RNo direct record — estimated from his being Cao Cao's nephewWei 1 §43
NUnderstood Cao Cao's wishes, spied out Zhang Ji's wife and brought her to himCh. 16 §44
Cao Anmin 曹安民
| Occupation | RNOther | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | R? Unverified | Native place | Pei Commandery Qiao County Unverified |
| Died | R197 Unverified | Place of death | RWan County |
| Cause of death | RKilled NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R1 |
Profile
Cao Anmin was Cao Cao's nephew. He has no biography of his own in the Records; in Chen Shou's main text his name appears once, in the Annals of Emperor Wu (Records of Wei 1). In the 1st month of spring in the 2nd year of Jian'an (197), when Cao Cao reached Wan County, Zhang Xiu, who had surrendered, soon regretted it and rebelled again, and as Cao Cao's army was defeated, Cao Anmin was killed together with Cao Cao's eldest son Cao Ang. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, office or age, and the Records contain no assessment of him. Records, Wei 1 §43
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 16 as the son of Cao Cao's elder brother, and appears in 2 of its 120 chapters, but he is not named in any chapter title. In Chapter 16, understanding what Cao Cao wants, he brings Zhang Ji's wife to Cao Cao, and when Zhang Xiu launches his surprise attack he follows Cao Cao on foot and is cut down by enemy soldiers on the bank of the Qingshui River. In Chapter 18 Cao Cao, at Qingshui, offers sacrifices to him and Cao Ang after Dian Wei. Romance, Ch. 16 §44 · 53Romance, Ch. 18 §6–7
In the Records
According to the Annals of Emperor Wu, in the 1st month of spring in the 2nd year of Jian'an (197), when Cao Cao reached Wan County, Zhang Xiu surrendered, but soon regretted it and rebelled again. Cao Cao fought him, but his army was defeated and he was struck by a stray arrow, and his eldest son Cao Ang and his nephew Cao Anmin were killed. The Annals of Emperor Wu describe Cao Anmin as the son of Cao Cao's younger brother. Records, Wei 1 §43
Cao Cao led his troops back to Wuyin, and when Zhang Xiu came with cavalry to raid, he struck and routed them; Zhang Xiu fled to Rang County and joined forces with Liu Biao. Cao Cao told his generals that this had come about through his mistake in not taking hostages at once after receiving the surrender of Zhang Xiu and the others, and that from now on he would not be defeated again; he then returned to Xu. Records, Wei 1 §43
Of the same battle, the biography of Zhang Xiu records that Zhang Xiu and the others surrendered to Taizu, who had halted on the Yu River, but when Taizu took Zhang Ji's wife Zhang Xiu bore a grudge; Taizu heard of this and secretly planned to kill Zhang Xiu, but the plan leaked, Zhang Xiu made a surprise attack on Taizu, Taizu's army was defeated and two of his sons died. The biography of Dian Wei records that when Zhang Xiu rebelled some ten days after surrendering and attacked Taizu's camp, Dian Wei died fighting at the camp gate and Taizu withdrew with light cavalry. Neither biography names Cao Anmin. Records, Wei 8 §57Records, Wei 18 §64–66
This one passage in the Annals of Emperor Wu is the only place where Cao Anmin appears in Chen Shou's main text. His courtesy name, office and age are not recorded, and the Records contain no assessment of him. Records, Wei 1 §43
In the Romance
In Chapter 16 of the Romance, when Zhang Ji is killed by a stray arrow while attacking Nanyang and his nephew Zhang Xiu, taking Jia Xu as his adviser, garrisons Wancheng, Cao Cao raises 150,000 troops and marches against him in person. When Cao Cao pitches camp on the Yu River, Zhang Xiu surrenders on Jia Xu's advice, and Cao Cao enters Wancheng and stays there, being feasted by Zhang Xiu every day. Romance, Ch. 16 §40 · 42–43
One day Cao Cao, drunk, withdraws to his bedchamber and quietly asks those around him whether there are any courtesans in the city. Cao Anmin, the son of Cao Cao's elder brother, understands what he means and secretly tells him that the night before, peeping beside the guesthouse, he saw an extremely beautiful woman, and on asking learned that she was the wife of Zhang Ji, Zhang Xiu's uncle. Cao Cao has Cao Anmin take fifty armored soldiers and fetch her, spends the night with Zhang Ji's wife, Lady Zou, and the next day moves with her to the camp outside the city, where they take their pleasure together every day. Romance, Ch. 16 §44–46
When Zhang Xiu hears of this, he is enraged that Cao Cao has humiliated him so greatly and plots with Jia Xu, moving his troops and dividing them into four camps. The lieutenant general Hu Cher slips in following the drunken Dian Wei on his way back and steals his pair of iron halberds, and around the second watch fires break out on all sides and Zhang Xiu's troops attack. Dian Wei holds the camp gate, fighting to the death, until he is speared in the back and dies. Romance, Ch. 16 §47–52
