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評曰
古今大奸 莫如魏武
陰險狡詐 鬼神難卜
瞞上欺下 志吞秦楚
亂世梟雄 欲滅吳蜀
註解﹕
「古今大奸，莫如魏武」：古今以來的大奸雄，沒有一個能比得上魏武曹操的奸詐。
「陰險狡詐，鬼神難卜」：他的陰險狡猾、奸詐，連鬼神都無法揣測。所以說「曹公奸似鬼，堯帝智如神。」
「瞞上欺下，志吞秦楚」：他專會瞞騙皇帝，欺凌壓迫下屬及老百姓。他的目的是想統一中國，把皇位據為己有。
「亂世梟雄，欲滅吳蜀」：他一心要消滅吳、蜀兩國，以實現他的夢想，是三國時代亂世中一個最厲害，最兇猛狡詐的奸雄。
又說偈曰
如鬼如蛇老阿瞞 神機妙算想登天
殺生待客呂伯奢 恩將仇報曹孟德
華客道中僅身免 赤壁船上獨眾活
自命英雄唯操耳 誰能識此妙裡玄
註解﹕
「如鬼如蛇老阿瞞」：他是個奸詐如鬼，狠毒如蛇的老阿瞞。阿瞞是他的小名，但他年紀大了，所以叫他老阿瞞。
「神機妙算想登天」：他一天到晚用腦筋精打細算，如何一步登天作皇帝，當天子。據說他生性多疑，總以為別人要害他。
他有頭痛的毛病，誰也治不好，只有神醫華佗能治。每次他一頭痛，華佗一治就好。
有一天，他又頭痛，華佗說，「這回要開刀才行。」他問，「開什麼地方？」「當然是開腦部，因為你腦內生了一個東西；如果不開刀，這病治不好。」他祇得接受開刀，病也就好了。
病好後，你猜他怎麼樣？他想，「下次假如我再頭痛，你若趁著開刀的機會把我殺了，那我怎麼辦？」於是就下令把華佗殺了。過了沒有多久，他頭痛的毛病東然又發作了，這回再沒有人會治他的病了，最後頭痛而死。這也是因果報應，他這麼狡猾奸詐，最後也是不得其所而死。
「殺生待客呂伯奢」：有次曹操到呂伯奢家，呂伯奢就讓家人殺雞宰羊來款待他，自己出去買酒。曹操聽到廚房磨刀的聲音，以為是要殺他的，就先下手為強把呂伯奢全家殺盡，然後跑了。跑到半路，遇見呂伯奢。呂伯奢就問他，「你怎麼這麼快就走了？我剛去打酒，並吩咐家裡殺雞宰羊來招待你，你怎麼就走了呢？」
曹操一聽，知道自己誤會了人家。但殺都已經了，也沒有辦法，一不作二不休，殺人不死反為仇，便對呂伯奢說，「我這就跟你回去吃肉。」呂伯奢走在前面，他隨後一刀就把呂伯奢殺了。你看他是不是比鬼，比蛇都還狠毒？
「恩將仇報曹孟德」：人家對他好，他卻反以仇恨來回報，一點仁義道德都沒有。
「華容道中僅身免」：他從華容道落荒而逃時，和把關的關公講人情，「我以前對你那麼好，現在我落難了，就請高抬貴手，放了我吧！」關公明明和諸葛亮立下軍令狀，「如果不把曹操抓回來，我情願人頭落地。」但還是生了婦人之仁，不忍心把他抓回去獻功，於是就將他放了。關公當時若是把曹操捉住，三國的歷史就要改寫了。
「赤壁船上獨眾活」：在火燒赤壁時，石頭都被映成紅色，曹軍中死了許多人，他卻不顧眾人，獨自跑了。
「自命英雄唯操耳」：他和劉備曾經青梅煮酒論英雄。當喝酒喝到醉醺醺的時候，他就發起狂來，很驕傲地問劉備，「你說現在天下的英雄屬誰？」劉備不直接回答，祗先後提出當時幾個比較有名的人物。「周瑜？孫權？某某？」曹操始終不點頭，劉備就反問他。他拿起酒杯來，一邊喝酒，一邊笑嘻嘻地說，「今天下英雄，惟使君與操耳。」操就是指他自己；使君就是劉備。
劉備聽到這話，嚇得酒杯掉到地下，摔得粉碎。為什麼劉備會嚇成這個樣子呢？因為他知道，曹操若真認為他是英雄的話，一定不會放過他。幸虧劉備的酒杯掉到地下時，天上突然雷聲霹靂。曹操問，「你的酒杯怎麼掉了？」他就很機警地答道，「孟德啊！我這一生最怕打雷，剛才這麼一聲大響，真把我嚇倒了。」曹操心想，「一個響雷就把你嚇成這個樣子，還算什麼英雄！」所以就不再打劉備的主意了。
他雖然奸詐，劉備比他還狡猾，把他也瞞過去了。正所謂「智者千慮，必有一失。」
「誰能識此妙裡玄」：三國人物的種種勾心鬥角，裡頭機關重重，誰能認識其中的因因果果呢？「浪淘盡千古風流人物」，到如今他們一個也都沒有了。
--「評曹操」文完-- |
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A verse in criticism says:
From past to present, the greatest traitors
Have not come up to the likes of Duke Wu of the Wei house.
Even ghosts and spirits could not foretell his sinister plans.
Deceiving his superiors and cheating subordinates,
His ambition was to devour Qin and Chu.
An evil leader living during an age of turmoil,
He wished to destroy the states of Wu and Shu.
Commentary:
From past to present, the greatest traitors / Have not come up to the likes of Duke Wu of the Wei house. Of all the great conspirators in history, no one can match the schemes of Cao Cao, Duke Wu of Wei.
Even ghosts and spirits could not foretell his sinister plans. Even the spirits had no way of guessing what his cunning and insidious designs were. Thus it is said, “Lord Cao had the cunning of a ghost. Emperor Yao had the wisdom of a god.”
Deceiving his superiors and cheating subordinates, / His ambition was to devour Qin and Chu. He specialized in fooling the emperor, bullying and oppressing subordinates and commoners, and his goal was to gain control of the entirety of China and make himself the emperor.
An evil leader living during an age of turmoil, / He wished to destroy the states of Wu and Shu. His one and only wish was to take over Wu and Shu in order to fulfill his dream. He was the most devious, cruel, and scheming leader in the chaotic period of the three kingdoms.
Another verse says:
The old Evasive One was like a ghost, and like a snake.
Who cleverly schemed to ascend the throne.
Lü Boshe killed a fowl to treat his guest,
But Cao Mengde repaid his kindness with enmity.
On the Huarong Path, he barely escaped death.
Amidst the ships at Red Cliff, he alone survived among his troops.
He called himself a hero, “It’s just you and me—Cao Cao!”
Who can decipher the subtle principles behind all this?
Commentary:
The old Evasive One was like a ghost, and like a snake. He, the old A-man, was as sneaky as a ghost and as vicious as a snake. A-man was his childhood nickname. But since he grew older, I call him Old A-man.
Who cleverly schemed to ascend the throne. Every day, he deliberated and calculated to see how he could quickly become the emperor. He was very suspicious and always suspected that others would hurt him. He suffered from headaches that could only be healed by the miraculous doctor, Huatuo. Each time he had a headache, Huatou would treat it.
One day, he was suffering from a headache again. Huatuo said, “You need to have surgery.” Cao Cao asked, “Where?” “On the brain, of course,” replied Huatuo. “Because something is growing in your brain, the headache won’t be healed without surgery.” Cao Cao had no choice but to undergo the operation, after which he got well. Guess what he did after he got well? He thought, “If you use the pretext of surgery to kill me the next time I get a headache, then what shall I do?” Thus, he ordered Huatuo killed. Not long after that, he had another headache, but no one could treat him this time. He eventually died of a headache, which was his retribution. He was extremely treacherous and cunning, and he ended up dying unfavorably.
Lü Boshe killed a fowl to treat his guest. One day, Cao Cao stopped by Lü Boshe’s home. Lü Boshe told his family to kill some chicken and lamb to serve him and went out to buy wine himself. Hearing the sound of a knife being sharpened in the kitchen, Cao Cao thought that they were getting ready to kill him. He decided to act first by killing the whole family, and then left. On the way he ran across Lü Boshe, who asked him, “Why are you leaving so soon? I went to buy some wine and told my family to cook chicken and lamb for you. Why are you leaving?”
Cao Cao realized he had misjudged them, but he had already killed them all and there was nothing he could do. And if he didn’t finish the job off, the trouble would not end. If he did not finish killing off the family, they would become his enemy. He thus told Lü Boshe, “Let me go back with you to eat meat.” As Lü Boshe walked in front of him, Cao Cao stabbed and killed him from behind. As you can see, he was more vicious than a ghost or a snake.
But Cao Mengde repaid his kindness with enmity. Others had treated him kindly, yet he repaid them with hatred. He was totally lacking in kindness, justice, and morality.
On the Huarong Path, he barely escaped death. When he fled in distress along Huarong Path, he reminded Lord Guan, the guard of the path, “I treated you well before. Now I am in trouble. Please set me free!” Lord Guan clearly knew that he had signed a military order under Zhuge Liang, saying, “I am willing to be beheaded if I fail to bring Cao Cao back.” However, he was merciful like a woman and did not want to arrest Cao Cao to earn his own merit, so he released him. If Lord Guan had arrested Cao Cao at that time, the history of the three kingdoms would be different.
Amidst the ships at Red Cliff, he alone survived among his troops. While the fire burned at Red Cliff, even the rocks shone red. Great numbers of Cao’s soldiers were killed. He ignored them all and escaped alone.
He called himself a hero, “It’s just you and me—Cao Cao!” He and Liu Bei had brewed wine together under a plum tree and were talking about heroes. Drinking the wine, they became inebriated. Cao Cao loosened up and proudly asked Liu Bei, “Who do you consider a hero of our time?” Liu Bei did not answer straightaway but only mentioned a few contemporary famous figures: “Zhou Yu? Sun Quan? So-and-so?” Cao Cao did not nod his head. Liu Bei then asked him the same question. Cao Cao lifted his wine glass, drank, and said with a laugh, “The only heroes of today are you and Cao.” Cao was referring to himself and Liu Bei.
 Hearing that, Liu Bei was so frightened that he dropped his glass, and it smashed to pieces. Why was he so scared? Because he knew that if Cao Cao truly considered him a hero, he would not let him go. Fortunately when Liu Bei dropped the glass, there was a sudden peal of thunder. When Cao Cao asked him, “Why did you drop the glass?” he cleverly replied, “Mende, I’m so afraid of thunder. Just now that loud thunder scared me.” Cao Cao thought, “Loud thunder makes you that scared. What kind of hero are you?” After that, Cao Cao did not care too much about Liu Bei. Although Cao Cao was cunning, Liu Bei had outsmarted him and got away from him. This is as in the sayng, “Of the thousand thoughts of a smart man, surely one will be off.”
Who can decipher the subtle principles behind all this? With all the clever schemes and tricks that transpired among the personages of the three kingdoms, who could recognize the cause-and-effect relationships that were operating among them? “Through thousands of years, the waves wash away the marks made by famous people.” Today, none of them is still alive.
— The End —
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