In 220 AD, Cao Cao, a great tyrant, died, leaving behind a vast empire and countless unfinished business. His son Cao Pi inherited his father's business, abolished the Han Emperor, changed the name of the country, and officially opened the era of the Three Kingdoms. However, behind this seemingly brilliant situation, there is a hidden danger that is enough to subvert the entire Cao Wei regime. Before Cao Cao died, he repeatedly told his son to beware of a person named Sima Yi. For this reason, he also deliberately left four tiger generals, which could have ensured the permanence of the country. But what is puzzling is that none of these four people can play a role in the end. Who are they? And why did it end up like this? What role did Cao Pi play in this?
In the twenty-fifth year of Jian'an, that is, in the spring of 220 AD, Cao Cao was seriously ill and bedridden, and he already knew that his time was short. This hero, who has been in the limelight for decades, is most worried about not the life he is about to lose, but the foundation he has worked so hard to lay.
Cao Cao knew countless people in his life, but what he feared the most was a young man named Sima Yi. This seemingly loyal and honest guy once pretended to be crazy and stupid in front of Cao Cao and escaped a catastrophe. But Cao Cao was insightful, and he knew that Sima Yi was by no means an idle person.
Once, Cao Cao had a banquet with his ministers, and after three rounds of drinking, he suddenly asked: "Who do you think is the genius of the world?" "Everyone, you say a word to me, some people say it's Guo Jia, some people say it's Xun Yu, and some people say it's Cao Cao himself. After hearing this, Cao Cao shook his head and smiled: "Neither." The crowd looked at each other and didn't know what to do. Cao Cao slowly said a name: "Sima Yi." "
As soon as these words came out, everyone was shocked. Someone asked puzzledly: "Why did Ming Gong say this?" Cao Cao didn't answer, but said meaningfully: "This person is ambitious and talented, if you don't take precautions, I'm afraid it will become a big disaster in the future." "
It is precisely because of this that Cao Cao deliberately left four tiger generals on his deathbed in case of accidents. These four people are: Zhang Liao, Cao Hong, Cao Zhang, and Xiahou Shang.
Zhang Liao, whose name is Yuan, is one of the famous five good generals under Cao Cao. He once defeated Sun Quan's 100,000 army with 800 cavalry in the Battle of Hefei, and his prestige spread far and wide. Cao Cao admired him very much, and once said: "Zhang Liao and other ten people are all enemies of ten thousand, but Zhang Liao is the strongest." "
Cao Hong, whose name is cheap, is Cao Cao's younger brother. He saved Cao Cao from danger twice in the Battle of Wancheng and the Battle of Tongguan, and he was loyal and won Cao Cao's trust. Once, when Cao Cao went out on patrol, he encountered heavy rain and his clothes were wet. Cao Hong didn't say a word, took off his clothes and put them on Cao Cao, but he escorted Cao Cao back to the camp in the rain.
Cao Zhang, whose name is Ziwen, is Cao Cao's third son and Cao Pi's younger brother. He is brave and good at fighting, and is known as the "tiger idiot". Once in the Battle of Guandu, he led the light cavalry to break into the enemy formation, killed countless enemies, and made great achievements. Cao Cao was very fond of this son, and often said: "My family will prosper, and I will be here." "
Xiahou Shang, whose name is Boren, is Cao Cao's nephew and the son of Xiahou Dun. He is both civil and military, and he is deeply valued by Cao Cao. In a campaign against Ma Chao, Xiahou Shang was ordered to lead the army to defeat Ma Chao and made great achievements.
Each of these four men has their own strengths, whether they are loyal, or they are brave and good at fighting, or they are very resourceful. Cao Cao carefully selected these four people in order to be able to contain Sima Yi and defend Cao Wei after a hundred years.
On the occasion of his death, Cao Cao summoned Cao Pi to the bed, held his hand, and said earnestly: "Pi'er, leave these four generals for your father, they are all loyal and reliable people. If you encounter any problems in the future, be sure to listen to their opinions. Especially beware of Sima Yi, this person should not be underestimated! "
Cao Pi nodded again and again, and agreed with tears in his eyes. Who knows, this exhortation turned out to be empty in the end. The four tiger generals left by Cao Cao could have become the mainstay of Cao Wei's regime, but for various reasons, they failed to play their due role in the end.
