Cao Zhen
Encyclopedia
Cao Zhen was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao
during the late Han Dynasty
period of Chinese history
. He served the state of Cao Wei
during the Three Kingdoms
period. He was also a distant nephew of Cao Cao, though the latter treated him like a son. Cao Zhen participated in many campaigns against the forces of Liu Bei
and Sun Quan
. From 227 onwards, he was very much involved with successfully repelling the frequent invasions led by Zhuge Liang
.
against Dong Zhuo
, the tyrannical warlord who held Emperor Xian
hostage, Cao Zhen's father, Cao Shao, heeded the call but was killed before he could join Cao Cao. The Brief History of Wei (魏略) by Yu Huan
, however, says Cao Zhen was originally surnamed Qin (秦). Cao Zhen's father, Qin Bonan, had long been friends with Cao Cao. In 195, as Cao Cao was fleeing from rebels, he hid in the Qin's. When rebels asked for the whereabouts of Cao Cao, whom they did not recognize by face, Qin Bonan claimed to be the man and was slain.
Either way, Cao Cao took in the young Cao Zhen, whom he raised as his own son. He had Cao Zhen reside with his future successor Cao Pi
and another distant nephew Cao Xiu
. The three of them would travel with five of the seven scholars of Jian'an
, including Wu Zhi
, Liu Zhen
(刘桢) , Xu Gan
(徐干), Ying Yang (应玚), and Chen Lin
(陈琳) from time to time. Due to his chubby shape, he was often ridiculed by his friends, especially the famous jester, Wu Zhi. Unfortunately for him, Cao Zhen's distant uncle, Cao Hong
, was also a compulsive prankster who never failed to "show concern" on his nephew's size problem. As Cao Zhen did not have power at the time, he could only bear a furtive displeasure against jokes revolving around his weight, but his muffled wrath would keep accumulate to a point where it nearly broke out into a duel between him and Wu Zhi years later (see Appraisal section below). Probably had have enough from his influential "friends", Cao Zhen remained most intimate with lower characters like his clansman Cao Zun (曹遵) and general Zhu Zan (硃赞).
Ironically, he was specifically ordered to serve as a captain in the highly mobile Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, despite his health problem. Henceforth Cao Zhen followed Cao Cao in a serious of battles without noted accomplishment until the war with Shu warlord, Liu Bei
. In 215, during the struggle for Hanzhong
, the western commander of Cao Cao, Xiahou Yuan
, was defeated and killed in the Battle of Mount Dingjun
, Cao Zhen was charged with overseeing the retake of Yangping Pass (阳平关) by forces led by Xu Huang
. He commissioned Xu to defeat Gao Xiang
in their mission, but Liu's forces occupied nearly all strategic positions and refused engagement. Facing logistical difficulty, Cao Cao personally went to pull Zhang He
out from encirclement, and Cao Zhen was sent to get Cao Hong out from Wudu. Cao Zhen succeeded the task, and retreated to Chenchang, where he stopped to prevent possible attack from Shu.
in 222, he was promoted to "Grand General of the Supreme Army" (上军大将军) and given command of all domestic and foreign military affairs, making him arguably the military paramountcy. In the same year, Cao Pi launched his three-pronged attack on the eastern warlord, Sun Quan
. Cao Zhen, together with Zhang He
, Xu Huang
, and Xiahou Shang
, was ordered to lay siege upon Jiangling fortress, which was guarded by Zhu Ran
's sheer 5000 soldiers. Although they were able to defeat some enemy relief forces and took some enemy camps, Zhu Ran played a staunch defense and destroyed most of Cao Zhen's siege engines. The war turned out to be a prolonged one, resulting in an epidemic outbreak, and Cao's army became demoralized and laid their guard down. One night, Zhu sneaked out and attacked some camps of Cao, further hampered their fighting spirit. As the other two prongs failed, Cao Zhen also led the army back to Wei. As a result of the failure, Cao Zhen was transferred from "Grand General of the Supreme Army" (上军大将军) to "Grand General of the Central Army" (中军大将军).
