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Ma Chao (176–222),courtesy name Mengqi,was a Chinese military general and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. A descendant of the general Ma Yuan,Ma Chao was the eldest son of Ma Teng,a prominent warlord in Liang Province. In 211,he formed a coalition with Han Sui and other northwestern warlords and revolted against the Han central government,which was led by the warlord Cao Cao. The coalition broke up after losing the Battle of Tong Pass against Cao Cao's forces. Ma Chao initially retreated,but later returned to attack and seize control of Liang Province by killing the provincial inspector Wei Kang and forcing Wei Kang's subordinates to submit to him. About a year after Ma Chao started his uprising,Emperor Xian issued an imperial decree ordering the execution of Ma Chao's family members,who were in Ye city at the time. In the meantime,Wei Kang's subordinates,led by Zhao Ang,Yang Fu and others,rebelled against Ma Chao and forced him out of Liang Province. Ma Chao retreated to Hanzhong Commandery,where he borrowed troops from the warlord Zhang Lu,and returned to attack Liang Province but was ultimately defeated and driven back. Ma Chao took shelter under Zhang Lu for a while until around 214,when he heard that the warlord Liu Bei was fighting for control over Yi Province with Yi Province's governor,Liu Zhang. He defected to Liu Bei's side and assisted Liu Bei in capturing Yi Province from Liu Zhang. Ma Chao had served as a general under Liu Bei since then and participated in the Hanzhong Campaign in 219. He died in 222.
LüBu,courtesy name Fengxian,was a Chinese military general,politician,and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of Imperial China. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan,he betrayed and murdered Ding Yuan and defected to Dong Zhuo,the warlord who controlled the Han central government in the early 190s. In 192,he turned against Dong Zhuo and killed him after being instigated by Wang Yun and Shisun Rui,but was later defeated and driven away by Dong Zhuo's followers.
Guo Jia,courtesy name Fengxiao,was an adviser to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Throughout his 11 years of service,Guo Jia aided Cao Cao greatly with his brilliance and foresight,and his strategies were instrumental to Cao Cao's triumphs over rival warlords such as LüBu and Yuan Shao. For example,four years before Cao Cao's decisive victory over Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu,Guo Jia already foresaw that Cao Cao would win when he pointed out ten advantages Cao Cao had over Yuan Shao.
Xu Chu,courtesy name Zhongkang,was a Chinese military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period of China. He started his career as a bodyguard to the warlord Cao Cao and later became a general in the state of Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. He was described to be a big and strong man,yet simple minded and honest,so he was nicknamed "Tiger Fool" by his men. After his death,he was posthumously honoured with the title "Marquis Zhuang",which literally means "robust marquis".
Chen Shou,courtesy name Chengzuo (承祚),was a Chinese historian,politician,and writer who lived during the Three Kingdoms period and Jin dynasty of China. Chen Shou is most known for his most celebrated work,the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi),which records the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. Chen Shou wrote the Sanguozhi primarily in the form of biographies of notable persons of those eras. Today,Chen's Records of the Three Kingdoms is part of the Twenty-Four Histories canon of ancient Chinese history.
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Bu Zhi,courtesy name Zishan,was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a scholar of humble background,he became a subordinate of the warlord Sun Quan in the late Eastern Han dynasty and gradually rose through the ranks. Between 210 and 220,he served as the governor of the remote and restive Jiao Province in southern China. During the Battle of Xiaoting/Yiling of 221–222,he quelled local uprisings in Sun Quan's territories in southern Jing Province and maintained peace in the area. After Sun Quan became emperor in 229,Bu Zhi oversaw the Wu armed forces guarding the Wu–Shu border at Xiling for about 20 years. During this time,he also gave advice to Sun Quan's first heir apparent,Sun Deng,and spoke up for officials affected by LüYi's abuses of power. In 246,he became the fourth Imperial Chancellor of Wu,but died in office in the following year.
Xin Xianying (191–269) was a Chinese noblewoman,aristocrat and advisor who lived during the Three Kingdoms period. She was a daughter of Xin Pi,an official of the state of Cao Wei. The only extant historical source about her life is her biography written by her maternal grandson,Xiahou Zhan (夏侯湛),who was a notable scholar and official of the Jin dynasty. She is best known for giving advice to her family members and relatives during significant events in the history of Cao Wei such as the Incident at the Gaoping Tombs and Zhong Hui's Rebellion.
