Biography
Early life
Cao Fang was born in 232 CE, the sixth year of Taihe, in Rencheng, Rencheng Kingdom (present-day Rencheng District, Jining, Shandong).
His birth origins are unclear.
According to the Wei Shi Chunqiu, Cao Fang was possibly the son of Cao Kai, Prince of Rencheng, and grandson of Cao Zhang, Prince Wei of Rencheng, making him Cao Cao’s great-grandson.
Adoption by Cao Rui
Cao Rui, Emperor Ming of Wei, had no surviving biological sons.
In 235 CE, the third year of Qinglong, Cao Fang was selected as Cao Rui’s adopted son and enfeoffed as Prince of Qi.
Cao Fang grew up in the palace, but his exact birth origins were not recorded.
Succession to the throne
In 239 CE, the third year of Jingchu, on the first day of the first month (22 January), Cao Rui was seriously ill.
Fearing instability for the state, he made Cao Fang Crown Prince.
On the same day, Cao Rui died, and Cao Fang succeeded to the throne at the age of eight.
He honoured Cao Rui’s Empress Guo as Empress Dowager.
Regency
Cao Fang was too young to rule, so Cao Shuang, Grand General, and Sima Yi, Grand Tutor, were appointed as regents.
The Zhengshi era
In 240 CE, the first year of Zhengshi, Cao Fang began to personally attend court and listen to ministers’ reports.
During the Zhengshi era, Cao Shuang gradually gained power and marginalized Sima Yi.
He also isolated Empress Dowager Guo and promoted new officials.
Cao Shuang’s dominance
In 247 CE, the eighth year of Zhengshi, Cao Shuang, following the advice of He Yan, Deng Yang, and Ding Mi, placed Empress Dowager Guo under house arrest in Yongning Palace.
When Empress Dowager Guo and Cao Fang said goodbye, they wept together.
Cao Shuang thus monopolized power.
Cao Fang’s behaviour
Cao Fang liked to favour and be close to a group of petty people and often played and drank in the rear garden.
In the seventh month of 247 CE, He Yan, Director of the Imperial Secretariat, submitted a memorial remonstrating that Cao Fang should have ministers follow him when he went to Shiqian Hall or the rear garden to play, so they could discuss government affairs and explain the classics.
In the twelfth month, Kong Yi, Regular Attendant and Remonstrance Gentleman, submitted another memorial saying that since the realm was already peaceful, Cao Fang should not learn horsemanship in the rear garden and should always ride in a carriage when going out.
Cao Fang did not follow either opinion.
The Gaopingling Incident
In 249 CE, the tenth year of Zhengshi, on the sixth day of the first month, Cao Fang left Luoyang to sweep Cao Rui’s tomb at Gaopingling.
Cao Shuang and his brothers all followed.
Sima Yi took the opportunity to memorialize Empress Dowager Yongning, requesting to depose Cao Shuang and his brothers.
He led troops to station at Sima Gate and control the capital.
Cao Shuang finally yielded and requested to be relieved of his duties.
Soon after, Sima Yi convicted him and exterminated his three clans.
This is known as the Gaopingling Incident.
From then on, the military and political power of Cao Wei fell into Sima Yi’s hands.
The Jiaping era
In the fourth month of 249 CE, the era name was changed to Jiaping.
Sima Shi’s regency
In 251 CE, the third year of Jiaping, Sima Yi died.
His son Sima Shi took control of the government.
The plot against Sima Shi
In 254 CE, the sixth year of Jiaping, in the second month, Li Feng, Director of the Central Secretariat, and Zhang Ji, father of Empress Zhang and Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, plotted to depose Sima Shi and make Xiahou Xuan Grand General.
The plot was exposed, and they were exterminated along with their clans.
Sima Shi then forced Cao Fang to depose Empress Zhang and make Empress Wang empress.
Cao Fang was uneasy because he had participated in Li Feng and the others’ plot.
Sima Shi was also worried about future trouble and secretly plotted to depose Cao Fang.
The “green-headed chicken” incident
In the autumn of 254 CE, Sima Zhao was ordered to attack Jiang Wei and reached the capital.
Cao Fang went to Pingleguan to review the troops.
Xu Yun, Central Commander, and Cao Fang’s close attendants plotted to kill Sima Zhao when he requested leave and lead his troops to attack Sima Shi.
The edict had already been written.
When Sima Zhao entered to see Cao Fang, Cao Fang was eating chestnuts.