succeeded the throne of Cao Wei and Cao Zhen was promoted to Supreme General (大将军). Believing the young Cao Rui was inexperienced, Zhuge Liang, Chancellor of Shu Han
, launched the first of his Northern Expeditions against Cao Wei shortly after Cao Pi died. Three commanderies of the distant Longyou soon defected to Zhuge; thus, Cao Zhen hurriedly led his troops to Mei
(郿), near Chang'an
and Chencang (陈仓), in fear Zhuge would attack either city. However, the enemy force commanded by Zhao Yun
appeared at Qi Trail, which served as a hinder to Cao Zhen to give the time Zhuge needed to occupy Mount Qi. Cao Zhen then made use of his better trained soldiers to defeat Zhao, who was only given weaker troops by Zhuge, forcing the latter to retreat, but gave up pursuit on the latter. Then, Cao ordered Zhang He
to locate Zhuge's supply line and had it cut. At the time Zhang completed his mission, Zhuge was still struggling to take over Mount Qi, which was actually hot heavily guarded; when Zhuge got wind of what happened, he gave up the expedition and forced 1,000 households of the West County to move to Hanzhong.
Observing Zhuge was defeated at Mount Qi, Cao Zhen believed the former would attack Chencang next time, so he ordered Hao Zhao
and Wang Sheng to fortify that city. Cao's prediction was accurate, but he did not expect Zhuge would launch another large scale assault just one year later. At the time, Hao Zhao only had 1,000 soldiers under command, while Zhuge brought 100,000 men and a range of siege weapons and projectiles. Nevertheless, Hao managed to destroy most of Zhuge's siege weapons and forced the latter to turn back. Cao Zhen received an increase on salary due to his prior advice. For the next few years, Cao successfully fended off every invasions from Zhuge.
, primary base of Zhuge Liang's intrusions. His proposal was accepted and in the same year, Cao Zhen led a force towards Hanzhong taking a route south of the Ziwu Trail (子午道), while Sima Yi
led another force west along the Han River
. The two forces were slated to converge at Nanzheng (南郑), southwest of Hanzhong. The plan was thwarted by heavy rainfall, however, which lasted for more than a month and rendered the mountainous paths untraversable.
Cao Zhen fell sick on his journey back to Luoyang, where he died one year later. He was given the posthumous title of Marquis Yuan (元侯), literally meaning the marquis of origin. His son, Cao Shuang
, would later become the regent of Wei and monopolize the imperial court, until the incident at Gaoping Tombs
.
recorded a hunting trip during which the young Cao Zhen was chased by a tiger. Turning around, he fired an arrow and felled the beast with one shot. He was also respected among his subjects and troops for his humility and generosity. During the excursions, Cao would share the labor of his men. When the treasury ran short of the wages due, he would make it up with his own wealth.
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
, Cao Zhen made a late appearance in chapter 84, where he accompanied Cao Pi
on a campaign against Eastern Wu
.
Cao Zhen's importance begins to rise in Chapter 91 as Zhuge Liang launches his Northern Expeditions against Cao Wei. However, his contributions in the series of battles and maneuvers for the next eight chapters were largely played down by the author in an effort to accentuate the resourcefulness of Sima Yi. Luo Guanzhong even attributed Cao Zhen's death to his failure to heed Sima Yi's forewarning of a Shu offensive.
In Chapter 100, Sima Yi warned that Shu troops would come within ten days for Mount Qi, a strategic point which would allow further incursions into the heart of Cao Wei, but Cao Zhen did not believe his words. The two then held a bet. Each leading a half of the army, they guarded the valleys to the east and west of the mountain.
