All major events and figures in the history of the world, generally speaking, appear twice, and this is what Hegel tells us. And, as Marx later added: the first as a tragedy, the second as a comedy.
This was the case with the wei and jin dynasties.
In 220 AD, Cao Pi forced Emperor Xian of Han to abdicate, for the first time. In less than half a century, Sima Yan forced Emperor Yuan of Wei to give way, and this was the second time. Of course, Cao Pi could not imagine that his dynasty was so short-lived, so Sima Yan, who repeated the trick, did not expect that his empire was not only not long, but also ridiculous.
Sima Yi couldn't have imagined it.
Sima Yi, who was later posthumously honored as Emperor Xuan, was the de facto founder and founder of the Jin Dynasty. Perhaps, this should be attributed to his special scheming and patience. From entering the political circles to seizing power, he spent forty-three years before and after, through four generations of monarchs of Cao Cao, Cao Pi, Cao Rui, and Cao Fang, and finally appropriated the "real estate" of the Cao family for himself, leaving only one formality for the transfer.
What kind of person is this?
Sima Yi was born into a high-ranking scholar clan, Gaozu was a general of the Eastern Han Dynasty, his great-grandfather and grandfather were both taishou of the county, and his father Sima Fang was an official in Jingzhaoyin (the governor of the capital region). Cao Cao was able to serve as a lieutenant in the north of Luoyang (the head of the public security bureau in the capital Beicheng District) at the beginning of his career, because of Sima Fang's recommendation.
Cao Cao has always been grateful for this. Later, Cao Cao, who had become the King of Wei, set up a banquet to entertain Sima Fang, and the old saying was repeated. Cao Cao said: Please Sima Gong to see, can the Lone King still be a county lieutenant now?
Sima Fang said: When the old man recommended it, it was just right for the king to be a county lieutenant.
Cao Cao laughed.
Sima Fang's answer was very appropriate and realistic. Forty-two years ago, Cao Cao was twenty years old, and because he was promoted to filial piety, he was appointed as a Lang official (reserve official). From the palace to the locality, of course, can only serve as the deputy county public security bureau chief.
In fact, until six years after Cao Cao "took the son of heaven to order him not to be a subject", the Sima family was still not necessarily optimistic about this political rookie. Cao Cao recruited Sima Yi to serve in the palace, and Sima Fang's second son refused to be hired. He claimed to have rheumatism and would rather stay in bed for a long time than take office.
That's seven years. By the year of the Battle of Chibi, Cao Cao had given Sima Yi two choices: either to enter the imperial court or to go to prison. Sima Yi's illness could not continue, so he had to join the Cao government. He not only showed his talents in Cao Cao, but also became the emperor's right-hand man and the unique strategist of the Wei Empire in the era of Emperor Cao Pi of Wei and Emperor Cao Rui of Wei Ming.
Therefore, when Cao Rui was seriously ill and needed to be orphaned, he thought of Sima Yi.
At that time, Sima Yi had already served as an official, Tai Wei (the highest military commander), had just eliminated Gongsun Yuan, who claimed to be the King of Yan, and had included Liaodong in the territory of the Wei Empire, and was preparing to guard Guanzhong in Tunbing Town, but Cao Rui's edict arrived in three days and five days. Sima Yi rushed back to Luoyang at night and was ordered to assist the new emperor Cao Fang with the general Cao Shuang.
The death of Cao Wei also began to have signs.
In fact, Cao Rui's solitude was powerless. Sun Cetuo was alone with Zhang Zhao when he said bluntly: If Zhongmou does not do anything, jun will take it upon himself. When Liu Beituo was alone with Zhuge Liang, he also left no room for it: If he was not talented, he could take matters into his own hands. What about Cao Rui? Tearfully looking at the eight-year-old Cao Fang, he couldn't say a word.
As a result, he was empowered to be loyal on his own, and was told to take power in the future.
Another minister, Cao Shuang, was also entrusted with him. Originally, he had neither talent nor military merit, but it was emperor Wei Ming's momentary confusion before his death that he was suddenly promoted to the rank of general. However, Cao Shuang was pretentious and bent on expelling Sima Yi, and the way was to have Cao Fang order Sima Yi to be transferred from Taiwei to Taifu.
This is a typical light rise and dark descent.
Yes, Taifu has a lofty position, but he has no real power.
Sima Yi certainly knew this. He also knew very well that his strength was not enough to compete with Cao Shuang, and he could only take advantage of this person's lack of preparation. Therefore, after a few years of circling, Sima Yi pretended to be ill for the second time.
