Dynasties of ChinaThree KingdomsCao Wei
Huangchu · Reign 220—226
He established the Wei Dynasty under the auspices of the Han Dynasty, established the nine-level Zhongzheng system, and pioneered literary criticism with "Dian Lun·Wen".
Cao Pi, courtesy name Zihuan, was born in Qiao County in 187. He was the eldest son of Cao Cao and Mrs. Bian. After his elder brother Cao Ang died in Wancheng in 197, he became Cao Cao's eldest son. Cao Pi learned riding and shooting since he was a child. He was able to write at the age of eight. He was well-read in classics and history and went to war with his father. In 211, he was appointed as Wuguan Zhonglang General and Deputy Prime Minister. After that, he competed with his talented younger brother Cao Zhi for the throne for many years. In 217, he was established as the Crown Prince of Wei.
Cao Cao died in the first month of 220, and Cao Pi succeeded him as prime minister and king of Wei. In October of the same year, he forced the Han Emperor Xianabdication and proclaimed himself emperor at the Fanyang Pavilion accession following abdication. The country was named Wei, changed to Yuan Dynasty and Huangchu, and the capital was Luoyang. The Eastern Han was destroyed. During his reign, he implemented the nine-rank Zhongzheng system to win over the gentry, issued edicts to prohibit descendants from assisting the government, restricted eunuchs, rebuilt the Imperial Academy, and promoted envoys to the Western Regions; he also took strict precautions against the clan kings. Externally, he accepted Sun Quan as his vassal, and then attacked Wu three times, but all failed. He died of illness in Luoyang in May 226 at the age of forty. On his deathbed, Cao Zhen, Chen Qun, Cao Xiu and Sima Yi were ordered to assist Crown Prince Cao Rui.
Cao Pi completed the regime change of the Han Dynasty with abdication. During his seven years in power, he established the capital in Luoyang, rebuilt the Imperial Academy, restored the connection with the Western Regions, won over the gentry with the nine-rank Zhongzheng system, and also enacted laws to prevent relatives and eunuchs, so that the Wei Dynasty system began to take shape; "Classical Treatise" and "Yan Ge Xing" established his position in the history of literature. However, he was too suspicious of his clan brothers, which made the Cao Wei clan isolated and weak, and it would be difficult to check and balance the Sima clan in the future. He attacked Wu Lao three times without success, and his life was not long.
PoliticsRen Wuguanzhonglangjiang
He was appointed as the Five-Fun Zhonglang General, set up an official family, and served as the prime minister's deputy. He became the highest-ranking among Cao Cao's sons, but the struggle for succession did not end there.
PoliticsEstablished as Crown Prince of Wei
Cao Zhi relied on his talent and willfulness, and was good at driving out of Sima Gate, but gradually fell out of his father's favor; Cao Pi pretended to be pretentious and won the support of Cao Cao's ministers, and was established as the Crown Prince of Wei in October.
CultureWrote "Classics and Essays"
He wrote "Classics" when he was the Crown Prince. One of the "Essays" proposed that "the article is a great cause of governing the country and an immortal event", commented on the Seven Sons of Jian'an, and wrote about style and "literary spirit". It is one of the earliest extant literary criticism articles in China.
Lasting legacyThe phrase "literati have always looked down on each other since ancient times" is still a common expression today; Cao Pi's "Yan Ge Xing" is regarded as the earliest complete seven-character poem in existence.
PoliticsCreate a nine-level Zhongzheng system
The successor Queen Wei adopted the suggestion of Chen Qun, Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and established Zhongzheng officials in prefectures and counties. Scholars were rated as ninth grade according to their family background, talents and virtues, which served as the basis for the appointment of officials by the Ministry of Personnel to replace the inspection system that had been abolished in the late Han Dynasty.
Politicsaccession following abdication Dai Han
In October, Emperor Xianabdication of the Han Dynasty, Cao Pi built an altar in Fanyang Pavilion, Yingchuan, with accession following abdication. He changed his name to Huangchu in the Yuan Dynasty, his country name was Wei, and he settled in Luoyang in December. Emperor Xian was granted the title of Shanyang Gong, and was allowed to practice Han Zhengshuo and use the emperor's rites and music in the fiefdom.
Lasting legacyThe accession following abdication platform site is located in Fancheng Town, Linying County, Henan Province today. The two stone steles "Gongqing General Shangzunzun Memorial" and "accession following abdication table" erected at that time still exist today.
PeopleCao Zhi was demoted
Before and after he came to the throne, he killed Cao Zhi's close associates Ding Yi and Ding Giao and the male members of his family, and sent his brothers to the country. In 221, Cao Zhi was demoted to the title of Marquis of Anxiang for being drunk and threatening an envoy. After that, he moved to fiefdoms many times and became depressed.