The entertainer Yun Wu and others sang: “Green-headed chicken, green-headed chicken.”
“Green-headed chicken” means “duck” (鸭, yā), which sounds like “press” (押, yā), reminding Cao Fang to quickly press the seal on the edict and kill Sima Zhao.
However, Cao Fang was too afraid to do it.
Afterward, Sima Zhao led troops into Luoyang city.
Sima Shi also planned to depose Cao Fang because of this incident.
Deposition
In the ninth month of 254 CE, Sima Shi, together with the dukes, ministers, and court officials, memorialized Empress Dowager Guo, saying that Cao Fang was already grown but did not personally attend to government, was addicted to women, abandoned study, insulted scholars, played and drank with entertainers and palace ladies, beat and injured Linghu Jing, Director of the Pure Music Office, and Pang Xi, Assistant Director, even using hot iron to seriously injure Linghu Jing’s body, and did not observe proper rites when the Empress Dowager’s mother died.
They requested to depose Cao Fang’s imperial position following the precedent of Huo Guang.
This was approved.
Cao Fang was deposed at the age of twenty-two and returned to his previous title of Prince of Qi.
Life after deposition
Cao Fang moved out of Luoyang and built a Qi Prince’s palace in Chongmen, Henei Commandery.
All ritual systems were like those of a feudal prince’s state.
The court discussed and decided to make Cao Mao, Duke of Gaoguixiang, emperor instead.
Life under Jin
In 265 CE, the first year of Taishi, after Sima Yan, Sima Zhao’s son, usurped Wei and established Jin, he enfeoffed Cao Fang as Duke of Shaoling County.
Death
In 274 CE, the tenth year of Taishi, Cao Fang died at the age of forty-three.
His posthumous title was Duke Shao of Liling (厲公, “Duke Li”).
Personality
Cao Fang was described as weak and incompetent.
He was addicted to women and did not personally attend to government affairs.
He favoured petty people and often played and drank in the rear garden.
However, some historians have questioned these accusations, suggesting they may have been fabricated by Sima Shi to justify the deposition.
Military achievements
Campaigns against Wu
During Cao Fang’s reign, Wei launched several campaigns against Eastern Wu, but most were unsuccessful.
In 252 CE, the fourth year of Jiaping, in the eleventh month, the court sent Wang Chang, General Who Conquers the South; Hu Zun, General Who Conquers the East; and Guanqiu Jian, General Who Stabilizes the South, to lead armies to attack Wu.
In the twelfth month, Zhuge Ke, Grand General of Wu, led troops to counterattack and greatly defeated the Wei army at Dongguan.
The Wei army retreated.
In 253 CE, the fifth year of Jiaping, in the fifth month, Zhuge Ke led troops to besiege Xincheng County, Hefei Commandery, of Wei.
The court sent Sima Fu, Grand Tutor, to supervise reinforcements.
In the seventh month, Wu withdrew its army.
Relationships
With Cao Rui
Cao Fang was Cao Rui’s adopted son.
Cao Rui selected him as heir because he had no surviving biological sons.
With Cao Shuang
Cao Fang was initially under Cao Shuang’s control.
After the Gaopingling Incident, Cao Shuang was killed, and power passed to Sima Yi.
With Sima Yi
After the Gaopingling Incident, Sima Yi controlled the government.
Cao Fang was essentially a puppet emperor.
With Sima Shi
After Sima Yi died, Sima Shi took control.
Cao Fang plotted against Sima Shi but failed.
Sima Shi eventually deposed Cao Fang.
With Empress Zhang
Empress Zhang was Cao Fang’s second empress.
Her father Zhang Ji was involved in the plot against Sima Shi.
After the plot failed, Sima Shi forced Cao Fang to depose her.
Anecdotes
The name change
After Cao Fang succeeded to the throne, to avoid the taboo of his name “Fang” (芳), the imperial garden “Fanglin Garden” in the Northern Palace of Luoyang was renamed “Hualin Garden.”
Later, during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the imperial gardens in Jianye and Chang’an were also named Hualin Garden following this precedent.
The lost sword
In 245 CE, the sixth year of Zhengshi, Cao Fang had a sword cast, which he often wore.
One day, it disappeared without reason, leaving only an empty box.
Later, there was the matter of abdication, and the omen was in this.
The green-headed chicken
When Xu Yun and others plotted to kill Sima Zhao, they wrote an edict.
When Sima Zhao entered, the entertainers sang “green-headed chicken” to remind Cao Fang to press the seal.
