Cao Cao, a famous statesman and military strategist in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, is known as one of the outstanding figures in Chinese history. He possessed great talent and outstanding military wisdom, and his outstanding ability to govern, unifying the north, laying the groundwork for the later Three Kingdoms era. For centuries, however, Cao Cao's tomb has had a striking question: Why is Cao Cao's tomb buried with that of his daughter-in-law, and is it counterintuitive to do so? Is it out of custom or immorality?
In general, the tombs of ancient imperial generals usually consisted of separate mausoleums, which were set up to highlight their identity and status. Built in 220 AD in Linhuai County, Xiangyang City, Anhui Province, Cao Cao's tomb is one of the largest and best-preserved imperial tombs in Eastern Han and Three Kingdoms periods in China. Known as the Cao Garden, the mausoleum consists of large tombs, passages, and walls, in which Cao Cao's body is buried. Next to Cao Cao's mausoleum, there is a small tomb where his daughter-in-law Zhen is buried.
We first need to understand the relationship between Cao Cao and Zhen. With his outstanding talent and strategic wisdom, Cao Cao achieved great achievements in politics and military. He held real power in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, and the establishment and development of the Cao Wei regime was closely related to him. However, apart from his son Cao Pi, Cao Cao had no other legitimate heirs. Finding a suitable heir became a concern for Cao Cao during his lifetime. Zhen was the wife of Cao Cao's second son, Cao Zhi, who came from a famous family and was appreciated by Cao Cao. A deep relationship was formed between Zhen and Cao Cao, and some people believed that Cao Cao regarded Zhen as his own daughter. Cao Zhi's relationship with the Zhen family was controversial, and they were entangled with love and hate, in fact, Cao Zhi was no better than other sons in Cao Cao's eyes.
In order to safeguard the interests of the family and the stability of the regime, Cao Cao decided to place the Zhen family's cemetery in Linhuai together with his own mausoleum. This move does not go against common sense, on the contrary, it shows that Cao Cao attaches importance to the Zhen family and respects Cao Zhi's descendants. Arranging the tombs of Cao Cao and Zhen together also helps to maintain the honor and status of the Cao family, so that Cao Cao has better control and arrangement over the inheritance of the family. Cao Cao's burial of the Zhen family was also not unfounded. Although Cao Cao did not officially recognize Cao Zhi as his eldest son, his favor for Cao Zhi and appreciation of the Zhen clan were obvious to all. Arranging their burial sites together can be seen as a hint of Cao Cao's future status for Cao Zhi and Zhen.
Cao Cao buried his daughter-in-law near his mausoleum, which also had a political purpose. In ancient Chinese society, and indeed in other cultures around the world, people's perception of mausoleums was deeply influenced by respect for ancestors and family affection. Cao was an important politician of the time, and his mausoleum has a high symbolic significance. Placing Wang Yi's mausoleum next to Cao Cao's tomb is undoubtedly to better demonstrate the greatness and honor of the Cao Cao family. This arrangement highlights Cao Cao's sincere love for Wang Yi and the great importance he attaches to his own family. The tomb of Cao Cao and his daughter-in-law may also be related to cultural traditions. The concept of family in ancient China is deeply rooted, and the relationship between family members is even more important. Moreover, the relationship between husband and wife was regarded as the supreme emotional bond in ancient China. Cao Cao buried his son's wife next to his mausoleum, probably hoping to continue this close relationship in the afterlife. In addition, as a politician, Cao Cao's actions were often to safeguard the interests and glory of the family, and to integrate his daughter-in-law's tomb with his own, perhaps to highlight the unity and integrity of the family.
Although the placement of Cao Cao and Zhen's burial sites may differ from our understanding of ancient tombs, this arrangement is in line with Cao Cao's personal wishes and family interests from the perspective of Cao Cao's governance of the state, emphasis on family inheritance, and respect for the Zhen family. From the point of view of Cao Cao's appreciation of the Zhen family, respect for Cao Zhi's descendants, and safeguarding the honor and status of the Cao family, such an arrangement is reasonable and reasonable. It can not only highlight Cao Cao's importance to the Zhen family, but also express Cao Cao's arrangement and expectations for family inheritance.
It is not contrary to common sense why the graves of Cao Cao and his daughter-in-law Zhen are located together. From the point of view of Cao Cao's appreciation of the Zhen family, respect for Cao Zhi's descendants, and safeguarding the honor and status of the Cao family, such an arrangement is reasonable and reasonable. It can not only highlight Cao Cao's importance to the Zhen family, but also express Cao Cao's arrangement and expectations for family inheritance. Of course, some people have questioned the practice of co-burial of Cao Cao's tomb with the tomb of his daughter-in-law. They believe that this practice violates traditional ethical concepts and does not respect the independent personality and status of women. However, we cannot simply apply modern values to antiquity, because the cultural background and social concepts of that era are very different from today's. In ancient societies, men were far more dominant in the family and society than women, so Cao Cao's choice to be buried with his daughter-in-law can also be seen as a sign of respect for women and the responsibility of the family.
The reason why Cao Cao's tomb is buried together with his daughter-in-law's tomb is not only related to family concepts and family interests, but also related to political factors. This approach may seem incomprehensible in modern times, but it does not violate traditional morality in the cultural and social context of antiquity. Whatever our position on this scenario, we should respect history, understand the choices of ancient people, and explore the truth and meaning of history.