Pretending to be sick is experienced. The last time he pretended to be paralyzed, Cao Cao sent someone to pretend to be an assassin, and Sima Yi lay motionless on the bed. This time, of course, the wind paralysis disease naturally recurred, and Sima Yi's acting skills were also on a higher level.
The performance was held at Sima Yi's Taifu Mansion, and the audience was Li Sheng, the new Jingzhou Assassin sent by Cao Shuang. What Li Sheng saw was such a situation: Sima Yi's hands could no longer catch the clothes handed over by the maid, and when he drank the porridge, the porridge water was all sprinkled on his chest, and he also heard that the Jingzhou where Li Sheng was going was a state. Li Sheng had no choice but to correct himself: His subordinates were going to Jingzhou.
Sima Yi said, "Go and go to the prefecture and wronged you." And the state is close to Hudi, don't do it yourself. In the future, you and I are only afraid of a rare sight, how is it good?
Li Sheng also said: It is Jingzhou, not Xiangzhou.
Sima Yi said with some understanding: Is it Jingzhou? The old man can't quite hear you clearly. Very good, very good! In Jingzhou, it is possible to make meritorious achievements. My two sons, Sima Shi and Sima Zhao, please.
When he finished, tears flowed down his face and his voice choked.
Li Sheng went back to report to Cao Shuang, and Cao Shuang was very relieved.
Sima Yi, however, secretly stepped up preparations. After pretending to be ill for two and a half years, he took advantage of Cao Shuang's opportunity to accompany the emperor out and suddenly launched a mutiny, eliminating a powerful opponent in one fell swoop. Cao Shuang was first deposed and then exterminated, and his brothers and fellow party members were also wiped out, including He Yan, one of the representative figures of Wei and Jin's demeanor.
Cao Shuang's incurable cure was also exposed in this case. At the time of the mutiny, Sima Yitun soldiered Luoshui and Cao Shuangtun soldier Yishui; Sima Yi occupied Luoyang, but the emperor was in cao Shuang's hands. Therefore, it was suggested that taking Tianzi hostage to Xu County, and then ordering the various armies to serve the king, could completely oppose Sima Yi.
However, Cao Shuang rejected this practical plan, gave up resistance and surrendered to Sima Yi, and gave Sima Yi the chapter of impeachment of himself to the emperor. Cao Shuang said that Sima Gong was just trying to seize power, and he was given it. I can't be a big general, I can be a rich man!
Where did Cao Shuang, who was ambitious and talented, want to get that Sima Yi's sinister cunning and fierce heart were unparalleled in the world. When Cao Shuang still had the strength to resist, he vowed that the handling would only stop at the dismissal. Even when Cao Shuang was under house arrest, he pretended to send someone to deliver food and meat. However, what happens when the evidence of Cao Shuang and others' "rebellion" is collected? The door is full of slashes.
The Cao family was not Sima Yi's opponent at all.
The little emperor Cao Fang was even more of a puppet.
However, even this puppet was deposed by his son Sima Shi three years after Sima Yi's death, and it was the fourteen-year-old Cao Xian who became Emperor Wei. Six years later, Cao Huan, who was not willing to be a puppet, was also killed, and Emperor Wei was replaced by a fifteen-year-old Cao Huan. This was Emperor Yuan of Wei and the last emperor of Cao Wei.
Cao Fang, Cao Xian, and Cao Yi were known in history as the "Three Young Emperors".
After the success of Sima Yi's coup, the era of the Three Young Emperors became the era of the Sima family. Sima Yi, Sima Yi's son Sima Shi and Sima Shi's younger brother Sima Zhao, successively held the imperial government for sixteen years. Wei, which had only been established for a total of forty-six years, did not have the surname Cao for one-third of the time.
All that's left is to go through the formalities. As a result, Sima Zhao was first crowned Duke of Jin and then promoted to King of Jin. In August of the second year of Xianxi (265), Sima Zhao died and was succeeded by his son Sima Yan. In December, Emperor Yuan of Wei and Sima Yan proclaimed himself emperor for Emperor Wu of Jin.
All of these procedures are exactly the same as those of the Cao Wei Dynasty Han Dynasty, except that there is only one puppet emperor in the Eastern Han Dynasty and several in Cao Wei; the Cao family uses only two generations to steal the sky and change the day, and the Sima family uses three generations and four people.
It's almost like retribution.
History is often fair, and retribution follows. Just one year after Sima Yan's death, the disaster broke out rapidly. His son was deposed and deposed, and his dynasty was torn apart, and it was none other than his blood relatives who usurped the throne and subverted the regime to split the country.