RNo direct record — estimated as an empressWei 1 §145
NDenounced Cao Hong, Cao Xiu and the others who pressed for the usurpation as rebels, blamed her brother for usurping the throne and wept bitterlyCh. 80 §7Ch. 66 §51
Cao Jie 曹節
| Occupation | RNConsort · Empress | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | R? Unverified | Native place | Pei Commandery Qiao County Unverified |
| Died | R260 Unverified | Place of death | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Profile
Cao Jie was a daughter of Cao Cao and the empress of Emperor Xian of the Later Han. She has no separate biography in the Records; in Chen Shou's main text she appears in the Annals of Emperor Wu in Records of Wei 1 and the Annals of the Three Young Emperors in Records of Wei 4. The Annals of Emperor Wu record that in the 1st month, in spring, of the 20th year of Jian'an (215) the Son of Heaven made Cao Cao's middle daughter empress, and the Annals of the Three Young Emperors record that on the jiwei day of the 6th month, in summer, of the 1st year of Jingyuan (260), when Jie, the wife of the former Emperor Xian of Han, died, she was posthumously given the title Empress Xianmu. Chen Shou's main text does not record the year of her birth or any of her other deeds. Records, Wei 1 §145Records, Wei 4 §114
In the Romance she first appears in Chapter 66 as the Honored Lady Cao and appears in 2 of its 120 chapters, Chapters 66 and 80; no chapter title bears her name. In Chapter 66, after Empress Fu's death, she is invested as empress of the principal palace at Cao Cao's request on the first day of the 1st month of the 20th year of Jian'an, and in Chapter 80, called Empress Cao, she denounces as 'rebels' Cao Hong and Cao Xiu, who come in wearing swords and ask Emperor Xian to come out to the hall. Romance, Ch. 66 §51Romance, Ch. 80 §6–7
In the Records
According to the Annals of Emperor Wu, in the 7th month, in autumn, of the 18th year of Jian'an (213), when Cao Cao had become Duke of Wei, the altars of soil and grain and the ancestral temple of Wei were established for the first time, and the Son of Heaven took three of Cao Cao's daughters as Honored Ladies, the youngest being made to wait in the state of Wei until she came of age. The Annals of Emperor Wu do not record the names of the three daughters. Records, Wei 1 §121 · 134
In the 11th month of the 19th year of Jian'an (214), it came to light that Empress Fu of the Han had earlier sent a letter to her father, the former Colonel of Garrison Cavalry Fu Wan, saying that the emperor resented Cao Cao over the execution of Dong Cheng. Implicated in this, the empress was deposed and died, and her brothers were all executed according to the law. In the following year, in the 1st month, in spring, of the 20th year of Jian'an (215), the Son of Heaven made Cao Cao's middle daughter empress. Records, Wei 1 §136 · 142 · 145
According to the Annals of Emperor Wen, the emperor of Han sent an envoy bearing the imperial seal and issued a decree ceding the throne to the King of Wei, and Cao Pi, the King of Wei, mounted the altar at Fanyang, ascended the imperial throne and changed the era name to Huangchu. On the guiyou day of the 11th month of the 1st year of Huangchu (220), Cao Pi enfeoffed the emperor of Han as Duke of Shanyang with ten thousand households of the town of Shanyang in Henei Commandery, allowing him to use the Han calendar and not to call himself a subject when submitting letters. The Annals of Emperor Ming record that when the Duke of Shanyang died on the gengyin day of the 3rd month of the 2nd year of Qinglong (234), he was given the posthumous title Emperor Xiaoxian of Han and buried with Han rites. Records, Wei 2 §13 · 16–17Records, Wei 3 §35
According to the Annals of the Three Young Emperors, on the jiwei day of the 6th month, in summer, of the 1st year of Jingyuan (260), Jie, the wife of the former Emperor Xian of Han, died. The emperor Cao Huan mourned her in the Hualin Park and sent an envoy bearing the tally to confer on her the posthumous title Empress Xianmu, and the carriages and dress at her funeral all followed the old precedents of Han. This is the only passage in Chen Shou's main text where her name, Jie, appears. Records, Wei 4 §114–115
In the Romance
Chapter 66 of the Romance depicts the aftermath of Empress Fu's killing in the 11th month of the 19th year of Jian'an: when Emperor Xian goes without food for several days, Cao Cao comes in and tells him that he has no disloyal intent, and that since his daughter, already His Majesty's Honored Lady, is most worthy and filial, it would be fitting to have her reside in the principal palace. Not daring to refuse, Emperor Xian invests Cao Cao's daughter, the Honored Lady Cao, as empress of the principal palace on the first day of the 1st month of the 20th year of Jian'an, to coincide with the New Year celebrations, and none of the officials dares to speak. Romance, Ch. 66 §49 · 51
In Chapter 80, Hua Xin and others petition Emperor Xian to follow the way of Yao and Shun and abdicate in favour of the King of Wei, and Li Fu and Xu Zhi press him by citing auspicious omens and prophetic charts. Saying that omens and prophecies are all baseless, Emperor Xian weeps aloud and withdraws into the rear hall. The next day the officials gather again in the main hall and send eunuchs in to summon Emperor Xian, but he is too anxious and afraid to go out. Romance, Ch. 80 §1–6
Empress Cao asks why he is putting off and refusing the officials' request that he hold court, and Emperor Xian answers in tears that he will not go out because her elder brother, wishing to usurp the throne, is having the officials press him. In a great rage Empress Cao says, 'How could my elder brother do such a rebellious thing?', but before she has finished speaking, Cao Hong and Cao Xiu come in wearing swords and ask Emperor Xian to come out to the hall. Romance, Ch. 80 §6
