Cao Chao wanted to regain power from the Sima family, and the biggest opportunity was after Sima Shi's death. At that time, Sima Zhao had not yet fully completed the transfer of power, and Cao Chao saw this as a golden opportunity to take advantage of this opportunity to regain power. However, Sima Zhao saw through Cao Chao's plan and personally led the army back to Luoyang, which made Cao Chao's plan fall through. Eventually, Cao Chao was assassinated by Sima Zhao's subordinates in a coup d'état, and failed to seize power.
How did the power struggle between Cao Chao and Sima Shi begin?
The power struggle between Cao Chao and Sima Shi began when Sima Shi deposed the Wei Emperor Cao Fang and made Cao Chao emperor. In 254 AD, Sima Shi, under the opposition of Empress Dowager Guo, finally decided to appoint Cao Chao, who was only 14 years old, as emperor. However, Cao Chao did not have real power, and Sima Shi and Sima Zhao successively controlled the government.
After Sima Shi's death, Cao Chao tried to regain power. He ordered Sima Zhao not to return to Xuchang and ordered a part of the army to return to Luoyang in order to divide the Sima group. In addition, Cao Chao also actively won over important ministers, won the hearts of the people, and secretly cultivated his own forces to infiltrate military power and forbidden troops.
However, this power struggle ended in defeat. Cao Chao tried to depose the powerful minister Sima Zhao, but was killed by Sima Zhao.
How did Sima Zhao identify and stop Cao Chao's coup plan?
How did Sima Zhao identify and stop Cao Chao's coup plan?
After learning of Sima Shi's death, Cao Chao realized that this was a good opportunity to regain imperial power, so he began to plan a coup d'état, ordering Shang Shu Fu to lead his army back to Luoyang and march to Luoyang in person. However, Sima Zhao saw through Cao Chao's intentions and marched to Luoyang ahead of schedule, thus successfully stopping Cao Chao's coup plan. Cao Chao's will made Sima Zhao acutely aware of his plan of action, so he was not startled by Cao Chao.
What are the details of Cao Chao's assassination in the coup?
In May of the fifth year of Ganlu (260), Cao Chao decided to stage a coup d'état to regain imperial power. He summoned the servant Wang Shen, the Shangshu Wang Jing and the scattered cavalry to serve Wang Ye, and said to them: "Sima Zhao's heart is also known to passers-by. I can't sit back and be humiliated, and today I should go to him with Qing and others to crusade against him in person. ”。 However, Wang Jing and others believed that this move was too risky and dissuasive was ineffective, and Cao Chao finally decided to take a risky action.
Cao Chao led the palace guards and servants out of the palace, drew his sword and boarded the chariot, and marched to the east to stop at the car gate. On the way, they first met Sima Zhao's younger brother, Sima Ling, the captain of the Tun Cavalry, and his men. Seeing this, Sima Ling's soldiers fled in fright. However, when Cao Chao and his party met Jia Chong, a close confidant of Sima Zhao, the situation reversed. Jia Chong's subordinate Cheng Ji took out Changge and assassinated Cao Chao on the spot.
Afterwards, in the face of public opinion pressure, Sima Zhao had to wipe out the three clans of Chengji in order to calm the anger of the public. After the failure of this coup, Cao Chao was deposed as a concubine at the age of 20.
What key figures or events played a decisive role in Cao's attempt to regain power?
- Sima Zhao: As Cao Chao's main opponent, Sima Zhao successfully thwarted Cao Chao's plan to seize power by controlling the government and the army. He not only saw through Cao Chao's plan, but also killed Cao Chao through his cronies Chengji.
- Jia Chong: Jia Chong is Sima Zhao's confidant, and he launched a fatal blow against Cao Chao at a critical moment. Although the exact details are unknown, it can be speculated that Jia Chong participated in the assassination of Cao Chao at the behest of Sima Zhao.
- Cheng Ji: Cheng Ji was a close confidant of Sima Zhao who assassinated Cao Chao with a spear during the Manna Change. This event is known as the "Manna Change" and is the most famous murder of a monarch in the history of the Three Kingdoms.
- Wang Shen: Wang Shen is one of the important figures that Cao Chao is trying to woo. Cao Chao once called on Wang Shen and others to crusade against Sima Zhao, but in the end Wang Shen chose Gaomi, which led to the failure of Cao Chao's plan.
- Sima Wang: Sima Wang is one of the key figures on whom Cao Chao has high hopes. Although he had a deep affection for Cao Wei, in the face of Cao Wei's overtures, he struggled between loyalty to Cao Wei's royal family and consideration of the interests of the family, and finally chose to avoid court disputes.
- Zhong Hui: Zhong Hui is also one of the important figures that Cao Chao is trying to woo. Together with Fu Yi, he saw through Cao Chao's strategy, which led to the failure of Cao Chao's plan to seize power.
Sima Zhao's handling of the Cao family and the political considerations behind it? ：
After the development of Sima Yi and Sima Shi for two generations, the Sima family already has the strength to usurp the throne. In order to further consolidate his power, Sima Zhao decided to get rid of Cao Chao, the biggest threat.
As the emperor, Cao Chao was unwilling to become a puppet of the Sima family, and publicly accused Sima Zhao of his thoughts. He took a small number of attendants to crusade against Sima Zhao in an attempt to regain power. This kind of behavior directly threatens Sima Zhao's status and security.
Sima Zhao eventually ordered the killing of Cao Chao, an act that set a precedent for killing a monarch on the street. Although Sima Zhao knew that such actions would damage his reputation, he was more concerned with eliminating the immediate threat.
After the murder of Cao Chao, Sima Zhao took a series of urgent public relations measures to quell public anger. He forced the Empress Dowager Cao Wei to issue an edict, claiming that Cao Chao did not possess the virtues of the emperor and should have been deposed a long time ago. These measures have alleviated the accusations of the government and the opposition to a certain extent.
Sima Zhao's ultimate goal was to usurp the throne and establish his own rule. By killing Cao Chao, Sima Zhao not only eliminated a potential opponent, but also paved the way for future usurpation. In addition, Sima Zhao defended himself through public relations tactics in an attempt to reduce the negative impact.
Sima Zhao's approach to Cao Chao's family was to eliminate the threat by killing Cao Chao and to calm public opinion through a series of public relations measures.