Cao Lin 曹林

Emperor Wu had twenty-five sons, and Lady Du bore Cao Lin, Prince Mu of Pei, and Cao Gun, Prince Gong of Zhongshan. Records, Wei 20 §2

Cao Lin, Prince Mu of Pei, was enfeoffed as Marquis of Raoyang in the 16th year of Jian'an (211), and in the 22nd year (217) his fief was moved to Qiao. In the 2nd year of Huangchu (221) his rank was raised to duke, and in the 3rd year (222) he became Prince of Qiao. In the 5th year (224) he was re-enfeoffed at Qiao County, in the 7th year (226) his fief was moved to Juancheng, and in the 6th year of Taihe (232) he was re-enfeoffed at Pei. During the Jingchu, Zhengyuan and Jingyuan eras his fief was increased several times, reaching 4,700 households together with his earlier holdings. Records, Wei 20 §21

When Cao Xuan, Prince Huai of Jiyang, died early without a son, Cao Lin's son Cao Zan was made to inherit Cao Xuan's rank and fief in the 20th year of Jian'an (215). Cao Zan too died early without a son, so Emperor Wen had Cao Zan's younger brother Cao Yi succeed Cao Xuan instead. In the 6th year of Taihe (232) Cao Zan was posthumously given the title Marquis Ai of Xixiang. Records, Wei 20 §33

In the autumn of the 3rd year of Qinglong (235), when Cao Gun, Prince of Zhongshan, fell ill, an edict sent the imperial physician to examine him, and also sent the Grand Consort and Cao Lin, Prince of Pei, to visit him in his illness together. In his last instructions to his heir, Cao Gun said, 'In matters within the inner apartments, follow the orders of the Grand Consort; in matters outside the gate, receive the instruction of the Prince of Pei.' When Cao Gun died that year, an edict had Cao Lin, Prince of Pei, stay on until the burial was complete. Records, Wei 20 §27 · 30–31

On the yisi day of the 1st month, in spring, of the 1st year of Ganlu (256), Cao Lin, Prince of Pei, died, and his son Cao Wei (曹緯) succeeded him. His biography does not give the year of his death; the Annals of the Three Young Emperors record the day. Records, Wei 4 §60Records, Wei 20 §21

In his assessment of this volume, Chen Shou wrote that the princes and dukes of Wei had only the names of states and fiefs without the substance of altars of soil and grain, that they were hemmed in by prohibitions and surveillance no differently from being shut up in prison, and that, with their ranks and titles never settled, large and small fiefs changed year by year. Records, Wei 20 §93