Cao Xi 曹羲

Cao Xi appears in the accounts of Cao Zhen and Cao Shuang in the Biographies of the Xiahou and Cao Clans in Records of Wei 9, and in the Annals of the Three Young Emperors in Records of Wei 4, the Biographies of Wang, Wei, the Two Lius and Fu in Records of Wei 21, and the Biographies of Han, Cui, Gao, Sun and Wang in Records of Wei 24. His father Cao Zhen was a clan nephew of Taizu (Cao Cao) and died in the 3rd month of the 5th year of Taihe (231). When Cao Zhen's son Cao Shuang succeeded him, Emperor Ming (Cao Rui) issued an edict praising Cao Zhen for having practiced loyalty and integrity in assisting two founding rulers, and enfeoffed all five of Cao Zhen's sons, Cao Xi, Cao Xun, Cao Ze, Cao Yan and Cao Ai, as full marquises. Records, Wei 9 §62 · 69Records, Wei 3 §21

When Emperor Ming died and the Prince of Qi (Cao Fang) took the throne, the General-in-Chief Cao Shuang was given the additional post of Palace Attendant (shizhong) and re-enfeoffed as Marquis of Wu'an. Cao Shuang's younger brother Cao Xi became Central Commander of the Army (zhong lingjun), Cao Xun General of the Martial Guard, and Cao Yan Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary and Lecturer in Attendance, and his other younger brothers all attended the emperor as full marquises and came and went through the palace gates; Chen Shou wrote that no honor or favor could have been greater. Cao Shuang brought back into office He Yan, Deng Yang, Li Sheng, Ding Mi and Bi Gui, whom Emperor Ming had dismissed as superficial and showy, and made them his confidants. Records, Wei 9 §72–73

Early in the Zhengshi era, when Cao Shuang held power and He Yan was Master of Writing for Personnel, the Gentleman of the Yellow Gate Fu Gu said to Cao Xi, 'He Pingshu is calm on the outside but sharp and crafty within; he loves profit and gives no thought to attending to fundamentals. I fear he will surely first lead you brothers astray, so that men of benevolence will keep their distance and the government of the court will fall into ruin.' He Yan and the others eventually fell out with Fu Gu and had him dismissed from office over a trivial matter. Records, Wei 21 §87

When He Yan, Deng Yang and Ding Mi became Masters of Writing (shangshu) and He Yan took charge of selecting officials, affairs seldom passed through Sima Xuanwang (Sima Yi) any longer, and He Yan and the others monopolized the government. Cao Shuang's food, carriages and clothing rivaled those of the Son of Heaven, and he had an underground chamber built in which he often gathered with He Yan and the others to drink and make merry. Cao Xi was deeply troubled by this and repeatedly remonstrated with him to stop. Records, Wei 9 §76–78

Cao Xi also composed three essays setting out how arrogance, licentiousness and overflowing excess bring disaster and ruin, and Chen Shou wrote that their words and meaning were most earnest. Not daring to rebuke Cao Shuang openly, he cast them as admonitions to his younger brothers and showed them to Cao Shuang, who realized they had been written about him and was greatly displeased. At times, when his remonstrances and attempts to enlighten his brother were not accepted, Cao Xi would rise from his seat in tears. Records, Wei 9 §78–79

In the 1st month of the 10th year of Zhengshi (249), when the emperor's carriage went to pay respects at the Gaoping Mausoleum, Cao Shuang and all his brothers went with it. The Annals of the Three Young Emperors record this year as the 1st year of Jiaping. Sima Xuanwang first seized the arsenal and stationed himself at the floating bridge over the Luo River, then submitted a memorial stating that, by order of the Empress Dowager, he had instructed the officials in charge and the Prefect of the Yellow Gate to dismiss the officers and troops of Cao Shuang, Cao Xi and Cao Xun and send them back to their residences as marquises. Sima Xuanwang had the Minister Coachman Wang Guan act as Central Commander of the Army and take control of Cao Xi's camp. Records, Wei 9 §80 · 83Records, Wei 4 §28Records, Wei 24 §78

The Grand Minister of Agriculture (da sinong) Huan Fan forged an edict, slipped out of the city, went to Cao Shuang, and urged him to move the emperor's carriage to Xuchang and summon troops from outside. When Cao Shuang and his brothers hesitated and could not decide, Huan Fan spoke again to Cao Xi: 'At a time like today, even if your family sought to become poor and lowly, could it still do so? Besides, even a common man holding a single hostage still hopes to survive; now you are with the Son of Heaven, and if you issue orders to the realm, who would dare not respond?' But Cao Xi still could not accept his advice. Persuaded by the Palace Attendant Xu Yun and the Master of Writing Chen Tai, Cao Shuang admitted his guilt and begged for death, and Cao Shuang and his brothers were dismissed from office and returned to their residences as marquises. Records, Wei 9 §84–85

Afterward the eunuch of the Yellow Gate Zhang Dang testified that Cao Shuang had secretly plotted rebellion with He Yan and the others and intended to rise within the 3rd month. When the high ministers and court officials deliberated at court and all judged it to be great treason and impiety, Cao Shuang, Cao Xi, Cao Xun, He Yan, Deng Yang, Ding Mi, Bi Gui, Li Sheng, Huan Fan, Zhang Dang and others were arrested and all executed, and their clans were exterminated to the third degree. In the Jiaping era, Cao Zhen's clan grandson Cao Xi (曹熙) was enfeoffed as Marquis of Xinchang Precinct to carry on the sacrifices to Cao Zhen. Records, Wei 9 §87–88Records, Wei 4 §28

In his assessment in Records of Wei 9, Chen Shou said that Cao Zhen and others, as close kin and old friends, had lent their aid to the great enterprise, and that Cao Shuang, whose virtue was slight while his position was lofty, sank into excess and overflowing, which is what the Book of Changes makes plain and what the Daoists shun. He gave no separate assessment of Cao Xi. Records, Wei 9 §132