CHAPTER TEN THE LAST YEARS 218–220 Liu Bei in Hanzhong 218–219 Guan Yu and Lü Meng 219 Posthumous emperor 220 The later history of Cao Wei Chronology 218–2201 218 spring: short-lived rebellion at Xu city Liu Bei sends an army into Hanzhong; driven back by Cao Hong summer: Wuhuan rebellion put down by Cao Cao’s son Zhang; Kebineng of the Xianbi surrenders winter: rebellion in Nanyang 219 spring: Nanyang rebellion put down by Cao Ren Liu Bei defeats Xiahou Yuan 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 Jing province, besieges Cao Ren in Fan city rebellion of Wei Feng at Ye city winter: Guan Yu defeated at Fan; Lü Meng seizes Jing province for Sun Quan and destroys Guan Yu 220 spring [15 March]: Cao Cao dies at Luoyang; Cao Pi 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 Lu Xun defeats the revenge attack of Liu Bei against Sun Quan 226 death of Cao Pi, succeeded by his son Cao Rui 238 death of Cao Rui, succeeded by Cao Fang under the regency of Cao Shuang 249 Sima 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 Mao 255 Sima Shi succeeded by Sima Zhao 260 Cao Mao killed in a coup d’état; replaced by Cao Huan 264 conquest of Shu-Han 266 Sima Yan takes title as Emperor of Jin 280 conquest of Wu 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 Jingzhao, member of an old family of Han loyalists,2 and he was joined by the Minister Steward Geng Ji, of similar background, by the censorial official Wei Huang, and by the Court Physician Ji Ben with his two sons Miao and Mu. Jin Yi had been a friend of Wang 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 Xiongnu 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..