The Incident at the Gaoping Tombs was a ''

coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...

'' that took place on 5 February 249 in the state of

Cao Wei Wei ( Hanzi: 魏; pinyin: ''Wèi'' <

Middle Chinese

: *''ŋjwei^C'' <

during the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...

period (220–280) of China. The parties involved were

Sima Yi Sima Yi ( ; 179 CE – 7 September 251 CE), courtesy name Zhongda, was a Chinese military general, politician, and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He formally began his political career in 208 un ...

and

Cao Shuang Cao Shuang (died 9 February 249), courtesy name Zhaobo, was a Chinese military general and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the eldest son of Cao Zhen, a prominent general of Wei. He initially hel ...

, who were both regents for the Cao Wei emperor

Cao Fang Cao Fang () (232–274), courtesy name Lanqing, was the third emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. He was an adopted son of Cao Rui, the second ruler of Wei. Cao Fang ruled from 239 to 254 as a nominal emperor bef ...

, who was then about 17 years old. On that day, while Cao Shuang and his brothers accompanied the emperor on a visit to the Gaoping tombs, Sima Yi staged a ''coup d'état''; taking control of the capital city of

Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...

and issuing a

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of a ...

which listed out the various crimes Cao Shuang had committed. Cao Shuang surrendered and gave up his powers after further receiving reassurance that he and his family would be spared, thinking that he could still live a life in luxury. Shortly thereafter, Cao Shuang, his brothers, and his supporters were charged with treason and executed along with their families on 9 February. The ''coup d'état'' increased the Sima family's influence and paved the way for the eventual replacement of the Cao Wei regime by the Sima family's Jin dynasty in 266.

Background

In 239, the Cao Wei emperor

Cao Rui Cao Rui () (204 or 206 – 22 January 239), courtesy name Yuanzhong, was the second emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. His parentage is in dispute: his mother, Lady Zhen, was Yuan Xi's wife, but she later remarr ...

died and was succeeded by his seven-year-old adopted son,

. Before his death, Cao Rui named General-in-Chief

and Grand Commandant

as the regents to assist Cao Fang. Cao Shuang wanted to dominate the Wei government so he used a series of political manoeuvres to consolidate and concentrate power in the hands of himself, his brothers Cao Xi (曹羲) and Cao Xun (曹訓), and their supporters. He heeded the advice of

He Yan He Yan ( 195 – 9 February 249), courtesy name Pingshu, was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was a grandson of He Jin, a general and regent of the Eastern Han dynasty. Hi ...

Deng Yang Deng Yang (died 9 February 249), courtesy name Xuanmao, was an official of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. Life Deng Yang was a descendant of Deng Yu, an official who lived in the early Eastern Han dynasty. He was ...

and Ding Mi (丁謐), and relocated Empress Dowager Guo (Cao Rui's widow) to Yongning Palace (永寧宮) so that she could not interfere in politics. He also put his brothers in command of the military, promoted his close aides to higher positions in the imperial court, and made changes to the political structure to benefit himself and his clique. Sima Yi tried to stop Cao Shuang but failed to do so. Cao Shuang became increasingly distrustful and wary of Sima Yi. In June or July 247, Sima Yi claimed that he was ill and withdrew from the political scene. At the time, there was a saying in Luoyang which went: "He (Yan), Deng (Yang) and Ding (Mi) create turmoil in the imperial capital." In April or May 248, Zhang Dang (張當), a palace

eunuch A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium ...

, illegally transferred 11 women out of the imperial harem and presented them to Cao Shuang to be his concubines. Cao Shuang and his close aides thought that Sima Yi was seriously ill and could no longer do anything, so they plotted with Zhang Dang to overthrow the emperor Cao Fang and put Cao Shuang on the throne. However, they were still wary of Sima Yi and did not lower their guard against him. At the time, Li Sheng, one of Cao Shuang's supporters, had been recently reassigned to be the Inspector of

Jing Province Jingzhou or Jing Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China referenced in Chinese historical texts such as the ''Tribute of Yu'', '' Erya'' and '' Rites of Zhou''. Jingzhou became an administrative division during the reign of Empe ...