Cao Zhen was only half-hearted in preparing for an assault. Seven days later, however, scouts spotted a small number of Shu soldiers approaching the valley. Cao Zhen then sent his aide Qin Liang (秦良) with 5,000 troops to survey the situation. As Qin Liang was drawn deeper into the valley, his force was ambushed and eradicated by a Shu force under Liao Hua
and Guan Xing
. Disguising themselves in the clothing and armor of the Wei soldiers, Zhuge Liang's men then infiltrated the enemy's camp.
Meanwhile, Sima Yi had encountered and defeated a subdivision of the Shu force under Wei Yan
but reports from Cao Zhen claimed that no enemies were sighted on the other side. Fearing for the worse, Sima Yi drew a force and came for Cao Zhen's camp. True enough, the Shu troops and the infiltrators had launched a surprise attack, seizing Cao Zhen's men. Sima Yi arrived in time to ward off the attack, but Cao Zhen felt so insulted by the defeat that he fell ill.
Zhuge Liang then wrote Cao Zhen a letter full of insulting remarks, upon reading which the latter was so filled with rage that he died that very night in camp. Sima Yi then had Cao Zhen's body sent back to the capital Luoyang for burial.
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
during the late Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. He served the state of Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period. He was also a distant nephew of Cao Cao, though the latter treated him like a son. Cao Zhen participated in many campaigns against the forces of Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
and Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
. From 227 onwards, he was very much involved with successfully repelling the frequent invasions led by Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
.
Service under Cao Cao
According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Cao Zhen was a distant nephew of Cao Cao. In 190, when Cao Cao was raising an army to join the coalitionCampaign against Dong Zhuo
The Campaign against Dong Zhuo was a punitive expedition initiated by a coalition of regional officials and warlords against Dong Zhuo, Chancellor of State, in 190 during the late Han Dynasty of Chinese history...
against Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo was a politician and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He seized control of the capital city Luoyang in 189 when it was in a state of turmoil following the death of Emperor Ling and a clash between the eunuch faction and some court officials led by...
, the tyrannical warlord who held Emperor Xian
Emperor Xian of Han
Emperor Xian of Han , personal name Liu Xie, style name Bohe, was the last emperor of the Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
hostage, Cao Zhen's father, Cao Shao, heeded the call but was killed before he could join Cao Cao. The Brief History of Wei (魏略) by Yu Huan
Yu Huan
Yu Huan was a scholar and writer of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Works:Yu was a native of present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi, and most notable for two works of his, the Weilue , and Dianlue, which are listed in the Book of Sui as volumes 33 and 89 respectively...
, however, says Cao Zhen was originally surnamed Qin (秦). Cao Zhen's father, Qin Bonan, had long been friends with Cao Cao. In 195, as Cao Cao was fleeing from rebels, he hid in the Qin's. When rebels asked for the whereabouts of Cao Cao, whom they did not recognize by face, Qin Bonan claimed to be the man and was slain.
Either way, Cao Cao took in the young Cao Zhen, whom he raised as his own son. He had Cao Zhen reside with his future successor Cao Pi
Cao Pi
Cao Pi , formally known as Emperor Wen of Wei, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Born in Qiao County, Pei Commandery , he was the second son of the late Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao.Cao Pi, like his father, was a poet...
and another distant nephew Cao Xiu
Cao Xiu
Cao Xiu was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. A distant nephew of Cao Cao, Cao Xiu was given special attention by the former, who once asserted him befitting...
. The three of them would travel with five of the seven scholars of Jian'an
Seven Scholars of Jian'an
Seven scholars of Jian'an , also translated as the "seven philosophers of Jian'an", or the "seven masters of Jian'an", is composed of seven Chinese intellectuals of the Eastern Han period. The name was coined by Cao Pi. "Jian'an" refers to the 196—220 period during the rulership of the Emperor Xian...
, including Wu Zhi
Wu Zhi
Wu Zhi , style name Jizhong , was a politician of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. During the late Han Dynasty, he served as an adviser to Cao Pi, a son of the warlord Cao Cao. Cao Pi was vying with his younger brother Cao Zhi for the succession to their father's...
