Cao Cao's son Cao Ang, named Zixiu, Sun Quan's son Sun Deng, named Zigao, and Liu Bei's son Liu Chan, named Gongsi revealed their own ambitions, or good wishes. In fact, it is normal to hide your wishes or regrets when naming your child. We also do this when we choose names. It feels a bit serious to say that we are hiding our intentions.
The name of Cao Cao's first son is Cao Ang, with the courtesy name Zixiu, which expresses Cao Cao's desire to improve his social class. The word "ang" means to raise or lift, and the word "xiu" originally means dried meat, which was later also referred to as a greeting gift to teachers. The reason why Cao Cao used these two characters as his name was because he was dissatisfied with his own status and hoped to improve his family's social status. When Cao Cao's first son was born, the world was relatively stable, and people were thinking about how to get promoted and make a fortune. Cao Cao came from a family of eunuchs, so he seemed to be recognized by the scholars, which further strengthened his power.
Sun Quan’s first son was named Sun Deng, with the courtesy name Zi Gao, which expressed his determination to go further. In ancient times, "Deng" meant getting on a car, and "Zi Gao" also meant going up. Therefore, Sun Quan's wish can be improved to a higher level and obtain more territory. When Sun Deng was born, Sun Quan had just finished the Battle of Chibi. This was the time when Wu and Shu were developing rapidly, so it was normal for Sun Quan to have ambitions to reach a higher level.
Everyone knows Liu Bei’s son, Liu Chan, whose courtesy name is Gongsi. Although Liu Chan is not very capable, his name is very domineering. "Zen" means offering sacrifices to heaven, while "Si" means inheritance and succession. Sacrifice to heaven and succession to the throne are things that only the emperor can do. Liu Chan's name expresses Liu Bei's desire to unify the world and inherit the throne. After reading this, do you have a new understanding of Liu Chan?