1. Cao Cao laid the foundation for the state of Cao Wei, established by his son and successor Cao Pi, who ended the Eastern Han dynasty and inaugurated the Three Kingdoms period.
189 Facts About Cao Cao
1. 2.
Cao Cao began his career as an official under the Han government and held various appointments including that of a district security chief in the capital and the chancellor of a principality.
3.
Cao Cao rose to prominence in the 190s during which he recruited his own followers, formed his own army, and set up a base in Yan Province.
4.
Apart from being lauded as a brilliant political and military leader, Cao Cao is celebrated for his poems which were characteristic of the Jian'an style of Chinese poetry.
5.
In traditional Chinese culture, Cao Cao is stereotypically portrayed as a sly, power-hungry, and treacherous tyrant who serves as a nemesis to Liu Bei, often depicted in contraposition as a hero trying to revive the declining Han dynasty.
6.
The authoritative historical source on Cao Cao's life is his official biography in the Records of the Three Kingdoms written by Chen Shou in the third century.
7.
One of the major sources for information on Cao Cao's life employed by Pei Songzhi was the official history of the Wei dynasty, the Book of Wei, largely composed during the Wei dynasty itself by Wang Chen, Xun Yi, and Ruan Ji.
8.
For much of his career, Cao Cao hosted and controlled the final Han emperor, whose doings and correspondence it was standard to record.
9.
Cao Cao was purportedly a descendant of Cao Shen, a statesman of the early Western Han dynasty.
10.
Cao Cao liked to hunt, idle, roam about freely, and play vigilante so he was not as highly regarded as his more studious peers.
11.
Cao Cao started his career as a civil service cadet after he was nominated as a xiaolian around the age of 19.
12.
Cao Cao was later appointed as the Commandant of the North District of the imperial capital Luoyang and put in charge of maintaining security in that area.
13.
Cao Cao's cousin married Song Qi, a relative of Empress Song.
14.
Cao Cao wrote a memorial to Emperor Ling to defend Dou Wu and Chen Fan, and point out that the imperial court was full of corrupt officials and that advice from loyal officials had been ignored.
15.
When natural disasters occurred, Cao Cao was summoned to the imperial court to discuss the problems in the administration.
16.
Cao Cao admonished the Ministers for their conduct, reinstated the officials who had been wrongly dismissed, and appointed them as Consultants.
17.
Cao Cao stopped speaking up when he realised that his efforts to restore order were futile.
18.
Cao Cao was later appointed as the Chancellor of Jinan State, a principality in Qing Province which had over 10 counties under its jurisdiction.
19.
Many senior officials in Jinan State had connections with the nobles and engaged in corrupt practices, so Cao Cao proposed to the imperial court to dismiss about 80 percent of them.
20.
Cao Cao governed Jinan State well and maintained peace in the area.
21.
When Cao Cao assumed office in Jinan State, he destroyed all the temples and banned such idolatrous practices.
22.
Cao Cao upheld the laws sternly and eliminated unorthodox customs and cult-like activities.
23.
Cao Cao was unable to stop them and feared that he might bring trouble to his family because he had been interfering with their activities, so he requested to serve in the Imperial Guards.
24.
Cao Cao's request was rejected and he was appointed as a Consultant instead.
25.
Cao Cao then claimed that he was ill and resigned and went home.
26.
Cao Cao built a house outside the city and lived there, spending his time reading in spring and summer, and going on hunting excursions in autumn and winter.
27.
When Bian Zhang, Han Sui and others started a rebellion in Liang Province, Cao Cao was appointed as Colonel Who Arranges the Army and summoned back to Luoyang to serve in the Army of the Western Garden.
28.
Cao Cao Jin plotted with Yuan Shao and others to eliminate the eunuch faction, and shared their plan with his sister.
29.
Cao Cao strongly objected to He Jin's idea as he believed that the best way to deal with the eunuchs was to eliminate their leaders.
30.
Cao Cao argued that summoning external forces into Luoyang would only increase the risk of their plan being leaked out.
31.
However, Cao Cao adopted a fake identity, escaped from Luoyang, and returned to his home in Chenliu Commandery.
32.
However, another official recognised Cao Cao and believed he could act as a positive influence, so he released Cao Cao.
33.
When Cao Cao returned to Chenliu Commandery, he spent his family fortune on raising an army to eliminate Dong Zhuo.
34.
Yuan Shao was elected as the coalition chief while Cao Cao served as acting General of Uplifting Martial Might.
35.
Cao Cao returned to the coalition base in Suanzao County and was disgusted to see that the other coalition members were making merry instead of thinking how to make progress.