Empress Cao loudly rebukes the two men, saying, 'It is all you rebels, coveting wealth and rank, who have plotted treason together,' and says that her father, though his merit covered the world and his might shook the realm, never dared to usurp the sacred vessel of rule, whereas her elder brother, not long after succeeding to his position, already thinks of usurping the Han, and Heaven will surely never grant its blessing. Having finished speaking, Empress Cao goes into the palace weeping bitterly, and the attendants around her all sob. Unable to withstand the pressure, Emperor Xian changes his clothes and goes out to the front hall. The Romance records nothing more of Empress Cao after this. Romance, Ch. 80 §7
Where the Romance differs
How she became empress: In Chapter 66 of the Romance, after Empress Fu has died, Cao Cao asks Emperor Xian to install his daughter in the principal palace, and Emperor Xian, not daring to refuse, makes the Honored Lady Cao empress. The Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records record only that Empress Fu was deposed and died in the 11th month of the 19th year of Jian'an (214) and that in the 1st month, in spring, of the following year the Son of Heaven made Cao Cao's middle daughter empress, and do not record any request by Cao Cao. Romance, Ch. 66 §51Records, Wei 1 §142 · 145
Honored Lady and sisters: Cao Cao in Chapter 66 of the Romance says only that 'my daughter is already Your Majesty's Honored Lady'. The Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records record that in the 7th month, in autumn, of the 18th year of Jian'an (213) the Son of Heaven took three of Cao Cao's daughters as Honored Ladies and had the youngest wait in the state of Wei until she came of age, and they call the one who became empress 'the middle daughter'. Romance, Ch. 66 §51Records, Wei 1 §134 · 145
The rebuke at the abdication: In Chapter 80 of the Romance, Empress Cao denounces as rebels Cao Hong and Cao Xiu, who come in wearing swords and ask Emperor Xian to come out to the hall, and condemns her elder brother Cao Pi's usurpation. The Annals of Emperor Wen in the Records record only that the emperor of Han sent an envoy and ceded the throne to the King of Wei with the imperial seal and a decree, and that the King of Wei mounted the altar at Fanyang and ascended the imperial throne; the empress does not appear. Romance, Ch. 80 §6–7Records, Wei 2 §13–16
Death: The Romance does not relate Empress Cao's death. The Annals of the Three Young Emperors in the Records record that on the jiwei day of the 6th month, in summer, of the 1st year of Jingyuan (260), when Jie, the wife of the former Emperor Xian of Han, died, the emperor Cao Huan mourned her and conferred on her the posthumous title Empress Xianmu, and that her funeral was conducted according to the old precedents of Han. Romance, Ch. 80 §7Records, Wei 4 §114–115
Names: The Romance calls her the Honored Lady Cao in Chapter 66 and Empress Cao in Chapter 80 and does not record her personal name. The Records calls her 'Cao Cao's middle daughter' in the Annals of Emperor Wu and 'Jie, the wife of the former Emperor Xian of Han' in the Annals of the Three Young Emperors, and records her posthumous title as Empress Xianmu. Romance, Ch. 66 §51Romance, Ch. 80 §6Records, Wei 1 §145Records, Wei 4 §114
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 total363 / 1000Rank 828 of 996 · Top 84%Romance total425 / 1000Rank 345 of 1,113 · Top 31%
Romance adaptation index+62Romance total − Records total
- LEA3131±0
- STR3131±0
- INT3845+7
- POL3533−2
- CHA4052+12
- VIR4585+40
- ADP4035−5
- SCH3535±0
- DIP3545+10
- DIS3333±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated as an empressWei 1 §145
NWhen she went into the palace weeping, the attendants around her all sobbedCh. 80 §7
RNo direct record — estimated from her deedsWei 1 §145
NRebuked Cao Hong and Cao Xiu harshly but could not stop themCh. 80 §7
7 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated as an empressWei 1 §145
NNo direct record — estimated as an empressCh. 80 §7
RNo direct record — estimated as an empressWei 1 §145
NNo direct record — estimated as an empressCh. 80 §7
RNo direct record — estimated as an empressWei 1 §145
NNo direct record — estimated from her words rebuking the usurpationCh. 80 §7
RNo direct record — estimated as an empressWei 1 §145
NNo direct record — estimated as an empressCh. 80 §6
RNo direct record — estimated from her deedsWei 1 §145
NNo direct record — estimated from her deedsCh. 80 §7
RNo direct record — estimated as an empressWei 1 §145
NNo direct record — estimated as an empressCh. 80 §7
RNo direct record — estimated from her deedsWei 1 §145
NNo direct record — estimated from her deedsCh. 80 §6
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 (2)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Family
| Parents | Empress Bian (Wuxuan) Unverified Records, Cao Cao Romance |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Liu Xie Novel & History |
| Siblings | Cao Hui Romance, Cao Chong Romance, Cao Ang Romance, Cao Jun(曹均) Romance, Cao Yu Romance, Cao Zheng Romance, Cao Xiong Romance, Cao Pi Romance, Cao Zhi Romance, Cao Zhang Romance, Cao Lin(曹林) Romance, Cao Jun(曹峻) Romance, Cao Biao Romance, Cao Gun Romance, Cao Gan Romance, Princess Qinghe Romance |
Based on Wikidata items for the historical and Romance figures. Relations without the Unverified badge were also confirmed in the Records.
Related events (1)
- Cao Pi Deposes the Emperor and Usurps the Han 220 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).