27 Facts About Sima Zhao

Sima Zhao, courtesy name Zishang, was a Chinese military general, politician, and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China.

Sima Zhao capably maintained control of Wei, which had been seized by his father Sima Yi and previously maintained by his older brother Sima Shi, successfully crushing all internal opposition in the form of dissent and rebellion.

Sima Zhao was born in 211, as the second-born son of Sima Yi and his wife Zhang Chunhua, younger only to Sima Shi.

In 251, when his father suppressed the failed rebellion of Wang Ling, Sima Zhao served as deputy commander, and was rewarded with the addition of 300 households to his fief and a Marquis post for his young son, Sima You.

In 254, while Sima Zhao was at the capital Luoyang, advisors to the Wei emperor, Cao Fang, suggested that the emperor surprise Sima Zhao and kill him to seize his troops, and then use those troops against Sima Shi.

Cao Fang, apprehensive, did not act on the suggestion, but the plot was still discovered, and Sima Zhao assisted his brother in deposing the emperor and replacing him with Cao Mao.

At that time, Sima Zhao was with his brother at Xuchang.

Sima Zhao issued an edict which, under the rationale that Sima Shi had just quelled Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin's rebellion and that the southeastern empire was still not completely pacified, ordered Sima Zhao to remain at Xuchang and that Sima Shi's assistant Fu Jia return to Luoyang with the main troops.

Under Fu Jia and Zhong Hui's advice Sima Zhao returned to Luoyang anyway against edict, and was able to maintain control of the government.

Sima Zhao further built up a series of events that were viewed as precipitations to usurpation of the Wei throne.

Sima Zhao further tested waters by having his close aides hinting to the generals around the empire as to his intentions.

Sima Zhao gathered his associates Wang Shen, Wang Jing, and Wang Ye and told them that, while he knew the chances of success were slight, he was going to act against Sima Zhao.

Sima Zhao took lead of the imperial guards, armed himself with a sword, and set out toward Sima Zhao's mansion.

The next day, after pleas from his uncle Sima Fu, Sima Zhao instead had Empress Dowager Guo order that Cao Mao be promoted back to a duke and buried with the ceremonies of an imperial prince.

Sima Zhao then summoned Cao Huan, the Duke of Changdao, and a grandson of Cao Cao, to the capital to become the emperor; by now, Empress Dowager Guo was powerless to speak further.

Some days later, Sima Zhao publicly accused Cheng Ji and his brothers of treason and had them and their family executed to appease public sentiment while sparing Jia Chong.

In 262, aggravated by Jiang Wei's incessant border attacks, Sima Zhao considered hiring assassins to murder Jiang Wei, but this plan was opposed by his advisor, Xun Xu.

Sima Zhao put Zhong Hui, Zhuge Xu, and Deng Ai in charge of the invasion forces, and they set out in autumn 263.

Deng Ai, proud of his achievements, became arrogant in his correspondence with Sima Zhao, drawing Sima Zhao's suspicion.

Zhong Hui did so, seizing Deng Ai's troops and merging them with his own, and then, with Jiang Wei as his assistant, declared a rebellion in 264, but his troops rebelled against him and killed both him and Jiang Wei, with Sima Zhao going on to bestow an amnesty upon all in Shu.

Sima Zhao set out to revise the laws and the civil service system in accordance with how he would want his own empire to be, such as instating the Five Feudal Ranks of Zhou, and going on to posthumously enfeoff his father, Sima Yi, and older brother, Sima Shi, as King Xuan of Jin and King Jing of Jin respectively.

Sima Zhao further sought peace with Eastern Wu, to prevent further complications for his planned takeover, a gesture that was reciprocated.

Later that year, Sima Zhao considered whom to make his heir.

Sima Zhao strongly considered his talented younger son, Sima You, who had been adopted by Sima Shi because Sima Shi did not have sons of his own, under the rationale that because Sima Shi had great achievement in the Simas' obtaining and retaining of power, the succession should go back to his son.

The majority of his advisors recommended his oldest son, Sima Yan, instead, and Sima Zhao finally resolved to make Sima Yan his designated heir.

Sima Zhao is first introduced as a playable character in the seventh instalment of Koei's Dynasty Warriors video game series, in which he is depicted as having a lazy and carefree atmosphere, but underneath it actually being a talented leader and strategist.

Sima Zhao is then introduced again as a playable character in Warriors Orochi 3.