, Liu Zhen
Liu Zhen
Liu Zhen was the son of Liu Sheng, and the grandson of Emperor Jing of Han. According to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Zhen was granted the title of Ting Marquis of Lucheng by the Emperor Wu of Han...
(刘桢) , Xu Gan
Xu Gan
Xu Gan was a philosopher and poet of the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was known in the cohort of the Seven scholars of Jian'an 建安七子 ....
(徐干), Ying Yang (应玚), and Chen Lin
Chen Lin
Chen Lin may refer to:*Chen Lin , Chinese minister*Chen Lin , Chinese landscape painter*Chen Lin , Chinese general of the Ming Dynasty*Chen Lin , Chinese pop singer...
(陈琳) from time to time. Due to his chubby shape, he was often ridiculed by his friends, especially the famous jester, Wu Zhi. Unfortunately for him, Cao Zhen's distant uncle, Cao Hong
Cao Hong
Cao Hong was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his career during the late Han Dynasty under the warlord Cao Cao, who was also his cousin.-Early career:...
, was also a compulsive prankster who never failed to "show concern" on his nephew's size problem. As Cao Zhen did not have power at the time, he could only bear a furtive displeasure against jokes revolving around his weight, but his muffled wrath would keep accumulate to a point where it nearly broke out into a duel between him and Wu Zhi years later (see Appraisal section below). Probably had have enough from his influential "friends", Cao Zhen remained most intimate with lower characters like his clansman Cao Zun (曹遵) and general Zhu Zan (硃赞).
Ironically, he was specifically ordered to serve as a captain in the highly mobile Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, despite his health problem. Henceforth Cao Zhen followed Cao Cao in a serious of battles without noted accomplishment until the war with Shu warlord, Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
. In 215, during the struggle for Hanzhong
Hanzhong Campaign
The Hanzhong Campaign was a military campaign launched by the warlord Liu Bei to seize control of the commandery of Hanzhong from his rival Cao Cao. The campaign took place between 217 and 219 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
, the western commander of Cao Cao, Xiahou Yuan
Xiahou Yuan
Xiahou Yuan was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was killed in the Battle of Mount Dingjun against Liu Bei's general Huang Zhong in 219, and was given the posthumous title of Marquis Min , literally meaning "sympathetic...
, was defeated and killed in the Battle of Mount Dingjun
Battle of Mount Dingjun
The Battle of Mount Dingjun was fought between the warlords Liu Bei and Cao Cao in 219 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Liu Bei's victory in the battle marked a major milestone in his Hanzhong Campaign.-The battle:...
, Cao Zhen was charged with overseeing the retake of Yangping Pass (阳平关) by forces led by Xu Huang
Xu Huang
Xu Huang was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei, founded by Cao Cao's successor Cao Pi, during the Three Kingdoms period...
. He commissioned Xu to defeat Gao Xiang
Gao Xiang
Gao Xiang was a Qing Chinese painter, and one of the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou....
in their mission, but Liu's forces occupied nearly all strategic positions and refused engagement. Facing logistical difficulty, Cao Cao personally went to pull Zhang He
Zhang He
Zhang He was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He continued serving the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period until his death....
out from encirclement, and Cao Zhen was sent to get Cao Hong out from Wudu. Cao Zhen succeeded the task, and retreated to Chenchang, where he stopped to prevent possible attack from Shu.
Failure against Sun Quan
After Cao Pi succeeded Cao Cao in 220, Cao Zhen was made General who Guards the West (镇西将军) and charged with the defense of Yong Province (雍州) and Liang Province (凉州). When he was recalled to the capital LuoyangLuoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
in 222, he was promoted to "Grand General of the Supreme Army" (上军大将军) and given command of all domestic and foreign military affairs, making him arguably the military paramountcy. In the same year, Cao Pi launched his three-pronged attack on the eastern warlord, Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
. Cao Zhen, together with Zhang He
Zhang He
Zhang He was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He continued serving the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period until his death....
