Cao Shuang held the emperor in his hand, why didn't he take this opportunity to defeat Sima Yi? Which is more important in his heart, power and ambition? In the face of Huan Fan's sincere persuasion, what choice did he make? Why did this arrogant and domineering minister in the past stay in danger and finally admit defeat willingly? Is there some irresistible force behind it? The think tank Huan Fan took the risk to defect to Cao Shuang alone, was it just for his own selfish interests? Or is it out of sincere help to Cao Shuang? The outcome of this power struggle is destined to rewrite the course of history, so let's wait and see why.
In the game within the game, Cao Shuang was in crisis
In 249 AD, Cao Fang succeeded to the throne of Emperor Wei for six years. That year, Cao Shuang, who was in power, suddenly fell into a desperate situation. The root cause of all the misfortunes was his long-term mediocrity, which caused the dissatisfaction of the Sima family. After careful planning, the powerful minister Sima Yi finally launched the famous Luoyang coup.
At that time, Cao Fang was young, and Cao Shuang presided over all the government affairs. Cao Shuang's arrogance aroused strong dissatisfaction among the civil and military officials, and many people were eager to implement new policy reforms, but they were always obstructed by Cao Shuang. The situation was at an impasse for a while.
At this critical juncture, the god of war Sima Yi came up with the idea of seizing power. He first conspired with the ministers of the clan Zhong Hui, Bian Yi, Xun Qian and others to conspire countermeasures. At the same time, he spent a huge amount of money to buy off the backbone of the forbidden army and made full preparations for the operation.
At the beginning of the ruse, Sima Yi first asked Zhong to write to Cao Shuang and persuade him to return to the government. Cao Shuang was arrogant and ignored it at all. So Sima Yi showed his killer weapon and commanded Aiwei Zhong Xuan to lead the forbidden army to Cao Shuang's mansion, trying to capture him alive. Cao Shuang panicked and didn't know what to do.
In the face of danger, Cao Shuang hurriedly fled and prepared to start anew. But seeing that the troops were scattered, the Chinese army, which was originally arm-assisted, also swayed, and everything collapsed in an instant. Cao Shuang realized that he was already under siege and was at an absolute disadvantage.
In the face of sudden changes, where does Cao Shuang have room to deal with it calmly? fled, leaving the young emperor alone in Luoyang City. This mistake deepened Cao Shuang's already desperate situation.
Huan Fan was in prison by mistake
The sudden change in the situation of the coup d'état in Luoyang really caught Cao Shuang off guard. However, at this very moment, an unexpected figure is embroiled in the whirlpool of this power struggle - Dasi Nong Huan Fan.
Huan Fan was originally Cao Shuang's subordinate, and he worked diligently for Cao Shuang for many years. The two are both from Peijun and have a very good old relationship. However, at the critical moment, Huan Fan wavered.
Things have to start before the coup d'état in Luoyang. The Cao Shuang brothers have been in power for a long time, and they have gradually become mediocre and arrogant, and they have repeatedly gone out for recreation rashly, losing the responsibility of the country. A while ago, Huan Fan advised the Cao Shuang brothers not to rashly go out of the city side by side, and to prevent trouble before it happens. But Cao Shuang didn't realize it and ignored it.
The coup d'état in Luoyang was on the verge of breaking out, and Sima Yi took control of the situation. At that time, Huan Fan wanted to hold on to the defects and obey Sima Yi's orders. However, the son persuaded him in time to change his mind. The son pointed out that the emperor was still in the hands of Cao Shuang, and if he could take refuge in Cao Shuang in time, he might be able to take the opportunity to make a comeback.
After some hesitation, Huan Fan finally chose to take a desperate bet. He risked his life and escaped from Luoyang with many tricks and went to Cao Shuang's camp. At that time, Sima Yi's minions had already blocked the Luoyang City Gate, and Huan Fan had to pretend to be an edict to travel and deceive the city gate guards before he could escape.
Huan Fan's whereabouts were exposed, which surprised Sima Yi, and he couldn't help but sigh "think tank". Jiang Ji even bluntly said that although Huan Fan was resourceful, Cao Shuang had a violent temperament, and it was difficult to hope that Huan Fan's strategy would have any effect. It seems that Sima Yi had already predicted where the situation would go.
Sima Yi outwitted Cao Shuang and made one after another
Although Cao Shuang temporarily controlled the emperor, the situation became more and more unfavorable for him. All of this is due to Sima Yi's strategizing and brilliant moves.
First of all, Sima Yi used Yin Damu, the lieutenant lieutenant of the palace that Cao Shuang was convinced of, as a bait to induce Cao Shuang to surrender. At that time, Yin Damu pretended to be a messenger and told Cao Shuang that Sima Yi had no intention of harming him, but just wanted Cao Shuang to give up his military power. These words made Cao Shuang fantasize, as if surrender could save his life.
