We all know about the Copper Sparrow Terrace, which was built by Cao Cao. Legend has it that Cao Cao heard for a long time that Duke Qiao of Jiangdong had two daughters, so he swore to have them to enjoy his later years. For this reason, Cao Cao built the Copper Sparrow Terrace as the Lock Two Qiao. So, is that really the case? Why did Cao Cao build the Bronze Sparrow Terrace?
The poem by Du Mu, ‘The East Wind does not go with Zhou Lang, the Copper Sparrow Spring deeply locks onto Er Qiao,’ is just a hypothesis. The East Wind will eventually go with Zhou Lang, hence the famous beauty of the Three Kingdoms period, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao. He was not locked up in Tongque Taichung by Cao Cao. In fact, Xiao Qiao and Cao Cao had never met and had no actual connection, purely groundless. Nevertheless, they still had a vivid story.
There are two beauties in Jiangdong and Zhenfuqiao in Hebei. During the Three Kingdoms period, there were three most famous beauties: Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao, and Zhen Luo. How beautiful is Erqiao? It is recorded in historical books as extremely stingy. The Records of the Three Kingdoms states that ‘all countries have their own colors’, while the Biography of Jiangbiao states that’ their appearance is wandering ‘(shining brightly). In short, she is a beautiful woman of national beauty, and her specific appearance can only be imagined by later generations out of thin air.
Why did Cao Cao build the Bronze Sparrow Terrace
Er Qiao’s father, Duke Qiao, was originally an official under Emperor Xian of Han, and the Han Dynasty at that time had already existed in name only. After losing his wife, Duke Qiao resigned from his official position and returned to his hometown, taking his young and old Qiao to live in seclusion in Wancheng, Anhui.
Sun Ce married Da Qiao, and Zhou Yu married Xiao Qiao
In the fourth year of Jian’an, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu of Eastern Wu led their armies to capture the city of Wan. The beautiful name of Jiangdong Erqiao has long been well-known, and after winning the battle, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu both embraced the beauty. Sun Ce married Da Qiao, and Zhou Yu married Xiao Qiao. After winning the battle, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu both hugged the beautiful woman and said, “Looking back to the time when Gong Jin was married, Xiao Qiao was young and handsome, with feather fans and silk scarves
At that time, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu were both 25 years old, while Da Qiao was 18 years old and Xiao Qiao was 16 years old. These two marriages look infinitely glorious, with beautiful women paired with heroes and beautiful flowers and full moon. Sun Ce once said, “Although the two daughters of Duke Qiao have been wandering, it is enough to be happy to have me as their son-in-law
Du Mu is not the only one who imagines Er Qiao and Cao Cao together, Luo Guanzhong is also one of them, and he even implicated Zhuge Liang.
The novel “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” depicts the scene where Zhuge Liang defeated Zhou Yu and achieved the alliance between Sun and Liu. Zhuge Liang said, “When I was living in Longzhong, I heard that Cao had built a new one on the Zhanghe River, named the Sun Bronze Sparrow, which was extremely magnificent: he had selected beautiful women from all over the world to make it a reality. Cao was a lecherous person who had long heard that Duke Qiao of Jiangdong had two daughters, a big Qiao on the long day and a small Qiao the next day. He had the appearance of sinking fish and falling geese, and a shy flower in the closed moon. Cao once swore, ‘I wish to sweep the four seas and become an emperor; I wish to obtain the two Qiao of Jiangdong and set up the Bronze Sparrow Terrace to enjoy my old age, even though I have no hatred in death.’ Although it has attracted millions of people to gaze at Jiangnan today, it is actually because of these two daughters
Fearing that Zhou Yu would not believe him, Zhuge Liang added fuel and vinegar, saying, “Cao Zhi, the son of Cao Cao, once wrote the ‘Bronze Sparrow Terrace Ode’ under Cao Cao’s orders. The article wrote, ‘Take two Qiao trees to the southeast and enjoy the day and night together.’
Upon hearing these words, Zhou Yu was infuriated and immediately decided to join forces with Liu Bei to wage war against Cao Cao. In fact, the “Er Qiao” and “Er Qiao” in the “Copper Sparrow Terrace Ode” refer to two bridges. Zhuge Liang played a clever trick and forcibly pulled Cao Cao and Jiangdong Er Qiao together.
In the confrontation with Zhuge Liang, it is said that ‘since Yu was born, why should Liang be born?’. Zhou Yu is always at a disadvantage, and only in one thing did he win completely. That is, Zhuge Liang married the ugliest woman in the world, while Zhou Yu married the most beautiful woman in the world. It is very likely that Zhuge Liang was secretly jealous of Zhou Yu.
In fact, Zhuge Liang was not entirely lying. Cao Cao was indeed lustful and had many wives and concubines, and Tongque Terrace was his concentration camp for beautiful women.
Cao Cao was indeed lustful, with wives and concubines like clouds, and Tongque Terrace was his concentration camp for beautiful women
In the fifteenth year of Jian’an, Cao Cao built the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, and it is said that every room had a stunning beauty. Before his death, Cao Cao also ordered beautiful women to sing to his tomb on the Bronze Sparrow Terrace every first and fifteenth day.
And with the fame of Big and Little Qiao at that time, how could he not be admired? If Cao Cao captured the territory of Wu, it would surely be ‘Bronze Sparrow Spring deeply locking onto the Two Qiaos’
However, from historical records, the plot of “Zhuge Liang’s Wisdom Stimulating Zhou Yu” is only fictional, so the relationship between “Erqiao” and Tongque Terrace cannot withstand further scrutiny.
The truth of history can only be explored by later generations through some book records, but it is unknown whether the book records are incorrect.