The Strategic Chessboard of 219 AD

The year 219 AD marked a pivotal moment in the power struggles of the Three Kingdoms period. Guan Yu, the legendary general serving under Liu Bei, had launched a relentless campaign toward Fancheng, threatening Cao Cao’s stronghold in central China. As Guan Yu’s forces advanced, panic spread through Cao Cao’s court in Luoyang. Most advisors urged immediate military intervention, but one man—Sima Yi—saw a more cunning solution.

Sima Yi, then serving as Cao Cao’s secretary, proposed exploiting the simmering tensions between Liu Bei and Sun Quan over control of Jing Province. His plan? Send a letter to Sun Quan, urging him to attack Guan Yu’s undefended rear. This moment revealed not just battlefield tactics but the fragile alliances that defined the era.

The Fractured Alliance: Liu Bei and Sun Quan

The roots of this betrayal lay in the aftermath of the Battle of Red Cliffs (208 AD). Though Sun Quan and Liu Bei had allied to defeat Cao Cao, their victory sowed seeds of distrust. Sun Quan resented Liu Bei’s rapid expansion into Jing Province, while Liu Bei viewed the territory as rightfully his. Guan Yu’s aggressive campaign against Fancheng now left Jing vulnerable—a fact Sun Quan’s general Lü Meng quickly exploited.

Cao Cao, recognizing the opportunity, followed Sima Yi’s advice. Sun Quan’s forces struck Guan Yu’s base, forcing the general into a desperate retreat. Meanwhile, Cao Cao’s commanders, Cao Ren and Xu Huang, counterattacked at Fancheng. Guan Yu, caught between two fronts, suffered catastrophic defeats.

The Death of a Legend and the Reshaping of an Era

Guan Yu’s downfall was as dramatic as his rise. Isolated and outmaneuvered, he fled to Maicheng, where Sun Quan’s forces captured and executed him in late 219 AD. His severed head, preserved in wax, was sent to Cao Cao—a macabre trophy signaling the end of an era.

This event solidified the tripartite division of China:
– Liu Bei held the Sichuan Basin (Shu).
– Sun Quan controlled the Yangtze Delta and south (Wu).
– Cao Cao dominated the northern heartlands (Wei).

Cao Cao’s Final Gambit and Philosophical Legacy

As 220 AD dawned, Cao Cao lay dying in Luoyang. Sun Quan’s “gift” of Guan Yu’s head arrived with a provocative suggestion: Cao Cao should declare himself emperor. Yet the ailing warlord refused, famously quipping, “Sun Quan wants to roast me like a duck!”

His reasoning was strategic: claiming the throne would legitimize rival claims by Liu Bei and Sun Quan. Instead, Cao Cao embraced the role of “King Wen of Zhou”—a ruler who paved the way for his successor’s ascension. His deathbed instructions to Sima Yi—”Be like me. Only be King Wen!”—hinted at both warning and expectation.

The Practical Poet: Cao Cao’s Unconventional Will

Cao Cao’s will, dictated days before his death on March 15, 220 AD, reveals a ruler balancing pragmatism and humanity:

1. Statecraft: Emphasized rule of law and cautioned against emotional governance.
2. Burial: Demanded a modest tomb near Ximen Bao’s shrine to deter looters.
3. Family: Ordered concubines to learn handicrafts for self-sufficiency and allocated his prized incense among them.

This document—part administrative manual, part intimate farewell—showcases Cao Cao’s unique blend of ruthlessness and sentimentalism.

The Aftermath: A Dynasty’s Rise and Fall

Nine months after Cao Cao’s death, his son Cao Pi forced Emperor Xian to abdicate, founding the Wei Dynasty. Yet Sima Yi’s eventual rise—culminating in the Jin Dynasty’s establishment—fulfilled Cao Cao’s darkest suspicions.

Lessons from the Warlord’s End

Cao Cao’s final years offer timeless insights:
– Power’s Illusion: Even the mightiest cannot control posterity.
– Strategic Patience: Sometimes, the greatest victories come from what you don’t do.
– Legacy’s Irony: The architect of Wei sowed the seeds for its usurpation.

As the Romance of the Three Kingdoms reminds us, history’s tides turn on such moments—where cunning letters, severed heads, and deathbed whispers reshape empires.