Cao Zhen - in Fiction

In Fiction

In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cao Zhen made a late appearance in chapter 84, where he accompanied Cao Pi on a campaign against Eastern Wu.

Cao Zhen's importance begins to rise in Chapter 91 as Zhuge Liang launches his Northern Expeditions against Cao Wei. However, his contributions in the series of battles and maneuvers for the next eight chapters were largely played down by the author in an effort to accentuate the resourcefulness of Sima Yi. Luo Guanzhong even attributed Cao Zhen's death to his failure to heed Sima Yi's forewarning of a Shu offensive.

In Chapter 100, Sima Yi warned that Shu troops would come within ten days for Mount Qi, a strategic point which would allow further incursions into the heart of Cao Wei, but Cao Zhen did not believe his words. The two then held a bet. Each leading a half of the army, they guarded the valleys to the east and west of the mountain.

Cao Zhen was only half-hearted in preparing for an assault. Seven days later, however, scouts spotted a small number of Shu soldiers approaching the valley. Cao Zhen then sent his aide Qin Liang (秦良) with 5,000 troops to survey the situation. As Qin Liang was drawn deeper into the valley, his force was ambushed and eradicated by a Shu force under Liao Hua and Guan Xing. Disguising themselves in the clothing and armor of the Wei soldiers, Zhuge Liang's men then infiltrated the enemy's camp.

Meanwhile, Sima Yi had encountered and defeated a subdivision of the Shu force under Wei Yan but reports from Cao Zhen claimed that no enemies were sighted on the other side. Fearing for the worse, Sima Yi drew a force and came for Cao Zhen's camp. True enough, the Shu troops and the infiltrators had launched a surprise attack, seizing Cao Zhen's men. Sima Yi arrived in time to ward off the attack, but Cao Zhen felt so insulted by the defeat that he fell ill.

Zhuge Liang then wrote Cao Zhen a letter full of insulting remarks, upon reading which the latter was so filled with rage that he died that very night in camp. Sima Yi then had Cao Zhen's body sent back to the capital Luoyang for burial.