As emperor of Cao Wei Cao Pi

1 emperor of cao wei

1.1 succeeding emperor xian
1.2 military failures against sun quan
1.3 domestic matters

1.3.1 treatment of princes
1.3.2 treatment of officials


1.4 succession issues , death

as emperor of cao wei
succeeding emperor xian

in winter of 220, cao pi made move imperial throne, suggesting emperor xian should yield throne. emperor xian did so, , cao pi formally declined 3 times (a model followed future usurpers in chinese history), , accepted, establishing state of cao wei. event marked official end of han dynasty , beginning of 3 kingdoms period. dethroned emperor xian granted title duke of shanyang (山陽公). cao pi granted posthumous titles of emperors grandfather cao song , father cao cao, while mother queen dowager bian became empress dowager. moved imperial capital xuchang luoyang.

military failures against sun quan

a block print of cao pi wearing anachronistic clothing.

after news of cao pi s ascension (and accompanying false rumour cao pi had executed emperor xian) arrived in liu bei s domain of yi province (益州; covering present-day sichuan , chongqing), liu bei declared himself emperor in 221, establishing state of shu han. sun quan, controlled vast majority of southeastern , southern china, did not take affirmative steps 1 way or another, leaving options open.

an armed conflict between liu bei , sun quan materialised, because in late 219 sun quan had sent general lü meng invade jing province , seize territories liu bei, resulted in death of liu s general guan yu. avoid having fight on 2 fronts, sun quan formally paid allegiance cao pi, expressing willingness become vassal under wei. cao pi s strategist liu ye suggested reject , instead attack sun quan on second front. partition sun quan s domain shu, , allow cao pi destroy shu well. cao pi declined suggestion, in fateful choice historians believe doomed empire ruling northern , central china; such opportunity not come again. indeed, against liu ye s advice, cao pi granted sun quan title king of wu (吳王) , 9 bestowments.

sun quan s submission did not last long. after sun quan s forces, under command of lu xun, defeated shu forces @ battle of xiaoting in 222, sun quan began distance himself wei. when cao pi demanded sun quan send heir apparent, sun deng, luoyang hostage, sun quan refused , formally broke ties wei. cao pi led expedition against sun quan, , in response, sun quan declared independence wei, establishing state of eastern wu (but continued ruling king of wu , did not declare himself emperor until 229). time, having defeated shu, wu forces enjoyed high morale , effective leadership sun quan, lu xun , number of other capable generals. cao pi s forces not able make significant advances against them despite several large-scale attacks in next few years. division of former han empire 3 states has become firmly established, particularly after liu bei s death in 223. shu chancellor zhuge liang, serving regent liu bei s son , successor liu shan, re-established alliance wu, resulting in wei having defend on 2 fronts , unable conquer either. exasperated, cao pi made famous comment in 225 heaven created yangtze river divide north , south.

domestic matters

cao pi viewed competent, unspectacular, administrator of empire. commissioned number of capable officials in charge of various affairs of empire, employing father s general guidelines of valuing abilities on heritage. however, not open criticism, , officials dared criticise him demoted and, on rare occasions, put death.

treatment of princes

since cao pi still fearful , resentful of cao zhi, had latter s fief reduced in size , had number of associates executed. ding yi, chief among cao zhi s strategists, had whole clan exterminated result of assisting latter in past. cao pi s younger brother, cao xiong, said have committed suicide out of fears brother. in summary, under regulations established cao pi, not wei princes (unlike princes of han dynasty) distanced central politics, had minimal authority in own principalities , restricted in many ways, particularly in use of military force.

treatment of officials

cao pi recorded ridicule subordinates. example, yu jin captured liu bei s general guan yu @ battle of fancheng in 219, , later taken wu , detained there after wu invasion of jing province. yu jin allowed return wei after wu briefly became vassal state under wei in 221. cao pi reinstated yu jin general pacifies borders (安遠將軍) , announced send yu jin eastern wu – had been imprisoned – envoy. however, before yu jin s departure, instructed travel ye pay respects @ cao cao s tomb. when yu jin arrived, found emperor had commissioned artists paint, in father s tomb, scenes of battle of fancheng. these scenes showed yu jin begging life spared , succumbing victorious guan yu, while subordinate pang de shown dying honourable death resisting invading forces last breath. upon seeing vivid mural, yu jin filled regret , shame fell ill , died. cao pi further gave deceased yu jin negative-sounding posthumous title, marquis li (厲侯), people remember latter stony marquis (or vicious marquis) . wang zhong, general followed cao cao many years, subject of ridicule cao pi.

succession issues , death

an immediate issue after cao pi became emperor in 220 empress be. lady zhen wife. cao pi summoned lady zhen luoyang, lady zhen refused because of poor health. in 221 lady zhen died , position of empress went guo nuwang.

guo nüwang did not bear cao pi children. cao rui eldest of cao pi s sons, because of mother s death, not instated crown prince. instead, cao rui appointed prince of pingyuan after father s ascension throne. cao pi did not appear have considered other son heir. (it might have been because other sons younger, although ages not recorded in history.) in summer of 226, when cao pi ill, named cao rui crown prince. on deathbed, entrusted cao rui care of cao zhen, chen qun , sima yi. following father s death, cao rui ascended throne @ age of 21.