In the first month of the first year of Jiaping (249), Cao Shuang accompanied the Wei emperor Cao Fang out of Luoyang to pay homage to the Wei Ming Emperor Gao Pingling (present-day Gongrudian Village, Da'an Township, Ruyang County, Luoyang), accompanied by cao Shuang's brothers Cao Xi and the Wuwei general Cao Xun.
When Cao Shuang and his party had just left Luoyang and left the city on their front feet, the scheming Sima Yi immediately seized the opportunity to close the city gate, occupy the arsenal, and blockade the Luoyang city gate of the capital city, and then Sima Yi played Empress Guo and asked Cao Shuang's brothers to be deposed.
The weak and incompetent Cao Shuang, in the face of the sudden coup d'état, helpless and confused, the grand si nong Huan Fan escaped from the capital, met with Cao Shuang, and then suggested that Cao Shuang immediately call on the world in the name of the emperor to fight Sima Yi.
In order to make Cao Shuang submit, Sima Yi sent Yin Damu, who had a good relationship with Cao Shuang, to persuade Cao Shuang to give up his military power, saying that he would only deprive Cao Shuang of his official position and military power, and that he could retain his title, and said that he would swear by LuoShui, and also asked the lieutenant Jiang Ji to write a letter to Cao Shuang to persuade him to surrender, and Sima Yi also sent his attendants Xu Yun and Shang Shu Chen Tai to persuade Cao Shuang to surrender as soon as possible.
Cao Shuang thought about it all night, hesitated, and finally gave up resistance, surrendered to Sima Yi, and fantasized about becoming a rich man after handing over his military power. Huan Fan cried and said, Cao is really a hero, how to give birth to sons are stupid pigs, I will also be affected by you and exterminated.
As soon as Cao Shuang returned to Luoyang, he was accused by Sima Yi of plotting rebellion against the three tribes, and at the same time, Cao Shuang's henchmen were swept away by Sima Yi, and all the three tribes were exterminated.
If Cao Shuang moved the emperor to Xuchang and ordered the soldiers and horses of the world to fight Sima Yi together in the name of the emperor, Sima Yi might not be able to win, at that time, after all, there were still many people loyal to Cao Wei, but unfortunately, Cao Shuang could not get on the wall, gave up resistance, and directly surrendered.
Then, why did Sima Yi eat that Cao Shuang did not dare to resist? Because Cao Shuang had two fatal shortcomings, Sima Yi concluded that Cao Shuang did not dare to resist and that resistance would be defeated.
First, Cao Shuang's ten years of dictatorship, soaring and faltering, acting recklessly, corrupting the imperial program and losing the hearts and minds of the people.
In the ten years that Cao Shuang was a great general, he could say that he covered the sky with one hand and did all the bad things. Cao Shuang wantonly used his own cronies to indulge his subordinates in occupying other people's fertile land. Cao Shuang's clothes and diet were all out of specification, similar to the emperor, and transgressed. This is not to mention, Cao Shuang also privately took away seven or eight talented people of Emperor Wei Ming as his own wives and concubines, and also took the Taile musical instruments and adjusted the arsenal to prohibit the army from arranging the gorgeous palace for his own use, Cao Shuang also drank and entertained himself many times with his close associate He Yan and others, which was extremely luxurious.
The "Biography of Cao Shuang in the Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms" records that Shuang eats and drinks car clothes, intended to ride on public opinion; Shang Fang cherishes and plays, filling his family; his wife and concubine Yinghou court, and privately taking seven or eight people of the former emperor's talents, as well as thirty-three generals, teachers, advocates, and children of the good family, all of whom think that they are happy. Fraudulent edicts were written, and fifty-seven people were sent to the platform, so that the former emperor Jieyu taught her as a trick. Unauthorized use of Tairaku musical instruments, arsenal forbidden soldiers. As a cave room, Qi shu around, counting and Yan will be in it, drinking and having fun.
How could Cao Shuang not cause public indignation if he was so rebellious and acting recklessly? How can you not lose people's hearts? Such a person, who in the capital is willing to fight for his life?
The second point is that Cao Shuang cannot fight wars, has no military talent, has no military achievements, and is an incompetent person.
In the first five years (244), Deng Biao and Li Sheng, in order to make Cao Shuang's military merits and prestige, suggested that Cao Shuang lead an army to conquer Shu Han, and Cao Shuang then went west to Chang'an, appointed Xiahou Xuan as the general of Zhengxi, and falsely oversaw the military forces of Yongzhou and Liangzhou, and led 60,000 to 70,000 troops from Luogu into Shu, with great momentum.
However, because the Shu Han general Fei Yi preemptively led his army to occupy favorable terrain and choke the danger, Cao Shuang's army could not advance. When the army was withdrawn, it was again blocked by Fei Yi in advance to block the rear road of the Wei army, and Cao Shuang's army was able to withdraw after a bitter battle, with countless casualties among the soldiers, and the cattle and horses brought by Cao Shuang were almost exhausted. Cao Shuang returned in vain and lost all his face.
The "Biography of Cao Shuang in the Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms" records that Biao and others wanted to make Shuang Liwei famous in the world, and persuaded shu to cut down Shu, and Shuang obeyed his words, and Xuan Wang could not forbid it. In the first five years, Shuang Naixi went to Chang'an, and 60,000 or 70,000 people entered from LuoGu. At that time, Guanzhong and The Qiang and Qiang could not be supplied, the cattle, horses, mules, and donkeys died, and the Minyi wept on the road. Hundreds of miles into the valley, thieves are not allowed to enter because the mountains are solid.
Cao Shuang's military incompetence also allowed Sima Yi to see through him, and he had no strength to fight back at all. Because of Cao Shuang's decay and incompetence, cao Wei's country was completely buried. If Cao Shuang and his father Cao Were really alive, Sima Yi would never dare to launch a coup d'état.