In that era of heroes, there was also a figure who skillfully and brutally carved out a path for himself in the power struggle - Cao Pi. Although he was the son of Cao Cao, his path to the throne was not paved with roses, but full of thorns and intrigue. In 220, Cao Pi forced Emperor Xian of Han to abdicate the throne, and since then the state of Wei has been established, ending the Han Dynasty's rule of more than 400 years. But his story is much more than that. Why did an emperor with the best resources and living conditions die young at the age of forty?
Cao Pi, this name may not be as loud as his father Cao Cao in the long river of history, but his life is just as wonderful. Cao Pi is Cao Cao's second son, and in the battle for the heir of the Cao family, he is not the one most loved by his father, and that position originally belonged to his younger brother Cao Zhi. History is written by the victors, and in the game of power, Cao Pi relied on his own scheming and strategy to finally win this war without gunpowder.
Cao Pi, who has been fighting on the battlefield with his father since he was a child, has already exercised his political sense and military talent. He is not only brave and good at fighting, but also good at winning people's hearts. It can be said that as early as when Cao Cao was alive, Cao Pi began to pave the way for his own throne. When Cao Cao died, the world was undecided, and Cao Pi acted quickly to formally usurp Han and establish the Wei state in 220, when he was only thirty years old.
Game of Thrones never ended with Cao Pi's accession to the throne. Under Cao Pi's rule, although the Wei state developed politically and militarily, its inner insecurity and obsession with power led him to an extreme path. He treats dissidents cruelly and ruthlessly, and even his younger brother Cao Zhi is suspicious and tries his best to suppress him. Cao Zhi's "Seven Steps Poem" was produced in this context and has been passed down to this day.
Cao Pi's way of governing the country seems to be calm on the surface, and the national strength is constantly increasing, but in fact, there is an undercurrent, and his body and mind are under great pressure. According to historical records, during Cao Pi's reign, he worked hard, worked day and night, and rarely rested. In addition, he is also greedy for wine and glasses, and his life style is not promiscuous, which undoubtedly accelerates the deterioration of his health.
In 226 AD, Cao Pi died of illness in Luoyang at the age of forty. Despite the limited medical conditions, Cao Pi's early death was inseparable from his overworked lifestyle and indulgent private life. He suffered from a severe lung disease that at the time was almost incurable. Even as an emperor with the best medical resources, Cao Pi could not escape the clutches of illness. What's worse is that he still refused to give up the power in his hands when he was seriously ill and continued to spend his energy on handling government affairs, which undoubtedly made matters worse.
Cao Pi's death is not only a personal tragedy, but also to some extent reflects the cruelty of that era and the ruthlessness of the struggle for imperial power. His death further revealed the internal contradictions of the Cao Cao family, and also laid the groundwork for later political changes. Cao Pi's life can be said to be a typical heroic tragedy, his successes and failures are extremely dramatic, and have profoundly influenced the interpretation of this historical period by later generations.
In Cao Pi's body, we can not only see the power and ambition of an emperor, but also the living state and psychological changes of a person in a totalitarian environment. His story is not only a part of history, but also a mirror, reflecting the complexity and contradictions of human nature.
Nowadays, when we look back at Cao Pi's life, we can't help but think: Is real power just glamorous on the surface? Who can understand the loneliness and exhaustion behind it? Does a person really have everything at the peak of power? Perhaps, these questions are exactly what history wants to enlighten us.