After Cao Cao's death, Cao Pi inherited his father's legacy and became the founding emperor of Wei. However, Cao Pi did not inherit his father's foresight and skills. He ignored his father's dying warnings, but instead developed a deep suspicion of the four tiger generals.
Soon after Cao Pi ascended the throne, he began to gradually weaken the power of these four generals. The first thing he dealt with was his younger brother Cao Zhang. As Cao Cao's third son, Cao Zhang was brave and good at fighting, and he was quite prestigious in the army. Cao Pi feared that Cao Zhang might threaten his rule, so he used the excuse of "being too arrogant" to transfer him from the central government and send him to the frontier to guard it.
This decision aroused the dissatisfaction of many ministers of the DPRK and China. Some people wrote to advise Cao Zhangnai that he was a pillar of the country and should not be alienated. But Cao Pi was unmoved, but scolded the ministers who admonished him for being "ignorant". Since then, no one has dared to speak for Cao Zhang.
Next, Cao Pi turned his attention to Zhang Liao. Zhang Liao, as the head of the five good generals, has a very high prestige in the army. Although Cao Pi did not dare to deal with Zhang Liao directly, he secretly suppressed his power. In a campaign against Eastern Wu, Cao Pi was supposed to let the experienced Zhang Liao lead the army, but he himself took command. As a result, due to improper command, the army was defeated, and Zhang Liao was seriously injured in order to save the driver, and died of depression soon after.
Zhang Liao's death dealt a great blow to the morale of the Wei army. Many veterans sighed: "If the old general is here, why are we here!" But Cao Pi didn't seem to care, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had gotten rid of a big trouble.
As for Cao Hong, although he was Cao Cao's cousin, Cao Pi did not have the slightest intimacy with him. The reason is because of a trivial matter. It is said that Cao Pi borrowed money from Cao Hong when he was young, but was refused. This incident left a shadow in Cao Pi's heart, and after ascending the throne, he made things difficult for Cao Hong in every way. He first stripped Cao Hong of his military power, and then put him under house arrest on charges of "embezzlement and bribery."
Cao Hong has written many times to defend himself, saying that he is loyal to the Cao family and has no two hearts. But Cao Pi turned a deaf ear, and even publicly ridiculed Cao Hong in the court: "A person who doesn't even want to borrow money, what loyalty can he talk about?" As soon as these words came out, the whole court was in an uproar, but no one dared to speak.
The last tiger general, Xiahou Shang, was originally Cao Cao's nephew and Xiahou Shang's son. It stands to reason that he and Cao Pi should be close cousins. But this is not the case. It turned out that Cao Pi wanted to marry his sister to Xiahou Shang, but Xiahou Shang politely refused. This made Cao Pi very angry, thinking that Xiahou was still flouting the imperial power.
Since then, Cao Pi has made things difficult for Xiahou everywhere. At the court meeting, whenever Xiahou Shang made a suggestion, Cao Pi always sneered and even reprimanded in public. Over time, Xiahou Shang no longer took the initiative to offer advice, but just silently completed his duties.
Cao Pi's actions not only abolished his father Cao Cao's last wishes, but also seriously weakened the military strength of Wei. The four generals who were supposed to be the pillars of the country were either demoted, killed, placed under house arrest, or marginalized. This created favorable conditions for Sima Yi's rise in the future.
At the same time, Cao Pi treated Sima Yi very favorably. Not only did he not warn of Sima Yi, but entrusted him with important tasks. At a court meeting, Cao Pi even announced in public: "Sima Yi is the dry city of the country, and I regard him as a brother." These words undoubtedly gave Sima Yi great confidence and support.
In this way, the political pattern that Cao Cao painstakingly managed was single-handedly broken by Cao Pi. The four generals who could have checked and balanced Sima Yi eventually became victims of Cao Pi's jealousy. This not only laid the groundwork for the decline of Wei in the future, but also created an excellent opportunity for Sima Yi's rise.
With Cao Pi's gradual suppression of the four tiger generals, Sima Yi's political status is rising. This young man, who was once seen as a potential threat by Cao Cao, became an indispensable and important figure in the Wei court under Cao Pi's rule.