36.
Cao Cao presented his plan on how to continue the war against Dong Zhuo and chided them for their lacklustre attitudes towards their initial goals.
37.
When Cao Cao reached Zhi and Jianping counties later, he managed to regroup over 1,000 soldiers and lead them to a garrison in Henei Commandery.
38.
Yuan Shao once invited Cao Cao to sit beside him and showed him a jade seal, indicating his imperial ambition, and a tacit request for Cao Cao's support.
39.
Bao Xin, Chen Gong and others invited Cao Cao to replace Liu Dai as the Governor of Yan Province.
40.
Cao Cao defeated the rebels in battle and received the surrender of over 300,000 rebels and hundreds of thousands of civilians.
41.
Yuan Shao allied with Cao Cao and defeated all the opposing forces.
42.
Between 193 and 194, Cao Cao came into conflict with Tao Qian, the Governor of Xu Province, and attacked Xu Province three times.
43.
The first attack took place in the autumn of 193, when Cao Cao attacked Tao Qian after the latter supported Que Xuan, who had committed treason by declaring himself emperor.
44.
Cao Cao's army tore down villages in its wake, ensuring refugees could not return, and ate all the chickens and dogs.
45.
Cao Cao only turned back when he received news that his base in Yan Province had fallen to Lu Bu.
46.
Cao Cao aborted his campaign in Xu Province and returned to attack Lu Bu.
47.
Grain supplies were so limited that Cao Cao strongly considered an offer to serve under Yuan Shao, but was persuaded against it and ceased recruitment instead.
48.
Cao Cao sent his army to collect food, but his numerically inferior forces were able to turn back an attack by Lu Bu that summer using deceptive tactics.
49.
From 194 to late 195, Cao Cao attacked the territories in Yan Province and managed to retake them from Lu Bu.
50.
Cao Cao pacified the eastern parts of Xu and Qing provinces along the coast.
51.
Cao Cao had himself appointed General-in-Chief and promoted from a village marquis to a county marquis under the title "Marquis of Wuping", later characterised as ten thousand households.
52.
However, after Cao Cao received Emperor Xian and established the new imperial capital in Xuchang, order was restored, although Cao Cao did have the emperor's confidante Zhao Yan killed for secretively keeping the emperor updated on the great affairs of state.
53.
Cao Cao sent an imperial decree to Yuan Shao in Emperor Xian's name to appoint him as Grand Commandant.
54.
When Cao Cao heard about it, he gave up his position as General-in-Chief and offered it to Yuan Shao.
55.
In early 197, Cao Cao led his forces to Wancheng to attack a rival warlord, Zhang Xiu.
56.
Zhang Xiu initially surrendered without a fight, but due to ill treatment changed his mind and attacked Cao Cao and caught him off guard.
57.
Cao Cao lost his eldest son Cao Ang, nephew Cao Anmin and close bodyguard Dian Wei in the battle.
58.
Cao Cao returned to Xuchang after his defeat, but attacked Zhang Xiu again later that year and pacified Huyang and Wuyin counties.
59.
In late 199, acting on Jia Xu's advice, Zhang Xiu voluntarily surrendered to Cao Cao, who accepted his surrender.
60.
Cao Cao soon came under attack by Cao Cao and various forces, including his former ally Lu Bu.
61.
Cao Cao sent Liu Bei and Zhu Ling to lead forces to intercept and block Yuan Shu in Xu Province.
63.
Cao Cao sent Liu Dai and Wang Zhong to attack Liu Bei but they were defeated.
64.
Cao Cao then led a campaign to retake Xu Province from Liu Bei, defeated him, and captured his family.
65.
Cao Cao returned to his main camp at Guandu while Yuan Shao moved to Yangwu County.
66.
Around this time, Guan Yu left Cao Cao and returned to Liu Bei.
67.
Cao Cao obtained several letters written by spies from his side to Yuan Shao, but he refused to conduct an investigation to find out who the spies were, and instead ordered all the letters to be burnt.
68.
Cao Cao personally led his forces to attack Liu Bei, who fled south upon learning Cao Cao himself was in command.
69.
Cao Cao took shelter under governor Liu Biao in Jing Province.
70.
Some months after Cao Cao left northern China and returned to the south, internal conflict broke out between Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan as the brothers started fighting over Ji Province.
71.
Yuan Tan, who lost to Yuan Shang, surrendered to Cao Cao and sought his help in dealing with his third brother.
72.
Cao Cao agreed to assist Yuan Tan, so, in the winter of 203, he returned to northern China.
