Emperor of Wei from the age of eight. Rode out to the Gaoping Tombs and rode back a guest in his own palace; deposed by the Sima house in 254, he died in retirement in 274.
He came to the throne an eight-year-old and rode out to the Gaoping Tombs on the morning that mattered; he rode back a guest in his own palace.Sanguozhi, Wei shu 4, Annals of the Three Young Emperors; Zizhi Tongjian, scroll 75
Appears in
Relations
- Cao Shuang boy emperor & regent — Cao Shuang held the court in his name from 239.
- Sima Yi emperor & the power behind — Rode out to the tombs and rode back a guest; the real authority passed to the Sima house.
- Sima Shi emperor & the hand that deposed him — Deposed in 254 under the Sima brothers.
Myth vs record
The story you may know
Wei ended with the coup at the Gaoping Tombs in 249.
What the sources say
Cao Fang remained emperor five more years and was deposed in 254; his successors reigned until 265, when the throne passed to Jin. The coup did not end Wei; it made the ending certain.