RCoarse and violent by nature, he harmed many maids and concubinesWei 20 §83
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Prince Ding of DonghaiCh. 109 §43
Cao Lin 曹霖
| Occupation | RNOther · Prince of Donghai | Faction | Wei |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | Book of Wei |
| Born | Native place | Pei Commandery Qiao County Unverified | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R9 |
Profile
Cao Lin was a son of Emperor Wen of Wei (Cao Pi), and his mother was Consort Qiu, the Brilliant Companion (zhaoyi). In the 3rd year of Huangchu (222) he was made Prince of Hedong, and he was re-enfeoffed at Guantao County in the 6th year of Huangchu (225) and at Donghai in the 6th year of Taihe (232). Emperor Ming, following the wishes of the late emperor, cherished and favored him exceptionally, but Cao Lin was coarse and violent by nature and did harm to many of the maids and concubines within his household. Records, Wei 20 §75 · 83Records, Wei 2 §30
His biography gives the year of his death as the 1st year of Jiaping (249), while the Annals of the Three Young Emperors give the 12th month of the 2nd year of Jiaping (early 251). When Cao Fang was deposed in the 6th year of Jiaping (254), his son Cao Mao, by order of the Empress Dowager, became Emperor Ming's heir and ascended the throne. Records, Wei 20 §83Records, Wei 4 §31 · 44 · 46 · 49
In the Records a short biography of him is included in Records of Wei 20, which gathers the sons of Emperor Wen, and in his assessment for this fascicle Chen Shou wrote that the princes and dukes of Wei had only the name of fiefs, without the substance of altars of state. In the Romance his name appears once, in Chapter 109, in the passage introducing Cao Mao as 'son of Cao Lin, Prince Ding of Donghai', and he appears in 1 of its 120 chapters. Records, Wei 20 §82–83 · 93Romance, Ch. 109 §43
In the Records
Emperor Wen (Cao Pi) had nine sons. Empress Zhen bore Emperor Ming, and Consort Qiu, the Brilliant Companion, bore Cao Lin, Prince Ding of Donghai. Records, Wei 20 §75
On the day yichou of the 3rd month of the 3rd year of Huangchu (222), Cao Rui, Duke of Qi, was made Prince of Pingyuan, and eleven of the emperor's younger brothers, including Cao Zhang, Duke of Yanling, all became princes; on the day jiaxu, the imperial son Cao Lin was made Prince of Hedong. In the 6th year of Huangchu (225) he was re-enfeoffed at Guantao County. Records, Wei 2 §30Records, Wei 20 §83
After Emperor Wen took the throne and Cao Lin, Prince of Donghai, enjoyed his favor, Emperor Wen asked Wei Zhen, 'What do you think of the Marquis of Pingyuan?' Wei Zhen only praised the Marquis of Pingyuan's bright virtue and in the end said nothing more. Records, Wei 22 §86
When Emperor Ming took the throne, following the wishes of the late emperor, he cherished and favored Cao Lin above the other fiefs. But Cao Lin was coarse and violent by nature and did harm to many among the maids and concubines within his household. In the 6th year of Taihe (232) he was re-enfeoffed at Donghai. Records, Wei 20 §83
His biography states that Cao Lin died in the 1st year of Jiaping (249), while the Annals of the Three Young Emperors state that Cao Lin, Prince of Donghai, died on the day jiachen of the 12th month of the 2nd year of Jiaping (early 251). His son Cao Qi succeeded him. During the Jingchu, Zhengyuan and Jingyuan eras his fief was increased several times, reaching 6,200 households including the earlier total. Records, Wei 20 §83Records, Wei 4 §31
In the autumn of the 6th year of Jiaping (254), when the General-in-Chief Sima Shi deposed the emperor Cao Fang, the Empress Dowager issued an order saying, 'Cao Lin, Prince of Donghai, was a son of Gaozu, Emperor Wen. Cao Lin's sons are the closest kin of the state, and Cao Mao, Duke of Gaogui District, has the capacity to achieve great things; let him be made heir to Emperor Ming.' Cao Lin's son Cao Mao, Duke of Gaogui District, entered to continue the main line and ascended the throne that same day at the Front Hall of Taiji. Records, Wei 4 §44 · 46 · 49Records, Wei 20 §83
In his assessment for this fascicle, Chen Shou wrote that the princes and dukes of Wei had only the name of fiefs and lands, without the substance of altars of state; that, hemmed in by prohibitions and surveillance, they were no different from prisoners; and that, with their ranks and titles never settled, fiefs great and small changed from year to year. Records, Wei 20 §93