. Cao Shuang secretly instructed him to check if Sima Yi was as ill as he claimed, so Li Sheng visited Sima Yi before leaving for Jing Province. Sima Yi knew the true purpose of Li Sheng's visit, so he pretended to be frail and feeble. Li Sheng saw that Sima Yi could not move around and wear clothes without help from his servants, and could not even consume

congee Congee or conjee ( ) is a type of rice porridge or gruel eaten in Asian countries. It can be eaten plain, where it is typically served with side dishes, or it can be served with ingredients such as meat, fish, seasonings and flavourings, most o ...

without soiling his clothes. He then told Sima Yi, "Everyone thought that your illness was a minor one; alas, who expected you to be in such poor health?" Sima Yi pretended to cough and pant as he replied, "I'm old and sick and I'm going to die soon. When you go to

Bing Province Bingzhou, or Bing Province, was a location in ancient China. According to legend, when Yu the Great (c. 2200 BC-2100 BC) tamed the flood, he divided the land of China into the Nine Provinces. Historical texts such as the ''Rites of Zhou'', and "Tr ...

, you should be careful because it is near barbarian territory. We might not see each other again, so I entrust my sons

Shi Shi or SHI may refer to: Language * ''Shi'', a Japanese titles#Shi, Japanese title commonly used as a pronoun * ''Shi'', proposed gender-neutral pronoun * Shi (kana), a kana in Japanese syllabaries * Shi language * ''Shī'', transliteration of ...

and Zhao to your care." Li Sheng said, "I'm returning to my home province, not Bing Province." Sima Yi pretended to mishear and he said, "You're going to Bing Province, aren't you?" Li Sheng then said, "My home province is Jing Province." Sima Yi replied, "I'm so old and weak that I can't even hear you. So now you're going back to your home province. It's time for you to make some glorious achievements!" Li Sheng returned to Cao Shuang and told him, "Sima Yi is dying soon and no longer of sound mind. There's nothing for you to worry about." Later, he said, "It's sad to see that the Grand Tutor is no longer in a good state of health to serve." Cao Shuang lowered his guard against Sima Yi.

The ''coup d'état''

On 5 February 249, Cao Shuang and his brothers accompanied the emperor Cao Fang on a visit to the Gaoping Tombs (高平陵) to pay respect to the late emperor and Cao Fang's father,

. On that day, Sima Yi seized the opportunity to stage a ''coup d'état'' against his co-regent. He went to Yongning Palace to meet Empress Dowager Guo and ask her to remove Cao Shuang and his brothers from power. In the meantime, he ordered his eldest son

Sima Shi Sima Shi () (208 – 23 March 255), courtesy name Ziyuan, was a military general and regent of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. In 249, he assisted his father Sima Yi in overthrowing the emperor Cao Fang's regent Cao Shuang, all ...

to lead his troops to the palace gates. After meeting the empress dowager, Sima Yi went to the camp where Cao Shuang's troops were based. Yan Shi (嚴世), one of Cao Shuang's subordinates, prepared to fire an arrow at Sima Yi but his colleague Sun Qian (孫謙) stopped him and said, "We wouldn't know what will happen." This process repeated three times.

Huan Fan Huan Fan (died 9 February 249), courtesy name Yuanze, was an official and military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Life Huan Fan was from Pei State (), which is around present-day Suixi County, Anhui ...

, the Minister of Finance (大司農) and one of Cao Shuang's supporters, managed to escape from Luoyang and head to the Gaoping Tombs. When

Jiang Ji Jiang Ji (died 18 May 249), 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 i ...

, the Grand Commandant (太尉), told Sima Yi that the "bag of wisdom" (Huan Fan's nickname) was gone, Sima Yi replied that they did not need to worry because he knew that Cao Shuang would not heed Huan Fan's advice. Sima Yi then granted imperial authority to

Gao Rou Gao Rou (174 – October or November 263), courtesy name Wenhui, was a Chinese politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was a younger relative of Gao Gan. He previously served under the warlords Yuan Sha ...

, the

Minister over the Masses Situ was one of the highest ranking government offices in ancient China. Established in the Western Zhou dynasty, it was originally written as (), meaning Administrator of Land. During the Han dynasty, the title became written with the different c ...

(司徒), appointed him as acting General-in-Chief (大將軍), ordered him to take command of Cao Shuang's troops. He also told Gao Rou, "You're now like

Zhou Bo Zhou Bo (died 169 BC), posthumously known as Marquis Wu of Jiang, was a Chinese military general and politician who served as a chancellor of the early Western Han dynasty. Life Zhou Bo's ancestral home was in Juan County (; present-day Yuanya ...

