In 239 AD, Emperor Cao Rui of Wei, aged just 35 and childless, lay dying. He adopted Cao Fang, a seven-year-old boy, as his heir and summoned his most trusted ministers to his bedside. Pointing to the young prince, he addressed Grand Commandant Sima Yi:
“I entrust the future of the state to you. Together with General-in-Chief Cao Shuang, support the young emperor.”
To seal the bond, Cao Rui had Cao Fang embrace Sima Yi’s neck – a symbolic gesture of filial trust. Sima Yi wept and nodded repeatedly. Moments later, Cao Rui passed away.
The Rise of Dual Regency
Thus began the dual regency: Cao Shuang, son of the late general Cao Zhen and a member of the imperial clan, and Sima Yi, the seasoned strategist who had long served Cao Cao and his successors.
Cao Shuang’s Consolidation
Initially, Cao Shuang showed Sima Yi great deference, consulting him on major decisions. But soon, he began appointing his own clique – He Yan of Nanyang, Ding Mi of Pei, and other favorites – to key posts. Advised by these men that “real power must not fall into outsiders’ hands,” Cao Shuang moved to neutralize Sima Yi.
He petitioned the young emperor to honor Sima Yi with the exalted but powerless title of Grand Tutor (Taifu) – a ceremonial role with no military or administrative authority. Meanwhile, Cao Shuang placed his brothers and allies in control of the palace guards, the secretariat, and the capital garrisons, dominating court life with unchecked arrogance.
For nearly a decade, Cao Shuang grew increasingly indulgent: hunting, feasting, collecting jewels, and even appropriating Emperor Ming’s former concubines as dancers in his mansion. Governance was delegated to sycophants, while real oversight vanished.
Sima Yi’s “Sickbed” Performance
Alarmed by Sima Yi’s enduring prestige – even at age 70 – Cao Shuang sought to confirm whether the elder statesman posed a threat. When Li Sheng, the Administrator of Henan, requested transfer to his home province of Jingzhou, Cao Shuang approved it and instructed Li Sheng to assess Sima Yi’s condition during a farewell visit.
What followed became one of history’s most famous acts of political theater. As recorded in the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi) and dramatized in later texts like the Book of Jin (Jinshu), Sima Yi staged a performance of extreme frailty:
- He lay wrapped in thick quilts, trembling.
- He fumbled with his robe, unable to hold it.
- He misheard “Jingzhou” as “Bingzhou” (a distant northern frontier), claiming Li Sheng was heading into barbarian territory.
- He choked on porridge, spilling it down his beard and chest.
- He tearfully entrusted his sons Sima Shi and Sima Zhao to Li Sheng’s care.
Li Sheng returned convinced:
“The Grand Tutor is deaf, blind, and barely clinging to life – just skin and bones. No need to fear him.”
Cao Shuang breathed easy.
The Coup: Lightning strikes from a “Dead” man
In January 249 AD, Emperor Cao Fang traveled to Gaopingling, ninety li south of Luoyang, to perform ancestral rites for Cao Rui. Cao Shuang and his entire faction – brothers, advisors, and guards – accompanied him, leaving the capital virtually undefended.
The moment they departed, Sima Yi sprang from his “sickbed.” With astonishing speed:
- He mobilized loyal troops under Sima Shi and Sima Zhao.
- Seized the armory and palace gates.
- Occupied Cao Shuang’s military camps.
- Secured the backing of Empress Dowager Guo, who – intimidated and compliant – approved Cao Shuang’s removal.
Sima Yi then dispatched a memorial to the emperor at Gaopingling, demanding Cao Shuang surrender his command immediately or face execution under martial law.
The fatal hesitation and False promise
Cao Shuang, paralyzed by fear, received desperate counsel from Huan Fan, the so-called “wisest man in court,” who had escaped Luoyang to warn him:
“Take the emperor to Xuchang, rally provincial armies using my Seal of the Minister of Finance, and fight back! You still have grain, troops, and legitimacy!”
But Cao Shuang hesitated all night, torn between resistance and surrender. By dawn, envoys Xu Yun and Chen Tai arrived, assuring him:
“Sima Yi has sworn by the Luo River – if you relinquish power, your life and wealth will be spared.”
Convinced, Cao Shuang threw down his sword:
“I’ll give up command. At least I can live as a rich commoner.”
Huan Fan wept in fury:
“You’re worse than pigs and dogs! We’re all doomed to extermination!”
From house arrest to execution
Back in Luoyang, Cao Shuang and his brothers were confined to their mansions – surrounded by watchtowers where sentries loudly announced his every move:
“Former General-in-Chief has gone southeast!”
When food ran low, Sima Yi sent 100 hu of rice, dried meat, and soybeans, deepening Cao Shuang’s delusion of safety.
But within weeks, accusations of treason surfaced – likely orchestrated by Sima Yi. Cao Shuang, He Yan, Ding Mi, Huan Fan, and their entire clans were arrested, tried, and executed under the charge of plotting rebellion.
As Huan Fan had foreseen: not even a humble peasant’s fate was granted them.
Historical Significance
The Gaopingling Incident marked the effective end of Cao family rule. Though the Wei throne remained for another decade, real power shifted irrevocably to the Sima clan. Sima Yi’s coup – executed through patience, deception, and ruthless timing – paved the way for his grandsons to eventually found the Jin Dynasty in 265 AD.
His feigned illness remains a textbook example of strategic patience in Chinese political warfare – where weakness is weaponized, and silence precedes thunder.
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