However, Sima Yi is far from being such a good type. He had already secretly laid a big net, trying to completely eradicate Cao Shuang. Just when Yin Damu replied to Cao Shuang, Sima Yi even pointed at Luo Shui in person and swore an oath that he would never harm Cao Shuang's family, just to seize military power. This move further won Cao Shuang's trust.
Although Cao Shuang was in power for a while, after all, he was stubborn and self-serving, and he was stuck everywhere. He knows very well that if he fights alone, there will be more luck than luck. As a result, he began to waver and had the idea of surrendering. At this time, Sima Yi sent his cronies Xu Yun and Chen Tai to persuade Cao Shuang, promising that as long as he handed over his military power, the title and family property could be preserved.
Faced with such a heavy siege and the threat of family ruin, Cao Shuang finally gave in. He had to ask the emperor to be relieved of his official position and prepared to confess and surrender. At this critical juncture, Yin Damu appeared again and presented a framed evidence of "Cao Shuang's rebellion", completely sweeping away Cao Shuang's last concerns.
One step at a time, with careful layout, Sima Yi almost made all the tricks before he could completely disintegrate Cao Shuang's determination. These historical anecdotes all reflect Sima Yi's extraordinary wisdom and skill in power and strategy.
Cao Shuang made a difficult choice and weighed the pros and cons
Power or life, which is more important? This is the dilemma that Cao Shuang had to face in this coup.
At first, Cao Shuang had no defense against Sima Yi's actions at all. He was convinced that by virtue of the emperor in his control, he was the legitimate ruler. Therefore, when he heard that there was a turmoil in Luoyang City, he simply left the emperor there temporarily, and left with his subordinates.
Soon, Cao Shuang found himself in a passive situation. The trilogy dispersed, the Chinese army wavered, and he was almost penniless. Faced with Sima Yi's pressure, Cao Shuang had to seriously consider whether to fight to the death with him or surrender obediently.
For a while, Cao Shuang's heart fell into the predicament of the war between heaven and man. He knew that if he fought alone, the chances of victory were slim; But if you surrender, you will lose your power. For Cao Shuang, power is his lifelong goal, how can he give up in vain?
However, reality brutally sounded Cao Shuang's alarm bell. He came back to his senses, thought about it carefully, and finally made the decision to give in. After all, it's better to survive than to lose both. So, Cao Shuang began to put on a deferential posture, ready to ask the emperor for dismissal.
This decision made Cao Shuang make a trade-off at a critical moment and temporarily gave up the pursuit of power. However, Sima Yi did not let him go. While Cao Shuang relaxed his vigilance, Yin Damu presented a framed "rebellion" evidence, which made Cao Shuang completely give up the idea of resisting.
The final word, Sima Yi wins all
Cao Shuang pleaded guilty and surrendered, and the dust finally settled on the Luoyang coup. But Sima Yi did not let Cao Shuang and his henchmen go, but struck while the iron was hot and completely swept them away in one fell swoop.
First, Sima Yi ordered the assassination of Cao Jie and his son Cao Zong. At the beginning, Cao Jie strongly supported Cao Shuang's government and became the leader of his party. Now that he has been exterminated, it can be said that he is innocent. Subsequently, many important officials who were close to Cao Shuang were also killed one after another, such as Chen Ziguang, the Taishou of Nanyang, and Chen Yuanlong, the general of Zhengxi.
Subsequently, Sima Yi discovered a group of deeply hidden Cao Shuang's henchmen. They include Li Chen, the Taishou of Yangzhou, Chen Mi of Xuzhou, and the Taishou of Xinye, Jiyang and others. Sima Yi ordered all of them to be exterminated, and none of them, including women and children, were spared. This kind of fire and method is really cruel and ruthless.
What's even more severe is that Sima Yi pointed the finger at the aristocratic family. Cao Shuang's wives and concubines, nephews, relatives and friends all escaped, and they were implicated and killed. This scene is suffocating. According to historical records, for three months at that time, "the Cao family was all closed".
However, there are also a few lucky ones who have been rescued. For example, Cao Rong was rescued by King Sima Xuan when he was young, thus escaping the disaster. In addition, about a dozen people were able to save their lives. However, Sima Yi generally eradicated the foundation of Cao's party.
end
Twists and turns, fighting wits and courage, Sima Yi outwitted Cao Shuang, and in the end, the winner takes all. This not only consolidated his power in the court, but also opened a new path for the future of Cao Wei's regime. However, the cruelty and ruthlessness of this method also set an example of extreme manipulation for future generations, and the impact is far-reaching.