Cao Fang: Encyclopedia II - Cao Fang - Reign

Cao Fang - Reign

Cao Fang would have the longest reign in Cao Wei's history, but during no time did have real imperial authority. During his reign, the political scene was first dominated by Cao Shuang, then by Sima Yi, and eventually, when Cao Fang tried to resist the power grab by Sima Yi's son Sima Shi, he was deposed by Sima Shi.

Cao Fang - Under Cao Shuang's regency

Initially, Cao Shuang and Sima Yi shared power, but Cao Shuang quickly used a number of political maneuvers to honor Sima with honorific titles while stripping his actual power. Cao Shuang then made all important decisions and stopped consulting Sima. Quickly, Cao's associates, including Deng Yang (鄧颺), Li Sheng (李勝), He Yan (何晏), and Ding Mi (丁謐), who were known for their talents but lack of wisdom, all became powerful, and they excluded other officials who would not associate with them from positions of power. Sima was still given military authority (including command in repelling a major Eastern Wu attack in 241), but no real authority on governance.

in 243, Cao Fang married his first wife, Empress Zhen, a granddaughter of his grandmother Zhen Luo's brother Zhen Yan (甄儼).

In 244, Cao Shuang, who wanted to garner for himself a military reputation as well, made a major attack against Shu Han's major border city of Hanzhong (in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi), without careful logistics planning. The battles themselves were inconclusive, but after Cao Wei forces ran out of food supplies, Cao Shuang was forced to withdraw at great loss of life. Despite his failure on the battlefield, however, Cao Shuang held onto power firmly. In 247, Sima, upset at his actual powerlessness, claimed that he was ill and retired from government service.

In 249, Sima made his move. While Cao Fang and Cao Shuang were outside the capital on an official visit to Cao Rui's tomb, Sima, with support from a number of anti-Cao Shuang officials, claiming to have an order from Empress Dowager Guo to do so, closed all city gates of Luoyang and submitted a report to Cao Fang, accusing Cao Shuang of dominating and corrupting the government and demanding that Cao Shuang and his brothers be deposed. Cao Shuang was stricken by panic and did not know how to react, and even though his senior advisor Huan Fan (桓範) recommended that he take Cao Fang to the secondary capital Xuchang (in modern Xuchang, Henan) and then resist Sima with his troops, Cao chose to surrender his troops and powers, under promise by Sima that he would still be able to maintain his titles. However, Sima soon reneged on the promise and had Cao Shuang and his associates, as well as their clans, executed on charges of treason.

Cao Fang - Under Sima Yi's regency

After Sima Yi's takeover, he carefully but inexorably removed people who were actual or potential threats to his authority. Very quickly he established what his intent would be -- by having Cao Fang offer to grant him the "nine bestowments" (九錫) -- a sign of a coming usurpation -- and then declining it. The 18-year-old Cao Fang was left with little power. Sima, however, had the support of the people by removing corruption and ineffiency that characterized Cao Shuang's regency and promoting a number of honest officials.

In 249, the powerful general Wang Ling (王淩), who was in charge of the key southeastern city of Shouchun (壽春, in modern Lu'an, Anhui) began to plan a revolt against Sima's hold on power, in association with Cao Biao (曹彪), the Prince of Chu and a son of Cao Cao (whom he planned to replace Cao Fang with as emperor). In 251, Wang was ready to carry out his plans when his associates Huang Hua (黃華) and Yang Hong (楊弘) leaked the plan to Sima. Sima quickly advanced east before Wang could be ready and promised to pardon him. Wang knew that he was not ready to resist, so he submitted, but Sima again reneged on his promise and forced Wang and Cao Biao to commit suicide. Wang's clan and the clans of his associates were all slaughtered. Sima died later that year, but Cao Fang still could not recover any power, as power became firmly held by Sima's son Sima Shi.

Also in 251, Empress Zhen died.

Cao Fang - Removal by Sima Shi

Sima Shi was a capable politician and administrator, but he also quickly wanted to prove his military reputation. In 252, he made a major attack against Eastern Wu, whose founding emperor Sun Quan had recently died and whose current emperor, Sun Liang, was under the regency of Zhuge Ke. Zhuge was able to deal Sima's forces a major blow, but Sima maintained himself well by making humble admissions of faults to the public and promoting the generals who tried to stop his campaign. In 253, after Sima defeated Zhuge in a major battle, his reputation was established, while Zhuge's own was undermined (due to Zhuge's failure to admit fault), and Zhuge soon fell while Sima's power was affirmed.

In 254, Sima made a violent move to consolidate his power, at Cao Fang's expense. Cao Fang had endeared himself to the minister Li Feng (李豐), and there had been suspicious by Sima that they were plotting against him. He summoned and interrogated Li, and when Li refused to disclose his conversations with the emperor, Sima beat him to death with a sword handle and then accused Li and his friends Xiahou Xuan (夏侯玄) and Zhang Qi (張緝) of treason, and had them and their clans executed. Cao Fang was further forced to depose his wife Empress Zhang (created in 252 to replace the deceased Empress Zhen), who was Zhang Ji's daughter. He created Empress Wang to succeed her.

Cao Fang was very angry about the deaths of Li and Zhang, and later in 254, his associates submitted a plan to him -- that when Sima's brother Sima Zhao would arrive at the palace for an official visit before heading to his defense post at Chang'an, to kill Sima Zhao and seize his troops, and then use those troops to attack Sima Shi. Cao Fang was apprehensive and paralyzed, and did not implement the plan, but news was still leaked to Sima Shi. Sima Shi then forcibly deposed Cao Fang, although sparing his life and giving him his old title of the Prince of Qi.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Reign", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki