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Home , Cao Cao, Cao Fang, Cao Hong, Cao Pi, Cao Ren, Cao Wei

CHAPTER TEN

THE LAST YEARS 218–220

Liu Bei in 218–219 and Lü Meng 219 Posthumous 220 The later history of

Chronology 218–2201

218 spring: short-lived rebellion at Xu city Bei sends an army into Hanzhong; driven back by summer: rebellion put down by ’s son ; Kebineng of the Xianbi surrenders winter: rebellion in Nanyang 219 spring: Nanyang rebellion put down by defeats at Dingjun Mountain summer: Cao Cao withdraws from Hanzhong; Liu Bei presses east down the Han autumn: Liu Bei proclaims himself King of Hanzhong; Guan Yu attacks north in province, besieges Cao Ren in city rebellion of at city winter: Guan Yu defeated at Fan; Lü Meng seizes Jing province for Quan and destroys Guan Yu 220 spring [15 March]: Cao Cao dies at ; succeeds him as King of Wei winter [11 December]: Cao Pi takes the imperial title; Cao Cao is given posthumous honour as Martial Emperor of Wei [Wei Wudi] * * * * *

1 The major source for Cao Cao’s activities from 218 to 220 is SGZ 1:50–53. They are presented in chronicle order by ZZTJ 68:2154–74 and 69:2175; deC, Establish Peace, 508–560. 424 chapter ten

Chronology from 220

222 Xun defeats the revenge attack of Liu Bei against 226 death of Cao Pi, succeeded by his son Cao Rui 238 death of Cao Rui, succeeded by under the regency of Cao Shuang 249 Yi destroys Cao Shuang and seizes power in the state of Wei for his family 254 Sima Shi deposes Cao Fang, replacing him with Cao 255 Sima Shi succeeded by Sima 260 Cao Mao killed in a coup d’état; replaced by Cao Huan 264 conquest of -Han 266 Sima takes title as Emperor of Jin 280 conquest of by Jin

Liu Bei in Hanzhong 218–219

Even while Cao Cao steadily developed his position with honours, titles and insignia, he continued to proclaim his loyalty to Han and to represent himself as a servant—albeit a most successful and distin- guished one—of the established dynasty. To many people, however, his protestations sounded hollow, and a few daring souls were prepared to risk their lives in hope of overthrowing the usurper and restoring the sovereign to his rightful place at the head of the government. In 217, concerned at the possibility that Cao Cao would take formal title as emperor, a group of officials planned to seize power at Xu city and invite Liu Bei’s general Guan Yu to come north to support them. The leader of the plot was a certain Jin Yi of , member of an old family of Han loyalists,2 and he was joined by the Minister Steward , of similar background, by the censorial official Wei , and by the Court Physician with his two sons Miao and Mu. Jin Yi had been a friend of Bi, a long-time servant of Cao Cao who

2 SGZ 1:50 PC quotes the commentary to Sanfu juelu by Zhi Yu of Jin, which has a detailed account of the incident, and explains that Jin Yi was a descendant of Jin Midi of the early first century BC, who was born a but became a loyal servant of Emperor Wu and foiled an assassination plot in 88: Loewe, QHX, 196–197. Jin Yi sought to emulate his achievement in the service of Han. Geng Ji belonged to a clan which had close connection to the house of Liu, some- times by marriage, during Later Han: HHS 19/9:718.