"Born into this world, unless one soars as a dragon and attains a position, all must die. In death, people turn to dust and ash, yet their deaths still differ in weight. Some weigh more than Red Mountain, like the soldiers of Mount Li, who defended their homeland and entrusted their bodies to the mountain folds-just so; others weigh less than a goose feather, like the rebel of the Cao Clan, who helped Wei work its tyranny and perished trapped in a lifeless city-just so, too.
Cao Shancheng seemed to possess some small talent, and a measure of private virtue. His talent sufficed to bring order to a commandery, allowing Qinghe a period of peace; his virtue sufficed to keep his own person honest, free of corruption and bribes.
Thus, viewed cursorily, he looked like an outstanding man and resembled a hero. Examined closely, however, he was truly lamentable, even laughable.
Know that, for all heroes and outstanding men born into this world, first, cultivating oneself is the token of wisdom; second, loving and giving is the beginning of benevolence; third, taking and granting is the outward sign of righteousness; fourth, knowing shame is the test of courage; fifth, establishing a name is the culmination of conduct.
As for Cao Shancheng, having lost his army and abandoned his territory, unable even to preserve his life today, how could he be called wise? Having fallen into a deathtrap, yet still locking thousands of Commandery Troops within it to perish alongside him, how could he be called benevolent? Drawing without measure upon Qinghe's labor, wealth, and cloth, yet sitting by as its people struggled with spring plowing without offering relief, how could he be called righteous? Helping a universally acknowledged tyrant brutalize the commandery's innocent people and congratulating himself upon it,