5p.Qian,Part 1,Spirit and Self - ScholarSpace

Character Appraisal 33
of the Chien-an reign (196–220), a mere fifteen years in all, Ts’ao Ts’ao
(155–220), the regent/prime minister of the declining Han and the
founder of the future Wei regime (220–265), ordered searches for talented
persons four times. 44 He theorized that “a time of peace and order honors
moral behavior, whereas a time of anarchy and disorder values contributions
and ability.” 45 He openly advocated abandoning moral standards in
favor of “selecting only those who possessed ability,” 46 including those who
were “not benevolent nor filial, but capable of reigning over the state and
commanding military troops.” 47
According to the Shih-shuo, Ts’ao Ts’ao was a man for his time: “When
Ts’ao Ts’ao was young he had an interview with Ch’iao Hsüan (fl. late 2nd
cent.). Hsüan told him, ‘The whole realm is now in disorder, and all the
warriors are struggling like tigers. Aren’t you the one who will control the
situation and get it in order? ...You are really an intelligent hero [yinghsung]
48 in an age of disorder, and a treacherous rebel in an age of order.
I regret that I am old now and won’t live to see you come to wealth and
honor, but I will entrust my sons and grandsons to your care.’” (7/1)
Note that Ch’iao Hsüan’s appraisal of Ts’ao Ts’ao forms a symmetrical
contrast with Hsü Shao’s appraisal of Ts’ao Ts’ao in Sun Sheng’s Miscellaneous
Accounts, which I mentioned earlier in section 2. Hsü Shao said,
“An able minister in an age of order, and a treacherous warrior [chienhsiung]
in an age of disorder.” Ch’iao Hsüan said, “An intelligent hero [yinghsung]
in an age of disorder, and a treacherous rebel in an age of order.”
Hsü, a Confucian scholar with a “salient reputation and integrity,” is critical
of Ts’ao Ts’ao. By using the term chien-hsiung, or treacherous warrior,
he accuses Ts’ao of defying Confucian values and taking advantage of
chaotic times to fulfill his political ambition. Ch’iao, by contrast, is more
concerned about the needs of the time. He values and admires Ts’ao Ts’ao
for his unconventional qualities, which he believes will enable Ts’ao to “control
the situation and get [the whole realm] in order.”
These two contrary opinions typify the evolution of character appraisal
during the Han-Wei transitional period. The most striking contrast lies between
chien-hsiung and ying-hsiung. Chien-hsiung had been a commonly
used negative name in pre-Ch’in classics, especially the Confucian ones,