RHad forbidden articles made privately at the Central Imperial Workshop and was stripped of countiesWei 20 §16
NSima Shi described him as benevolent and filialCh. 109 §39
Cao Ju 曹據
| Occupation | RNOther · Prince of Pengcheng | Faction | Wei |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | Book of Wei |
| Born | Native place | Pei Commandery Qiao County Unverified | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R6 |
Profile
Cao Ju was a son of Cao Cao, Emperor Wu of Wei, born to Lady Huan. After being enfeoffed as Marquis of Fanyang in the 16th year of Jian'an (211), he passed through the ranks of Marquis of Wan, duke and Prince of Zhangling, and his fief was moved several times, to Yiyang, Pengcheng, Jiyin and Dingtao County; in the 6th year of Taihe (232) he was enfeoffed at Pengcheng again and became Prince of Pengcheng. Records, Wei 20 §2 · 15–16
In the 1st year of Jingchu (237) he was implicated in having privately sent men to the Central Imperial Workshop to make forbidden articles and was deprived of 2,000 households, which were restored to him in the 3rd year; in the Zhengyuan and Jingyuan eras his fief was increased, reaching 4,600 households in all. Records, Wei 20 §16
There is a short record of him in the Biographies of the Princes and Dukes of Emperors Wu and Wen (Records of Wei 20) in the Records. In the assessment at the end of that chapter, Chen Shou said that the princes and dukes of Wei had only the name of their fiefs and none of the substance of sovereignty, and that, hemmed in by prohibitions and surveillance, they were no different from men shut up in prison. In the Romance he appears once, in Chapter 109, and his name is in no chapter title. After deposing Cao Fang, Sima Shi wants to set him up as the new ruler, but the Empress Dowager objects. Records, Wei 20 §14–16 · 93Romance, Ch. 109 §39
In the Records
Cao Cao, Emperor Wu, had twenty-five sons, and Lady Huan bore Cao Chong, Prince Ai of Deng, Cao Ju, Prince of Pengcheng, and Cao Yu, Prince of Yan. Records, Wei 20 §2
Cao Ju was enfeoffed as Marquis of Fanyang in the 16th year of Jian'an (211) and moved to be Marquis of Wan in the 22nd year (217). In the 2nd year of Huangchu (221) his rank was raised to duke, and in the 3rd year (222) he became Prince of Zhangling, and in the same year his fief was moved to Yiyang. Because the south was low-lying and damp, and also because the Dowager Consort Huan was a native of Pengcheng, Emperor Wen moved his fief to Pengcheng, and then moved it again to Jiyin. Records, Wei 20 §15
In the 5th year of Huangchu (224), Emperor Wen issued an edict saying that the former kings had set up their states with institutions suited to the times: Emperor Gaozu of Han had added to the commanderies established by Qin, but Emperor Guangwu, when the population of the realm had dwindled and been exhausted, merged and reduced the commanderies and counties; since the present was even worse than that, all the princes were to be re-enfeoffed as county princes. Cao Ju was accordingly re-enfeoffed with Dingtao County. In the 6th year of Taihe (232), when the princes were re-enfeoffed with commanderies as their states, Cao Ju was once again enfeoffed at Pengcheng. Records, Wei 20 §15–16
In the 1st year of Jingchu (237), Cao Ju was implicated in having privately sent men to the Central Imperial Workshop to make forbidden articles, and counties were stripped from him, reducing his fief by 2,000 households. In the 3rd year of Jingchu (239) the households and fief that had been taken were restored to him, and in the Zhengyuan and Jingyuan eras his fief was increased several times, reaching 4,600 households in all. Records, Wei 20 §16
Another son of Emperor Wu, Cao Zheng, Duke Dai of Mei, was made heir to his father's cousin Cao Shao, a Gentleman of the Palace, and died without sons in the 23rd year of Jian'an (218). In the 2nd year of Huangchu (221) he was posthumously raised in rank and given the posthumous name Duke Dai, and Cao Fan, the son of Cao Ju, Prince of Pengcheng, was made Cao Zheng's heir. Cao Fan was enfeoffed as Marquis of Pingshi and then moved to Chengwu; in the 3rd year of Taihe (229) his rank was raised to duke, and when he died in the 3rd year of Qinglong (235) he was given the posthumous name Duke Dao, but he left no heir. Records, Wei 20 §2 · 58
Chen Shou's main text does not record Cao Ju's courtesy name or the year of his death. In the assessment for chapter 20, Chen Shou lamented the flaws of the system, saying that the princes and dukes of Wei had merely the name of states and lands but none of the substance of sovereignty, that, hemmed in by prohibitions and surveillance, they were no different from men shut up in prison, and that, with their ranks and titles never fixed, their fiefs changed year after year. Records, Wei 20 §14–16 · 93