PoliticsSet Wudu
Luoyang was the capital, and Chang'an, Qiao, Xuchang, and Ye were collectively called the "Five Capitals". Xu County was renamed Xuchang after "Han Dynasty died in Xu, and Wei Jichang came to Xu".
Lasting legacyThe name of today's Xuchang City in Henan Province originated from this name change and has been in use for 1,800 years.
EconomyGive back the five baht coins
The use of the five-baht coin was resumed in March, but was discontinued in October due to rising grain prices, allowing people to trade grains and cloth, reflecting the severe contraction of the monetary economy after the wars in the late Han Dynasty.
DiplomacyConfess Sun Quan as King of Wu
Sun Quan sent an envoy to declare himself a vassal state in order to deal with Liu Bei. Cao Pi did not listen to Liu Ye's advice to seize the opportunity to attack Wu, and made Sun Quan the king of Wu and Jiuxi. After Sun Quan's victory in Yiling the following year, he severed ties with Wei.
DiplomacyReopening the Western Regions
Shanshan, Qiuci, Khotan and other countries in the Western Regions sent envoys to the imperial court. Wei Ting resettled the Wuji captain and resumed the management of the Western Regions that had been interrupted in the last years of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
PoliticsBanning descendants from intervening in politics
The edict was issued stating that "women and government are the root of chaos", stipulating that ministers were not allowed to report to the Queen Mother, and descendants' families were not allowed to serve as assistants to the government, nor were they granted titles without merit. It also required future generations to abide by this system forever to prevent the disaster of the exclusive power of relatives in the Eastern Han Dynasty.
MilitaryThree-way attack on Wu
Because Sun Quan refused to send the Crown Prince as a hostage, he ordered Cao Xiu to leave the cave entrance, Cao Ren to attack Ruxu, and Cao Zhen to siege Jiangling, and attack Wu in three directions. The siege of Jiangling lasted for half a year, and an epidemic broke out, so the army withdrew in the spring of the following year.
CultureRebuilding Taixue
Taixue was rebuilt in Luoyang, the Five Classics curriculum examination method was formulated, Dr. Gu Liang of "Spring and Autumn period" was established, and the official education that had been abandoned during the war in the late Han Dynasty was restored.
MilitaryReturn by the river
I personally led the boat division to Guangling to observe the troops on the river twice. I saw that the Wu army was well-defended and the river was turbulent, and I lamented that it was difficult to cross the Yangtze River due to the natural dangers. In the winter of 225, the waterway froze and warships could not enter the river, so they had to withdraw their troops.
Politicsentrusting the heir died of illness
In May, he fell seriously ill and made Cao Rui the Crown Prince. He ordered Cao Zhen, Chen Qun, Cao Xiu and Sima Yi to jointly assist the government. He then died of illness in Luoyang at the age of forty. According to the "Final System" written during his lifetime, Shou Yangling was buried without seals or trees, and no gold or jade was hidden.
A native of Xuchang, Yingchuan, he was born into a famous family. Cao Pi was his close confidant when he was the Crown Prince. When the Wei State was established, he was the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and proposed the implementation of the nine-rank official law; Cao Pi was entrusted to assist the government before his death, and Emperor Ming was appointed to Sikong.
A native of Wuwei Guzang, he served Dong Zhuo and Zhang Xiu successively, and later persuaded Zhang Xiu to return to Cao Cao. Cao Cao asked about the matter of establishing an heir, and he said "thinking of Yuan Benchu, Liu Jingsheng and his son", implying the disaster of abolishing the eldest son and establishing a young son, which prompted Cao Pi to establish a heir. After Cao Pi ascended the throne, he was appointed Taiwei.
Cao Pi was one of the cronies of the Crown Prince. After the founding of the Wei State, he served successively as Shangshu and General of the Fu Army. When Cao Pi conquered Wu, he stayed in Xuchang and took charge of the rear. In 226, he and Cao Zhen were the same as Cao Zhen and were assisted by the imperial edict.
A son of the Cao Cao clan, he was adopted by Cao Cao since he was a child and lived with Cao Pi. At that time, Cao Pi was the commander-in-chief of all Chinese and foreign military forces and led the army to besiege Jiangling. After receiving the imperial edict to assist the government, he stayed in Guanzhong for a long time to resist Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition.
A native of Wuji, Zhongshan, she was originally the wife of Yuan Xi, the second son of Yuan Shao. In 204, Cao's army captured Yecheng and was accepted by Cao Pi, who gave birth to Cao Rui. After Cao Pi became emperor, he fell out of favor and was sentenced to death for complaining in 221. After Cao Rui ascended the throne, she was honored as Queen Wen Zhao.
Cao Pi has the same mother and brother, but failed in the fight with his brother for heir. After Cao Pi ascended the throne, he was repeatedly demoted and monitored. His famous work "Ode to the Goddess of Luo" was written in this period. The "seven-step poem" appears in "Shishuo Xinyu", which may not be true.