73.
Between spring and autumn in 204, Cao Cao attacked Yuan Shang in his base at Ye and conquered the city.
74.
Cao Cao wrote to Yuan Tan to reprimand him for not adhering to their earlier agreement.
75.
Cao Cao sent Yue Jin and Li Dian to attack Guan Cheng and pacified the eastern coast.
76.
In early autumn, Cao Cao personally led a campaign against them and defeated Zhao Du and Huo Nu, after which his army crossed the Lu River to help Xianyu Fu by attacking the Wuhuan.
77.
In 207, Cao Cao led a campaign against the Wuhuan and the Yuan brothers and scored a decisive victory over them at the Battle of White Wolf Mountain later that year.
78.
The campaign was difficult and dangerous, and Cao Cao rewarded his counselors who had advised him against undertaking it.
79.
When Cao Cao's generals were preparing for an invasion of Liaodong, Cao Cao stopped them and predicted that Gongsun Kang would kill the Yuan brothers.
80.
Cao Cao was right, as Gongsun Kang arrested and executed the Yuan brothers because he sensed that they posed a threat to him.
81.
Cao Cao then sent their heads to Cao Cao as a gesture of goodwill.
82.
Cao Cao returned to Ye in the spring of 208 after pacifying northern China.
83.
Cao Cao ordered the construction of Xuanwu Pool to train his troops in naval warfare.
84.
Cao Cao implemented changes to the political system by abolishing the Three Ducal Ministers and replacing them with the offices of the Imperial Chancellor and Imperial Counsellor.
85.
Cao Cao rewarded those who helped him gain Jing Province, including those from Liu Cong's side who persuaded Liu Cong to surrender to him.
87.
Cao Cao recruited members of the scholar-gentry in Jing Province, such as Han Song and Deng Yi, to serve under him.
88.
Liu Zhang, the Governor of Yi Province, had received orders to help Cao Cao recruit soldiers from his province, so he sent the new conscripts to Jiangling County.
89.
Around the same time, Cao Cao led his forces from Jiangling County to attack Liu Bei.
90.
Cao Cao ordered his weaker soldiers to carry straw and hay to lay out the path ahead so that his horsemen could proceed.
91.
Cao Cao expressed joy after he and his surviving men managed to get out of Huarong Trail safely, albeit suffering much losses.
92.
Cao Cao's generals were puzzled so they asked him why.
93.
Cao Cao then established an administration in Yang Province and started a tuntian system in Quebei.
94.
Cao Cao sent Xiahou Yuan and Xu Huang to lead an army to suppress the revolt and they achieved success.
95.
In early 211, Cao Cao ordered Zhong Yao and Xiahou Yuan to lead an army to attack Zhang Lu in Hanzhong Commandery.
96.
The warlords in Guanzhong thought that Cao Cao was planning to attack them, so they, under the leadership of Ma Chao and Han Sui, formed a coalition known as the Guanxi Coalition and rebelled against the Han imperial court.
97.
The first engagement took place when Cao Cao's forces were crossing the Wei River to the north bank, during which they suddenly came under attack by Ma Chao.
98.
Cao Cao later had talks with Han Sui on at least two different occasions.
99.
Ma Chao and the others started to doubt Han Sui's allegiance, especially after Han Sui received a letter from Cao Cao which contained several blotted-out words, making it seem as though the recipient had deliberately edited the letter's contents to cover up something.
100.
Cao Cao took advantage of the mutual suspicion between the rebels to launch an attack on them and defeated them.
101.
Cao Cao returned to Ye in late 211 after receiving the surrender of one of the remaining warlords, Yang Qiu.
102.
Cao Cao left Xiahou Yuan behind to defend Chang'an, a major city in the Guanzhong region.
103.
Cao Cao eliminated Song Jian, who had rebelled against the Han government and set up a small kingdom in Fuhan County.
104.
In early 213, Cao Cao led an army to attack Sun Quan at Ruxu.
105.
In mid-214, Cao Cao launched another campaign against Sun Quan against the advice of Fu Gan, one of his advisers.
106.
In early 215, Cao Cao launched a campaign against Zhang Lu in Hanzhong Commandery.
107.
Cao Cao first sent Zhang He, Zhu Ling and others to lead an army to attack the Di tribes blocking the way in Wudu Commandery.
108.
When his soldiers started complaining, Cao Cao announced that he would remember them for their contributions to encourage them to move on.
109.
Cao Cao was unable to overcome the enemy after launching assaults so he withdrew to put them off guard.
110.
