Coup of Cao Mao 賈充弒君

In the 4th month, in summer, of the 5th year of Ganlu (260), the emperor had the officials in charge carry out his earlier command, raising the General-in-Chief Sima Zhao to Chancellor of State, enfeoffing him as Duke of Jin and adding the Nine Bestowments. On the jichou day of the 5th month, Cao Mao, the Duke of Gaogui Village, died at the age of twenty. Records, Wei 4 §97–98

The Empress Dowager issued a decree setting out the Duke of Gaogui Village's offenses. According to her, he was violent by nature and grew angrier the more he was rebuked, slandered her and cut off contact between the two palaces, shot at her palace with a crossbow, and, on hearing that she had repeatedly told the General-in-Chief he should be deposed, bribed her attendants to put poison into her medicine. When the plot came to light, he meant to raise troops, enter the Western Palace to kill her and seize the General-in-Chief, and showed the edict he carried in his robe to the Palace Attendant Wang Chen, the Cavalier Regular Attendant Wang Ye and the Master of Writing Wang Jing, but Wang Chen and Wang Ye immediately informed the General-in-Chief. The Duke of Gaogui Village led his attendants out through the Yunlong Gate, beating war drums, drew his sword himself and went in among the ranks of soldiers, where he was struck down by the vanguard. Records, Wei 4 §98–101

The Empress Dowager ordered that he be buried with the rites of a commoner and that Wang Jing and his family be handed over to the Commandant of Justice. On the gengyin day, when the Grand Tutor Sima Fu, the General-in-Chief Sima Zhao, the Grand Commandant Gao Rou and the Minister over the Masses Zheng Chong asked that, as a further act of grace, he be buried with the rites of a prince, the Empress Dowager agreed. Wei sent the Central Protector of the Army Sima Yan to bring Cao Huang, the Duke of Changdao Village, to succeed Emperor Ming, and Sima Zhao firmly declined the posts of Chancellor of State and Duke of Jin and the Nine Bestowments. Records, Wei 4 §102–106

On the wushen day Sima Zhao submitted a memorial saying that when the Duke of Gaogui Village, leading his escort troops, drew his sword and came toward his quarters beating gongs and drums, he had ordered his officers and men not to harm him, but that Cheng Ji, Retainer of the Crown Prince and younger brother of the Cavalry Commander Cheng Cui, had recklessly burst into the ranks and harmed the Duke, causing his death. He had at once arrested Cheng Ji and applied military law, and under the law on great sedition and impiety had handed Cheng Ji's family over to the Commandant of Justice for judgment. The Empress Dowager thought Cheng Ji could not simply be treated as guilty of great sedition, but granted the request as submitted, saying that the General-in-Chief was earnest in his wish. Wang Jing was executed for his involvement in the affair of the Duke of Gaogui Village. Records, Wei 4 §107–110Records, Wei 9 §130