." He also appointed

Wang Guan Wang Guan (born 16 February 1987) is a Chinese modern pentathlete The modern pentathlon is an Olympic sport consisting of fencing (one-touch épée), freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting, and cross country running. Th ...

, the Minister Coachman (太僕), as acting Commandant of the Central Army (中領軍) and ordered him to seize command of the troops under Cao Shuang's brother Cao Xi (曹羲). Sima Yi, along with Jiang Ji and others, led troops out of Luoyang to the floating bridge above the Luo River, where he sent a

to the emperor Cao Fang, listing out Cao Shuang's crimes (e.g. not fulfilling his duty as regent, corrupting the government, conspiring against the throne) and requesting the emperor to remove Cao Shuang and his brothers from their positions of power. Cao Shuang blocked the memorial from reaching Cao Fang and left the emperor at the south of the Yi River while ordering his men to cut down trees to build anti-cavalry blockades and station about 1,000 troops nearby to guard against Sima Yi's advances. During this time, Huan Fan advised Cao Shuang to bring the emperor to

Xuchang Xuchang (; postal: Hsuchang) is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province of China, province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the s ...

, denounce Sima Yi as a traitor, and call on all military forces throughout Wei to attack Sima Yi. Cao Shuang refused to listen to Huan Fan, and that night he sent Xu Yun (許允) and

Chen Tai Chen Tai (died June 260Chen Tai died soon after Cao Mao's death, which was on 2 June 260. Thus, Chen Tai's death date should be in mid- or late-June 260.), courtesy name Xuanbo, was a military general and official of the state of Cao Wei during ...

to meet Sima Yi. Sima Yi explained to them he only wanted Cao Shuang to surrender and give up his powers. He also sent Yin Damu (尹大目), whom Cao Shuang highly trusted, to further persuade Cao Shuang to surrender. When Cao Shuang wanted to agree, Huan Fan attempted to stop him but Cao Shuang ultimately did not heed his advice. Cao Shuang said, "Sima Yi only wants to take away my powers. I can still return home as a marquis and live in luxury and comfort." Huan Fan could only sigh and thump his chest in frustration. Cao Shuang then let Cao Fang read Sima Yi's memorial and agreed to surrender and relinquish his powers.

Aftermath

After returning to Luoyang, on 9 February 249 Cao Shuang was charged with plotting treason with the palace eunuch Zhang Dang (張當) and his associates He Yan, Ding Mi, Deng Yang, Bi Gui and Li Sheng. They were executed on the same day along with the rest of their families and relatives. Jiang Ji had attempted to persuade Sima Yi to spare Cao Shuang and his brothers in consideration of the meritorious service rendered by their father

Cao Zhen Cao Zhen (died April or May 231), courtesy name Zidan, was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was an adopted son of Cao Cao, a warlord who rose to power in the late Eastern Han dynasty and l ...

, but Sima Yi refused. Lu Zhi (魯芝) and Yang Zong (楊綜), two of Cao Shuang's subordinates, had previously tried to stop Cao Shuang from surrendering to Sima Yi. After Cao Shuang was arrested, Lu Zhi and Yang Zong were also implicated and arrested as well. However, Sima Yi pardoned and released them. Earlier on, when Huan Fan escaped from Luoyang to join Cao Shuang at the Gaoping Tombs, he met Si Fan (司蕃), who was guarding the Changping Gate. As Si Fan used to serve under Huan Fan, he trusted Huan Fan and allowed him to pass through. Once he was out of Luoyang, Huan Fan turned back and told Si Fan, "The Imperial Tutor (Sima Yi) is planning to commit treason. You should come with me!" Si Fan followed Huan Fan but could not keep up so he gave up and retreated. After the ''coup d'état'', Si Fan surrendered himself to Sima Yi and told him what happened earlier. Sima Yi asked, "What's the punishment for falsely accusing someone of treason?" "According to the law, the one who makes the false accusation shall be punished for treason," came the reply. Huan Fan was then executed along with the rest of his family, just like Cao Shuang and his supporters. In February or March 249, Cao Fang appointed Sima Yi as Imperial Chancellor (丞相), increased the size of Sima Yi's marquisate and awarded him additional privileges. However, Sima Yi declined the appointment of Imperial Chancellor. In January or February 250, when Cao Fang granted him the

nine bestowments The nine bestowments () were awards given by Chinese emperors to officials, ostensibly to reward them for their accomplishments. While the nature of the bestowments was probably established during the Zhou Dynasty, there was no record of anyone r ...

