During the Cao Wei period, the struggle for power intensified. During Cao Fang's young reign, Sima Yi and Cao Shuang were originally loyal ministers who assisted together. However, Cao Shuang, with his superior strategy and skill, gradually gained more power. He first took control of Shangshutai, the core of government power, and then gradually took control of military power. In the face of Cao Shuang's pressing step by step, Sima Yi, who is known for his great talent, had nothing to do, and finally had to go away to Huainan, why was he so smiling and generous? How did Cao Shuang seize military power? The answer may be hidden in the three core positions of Cao Wei's army. Which three positions are so important that Sima Yi has to bow his head and admit defeat? Let's find out.
The rise of Cao Shuang
Cao Shuang, who is talented and intelligent, has been favored by the Cao Wei family since he was a child. He was born in Peiguo County and was a nobleman of the Cao Wei clan. Because of his close friendship with Cao Ei, Cao Ei reused Cao Shuang after succeeding to the throne, and successively appointed him as a loose cavalry squire, a captain at the city gate, and a general of Wuwei, which can be described as favored.
Cao Fang was only fourteen years old when he ascended the throne, and the government was naturally jointly responsible for the affairs of the auxiliary ministers, Sima Yi and Cao Shuang. At first, the two had a good relationship, and Cao Shuang discussed everything with Sima Yi and did not act arbitrarily. However, power is often a double-edged sword, and the giver can be rich and prosperous, but it can also invite disaster.
The struggle for power was actually triggered by Cao Shuang's advisers. He Yan, Ding Mi and others saw that Cao Shuang had a lot of power, so they secretly instigated Cao Shuang to hold all the power in their own hands. Ding Mi was particularly cunning, and he pointed out to Cao Shuang the key to seizing power: controlling government power and military power.
Throughout history, it has often been the temptation of power that is hard to resist. Cao Shuang went all out and first wrote to the emperor, replacing Sima Yi with Taifu and depriving him of the real power to take charge of Shangshutai. Then, he inserted his cronies He Yan, Deng Yang, and Ding Mi'an into Shangshutai, marginalizing Lu Yu, a famous scholar who was formerly the secretary of the ministry. In this way, Shang Shutai was soon monopolized by Cao Shuang's henchmen.
At the same time, Cao Shuang also put the old magnates who had been deposed by Cao Rong back into the cabinet. Many figures of dubious origin made a comeback, and at the instigation of Cao Shuang's henchmen, the DPRK and China were reduced to a turbulent power contest.
Cao Shuang was born in a noble family, received a good education since childhood, and was extremely alert and cautious. He understood that in order to firmly control the political power, it was not enough to rely on the power of the nobles. Therefore, he is not in a hurry to seize power directly, but to cut first and then arrest, weakening the dissident forces. It can be said that although Cao Shuang is cunning and cunning, and his methods are cruel, his strategic layout is indeed good.
Cao Shuang seized power in government affairs
After Cao Shuang was determined to control the power of government affairs, he first aimed at Shangshutai. Shang Shutai was in charge of all aspects of the government, from drafting edicts to selecting officials, and it can be said that he was the core of power. Cao Shuang skillfully took advantage of Cao Fang's young and ignorant to write a royal book, demoting Sima Yi from the most powerful Lu Shang Shushi to the fictitious title of Taifu. Then, he moved to Lu Yu, and his cronies He Yan, Deng Yang, and Ding Mi occupied important positions in Shangshutai.
Once Shangshutai is lost, the fate of Zhongshu Province can be imagined. Originally, the Zhongshu Province had similar functions to the Shangshutai, responsible for drafting edicts and handling confidential matters. However, since the Cao Rong Dynasty, the power of Zhongshu Province has been gradually replaced by Shangshutai. Now that Cao Shuang is in charge of Shangshutai, Zhongshu Province has naturally lost its original important position.
In order to consolidate power, Cao Shuang did not hesitate to resort to all kinds of despicable means. At that time, Liu Fang, the supervisor of the Central Committee, and Ling Sun Zi were both long-serving ministers, and Cao Shuang ostensibly added the title of Yidi, but in fact, the power of the two had been hollowed out. At the same time, he moved Lu Yu to Tingwei and Guangluxun, and gradually suppressed dissidents.
The struggle for power intensified, and the government and the opposition also fell apart. The old ministers, who were originally incompatible with Cao Shuang, now have to surrender in order to survive. On the other hand, those old magnates who had been suppressed by Cao Rong made a comeback one after another and supported Cao Shuang as the hero. Typical characters are scheming ministers such as He Yan and Ding Mi.
