On the sixth day of the first lunar month (February 5) in the first decade (249), The Cao Wei Emperor Cao Fang and the three brothers of the great general Cao Shuang went to Gaoping Tomb to pay homage to the Wei Ming Emperor Cao Rui.
At this time, Sima Yi, who had been dormant for many years and had been scheming, and his two sons Sima Shi and Sima Zhao, suddenly launched a coup d'état in Luoyang, the capital division, occupied the arsenal, and closed the city gate with the Luoshui pontoon bridge.
Subsequently, Sima Yi led his troops into the Yongning Palace, found Cao Rui's empress, that is, Empress Guo, and then deposed Cao Shuang's brothers in the name of Empress Guo.
The Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms, the Biography of Cao Shuang, records: Yongning Palace. The empress dowager ordered her courtiers to carry out the same. Those who are subject to the lord and the Yellow Gate order to dismiss Shuang, Xi, and train the soldiers, in order to be in charge, are not allowed to stay in order to drive the car; if they dare to stay, they will be engaged in military law.
With Empress Guo's will, Sima Yi launched a coup d'état, which became justified and justified, otherwise, Sima Yi would be plotting rebellion.
If Empress Guo did not help Sima Yi, Sima Yi would be morally untenable and would most likely fail, because not so many people would support Sima Yi's rebellion, or even attack Sima Yi, who only relied on the three thousand dead soldiers he had personally raised, and the odds of victory were not great.
Unfortunately, Empress Guo elbowed outwards and did Sima Yi a big favor.
The question is, why did Empress Guo do Sima Yi this big favor?
Because Empress Guo and Cao Shuang had a vendetta, Empress Guo hated Cao Shuang and wished that Cao Shuang would fall and die.
This has to start at the beginning.
Empress Guo was originally from the Xiping Guo clan of Liangzhou. During the Huang Dynasty (220-226), Xiping Commandery rebelled against the imperial court, Cao Wei put down the rebellion, and Guo Shi was not included in the palace.
After Cao Rui succeeded to the throne, he liked guo very much and made her a lady, and in the second year of the Jing Dynasty (238), when Cao Rui was seriously ill, he established Guo as the imperial palace.
The following year, Cao Rui fell ill and died, and the eight-year-old crown prince Cao Fang succeeded to the throne, and Guo was honored as empress dowager.
Before Cao Rui's death, Cao Shuang and Sima Yi jointly assisted in the government, and later, Cao Shuang monopolized power, and Sima Yi said that he could not get sick.
Cao Shuang did not have Sima Yi to check and balance, in order to better monopolize power, he put Empress Guo under house arrest at Yongning Palace, when Empress Guo and Cao Fang said goodbye, the two cried bitterly.
The Book of Jin, Volume 29, Zhi 19 records: When Cao Shuang was in power, he moved the empress dowager to Yongning Palace, and the empress dowager and the emperor wept and parted.
Cao Shuang put Empress Guo under house arrest, and it was certain that Empress Guo hated Cao Shuang.
After that, Cao Shuang completely did not have any scruples, controlled the government, acted recklessly, and wantonly collected rare antiques, Cao Shuang's carriages, horses, diet, and clothes were the same as those of the emperor, and even took the concubines and talents of the Wei Ming Emperor Cao Rui as his own, and defiled the court. Even many of the talented people of the former emperor were used as singers.
The Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms, The Biography of Cao Shuang records that Shuang eats and drinks car clothes, intended to ride on public opinion; Shang Fang cherishes and fills his family; his wife and concubine Yinghou court, and privately takes seven or eight people from the former emperor, and thirty-three generals, teachers, advocates, and children of the liang family, all of whom think that they are happy. Fraudulent edicts were written, and fifty-seven people were sent to Yitai, so that the former emperor Jieyu taught her as a trick.
Cao Shuang also took The Taile musical instruments, ordered the Forbidden Army to serve them, and drank and played with a group of henchmen, making a blessing, which not only hated Cao Shuang, but also caused dissatisfaction among some ministers of culture and military affairs, and at the same time, lost the hearts of the people.
Therefore, when Sima Yi launched the Coup d'état of Gao Pingling, entered the Yongning Palace and requested the abolition of Cao Shuang, Empress Guo agreed without even thinking about it.
The "Book of Jin, Volume I, Emperor Ji No. 1" records: Jiaping first year spring first month A noon, tianzi Gurudwara GaoPingling, Shuang brothers are subordinate. It's the day, too white to attack the moon. The emperor then played The Empress Yongning and deposed the Shuang brothers.
However, Empress Guo may not have thought that after eliminating Cao Shuang and his henchmen, Cao Wei's power would be completely seized by Sima Shi and she would never be able to return to heaven.
Eventually, Cao Wei's Jiangshan was usurped by Sima Yi's grandson, Sima Zhao's son Sima Yan, and the Western Jin Dynasty replaced Cao Wei.
Empress Guo made a wedding dress for the Sima family.