However, Cao Fang was too afraid to act.
Achievements
- Reigned for 15 years, the longest of any Wei emperor
- Maintained stability during the transition from Cao Shuang to Sima Yi
- First puppet emperor of Wei
Behind the scenes
Historical sources
Cao Fang’s biography appears in the Records of the Three Kingdoms by Chen Shou, where he is grouped with Cao Mao and Cao Huan as the “Three Young Emperors.”
The first puppet emperor
Cao Fang was the first puppet emperor of Wei.
Real power was held first by Cao Shuang, then by Sima Yi, and finally by Sima Shi.
The deposition
Cao Fang’s deposition marked the complete control of the Sima family over Wei.
After his deposition, Cao Mao was made emperor, but he was also a puppet.
Historical evaluations
Contemporary
Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin said: “Sima Yi often praised that Cao Fang was intelligent and had no evil virtue, and he served with all his heart and loyalty to assist the ruler, and the realm relied on him.”
Zhuge Ke said: “Cao Fang is weak and incompetent, and government is in private hands. His people and ministers already have a mind to leave.”
Empress Dowager Guo’s edict deposing Cao Fang said: “Cao Fang is already grown but does not personally attend to the myriad affairs, is addicted to inner favourites, sinks into women’s virtue, daily invites entertainers, and indulges their ugly jokes; welcomes the six palaces’ families to stay in the inner chambers, destroys the order of human relations, and disrupts the rules between men and women; daily lacks respect and filial piety, and arrogance grows greatly. He cannot succeed to Heaven’s line and serve the ancestral temple.”
Later historians
Chen Shou wrote: “In ancient times, the realm was considered public, and only the worthy were given it. In later generations, the world was hereditary, and sons were established as heirs. If the proper heir did not continue, then one should take a close relative with clear virtue, like Han’s Wen and Xuan. This is an unchanging constant standard. Emperor Ming could not do this. His feelings were tied to private love. He raised an infant and passed on the great vessel. The entrustment was not exclusive. It necessarily involved branches of the clan. Finally, Cao Shuang was executed and exterminated, and Cao Fang was replaced.”
He Shao wrote: “Cao Fang had been on the throne for several years and was not like Changyi, who had just been summoned. If his virtue as a ruler was truly deficient and he spread evil among the people, why would Sima Shi have difficulty using this as an excuse? Now, citing the Empress Dowager’s order and revealing private bedroom matters, we can know that these were fabricated.”
Liang Zhangju wrote: “At the beginning of Cao Fang’s reign, he immediately stopped palace construction work, freed government slaves over sixty to become commoners, and used gold and silver from the inner treasury to be melted and supplied for military use. In the second year, he mastered the Analects. In the fifth year, he mastered the Book of Documents. In the seventh year, he mastered the Book of Rites. Three times he sacrificed to Confucius, with Yan Hui as the associate. Good laws and beautiful governance fill the historical records.”
Legacy
Cao Fang is remembered as the first puppet emperor of Wei and the longest-reigning Wei emperor.
His deposition marked the complete control of the Sima family over Wei and paved the way for the eventual establishment of the Jin dynasty.
His story represents both the decline of the Cao family’s power and the rise of the Sima family.
Timeline
- 232 CE: Born in Rencheng; possibly son of Cao Kai
- 235 CE: Selected as Cao Rui’s adopted son; enfeoffed as Prince of Qi
- 239 CE: Made Crown Prince; succeeded to the throne age 8; era name Zhengshi; Cao Shuang and Sima Yi as regents
- 240 CE: Began to personally attend court
- 244 CE: Cao Shuang led campaign against Shu; returned without success
- 247 CE: Cao Shuang placed Empress Dowager Guo under house arrest; monopolized power
- 249 CE: Gaopingling Incident; Cao Shuang killed; Sima Yi took power; era name Jiaping
- 251 CE: Sima Yi died; Sima Shi took control
- 254 CE: Plot against Sima Shi failed; Li Feng and Zhang Ji killed; Empress Zhang deposed; Cao Fang deposed age 22; returned to Prince of Qi; Cao Mao made emperor
- 265 CE: Enfeoffed as Duke of Shaoling County by Sima Yan
- 274 CE: Died age 43; posthumous title Duke Shao of Liling
See also
References
- Chen Shou. Records of the Three Kingdoms, Volume 4, Biography of the Three Young Emperors.
- Luo Guanzhong. Romance of the Three Kingdoms, various chapters.