In the Romance
In Chapter 109 of the Romance, Sima Shi tells the ministers that Cao Fang, sunk in debauchery and without principle, is guiltier than the Prince of Changyi of Han, and that he will follow the precedent of Yi Yin and Huo Guang and set up a new ruler. When Sima Shi goes into the Yongning Palace with the officials and reports to the Empress Dowager, she asks whom he means to set up. Romance, Ch. 109 §38–39
Sima Shi answers that Cao Ju, Prince of Pengcheng, is intelligent, benevolent and filial and fit to be master of the realm. But the Empress Dowager says that the Prince of Pengcheng is her uncle and asks how she could bear it if he were made ruler, and proposes instead Cao Mao, Duke of Gaoguixiang, a grandson of Emperor Wen who is gentle, respectful and modest. When Sima Fu supports her, saying that the Empress Dowager is right, Sima Shi sends an envoy to Yuancheng to summon the Duke of Gaoguixiang. This scene is Cao Ju's only appearance in the Romance. Romance, Ch. 109 §39–40
Where the Romance differs
Candidate for the throne: In Chapter 109 of the Romance, after deposing Cao Fang, Sima Shi wants to set up Cao Ju, Prince of Pengcheng, but the Empress Dowager objects that he is her uncle, and Cao Mao, Duke of Gaoguixiang, is set up instead. The Annals of the Three Young Emperors in Chen Shou's main text state only that Cao Fang was deposed by order of the Empress Dowager and that, by an order on the dingchou day, Cao Mao, Duke of Gaoguixiang, was made heir to Emperor Ming; no discussion of setting up Cao Ju appears. Romance, Ch. 109 §39–40Records, Wei 4 §44–46
Character: In Chapter 109 of the Romance, Sima Shi describes Cao Ju as intelligent, benevolent and filial. Chen Shou's main text does not record Cao Ju's character, noting only that his fief changed several times and that in the 1st year of Jingchu (237) his fief was reduced for having had forbidden articles made at the Central Imperial Workshop. Romance, Ch. 109 §39Records, Wei 20 §15–16
Relationship with the Empress Dowager: In Chapter 109 of the Romance, the Empress Dowager calls the Prince of Pengcheng her uncle. Chen Shou's record of Cao Ju says nothing of his relationship with the Empress Dowager, stating only that he was the son of Emperor Wu and Lady Huan. Romance, Ch. 109 §39Records, Wei 20 §2 · 15–16
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 total359 / 1000Rank 858 of 996 · Top 87%Romance total408 / 1000Rank 462 of 1,113 · Top 42%
Romance adaptation index+49Romance total − Records total
- LEA3333±0
- STR3331−2
- INT3850+12
- POL3538+3
- CHA4050+10
- VIR3258+26
- ADP4040±0
- SCH3838±0
- DIP3535±0
- DIS3535±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated as a prince whose fief was moved several timesWei 20 §15Wei 20 §16
NSima Shi called him intelligent, benevolent and filial, fit to be rulerCh. 109 §39
RNo direct record — estimated as a prince whose fief was moved several timesWei 20 §15Wei 20 §16
NSima Shi recommended him as fit to be master of the realmCh. 109 §39
7 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated as a prince whose fief was moved several timesWei 20 §15Wei 20 §16
NNo direct record — estimated as the Prince of Pengcheng whom Sima Shi proposed as the new rulerCh. 109 §39
RNo direct record — estimated as a prince whose fief was moved several timesWei 20 §15Wei 20 §16
NNo direct record — estimated as the Prince of Pengcheng whom Sima Shi proposed as the new rulerCh. 109 §39
RNo direct record — estimated as a prince whose fief was moved several timesWei 20 §15Wei 20 §16
NNo direct record — estimated as the Prince of Pengcheng whom Sima Shi proposed as the new rulerCh. 109 §39
RNo direct record — estimated as a prince whose fief was moved several timesWei 20 §15Wei 20 §16
NNo direct record — estimated as the Prince of Pengcheng whom Sima Shi proposed as the new rulerCh. 109 §39
RNo direct record — estimated as a prince whose fief was moved several timesWei 20 §15Wei 20 §16
NNo direct record — estimated as the Prince of Pengcheng whom Sima Shi proposed as the new rulerCh. 109 §39
RNo direct record — estimated as a prince whose fief was moved several timesWei 20 §15Wei 20 §16
NNo direct record — estimated as the Prince of Pengcheng whom Sima Shi proposed as the new rulerCh. 109 §39
RNo direct record — estimated as a prince whose fief was moved several timesWei 20 §15Wei 20 §16
NNo direct record — estimated as the Prince of Pengcheng whom Sima Shi proposed as the new rulerCh. 109 §39
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 「彭城王據，建安十六年封范陽侯」