Sima Yi's rise did not happen overnight. He is good at seizing opportunities and always shows his talent when it matters most. In the early days of Cao Pi's reign, Wei faced a dual threat from Shu Han and Eastern Wu. It was at this critical juncture that Sima Yi proposed the "Jincheng Plan", suggesting that Wei build strong fortifications on the border to defend against foreign invasions. This suggestion was highly appreciated by Cao Pi, and also won Sima Yi the approval of the ministers of the DPRK and China.
Not only that, Sima Yi also showed extraordinary talent in military affairs. In the Battle of Hanzhong in 223 AD, Sima Yi led his army to defeat Zhao Yun, a famous general of Shu, and successfully held the fortress of Hanzhong. This victory not only strengthened Wei's western defense line, but also allowed Sima Yi to establish prestige in the army.
However, Sima Yi is most praised for his old spicy skills in political struggles. In the process of Cao Pi's suppression of the four tiger generals, Sima Yi has always maintained a low profile and caution. He neither openly supported the four generals, nor was he in a hurry to present himself, but quietly observed how the situation changed.
Once, the ministers of the court interceded for Cao Zhang, hoping that Cao Pi would be able to reuse this brave general. Sima Yi was unusually silent at the court meeting. Afterwards, someone asked him why he didn't express his opinion, but Sima Yi just said lightly: "This is a royal family matter, and it is inconvenient for us and other foreign ministers to leave their beaks." These words not only showed respect for imperial power, but also skillfully avoided topics that might arouse Cao Pi's suspicions.
After Zhang Liao's death, many ministers in the DPRK and China were secretly discussing that this was caused by Cao Pi's negligence. But Sima Yi publicly said: "General Zhang's sacrifice for the country is really a blessing for my Wei country." These words not only calmed the discontent of the court, but also made Cao Pi trust Sima Yi more.
Regarding Cao Hong's house arrest, Sima Yi also showed superb political wisdom. He neither defended Cao Hong, nor did he fall into the trap. On the contrary, he advised Cao Pi: "Although General Cao is at fault, he is a relative of the first emperor after all. It is better to give him a chance to make meritorious contributions, which can not only show His Majesty's benevolence, but also appease the morale of the army. This suggestion not only took care of Cao Pi's face, but also gave Cao Hong a glimmer of life.
As for Xiahou Shang, Sima Yi even adopted an ingenious strategy. He privately persuaded Xiahou Shang: "Your Majesty is dissatisfied with you, it is better to take the initiative to ask Ying to go to the frontier to garrison, not only to avoid the edge, but also to redeem yourself." Xiahou Shang adopted this suggestion, and sure enough, he was praised by Cao Pi.
Through this series of political maneuvers, Sima Yi not only successfully avoided the whirlpool of power struggles, but also won Cao Pi's trust and reuse. In just a few years, he was promoted from an ordinary courtier to an important minister of the Wei State, and he mastered the power of the court.
More importantly, Sima Yi also cultivated a group of loyal subordinates in the army. He is good at discovering and promoting talents, and is both strict and trusting to his subordinates. Under his command, a military group with the Sima family as the core was gradually formed. This force played a crucial role in the future politics of the Wei state.
In 226 AD, Cao Pi became seriously ill. On the occasion of his death, he entrusted the young crown prince Cao Rong to Sima Yi. This decision is undoubtedly the greatest trust in Sima Yi, and it also laid the foundation for Sima Yi to control the government in the future.
After Cao Pi's death, seven-year-old Cao Rong succeeded to the throne. As an auxiliary minister, Sima Yi's power reached its peak. He not only controlled the government, but also became the supreme commander of the Wei army. The four tiger generals who were once regarded by Cao Cao as a counterweight to Sima Yi have all lost their influence at this time.
In this way, Sima Yi went from a potential threat to Cao Cao's wary of in just a few years to the de facto ruler who controlled the fate of Wei. This is not only the embodiment of Sima Yi's personal political wisdom, but also the epitome of the changes in the political situation of the Wei State.
After Cao Rong succeeded to the throne, Sima Yi, as an auxiliary minister, reached the peak of his power. However, as Cao Rong grew older, he began to realize that Sima Yi's excessive power could threaten imperial power. In order to balance Sima Yi, Cao Rong began to reuse Cao Cao's son Cao Yu's son Cao Shuang.