In the Romance
In Chapter 109 of the Romance, when Sima Shi sought to depose Cao Fang and set up a new ruler, the Empress Dowager proposed enthroning Cao Mao, Duke of Gaogui District and grandson of Emperor Wen, instead of Cao Ju, Prince of Pengcheng. The Romance introduces Cao Mao, who was summoned from Yuancheng, as 'courtesy name Yanshi, grandson of Emperor Wen and son of Cao Lin, Prince Ding of Donghai.' There is no scene in which Cao Lin appears in person, and this is the only place in the Romance where his name occurs. Romance, Ch. 109 §39–40 · 43
Where the Romance differs
Cao Lin's life: Chapter 109 of the Romance merely names him as Cao Mao's father when introducing Cao Mao. His biography in the Records records his being made Prince of Hedong and then re-enfeoffed at Guantao County and Donghai, Emperor Ming's favor, the harm he did to maids and concubines, and even the year of his death and the son who succeeded him. Romance, Ch. 109 §43Records, Wei 20 §83
The basis for enthroning Cao Mao: In Chapter 109 of the Romance, the Empress Dowager put forward Cao Mao, Duke of Gaogui District, as 'grandson of Emperor Wen' and proposed enthroning him because he was gentle, respectful and knew how to yield, without mentioning Cao Lin. In the Records, the Empress Dowager's order names Cao Lin first, saying, 'Cao Lin, Prince of Donghai, was a son of Gaozu, Emperor Wen. Cao Lin's sons are the closest kin of the state,' and then makes Cao Mao, from among his sons, heir to Emperor Ming. Romance, Ch. 109 §39Records, Wei 4 §46
Emperor Wen's favor: The Romance does not mention Emperor Wen's fondness for Cao Lin. In the Records, after Emperor Wen took the throne and Cao Lin enjoyed his favor, Emperor Wen asked Wei Zhen what he thought of the Marquis of Pingyuan, and Wei Zhen only praised the Marquis of Pingyuan's bright virtue and said nothing more. Romance, Ch. 109 §43Records, Wei 22 §86
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
Records total323 / 1000Rank 963 of 996 · Top 97%Romance total352 / 1000Rank 880 of 1,113 · Top 80%
Romance adaptation index+29Romance total − Records total
- LEA3131±0
- STR3531−4
- INT3535±0
- POL3033+3
- CHA3835−3
- VIR1245+33
- ADP4040±0
- SCH3838±0
- DIP3333±0
- DIS3131±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
9 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a feudal princeWei 20 §83
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Prince Ding of DonghaiCh. 109 §43
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a feudal princeWei 20 §83
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Prince Ding of DonghaiCh. 109 §43
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a feudal princeWei 20 §83
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Prince Ding of DonghaiCh. 109 §43
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a feudal princeWei 20 §83
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Prince Ding of DonghaiCh. 109 §43
REspecially cherished and favored by Emperor Ming — no record of popular esteemWei 20 §83Wei 22 §86
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Prince Ding of DonghaiCh. 109 §43
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a feudal princeWei 20 §83
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Prince Ding of DonghaiCh. 109 §43
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a feudal princeWei 20 §83
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Prince Ding of DonghaiCh. 109 §43
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a feudal princeWei 20 §83
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Prince Ding of DonghaiCh. 109 §43
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a feudal princeWei 20 §83
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Prince Ding of DonghaiCh. 109 §43
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (1)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Wei · Records · Records vol. 20 「東海定王霖，黃初三年立爲河東王」
Family
| Parents | Cao Pi Novel & History |
|---|---|
| Siblings | Cao Li Records, Cao Rui(曹叡) Novel & History, Cao Rui(曹蕤) Records, Cao Yong(曹邕) Records |
| Children | Cao Mao(曹髦) Novel & History |
Based on Wikidata items for the historical and Romance figures. Relations without the Unverified badge were also confirmed in the Records.