One night, Cao Cao secretly ordered Xie Biao and Gao Zuo to lead a sneak attack on Yangping Pass.
111.
Cao Cao proceeded to occupy Nanzheng County, the capital of Hanzhong Commandery.
112.
In late 215, Zhang Lu led his followers out of Bazhong and voluntarily submitted to Cao Cao, who accepted his surrender and granted him a marquis title.
114.
About a month after Zhang Lu's surrender, Cao Cao left Nanzheng County and headed back to Ye, leaving behind Xiahou Yuan to guard Hanzhong Commandery.
115.
Cao Cao ordered Cao Hong to lead an army to resist the enemy.
116.
Cao Cao ordered Xu Huang to lead another army to help Cao Ren.
117.
In return, Cao Cao would recognise the legitimacy of Sun Quan's claim over the territories in Jiangdong.
118.
Cao Cao arrived in Luoyang early in the winter of 219 after returning from campaign in Hanzhong.
119.
Cao Cao later led an army from Luoyang to relieve Cao Ren, but turned back before reaching his destination upon receiving news that Xu Huang had defeated Guan Yu and lifted the siege on Fancheng.
120.
Sun Quan sent Guan Yu's head to Cao Cao, who arranged a noble's funeral for Guan Yu and had his head buried with full honours.
121.
Cao Cao returned to Ye in the spring of 212 after the Battle of Tong Pass.
122.
Cao Cao did not have to have his name announced, did not have to walk in quickly, and had permission to carry a ceremonial sword and wear shoes when he entered the imperial court.
123.
In 213, after Cao Cao returned from the Battle of Ruxu against Sun Quan, Emperor Xian issued a decree abolishing the fourteen provinces system and replacing it with an older nine provinces system.
124.
About a month after Cao Cao returned to Ye, Emperor Xian sent Chi Lu as an emissary to enfeoff Cao Cao as the Duke of Wei.
125.
Cao Cao later issued two official statements and established a licaoyuan.
126.
In winter, while he was away in Hanzhong Commandery, Cao Cao created the titles of the Five Counsellors and nominal marquis titles for the first time, alongside the original six grades of marquis ranks.
127.
Cao Cao summoned Sima Fang, who had recommended him to be the Commandant of the North District in Luoyang early in his career, to meet him in Ye, where they had a chat.
128.
Cao Cao established the offices of the Minister of Ancestral Ceremonies and Minister of the Royal Clan in his vassal kingdom.
129.
Cao Cao established the office of the Minister of the Guards in his vassal kingdom.
130.
Cao Cao was granted the posthumous title "King Wu" by Emperor Xian.
131.
Cao Cao's will instructed that he be buried near Ximen Bao's tomb in Ye without gold and jade treasures, and that his subjects on duty at the frontier were to stay in their posts and not attend the funeral as, in his own words, "the country is still unstable".
132.
Cao Cao fell out with him after Cao Ang's death and effectively separated from him.
134.
Cao Cao's two adopted sons, Qin Lang and He Yan, were conceived from his concubines' previous marriages.
135.
Cao Cao was a purported descendant of Cao Shen, a statesman of the early Western Han.
136.
Therefore, the claim about Cao Cao descending from Cao Shen was not supported by genetic evidence.
137.
The researchers found that the Y chromosomes of Cao Ding match those of self-proclaimed living descendants of Cao Cao who hold lineage records dating back to more than 100 generations ago.
138.
Cao Cao was sceptical about whether those who claim to be Cao Cao's descendants are really so because genealogical records dating from the Song dynasty are already so rare in the present day, much less those dating from the Three Kingdoms era.
139.
Zhu Ziyan mentioned that Fudan University's research only proves that those self-proclaimed descendants of Cao Cao are related to Cao Ding; it does not directly relate them to Cao Cao.
140.
Cao Cao was known to be frugal and modest in his daily life, showing no particular interest in aesthetic appeal.
141.
Cao Cao relied on only mattresses and blankets for warmth, and had no decorative ornaments at home.
142.
Outside of his work life, Cao Cao was known to behave in a frivolous and carefree manner.
143.
Cao Cao disapproved of wearing expensive headgear as he felt that the country lacked monetary resources due to chaos and famines, hence he advocated replacing silk fujins with the older bians made of leather.
144.
Cao Cao suggested the use of colours to distinguish status in the military.
145.
Cao Cao invented a type of hat, the qia, for casual wear.
146.
Cao Cao felt that it was a pity to have very extravagant arrangements in weddings, so, when his daughter got married, she was dressed modestly and had no more than 10 ladies-in-waiting to accompany her.
