobles" (挾天子以令諸侯).
In the long run, this strategy would give Cao Cao a considerable political advantage over his rivals, allowing him to legitimise his actions by taking them in the name of the emperor.
Guo's advice to Cao Cao on how to handle Liu Bei. Guo Jia told Cao Cao, "Liu Bei has great ambitions and has won the hearts of many people. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu are formidable fighters and they have pledged to serve him with their lives. From what I observe, Liu Bei will never truly submit to anyone, and his intentions are unclear. The people in the past once said, 'If you let the enemy off today, they will become a threat to you for a long time.' You should settle (Liu Bei) soon." At the time, Cao Cao was using Emperor Xian as a figurehead to command respect and had attracted many heroes to serve under him so he did not heed Guo Jia's advice. When Cao Cao later sent Liu Bei with an army to attack Yuan Shu, Guo Jia and Cheng Yu warned Cao, "Liu Bei will rebel if you let him go!" By then, Liu Bei had already left and he really did rebel against Cao Cao as he later seized control of Xu Province from Che Zhou, the provincial governor appointed by Cao Cao. Cao Cao regretted not following Guo Jia's advice.
-Fu Zi
Update
I'm at the scene where Liu Biao is dead and Cai Mao with a large army surrendered to Cao Cao.
The show mentioned subtlety where Zhuge Liang using scorched earth to burn every resident buildings, this forced civilians to fled with Liu Bei.
In other word, they're being used a human shield.
It remind me a lot about Ukraine and Zelensky.
Liu Bei was like Zelensky to western medias.
They need a hero to run their propaganda against the communist.
Anyway.. The smartest person currently is Cai Mao.
He won a battle without having to lost a single soldiers. He even got a promotion. Liu Bei should be like Cai Mao.
My favorite part.
E 35 part 3 of 3 at 00:11:47
Liu Biao son, Liu Cong surrender Jing province to Cao Cao.
My second favorite part.
Cao Cao using a scheme to recruit Guan Yu while he was in a life and death situation was the most interesting.
Sun Quan try to recruit Guan Yu, but they end up beheading him after he refused lol
✌️
Your analysis is well-written and objective.
Unlike many who simply love Liu Bei because of his populist approach and "feel good" ideals but ultimately is a hypocrite and is one of the biggest reasons the conflict and bloodshed was unnecessarily prolonged.
Funny how the Dynasty Warriors games always has this battle at night.
Cao Cao, as the sun is moving into position: "I'm about to end this man's whole career."
In an alternate timeline, Yuan Shao offered Cao Cao to be his vassal and he accepted. He joins Lui Bei and Yuan Shu as his trusted vassals
Yeesh, if I was Yuan Shao I wouldn't trust ANY of those three as far as I could throw them.
Here cus of three kingdoms total war.
same, Cao Cao is a beast
BEST TV SHOW FROM MAINLAND CHINA EVER
Battle of Guandu (This scene) in a nutshell (my thinking)
Cao Cao: bro let's not fight, what do you think about peace? we make a deal?
Yuan Shao: okay deal
Cao Cao: okay no kthxbye *runs away like in **16:12*
Cao cao is really have quality of the king or emperor. Untill death he never claim him self as emperor but most of his officers respect him as their king.
Wow, total war three kingdoms looks lit fam!
why did i not know of this. Need too find the complete serie