At their instigation, Cao Shuang gradually gave up his original respectful attitude towards Sima Yi. Cao Shuang was good at government affairs, did not consult with Sima Yi on everything, and even advocated the removal of the old ministers and the new entry into his own party. The entire central power has completely fallen into the hands of Cao Shuang alone.
However, Cao Shuang is not satisfied with this. He understood that in order to completely control the entire Cao Wei Dynasty, it was not enough to have political power, the key was to control military power. As a result, Cao Shuang began to aim at the core of Cao Wei's army, the Chinese army.
At that time, Cao Wei's army could be divided into local and central armies, which in turn could be divided into foreign and internal armies. The inner army, that is, the Chinese army, led by the three battalions, the five schools, and the guerrilla generals, is the brave elite who defended the capital Luoyang. In the Cao Wei military system, the position of the Chinese army is the most important, and the three positions of the central leader, the central protector, and the general of the military guard are particularly crucial.
Cao Shuang's power is monstrous, and he is bound to win. He first put his brother Cao Xun in charge of General Wuwei and firmly controlled the forbidden army; He also appointed his confidant Jiang Ji as the leader of the central army and controlled the military and political power. Only the post of the Central Protector was still held by Qingliu Qingshi, but Cao Shuang did not stop there, he gradually inserted his henchmen into it, fully preparing for the final seizure of power.
The key to the struggle for military power
Although Cao Wei's army was composed of many departments, three of them were the most concentrated in power, which can be said to be the core of military power. They are: Zhongjun Army, Zhonghu Army, and Wuwei General.
The leading army of the Chinese army is in charge of military and political power, which is equivalent to the modern chief of general staff and the supreme commander of the Chinese army. He not only commanded all the military operations of the Chinese army, but also had direct dialogue with the emperor and advised on major military policies. It can be seen from this that the post of leading the army in the middle of the army has a great weight in military power.
In contrast, although the Zhonghu Army is not the highest position, its status is not inferior. The Central Guard Army is in charge of military discipline and military law, is responsible for supervising and maintaining order in the army, and also commands the pro-guard army, which can be said to be a direct representative of the armed forces. It can be seen that the position of the Central Protector is crucial to the control of military power.
General Wu Wei was in charge of the Forbidden Army in the capital, which is now known as the commander of the Guards. The forbidden army has always shaded the government and the opposition, and it is the key to the maintenance of imperial power. Controlling the forbidden army is equivalent to firmly controlling the lifeblood of the royal family. In addition, General Wuwei is in charge of the military forces such as the patrol police in the capital, and his authority is huge, which can be imagined.
Therefore, if Cao Shuang wants to seize military power, these three core positions are naturally a place to fight. Judging from Cao Shuang's layout, he controlled these important positions one by one in his own hands step by step.
First of all, Cao Shuang put his younger brother Cao Xun in charge of the post of General Wuwei, thus firmly controlling the forbidden army. Then, he appointed his confidant Jiang Ji as the leader of the central army, so that the military and political power was all his own. Only the important position of the Central Protector is still held by dissidents. However, Cao Shuang did not stop there, but gradually installed his own henchmen into the main army.
Despite this, the military power in Cao Shuang's hands is far from enough. At that time, the local army and horses of Cao Wei were still under the command of the Cao clan, and there were still many elite warriors under Sima Yi, so in the event of civil strife, Cao Shuang was likely to be powerless. Therefore, Cao Shuang had to turn his attention to the center again and set out to reshape Cao Wei's military attache selection system.
Cao Shuang covered the sky with one hand, and the military power of the central and local governments will not be spared. It can be said that Cao Shuang is a well-deserved military and political controller, and the three important positions in the army are the foundation of his firm control of military power. Once these three offices are in control, the entire army will undoubtedly be subject to the slaughter of the shepherds.
Cao Shuang gradually took control of military power
Although Cao Shuang has taken control of the government affairs, he did not stop there, but further aimed at the fat of military power. As a veteran schemer who has read countless people, he naturally understands that in order to truly dominate the world, it is far from enough to have government power, and it is necessary to firmly control military power in his own hands.
Cao Shuang's first step was to win the trump card position of General Wuwei first. General Wu Wei was in charge of the forbidden army and was the last bulwark of royal power. If you miss it, the imperial power will be gone. Therefore, Cao Shuang first let his brother Cao Xun take this important position, so as to firmly control the power of the forbidden army in his own hands.
Next, Cao Shuang set his sights on the core of military power - the Central Leader and the Central Protector. The leading army in China is in charge of military and political power, and his status is second only to that of the prime minister; The Central Protector Army commanded the pro-guard army and was actually a representative of the armed forces. These two positions can be said to be the key to controlling military power.
For this reason, Cao Shuang first appointed his confidant Jiang Ji as the leader of the central army, thus firmly controlling the military and political power. Although the position of the Central Protector is still held by Qingliu Qingshi, Cao Shuang did not stop there, but gradually inserted his henchmen into it.