, Xu Huang
Xu Huang
Xu Huang was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei, founded by Cao Cao's successor Cao Pi, during the Three Kingdoms period...
, and Xiahou Shang
Xiahou Shang
Xiahou Shang was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a distant nephew of Xiahou Yuan and father of Xiahou Xuan and Lady Xiahou Hui.-Biography:...
, was ordered to lay siege upon Jiangling fortress, which was guarded by Zhu Ran
Zhu Ran
Zhu Ran was a military general of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Despite being a childhood friend of the first emperor of Eastern Wu, Sun Quan, he was never tasked with important position nor assignment before Lü Meng's invasion of southern Jing Province in 219,...
's sheer 5000 soldiers. Although they were able to defeat some enemy relief forces and took some enemy camps, Zhu Ran played a staunch defense and destroyed most of Cao Zhen's siege engines. The war turned out to be a prolonged one, resulting in an epidemic outbreak, and Cao's army became demoralized and laid their guard down. One night, Zhu sneaked out and attacked some camps of Cao, further hampered their fighting spirit. As the other two prongs failed, Cao Zhen also led the army back to Wei. As a result of the failure, Cao Zhen was transferred from "Grand General of the Supreme Army" (上军大将军) to "Grand General of the Central Army" (中军大将军).
Successes over Zhuge Liang
In 227, Cao RuiCao Rui
Cao Rui , formally known as Emperor Ming of Wei, was the second emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a son of Cao Wei's first emperor Cao Pi according to Liu Song dynasty historian, Pei Songzhi, but was a son of Yuan Xi according to modern...
succeeded the throne of Cao Wei and Cao Zhen was promoted to Supreme General (大将军). Believing the young Cao Rui was inexperienced, Zhuge Liang, Chancellor of Shu Han
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...
, launched the first of his Northern Expeditions against Cao Wei shortly after Cao Pi died. Three commanderies of the distant Longyou soon defected to Zhuge; thus, Cao Zhen hurriedly led his troops to Mei
Mei
-Abbreviations:In education:* MEI Academy, international school* MEI , examination board affiliated with the OCR examination board....
(郿), near Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
and Chencang (陈仓), in fear Zhuge would attack either city. However, the enemy force commanded by Zhao Yun
Zhao Yun
Zhao Yun was a military general who lived during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. For most of his career, Zhao served the warlord Liu Bei, playing a part in the establishment of state of Shu Han...
appeared at Qi Trail, which served as a hinder to Cao Zhen to give the time Zhuge needed to occupy Mount Qi. Cao Zhen then made use of his better trained soldiers to defeat Zhao, who was only given weaker troops by Zhuge, forcing the latter to retreat, but gave up pursuit on the latter. Then, Cao ordered Zhang He
Zhang He
Zhang He was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He continued serving the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period until his death....
to locate Zhuge's supply line and had it cut. At the time Zhang completed his mission, Zhuge was still struggling to take over Mount Qi, which was actually hot heavily guarded; when Zhuge got wind of what happened, he gave up the expedition and forced 1,000 households of the West County to move to Hanzhong.
Observing Zhuge was defeated at Mount Qi, Cao Zhen believed the former would attack Chencang next time, so he ordered Hao Zhao
Hao Zhao
Hao Zhao, style name Bodao , was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. His single most important victory over the much larger Shu Han army led by Zhuge Liang during the Siege of Chencang made him a celebrity overnight, but he soon died of...
and Wang Sheng to fortify that city. Cao's prediction was accurate, but he did not expect Zhuge would launch another large scale assault just one year later. At the time, Hao Zhao only had 1,000 soldiers under command, while Zhuge brought 100,000 men and a range of siege weapons and projectiles. Nevertheless, Hao managed to destroy most of Zhuge's siege weapons and forced the latter to turn back. Cao Zhen received an increase on salary due to his prior advice. For the next few years, Cao successfully fended off every invasions from Zhuge.