147.
Cao Cao heavily rewarded those who deserved to be rewarded; undeserving people who expected to receive something from him had their hopes dashed.
148.
Cao Cao felt that it was of no benefit to own many possessions because such things would eventually wear out.
149.
Cao Cao personally prepared the clothes he would wear at his funeral and the items he would be buried with, which were sufficient to fill up just four trunks.
150.
Cao Cao was known to be very skilled in hand-to-hand combat.
151.
Cao Cao enjoyed hunting and once shot down 63 pheasants in a single day during a hunting expedition in Nanpi County.
152.
Cao Cao was very fond of reading books, especially military classics and treatises.
153.
Cao Cao gave out new reading materials to his officers when they went to battle.
154.
Cao Cao never neglected reading throughout his military career of over 30 years.
155.
Cao Cao was interested in alchemy and the art of longevity.
156.
Cao Cao met and sought help from various fangshis, including Zuo Ci, Hua Tuo, Gan Shi and Xi Jian.
157.
Cao Cao was an accomplished poet, as were his sons Cao Pi and Cao Zhi.
158.
Cao Cao wrote verse in the older four-character per line style characteristic of the Classic of Poetry.
159.
In traditional Chinese culture and literature, Cao Cao is stereotypically portrayed as a sly, power hungry and treacherous tyrant, serving as a nemesis to Liu Bei.
160.
Cao Cao was cast as a primary antagonist in the novel.
161.
Cao Cao's uncle complained to Cao Song several times about his nephew's behaviour, so Cao Cao became more wary of his uncle.
162.
One day, Cao Cao encountered his uncle on the street and pretended to twist his mouth and collapse on the ground.
163.
Cao Cao's uncle went to inform Cao Song, who immediately rushed to the scene, where he saw that his son was well.
164.
Yuan Zhong, the chief administrative officer in Cao Cao's hometown, attempted to prosecute Cao Cao when he was still an ill-behaved and idling young rascal.
165.
Huan Shao, who was from Cao Cao's hometown, treated Cao Cao with contempt when he was still a youth.
166.
Cao Cao had Bian Rang and his family arrested and executed.
167.
Huan Shao gave up on escaping, surrendered to Cao Cao and begged for his life.
168.
Cao Cao arrested Jian Shuo's uncle and ordered his men to beat him to death.
169.
Cao Cao's steed rushed into the field and trampled on the wheat.
170.
Cao Cao then summoned his registrar and asked him what punishment he should receive.
171.
Cao Cao was often accompanied by one of his favourite concubines when he slept.
172.
When Cao Cao woke up later, he ordered her to be beaten to death.
173.
Cao Cao gave an order, "chicken rib", which baffled his subordinates, who did not know what he meant.
174.
Yang Xiu, a Registrar under Cao Cao, immediately gave instructions for everyone to pack up and prepare to leave.
175.
The Shiyu mentioned that after he returned to Luoyang from Hanzhong Commandery, Cao Cao wanted to build a palace hall so he ordered a Zhuolong Shrine to be demolished to make way, but blood spilled out from a tree.
176.
The Cao Man Zhuan mentioned that Cao Cao wanted a pear tree to be moved.
177.
Cao Cao heard about it and went there to take a closer look.
178.
Cao Cao was disgusted and felt that it was an unlucky omen.
179.
Suggestive parallels have been drawn between this anecdote and the actual political situation of the 190s, when Cao Cao had control over the emperor but was free to chastise Yuan Shao for disloyalty.
180.
Cao Cao saw that and knew that the thrower would aim higher on the next attempt, so he changed his sleeping posture.
181.
Cao Cao was right because the dagger landed higher on the second throw.
182.
Once, when Cao Cao was about to meet an emissary from the Xiongnu, he felt that he looked ugly and might not be able to command respect so he ordered Cui Yan to impersonate him while he carried a sword, stood beside Cui Yan, and pretended to be a bodyguard.
183.
Cao Cao had a concubine who sang very well but was cruel and malicious.
184.
Cao Cao then selected another 100 women and ordered his concubine to teach them to sing.
185.
Cao Cao is represented as a cunning and deceitful man in Chinese opera, where his character is given a white facial makeup to reflect his treacherous personality.
186.
Cao Cao is referenced in Magic: The Gathering, as the card "Cao Cao, Lord of Wei".
187.
Cao Cao appears in all instalments of Koei's Romance of the Three Kingdoms video game series.
188.
Cao Cao is featured as a playable character in Koei's Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi series.
189.
Cao Cao is the central character in the Japanese manga series Soten Koro.