At the same time, Cao Shuang set up a series of new people in the army, with only one purpose, that is, to create a controlling force for himself in the army. He spared no expense and recruited wise men, especially those military generals who were full of scheming and main battle factions, and he did everything possible to win them into his camp.
With the support of this emerging force, Cao Shuang formed a strong check and balance on the old aristocratic family of Cao Wei. After all, there are many important ministers and magnates such as Lu Yao and Lu Fang, and in the event of a military mutiny and civil strife, Cao Shuang may not be enough on his own.
It is worth mentioning that Cao Shuang did not ignore the importance of local military horses when reshaping military power. Under his arrangement, the commanders of many important local towns were replaced by his own henchmen. This undoubtedly greatly enhanced Cao Shuang's ability to control and laid a solid foundation for him to control the military power of the whole country.
However, even so, Cao Shuang still encountered some resistance on the road to control military power. For example, the veteran Chen Kun and others who followed Cao Cao from birth to death, as well as some Cao clan generals under his command. They were naturally very dissatisfied with Cao Shuang's approach, and secretly tried every means to obstruct it many times.
In the face of these threats from his former ministers, Cao Shuang naturally did not dare to take it lightly. He did not hesitate to eradicate dissidents and fight against the Cao clan forces to ensure his absolute control in the army. Even in the Luoyang court, there were conspiracies brewing from time to time, which almost caused a catastrophe. However, in the end, under Cao Shuang's superb skill, all conspiracies were extinguished in time, and the military power was re-consolidated in his hands.
Sima Yi went away to Huainan
After Cao Shuang took control of the two cores of government affairs and military power, Sima Yi, who was up and down in the sea of eunuchs, obviously did not have enough capital to compete with him. Faced with the strong pressure of Cao Shuang's step-by-step pressing, Sima Yi had to go away to Huainan to avoid its edge.
This decision had an extremely significant impact on the political situation at that time. Sima Yi has been in charge of the government since Cao Pi and Cao Rong, and is the chief assistant of Cao Wei's generation. He has a deep understanding of the general situation, knows people, and can be said to be able to cooperate with the outside and be comfortable in the operation of the central power. However, once Cao Shuang took power, he immediately emptied Sima Yi's power and wanted to take it all for himself.
Sima Yi, who was seventy years old at that time, suddenly felt helpless after seeing Cao Shuang's ambition and skills clearly. Although he has the qualifications of a general and once commanded a large army, he also knows that he is no longer the courage of the past. Once you fight hard with Cao Shuang, it is likely that you will be defeated.
As a result, Sima Yi chose to temporarily avoid the edge and avoid his soldiers. He asked for an excuse for his old age and returned to his hometown to retire. Although Cao Fang did not want to lose this confidant minister, in the face of Cao Shuang's strong oppression, he could only approve Sima Yi's request against his will.
In this way, Cao Wei, an important veteran in the political arena, had to go to Huainan to avoid the brutal power struggle for the time being. This was undoubtedly a great loss for the central regime of Cao Wei.
After Sima Yi left Luoyang, he first traveled around Yingchuan, and then stayed in Fanyang for a long time. When he assisted Cao Wei and the three dynasties, he experienced a change of power, so he naturally knew that now was not the time to come out. Cao Shuang controlled the government and the opposition, and he was eyeing him, so he had to temporarily live in seclusion in the countryside and wait for the opportunity.
During his seclusion in Huainan and Xuchang, Sima Yi also suffered some hardships. For example, Cao Shuang once sent people to Xuchang to spy on his movements, intending to cut down the grass and eradicate the roots. Fortunately, Sima Yi was prepared and escaped this catastrophe.
On another occasion, someone set fire to his stable, which almost caused a catastrophe. However, Sima Yi tried his best to control the situation and did not cause greater twists and turns.
It can be said that although he left the countryside, Sima Yi was still careful to guard against Cao Shuang's revenge. He knew that although he had temporarily left the center of power, he was still a thorn in Cao Shuang's heart. Once there is an opportunity, Cao Shuang will definitely cut it off desperately.
Therefore, during Sima Yi's stay in Huainan, he lived a simple and diligent life to avoid causing trouble. He immersed himself in studying the art of war, hoping that one day he would be able to return to military power. At the same time, it also recruits talented people and strives to expand its network resources. But no matter how he planned, he never dared to make a rash move, for fear of causing death.
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Overall, Sima Yi's ability to survive this difficult period really depends on his extraordinary alertness, prudence and steadiness. It was these qualities that allowed him to survive the Cao Wei turmoil safely, laying the foundation for his future return to power.