Cao Shuang, as a member of the royal family, was young and promising, and soon won Cao Rong's trust. In 235 AD, Cao Rong appointed Cao Shuang as a general and co-adjudicated with Sima Yi. This decision marked the formation of two major political groups headed by Cao Shuang and Sima Yi in the Wei court.
At first, Cao Shuang and Sima Yi were able to maintain superficial harmony. The two were polite to each other at court, and even joined forces to quell the Wuqiu Jian Rebellion in 238 AD. However, as time passed, the contradictions between the two gradually became apparent.
Cao Shuang, as a member of the royal family, believed that he was the legitimate heir of the Wei State. He began to promote his cronies, He Yan, Ding Mi and others, and gradually expanded his influence in the court. At the same time, he also actively co-opted the generals in the army in an attempt to weaken Sima Yi's influence in the army.
In 239 AD, Cao Shuang proposed to personally lead an army to attack Shu. This proposal was supported by Cao Rong, but Sima Yi strongly opposed it. He believes that the terrain of Shu is dangerous, and it may be dangerous to rush to send troops. However, Cao Shuang insisted on his own opinion and finally led the army to the battle.
As Sima Yi expected, Cao Shuang's army was ambushed by the Shu army in Hanzhong and suffered heavy losses. This defeat not only caused Cao Shuang to lose some support in the court, but also made Cao Yi doubt his ability.
Seeing Cao Shuang's mistake, Sima Yi decided to seize this opportunity to expand his influence. He took the initiative to ask Ying to send troops to Soochow. Cao Ei agreed to his request. Sima Yi led his army to the east, defeated the Wu army at Shouchun, and achieved a brilliant victory. This victory not only strengthened Sima Yi's position in the army, but also brought his prestige in the court to new heights.
In the face of Sima Yi's rise, Cao Shuang felt tremendous pressure. He began to spread rumors in the court, saying that Sima Yi had the intention of rebellion. However, these rumors not only did not shake Sima Yi's position, but instead made some ministers doubt Cao Shuang's character.
In the winter of 239 AD, Cao Rong became seriously ill. Before his death, he entrusted the 8-year-old crown prince Cao Fang to Cao Shuang and Sima Yi, hoping that the two could jointly assist the government. This decision is actually a continuation of the balance of power between the two.
However, as soon as Cao Rong died, Cao Shuang couldn't wait to start squeezing out Sima Yi. On the grounds that Sima Yi was old, he suggested that Sima Yi should be allowed to become a minister. Although this proposal did not receive the support of the ministers of the DPRK and China, Sima Yi took the initiative to resign, saying that he would retreat into the background.
Cao Shuang mistakenly thought that Sima Yi had really withdrawn from politics and began to expand his power unscrupulously. Not only did he appoint cronies on a large scale, but he also began to interfere in military decision-making. Under his leadership, Wei launched several attacks on Shu and Eastern Wu, but no substantial progress was made.
At the same time, although Sima Yi ostensibly retreated into the background, he had actually been secretly observing the situation, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack. Through his sons Sima Shi and Sima Zhao, he continued to control a part of the forces in the DPRK and the army.
In 249 AD, Cao Shuang decided to accompany the young Emperor Cao Fang to the Gaoping Mausoleum to worship his ancestors. This was an ordinary sacrificial event, but it did not expect to become a turning point that changed the fate of the Wei State.
On the day Cao Shuang left Luoyang, Sima Yi, who had been pretending to be sick at home, suddenly appeared in the palace and declared that he wanted to clear the monarch's side. He quickly took control of Luoyang City and sent men to pursue Cao Shuang.
When the news reached Gao Pingling, Cao Shuang was shocked. Although he led the army, he did not dare to rashly confront Sima Yi. After weighing it again, Cao Shuang chose to surrender.
Sima Yi executed Cao Shuang, his family and cronies on charges of rebellion. This coup d'état, known to later generations as the "Gaopingling Rebellion", completely changed the political landscape of the Wei state. Sima Yi eliminated his biggest political opponent in one fell swoop and became the real ruler of Wei.
From then on, the de facto control of the Wei State fell into the hands of the Sima family. Although the Cao clan still retains the title of emperor, it has actually become a puppet of the Sima clan. This also laid the foundation for the future usurpation of Wei by the Sima clan.
