Cao Rui's parentage is in dispute: his mother, Lady Zhen, was Yuan Xi's wife, but she later remarried Cao Pi, the first ruler of Wei.
35 Facts About Cao Rui
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Cao Rui's reign was viewed in many different ways throughout Chinese history.
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Cao Rui devoted many resources into building palaces and ancestral temples, and his reign saw the stalemate between his empire, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu become more entrenched.
4.
Cao Rui's building projects and his desire to have many concubines greatly exhausted the imperial treasury.
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Cao Rui passed the throne to his adopted son Cao Fang and entrusted him to the regency of Cao Shuang and Sima Yi.
6.
When Cao Rui was born, his grandfather Cao Cao was the paramount warlord of the Han dynasty, who had rendered Emperor Xian of Han a mere figurehead.
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However, Cao Cao was fond of this grandson, and frequently ordered Rui to be at his side.
8.
Cao Rui apparently had a cordial relationship with Lady Guo, who was created empress ; as she was sonless, his status as heir apparent was not seriously challenged.
9.
Cao Pi killed the mother deer with an arrow, and then ordered Cao Rui to kill the young deer.
10.
Cao Rui died soon thereafter, and Cao Rui became emperor at the age of 21.
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Cao Rui's reign was a paradoxical one in many ways.
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Cao Rui was clearly intelligent and capable, and yet never fulfilled his potential in his governance of the country or in his military campaigns.
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Cao Rui showed great compassion at times, and yet was capable of great cruelty.
14.
Cao Rui carried out many acts that were beneficial for the empire and yet at least as many that were hurtful.
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Once Cao Rui became emperor he, while knowing the value of the advice of these senior officials, chose perhaps the best path to deal with them: honoring them and making them regional governors with full authority in the provinces they governed.
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Cao Rui was generally cautious and not willing to take risks, but at the same time was, therefore, able to avoid major disasters for his empire.
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One immediate threat that Cao Rui had to deal with after he became emperor were attacks from Shu Han's chancellor, Zhuge Liang.
18.
Cao Rui entrusted the southeastern border to the capable Man Chong, and Man's stewardship averted many disasters.
20.
Cao Rui refused to cancel his subordinates' vacation, and ordered Man to focus on the defense.
21.
The only real military gain for Cao Wei during Cao Rui's reign was the end of the Gongsun clan's hold on Liaodong, which was started by Gongsun Du in 190.
22.
Gongsun, apprehensive of another attack from Cao Rui Wei, sent ambassadors to Eastern Wu to formally submit to its emperor Sun Quan.
23.
Cao Rui betrayed Eastern Wu, slaughtered Sun's ambassadors as they arrived in Liaodong, and seized their troops.
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In 237, Cao Rui considered attacking Liaodong, angered by reports that Gongsun had repeatedly defamed him.
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Cao Rui commissioned Guanqiu Jian to prepare for an attack, and then ordered Gongsun to come to Luoyang for an official visit.
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Almost immediately after Cao Rui ascended the throne, he started out large scale palace and temple-building projects.
27.
Cao Rui further built gigantic bronze statues of his own and placed them on a man-made hill inside his palace, surrounded by rare trees and plants and populated by rare animals.
28.
Cao Rui was increasing his collection of women, as his concubines and ladies in waiting numbered thousands.
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Cao Rui's palace-building projects might have been with intent to house them.
30.
When Cao Rui became emperor, it was commonly expected that his wife, Princess Yu, would be created empress, but she was not.
31.
Cao Rui loved Empress Mao dearly, and a number of her relatives, including her father and brother, became honored officials.
32.
Cao Rui ordered that the temples of Cao Cao, Cao Pi and himself were not to be torn down in the future.
33.
Cao Rui became exceedingly angry, and killed a number of his attendants whom he suspected of leaking the news to Empress Mao, and, inexplicably, ordered Empress Mao to commit suicide, even though she was still buried with honors due an empress, and her family remained honored.
34.
Cao Rui initially wanted to entrust his adopted son, Cao Fang the Prince of Qi, to his uncle Cao Yu, to serve as the lead regent, along with Xiahou Xian, Cao Shuang, Cao Zhao, and Qin Lang.
35.
Cao Rui insisted that the funeral rites used be those for an adult woman and that court officials were to don mourning clothing; Chen Qun wrote a formal submission to advise the emperor.