Thanks to Dian Wei holding the camp gate, Cao Cao escapes on horseback out the back of the camp, and only Cao Anmin follows him on foot. Cao Cao is struck in the right arm by an arrow, and his horse is hit by three arrows. Just as they reach the bank of the Qingshui River, enemy soldiers catch up, and Cao Anmin is hacked to mincemeat. When Cao Cao's horse, having crossed the river, is shot in the eye and falls, his eldest son Cao Ang gives him the horse he himself was riding and is killed by a hail of arrows. Romance, Ch. 16 §53–54
In Chapter 18 Cao Cao, badly defeated by Zhang Xiu's ambush, moves his troops slowly past Xiangcheng and reaches Qingshui. Saying that it was here the year before that he lost his great general Dian Wei, Cao Cao weeps aloud on horseback, lays out a great sacrificial feast to console Dian Wei's spirit, and only after the sacrifice to Dian Wei is finished does he offer sacrifices to his nephew Cao Anmin and his eldest son Cao Ang, and even to the soldiers killed in battle and to the Dayuan horse shot dead by arrows. Romance, Ch. 18 §4 · 6–7
Where the Romance differs
Relationship to Cao Cao: Chapter 16 of the Romance calls Cao Anmin the son of Cao Cao's elder brother. The Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records describe him as the son of Cao Cao's younger brother. Romance, Ch. 16 §44Records, Wei 1 §43
Fetching Zhang Ji's wife: In Chapter 16 of the Romance, Cao Anmin, understanding what Cao Cao wants, finds Zhang Ji's wife and tells him of her, then takes fifty armored soldiers and fetches her. The biography of Zhang Xiu in the Records says only that when Taizu took Zhang Ji's wife Zhang Xiu bore a grudge, and does not record who brought her or her surname. This episode is not in the Annals of Emperor Wu either. Romance, Ch. 16 §44–45Records, Wei 8 §57Records, Wei 1 §43
Why Zhang Xiu rebelled: In Chapter 16 of the Romance, Zhang Xiu, enraged at being humiliated, plots a surprise attack with Jia Xu. In the biography of Zhang Xiu in the Records, Taizu, hearing of Zhang Xiu's resentment, secretly planned to kill him, and when the plan leaked Zhang Xiu made a surprise attack; the Annals of Emperor Wu record that Zhang Xiu surrendered, soon regretted it, and rebelled again. Romance, Ch. 16 §47Records, Wei 8 §57Records, Wei 1 §43
How he died: In Chapter 16 of the Romance, Cao Anmin follows Cao Cao on foot and is cut down on the bank of the Qingshui River by pursuing enemy soldiers. The Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records say only that Cao Cao's army was defeated, Cao Cao was struck by a stray arrow, and his eldest son Cao Ang and his nephew Cao Anmin were killed, without recording how. Romance, Ch. 16 §53Records, Wei 1 §43
Sacrifices after his death: In Chapter 18 of the Romance, Cao Cao offers sacrifices at Qingshui to Cao Anmin and Cao Ang after Dian Wei. The biography of Dian Wei in the Records records that Taizu recovered Dian Wei's body, wept over it in person, and offered sacrifices whenever his carriage passed by, but a sacrifice to Cao Anmin is not in Chen Shou's main text. Romance, Ch. 18 §6–7Records, Wei 18 §66Records, Wei 1 §43
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 total338 / 1000Rank 941 of 996 · Top 95%Romance total325 / 1000Rank 1,029 of 1,113 · Top 93%
Romance adaptation index−13Romance total − Records total
- LEA3131±0
- STR3835−3
- INT3538+3
- POL3131±0
- CHA3533−2
- VIR4025−15
- ADP3535±0
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3133+2
- DIS3133+2
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 being Cao Cao's nephewWei 1 §43
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 16 §44
RNo direct record — killed in the defeat at WanchengWei 1 §43
NNo direct record — died following Cao Cao on footCh. 16 §53
RNo direct record — estimated from his being Cao Cao's nephewWei 1 §43
NNo direct record — estimated from his reading of Cao Cao's wishesCh. 16 §44
RNo direct record — estimated from his being Cao Cao's nephewWei 1 §43
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 16 §44
RNo direct record — estimated from his being Cao Cao's nephewWei 1 §43
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 16 §44
RNo direct record — killed in the defeat at WanchengWei 1 §43
NNo direct record — cut down by enemy soldiers on the bank of the Qingshui while fleeing the defeat at WanchengCh. 16 §53
RNo direct record — estimated from his being Cao Cao's nephewWei 1 §43
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 16 §44
RNo direct record — estimated from his being Cao Cao's nephewWei 1 §43
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 16 §44
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
| Relatives | Cao Song Records |
|---|
Based on Wikidata items for the historical and Romance figures. Relations without the Unverified badge were also confirmed in the Records.