After the Gaopingling Incident, Sima Yi completely controlled the Wei dynasty. However, instead of immediately deposing the Cao clan, he chose to continue to support the young Cao Fang as the puppet emperor. This decision showed the political wisdom of Sima Yi, who realized that a rash usurpation of the throne might cause shock to the government and the opposition, but would not be conducive to consolidating his rule.
Sima Yi took a series of measures to consolidate his power. First of all, he purged Cao Shuang's old ministry on a large scale and handed over all the important positions in the DPRK to his cronies. Second, he strengthened his control over the army, appointing his two sons, Sima Shi and Sima Zhao, to important military positions. Finally, he also won over a group of influential courtiers and generals through rewards and knighthoods.
Under Sima Yi's rule, Wei still looked strong on the surface. In 251 AD, Sima Yi led his army to repel Wu's attack and consolidate Wei's southern border. However, this victory also became the end of Sima Yi's military career. At the end of the same year, the elderly Sima Yi died of illness, leaving behind a Wei state controlled by the Sima family.
After Sima Yi's death, his eldest son, Sima Shi, inherited his father's power. Although Sima Shi did not have the prestige of his father, he inherited his father's political talents. He continued his father's policies, consolidating the power of the Sima family on the one hand, and maintaining the rule of the Wei state on the other.
In 254 AD, Sima Shi staged a coup d'état, deposing Cao Fang and reproposing Cao Huan as emperor. This coup d'état marked a new height of the Sima family's control of the Wei state. Although the Cao clan still retains the title of emperor, it has actually been completely reduced to the puppet of the Sima clan.
However, Sima Shi's autocratic power also aroused the dissatisfaction of some former ministers. In 255 AD, the Wei generals Wuqiu Jian and Wen Qin rebelled in an attempt to overthrow Sima's rule. Sima Shi personally led his army to quell the rebellion, but was seriously wounded in the battle and died of illness shortly after.
After Sima Shi's death, his younger brother Sima Zhao took over real power in Wei. Sima Zhao was more decisive and ambitious than his older brother. He realized that in order to completely control the Wei state, it was not enough to control the government, but also to achieve a major military victory in order to win the hearts and minds of the people.
In 263 AD, Sima Zhao decided to launch a large-scale military campaign against Shu Han. This operation was not only to expand the territory of the Wei State, but also to demonstrate the military strength of the Sima family. Sima Zhao personally coordinated the overall situation and sent Deng Ai and Zhong Hui to lead troops to attack Shu from different directions.
The campaign was an unexpected success. Deng Ai won a surprise victory, broke through Chengdu, the capital of Shu, and captured Liu Chan, the lord of Shu. Shu Han perished, and the pattern of the Three Kingdoms became a situation of confrontation between Wei and Wu.
The demise of Shu Han brought Sima Zhao's prestige to its peak. However, just as he was ready to further consolidate his power, he suffered an unexpected setback. Zhong Hui and Deng Ai had an argument in Shu, which eventually led to the two attacking each other and both being killed. This incident not only caused Sima Zhao to lose two generals, but also brought a certain amount of turmoil to the rule of Wei.
Despite this, Sima Zhao remained steadfast in his political agenda. He began to pave the way for his son Sima Yan, allowing him to gradually grasp the military and political power. In 265 AD, Sima Zhao died of illness, and Sima Yan inherited his father's power.
Sima Yan was more eager to usurp the throne than his father and uncle. Only a few months after inheriting power, he forced the Wei Emperor Cao Wan to take the throne, established himself as emperor, and established the Jin Dynasty. This marked the official end of the Wei state and the end of Cao's rule.
From Cao Pi's establishment of the Wei state to Sima Yan's usurpation, the Wei state existed for a full 45 years. During these 45 years, the Wei state went through a process from strength to decline. The four tigers left behind by Cao Cao will be suppressed one by one, and the power of the Cao clan will gradually fall aside, while the Sima family will gradually rise from an ordinary courtier family, and eventually usurp the ruling power of Wei.
This history fully demonstrates the complexity and brutality of ancient Chinese court politics. It is not only a story of the rise and fall of a dynasty, but also a profound lesson about the change of power. The rise of the Sima family benefited not only from their political talent and military strength, but also from their ability to grasp the moment. However, their success was also accompanied by the decline of the Wei state, which eventually led to the demise of this dynasty founded by heroes.