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Brief: This article tells the tragic story of Cui Hao, Northern Wei’s top advisor. He helped unify northern China with brilliant strategies but was executed for writing an honest imperial history that angered Xianbei nobles. His fate shows the danger of speaking truth to power in ancient times.
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Ban Gu (32–92 CE) was a renowned historian and literary scholar of the Eastern Han dynasty. His courtesy name was Mengjian, and he was a native of Anling, Fufeng Commandery (in present-day northeastern Xianyang, Shaanxi).
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After capturing Yecheng, Cao Cao promptly executed the highly meritorious Xu You to win the hearts of the people in Jizhou (Ji Province) and secure the support of the local gentry. Simultaneously, he began seeking out influential local talents to join his ranks, aiming to consolidate his rule over Ji Province.
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Following the brutal purge of Dong Cheng and his co-conspirators in the “Girdle Edict” plot, Cao Cao’s grip on the Han court tightened with terrifying finality. As depicted in Chapter 24 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms—and corroborated in spirit, if not in full detail, by historical sources like the Book of the Later…
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In Chapter 23 of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a haunting scene unfolds: Imperial Physician Ji Ping, determined to rid the Han court of its greatest threat, attempts to poison Cao Cao. But Cao Cao, ever vigilant, has already uncovered the plot. He feigns ignorance, lures Ji Ping into action—and catches him red-handed.