Death
In 230, Cao Zhen headed for Luoyang for an audience with the emperor, during which he was made the Minister of Defense. He then proposed a shift from defensive to offensive stance, with a multi-pronged attack on HanzhongHanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...
, primary base of Zhuge Liang's intrusions. His proposal was accepted and in the same year, Cao Zhen led a force towards Hanzhong taking a route south of the Ziwu Trail (子午道), while Sima Yi
Sima Yi
Sima Yi was a general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is perhaps best known for defending Wei from Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions...
led another force west along the Han River
Han River (Hanshui)
The Han River is a left tributary of the Yangtze River with a length of 1532 km. Historically it was referred to as Hànshuǐ and the name is still occasionally used today....
. The two forces were slated to converge at Nanzheng (南郑), southwest of Hanzhong. The plan was thwarted by heavy rainfall, however, which lasted for more than a month and rendered the mountainous paths untraversable.
Cao Zhen fell sick on his journey back to Luoyang, where he died one year later. He was given the posthumous title of Marquis Yuan (元侯), literally meaning the marquis of origin. His son, Cao Shuang
Cao Shuang
Cao Shuang , style name Zhaobo , was a military general, politician and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the son of Cao Zhen...
, would later become the regent of Wei and monopolize the imperial court, until the incident at Gaoping Tombs
Incident at Gaoping Tombs
The Incident at Gaoping Tombs in 249 was a coup d'etat that occurred in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The parties involved were Cao Shuang and Sima Yi. Sima Yi seized power during the coup and had Cao Shuang killed...
.
Appraisal
Despite his obesity, Cao Zhen was well known for his archery. The Records of Three KingdomsRecords of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms , is regarded as the official and authoritative historical text on the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history covering the years 184-280 CE. Written by Chen Shou in the 3rd century, the work combines the smaller histories of the rival states of Cao Wei , Shu Han and...
recorded a hunting trip during which the young Cao Zhen was chased by a tiger. Turning around, he fired an arrow and felled the beast with one shot. He was also respected among his subjects and troops for his humility and generosity. During the excursions, Cao would share the labor of his men. When the treasury ran short of the wages due, he would make it up with his own wealth.
In fiction
In Luo GuanzhongLuo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, Cao Zhen made a late appearance in chapter 84, where he accompanied Cao Pi
Cao Pi
Cao Pi , formally known as Emperor Wen of Wei, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Born in Qiao County, Pei Commandery , he was the second son of the late Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao.Cao Pi, like his father, was a poet...
on a campaign against Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
.
Cao Zhen's importance begins to rise in Chapter 91 as Zhuge Liang launches his Northern Expeditions against Cao Wei. However, his contributions in the series of battles and maneuvers for the next eight chapters were largely played down by the author in an effort to accentuate the resourcefulness of Sima Yi. Luo Guanzhong even attributed Cao Zhen's death to his failure to heed Sima Yi's forewarning of a Shu offensive.
In Chapter 100, Sima Yi warned that Shu troops would come within ten days for Mount Qi, a strategic point which would allow further incursions into the heart of Cao Wei, but Cao Zhen did not believe his words. The two then held a bet. Each leading a half of the army, they guarded the valleys to the east and west of the mountain.
Cao Zhen was only half-hearted in preparing for an assault. Seven days later, however, scouts spotted a small number of Shu soldiers approaching the valley. Cao Zhen then sent his aide Qin Liang (秦良) with 5,000 troops to survey the situation. As Qin Liang was drawn deeper into the valley, his force was ambushed and eradicated by a Shu force under Liao Hua
Liao Hua
Liao Hua , originally named Liao Chun , style name Yuanjian , was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Biography:...
and Guan Xing
Guan Xing
Guan Xing was an official of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the second son of the military general Guan Yu and the younger brother of Guan Ping. He succeeded his father when both Guan Yu and Guan Ping were captured and executed by forces of Eastern Wu at the...
. Disguising themselves in the clothing and armor of the Wei soldiers, Zhuge Liang's men then infiltrated the enemy's camp.
Meanwhile, Sima Yi had encountered and defeated a subdivision of the Shu force under Wei Yan
Wei Yan
Wei Yan was a military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He became a soldier of Liu Bei when the latter fled Jing Province and seek protection from the eastern warlord, Sun Quan, in 208. In 211, Wei had climbed up the ranks and become a general in Liu Bei's...
but reports from Cao Zhen claimed that no enemies were sighted on the other side. Fearing for the worse, Sima Yi drew a force and came for Cao Zhen's camp. True enough, the Shu troops and the infiltrators had launched a surprise attack, seizing Cao Zhen's men. Sima Yi arrived in time to ward off the attack, but Cao Zhen felt so insulted by the defeat that he fell ill.
Zhuge Liang then wrote Cao Zhen a letter full of insulting remarks, upon reading which the latter was so filled with rage that he died that very night in camp. Sima Yi then had Cao Zhen's body sent back to the capital Luoyang for burial.
Family
- Father: Cao Shao (曹邵), joined Cao Cao's forces in the early 190s, killed by Huang Wan (Governor of Yu Province)
- Siblings:
- Cao Bin (曹彬), younger brother, granted a marquis title during Cao PiCao PiCao Pi , formally known as Emperor Wen of Wei, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Born in Qiao County, Pei Commandery , he was the second son of the late Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao.Cao Pi, like his father, was a poet...
's reign
- Cao Bin (曹彬), younger brother, granted a marquis title during Cao Pi
- Children:
- Cao ShuangCao ShuangCao Shuang , style name Zhaobo , was a military general, politician and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the son of Cao Zhen...
, oldest son, ruled as regent during Cao FangCao FangCao Fang , formally known as Duke Li of Shaoling, was the third emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He retained the title Prince of Qi after he was deposed by the regent Sima Shi...
's reign, fell from power in the Incident at Gaoping TombsIncident at Gaoping TombsThe Incident at Gaoping Tombs in 249 was a coup d'etat that occurred in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The parties involved were Cao Shuang and Sima Yi. Sima Yi seized power during the coup and had Cao Shuang killed...
, killed by Sima YiSima YiSima Yi was a general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is perhaps best known for defending Wei from Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions...
after surrendering - Cao XiCao XiCao Xi was the second son of Cao Zhen, an officer who served the Kingdom of Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Ancient China. Cao Xi was also the younger brother of Cao Shuang....
(曹羲), served as a general during Cao Shuang's regency, killed by Sima Yi after Cao Shuang's surrender - Cao XunCao XunCao Xun was an adopted son of Cao Rui, an emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It is not known who his birth parents were, because Cao Rui deliberately kept their identities secrets, although it was likely that he was adopted from within the imperial...
(曹訓), served as a general during Cao Shuang's regency, killed by Sima Yi after Cao Shuang's surrender - Cao Ze (曹則), granted a marquis title
- Cao Yan (曹彥), granted a marquis title
- Cao Ai (曹皚), granted a marquis title
- Cao Shuang
- Descendants:
- Cao Xi (曹熙), grandnephew, continued Cao Zhen's family line, granted title of Marquis of Xinchangting in the 250s
Appointments and titles held
- Marquis of Lingshou (靈壽亭侯)
- Lieutenant General (偏將軍)
- General of Central Resolute (中堅將軍)
- Central Commander of the Army (中領軍)
- Protector of the Army Who Attacks Shu (征蜀護軍)
- General Who Guards the West (鎮西將軍)
- Marquis of Dong (東鄉侯)
- Senior General of the Upper Army (上軍大將軍)
- Senior General of the Central Army (中軍大將軍)
- Geishizhong (給事中)
- General-in-Chief (大將軍)
- Marquis of Shaoling (邵陵侯)
- Grand Marshal (大司馬)
- Marquis Yuan (元侯) - granted to Cao Zhen posthumously