Xin Pi,courtesy name Zuozhi,was an official of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Along with his elder brother Xin Ping,he started his career in the late Eastern Han dynasty as an adviser to the warlord Yuan Shao. Following Yuan Shao's death and a power struggle between Yuan Shao's sons Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang,Xin Pi initially sided with Yuan Tan but later defected to Yuan Shao's rival Cao Cao,while seeking Cao Cao's aid on Yuan Tan's behalf in the fight against Yuan Shang. As a result,his family members were executed by Shen Pei,a Yuan Shang loyalist who blamed Xin Pi for the downfall of the Yuan family. After avenging his family,Xin Pi served as an official under Cao Cao,who controlled the Han central government and the figurehead Emperor Xian. After the Cao Wei state replaced the Eastern Han dynasty,Xin Pi continued serving under Cao Cao's successor Cao Pi,the first Wei emperor,and later under Cao Rui,Cao Pi's son. Throughout his service in Wei,he was known for being outspoken and critical whenever he disagreed with the emperors and his colleagues. His highest appointment in the Wei government was the Minister of the Guards (衞尉). He died around 235 and was survived by his son Xin Chang and daughter Xin Xianying.
The Battle of Tong Pass,also known as the Battle of Weinan,was fought between the warlord Cao Cao and a coalition of forces from Guanxi between April and November 211 in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. The battle was initiated by Cao Cao's western expansion,which triggered uprisings in Guanxi. Cao Cao scored a decisive victory over the Guanxi coalition and established a hold of the Guanzhong region.
Wei Feng,courtesy name Zijing,was a government official who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.
Jiang Ji,courtesy name Zitong,was an official and military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Born in the late Eastern Han dynasty,Jiang Ji started his career as a low-level official in his native Yang Province before becoming a subordinate of Cao Cao,the warlord who controlled the central government towards the end of the Eastern Han dynasty. After the end of the Eastern Han dynasty,he served in the state of Cao Wei through the reigns of the first three emperors –Cao Pi,Cao Rui and Cao Fang –and held various appointments in the military before rising to Grand Commandant,one of the top positions in the central government. During his service in Wei,he was known for being candid in giving advice to the emperor on various issues,including consolidating power,halting labour-intensive construction projects,and officials' abuses of power. In February 249,he joined the regent Sima Yi in staging a successful coup d'état against his co-regent Cao Shuang,but died from illness a few months later.
This article contains the family trees of members of the Cao clan,who ruled the state of Cao Wei (220–265) in the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) in China. Only Cao Cao's lineage is shown in this article. The lineages of his relatives,such as Cao Ren,Cao Zhen and others,are not included here.
Shi Yi,courtesy name Ziyu. After local service that saw him bullied into name change,he fled south during the civil war and became a trusted officer to Sun Quan the future Emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. A frugal man,he would become a tutor to Princes,diplomat,he rejected military rank and rewards he felt he was undeserving of.
References
- 1 2 3 De Crespigny, Rafe. A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23-220 AD. Leiden: Brill. p. 915. ISBN 9789004156050.
- ↑ Sanguozhi vol. 12.
- ↑ 避難江東，孫策禮命之。奕改姓名，微服還本郡。Sanguozhi vol.12.
- ↑ 時關中新服，未甚安，留奕為丞相長史，鎮撫西京，西京稱其威信。Sanguozhi vol.12
- ↑ Weishi Chunqiu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 1.
- ↑ 或謂奕曰：「夫以史魚之直，孰與蘧伯玉之智？丁儀方貴重，宜思所以下之。」奕曰：「以公明聖，儀豈得久行其偽乎！且姦以事君者，吾所能禦也，子寧以他規我。」Weishu annotation in Sanguozhi vol.12.
- ↑ 又毛玠、徐奕以剛蹇少黨，而為西曹掾丁儀所不善，儀屢言其短，賴階左右以自全保. 其將順匡救，多此類也。遷尚書，典選舉 Sanguozhi vol. 22.
- ↑ 武皇帝，至明也。崔琰、徐奕，一時清賢，皆以忠信顯於魏朝；丁儀閒之，徐奕失位而崔琰被誅。Fu zi annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 12.
- ↑ Rafe De Crespigny commentary in Zizhi Tongjian vol. 67.
- ↑ 君之忠亮，古人不過也，然微太嚴。昔西門豹佩韋以自緩，夫能以柔弱制剛彊者，望之於君也。今使君統留事，孤無復還顧之憂也 Sanguozhi vol.12.
- ↑ 太祖征漢中，魏諷反於鄴。俊自劾詣行在所。俊以身方罪免，牋辭太子。太子不悅，曰：「楊中尉便去，何太高遠邪！」遂被書左遷平原太守 Sanguozhi vol.23.
- ↑ 「諷所以敢生亂心，以吾爪牙之臣無遏姦防謀者故也。安得如諸葛豐者，使代俊乎！」Sanguozhi vol.12.
- ↑ Shiyu annotation in Sanguozhi vol.1.
- ↑ Wei shu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 2.
- ↑ 文帝每與朝臣會同，未嘗不嗟歎，思奕之為人。奕無子，詔以其族子統為郎，以奉奕後。Wei shu annotation in Sanguozhi vol.12.
- Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
- Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu)