Cao Zhi

Cao Zhi; Cao Cao's third son - already showing literary brilliance; helps supervise the Bronze Bird Tower with his brother. The line that becomes Tu Mu's poem first appears here.

Named as the able writer of the 'Ode to the Bronze Bird Terrace' - the poem Zhuge Liang recites with two Qiaos smuggled into it.

The clever third son whose ready compositions make his father want him as heir — outplayed by Cao Pi's coached tears and bought courtiers.

The clever son undone by cleverer help: delights in all-night talks with Yang Xiu, cuts down the gate warden on his advice and briefly looks the abler heir — until the coached replies surface and the father who was considering him for the succession takes a lasting dislike.

Written out of the succession in his father's own words — 'vain and unreliable, fond of wine and lax in morals' — Lord of Linzi, summoned to the mourning.

Drunk and defiant at Linzi until Xu Chu carts him to court — then saves his own life twice in a walk: the two-bulls poem in seven paces with every obvious word forbidden, and the instant beanstalk rhyme ('why, since we sprang from the selfsame root, should you kill me with anger hot?') that draws his brother's silent tears. Degraded to Lord of Anxiang; he takes it without a murmur.

Named in the forged proclamation as the succession that should have been: the Founder 'established himself with the design of recurring the empire to the Lord of Linzi, Cao Zhi', until calumny spread abroad and 'the Dragon Ruler could not manifest himself for many years'. The forgery's most inflammatory line — it accuses the reigning Emperor of usurping his uncle.