才占八斗 — “To possess exceptional literary talent and profound knowledge”

Cao Zhi, courtesy name Zijian, was enfeoffed as King of Chen, and posthumously titled Si, hence also known as King Chen Si. He was the third son of Emperor Wu of Wei, Cao Cao, and the brother of Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi. Cao Zhi was intelligent from a young age, quick-witted, and his writings were rich and beautiful. Cao Cao was very fond of him. During Cao Cao's lifetime, his life was stable and leisurely, and the essays and poems he wrote then were relatively ornate.

However, at the age of 29, after Cao Cao's death and his elder brother Cao Pi ascended the throne, he was continuously suppressed. When his nephew Cao Rui (Emperor Ming of Wei) came to power, the suppression intensified. Due to political persecution, mental oppression, and a rather frustrated life, the poems he wrote during this period exposed the darkness and contradictions within the ruling class, expressed his resentment towards the rulers and his desire for freedom, and also showed a certain degree of sympathy for the common people. Therefore, Cao Zhi's later works, in terms of their realistic significance, were better than his earlier ones.

Cao Zhi's works, including rhapsodies, eulogies, poems, inscriptions, and essays, though not many have survived, were highly praised by writers of old. For instance, Zhong Rong, a poetry critic from the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties, wrote in his 'Shi Pin' (Poetry Graded): Cao Zhi's poems are 'remarkable in spirit, splendid in rhetoric, combining elegance with resentment, and embodying both substance and refinement.'

Xie Lingyun of the Southern Song Dynasty, a renowned poet and man of letters during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, though seemingly not entirely satisfied with Cao Zhi's early works, stating they 'only praised pleasure-seeking, not touching upon worldly affairs,' generally held Cao Zhi in high regard. Consider the evaluation he gave to Cao Zhi: 'Of all the literary talent in the world, one shi (ten dou), Zijian alone possesses eight dou!' (One shi equals ten dou).

Later, to praise someone's high learning and excellent literary talent, the expressions '才占八斗' (talent occupies eight dou) or '八斗之才' (talent of eight dou) emerged, often abbreviated as '八斗才' (eight-dou talent). The Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin wrote the line 'using up King Chen's eight-dou talent.' Some also combine '八斗之才' and '七步之才' (seven-step talent) into '七步八斗' (seven steps, eight dou) to describe quick and superb poetic talent.