, he refused to accept again. In February or March 250, Cao Fang had an

ancestral shrine An ancestral shrine, hall or temple ( or , vi, Nhà thờ họ; Chữ Hán: 家祠户), also called lineage temple, is a temple dedicated to deified ancestors and progenitors of surname lineages or families in the Chinese tradition. Ances ...

built for the Sima family in Luoyang, increased the size of Sima Yi's personal staff, promoted some of Sima Yi's personal staff, and enfeoffed Sima Yi's sons

Sima Rong Sima or SIMA may refer to: People * Sima (Chinese surname) * Sima (given name), a Persian feminine name in use in Iran and Turkey * Sima (surname) Places * Sima, Comoros, on the island of Anjouan, near Madagascar * Sima de los Huesos, a ca ...

(司馬肜) and

Sima Lun Sima Lun ( sim. ch. 司马伦, trad. ch. 司馬倫, py. Sīmǎ Lún, wg. Ssu-ma Lun) (before 250 - poisoned June 5, 301), courtesy name Ziyi (子彛), was titled the Prince of Zhao (pinyin: zhào wáng, simplified Chinese: 赵王, tradition ...

as village marquises.(二年春正月，天子命帝立廟于洛陽，置左右長史，增掾屬、舍人滿十人，歲舉掾屬任御史、秀才各一人，增官騎百人，鼓吹十四人，封子肜平樂亭侯，倫安樂亭侯。) ''Jin Shu'' vol. 1. In 251, Wang Ling and his nephew Linghu Yu (令狐愚) plotted a rebellion in Shouchun aimed at overthrowing Sima Yi and replacing Cao Fang with

Cao Biao Cao Biao (195 – July 251), courtesy name Zhuhu, was an imperial prince of the Cao Wei state in the Three Kingdoms period of China. Life Cao Biao was a son of Cao Cao, a warlord who rose to power in the late Eastern Han dynasty and laid the ...

. Sima Yi knew that Wang Ling was plotting a rebellion and showed up near Wang Ling's base before Wang Ling could do anything. Wang Ling surrendered and committed suicide later while he was being escorted as a prisoner to Luoyang. Sima Yi had Wang Ling's co-conspirators, including Cao Biao, arrested and executed along with their families. After Sima Yi's death on 7 September 251, his sons

and

Sima Zhao Sima Zhao () (211 – 6 September 265), courtesy name Zishang, was a Chinese military general, politician, and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Sima Zhao capably maintained control of Wei, which had been ...

continued to control the Wei government and eliminate any form of political opposition. The Cao family's influence in Wei weakened over time as the Sima family's became stronger. In 266, Sima Zhao's son,

Sima Yan Emperor Wu of Jin (; 236 – 16 May 290), personal name Sima Yan (), courtesy name Anshi (安世), was the grandson of Sima Yi, nephew of Sima Shi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, ...

, usurped the throne from Cao Huan and replaced the Cao Wei state with the Jin dynasty, with himself as the new emperor.

In popular culture

In the seventh instalment of

Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its ''Dynasty Warriors'' games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based on p ...

's ''

Dynasty Warriors is a series of Japanese hack and slash action video games created by Omega Force and Koei (now is Koei Tecmo). The series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy '' Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' series, based upon the Chinese novel of ...

'' video game series, a stage is dedicated to the initial ''coup d'état'' against Cao Shuang, while the other two are mentioned in the narration. Cao Fang's visit to the tombs is not mentioned in the game; instead, he is mentioned to be on a hunting trip with Cao Shuang.

Notes

References

{{reflist * Chen, Shou. ''

Records of the Three Kingdoms The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220– ...

'' (''Sanguozhi''). * Fang, Xuanling. ''

Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, with chancellor Fang X ...

'' (''Jin Shu''). * Pei, Songzhi. ''

Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms () by Pei Songzhi (372-451) is an annotation completed in the 5th century of the 3rd century historical text ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'', compiled by Chen Shou. After leaving his native land, Pei ...

'' (''Sanguozhi zhu''). * Sima, Guang. ''

Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...