Sima Shi

At Wancheng with his brother when their father sits cast down, and the one who names the reason aloud: 'I think you are grieving because the Ruler of Wei does not use you.' Advises memorializing the Throne before moving on Meng Da and is overruled — a month's delay would mean failure. Brings up the rear of the forced march with Sima Zhao.

Saves his father's life with one objection. Sent with Sima Zhao to reinforce the front camp, and when Sima Yi decides to lead the night raid on Zheng Wen's word he argues him out of it: 'Father, you are going on a dangerous expedition on the faith of a mere scrap of paper. I think it imprudent... Let some general go in your place, and you come up in rear as a reserve.' Qin Lang goes instead, and dies.

Pushes his father toward the battle that nearly kills all three of them. Points out that the Shu soldiers are now tilling the banks of River Wei 'as if they intended to remain there. This would be a calamity for us. Why do you not appoint a time to fight a decisive battle with Zhuge Liang?', and is told the Emperor's orders forbid it. Later draws out the Gourd Valley plan by asking why the rear is the target, and admires the answer. Rides on his father's left into the valley and is clasped in his arms in the fire.

Rides in the party that cuts off the Gongsuns' night escape ('Stop, O rebel!'), and later resigns his office with his brother when their father takes to his bed, which is half of what makes the illness convincing. He is one of the two sons briefed to play their parts before Li Sheng is admitted.

General of the Flying Cavalry, made an assistant to his father along with Sima Zhao when the Nine Dignities are conferred, and he closes the chapter in the field: a fierce, youthful leader with a round face, long ears, a square mouth with thick lips and a large hairy mole below the left eye, who blocks Jiang Wei's retreat at Yangping Pass, is called 'Simpleton!' to his face, loses a few bouts and flees, then attacks the Pass and is driven off by the ten-bolt repeating crossbows built to Zhuge Liang's design.

Promoted Regent Marshal with the leadership of the Chairs of the Boards on his father's death, and his first instinct on hearing Sun Quan is dead is to attack Wu. Overrules Fu Gu's caution with a piece of pure opportunism — 'The way of Heaven changes thrice in a century, and no three-part division is permanent. I wish to attack Wu' — and loses three hundred thousand men's worth of campaign at Dongxing. Recovers by adopting Yu Song's strategy for Xincheng: hold, let the besiegers starve, then strike the retreat. It works.

Deposes an emperor and installs another, and the chapter shows exactly how far he has already gone. Comes into the hall wearing his sword so that Cao Fang leaves the throne to receive him, and reproves the throne for it: 'Is this the correct etiquette for a prince when his minister approaches? I pray Your Majesty remember your dignity.' Decides every question without reference to the Emperor and goes home with thousands of horse and foot behind him. Catches the three conspirators at the Donghua Gate on their red eyes alone, has them searched, finds the blood-written edict on Zhang Qi, and has all three cut in half at the waist with their clans destroyed. Walks in on the Emperor and his consort with the garment in his sleeve - 'My father placed Your Majesty on the throne, a service no less worthy than that of Duke Zhou; I have served Your Majesty as Yi Yin served his master. Now is kindness met by enmity' - and has Empress Zhang strangled with a white silk cord at a Palace gate over her husband's weeping. Then puts the deposition to the officers under the precedents of Yi Yin and Huo Guang, proposes Cao Ju, is overruled in favour of Cao Mao, and takes the golden axes, the right to walk slowly in the precincts, to address the Throne without naming himself, and to wear arms at court.

Dies in this chapter. He has had the mole below his left eye excised and is still convalescing from it when the revolt breaks out, and insists on going in person against every objection - 'No one but myself can succeed' - travelling in a padded carriage. In the third watch at Lojia, Wen Yang's charge into the camp bursts the wound so that 'the eyeball protruded and blood flowed freely', and he lies gnawing the bedclothes into rags rather than let the army hear him. He does not die on the field: the rising is put down, he hands Zhuge Dan the seal for the east, the army returns to Xuchang, and only then do the apparitions of Zhang Qi, Li Feng and Xiahou Xuan start visiting him nightly. His last words to his brother are a warning - 'you must be exceedingly careful how you entrust any other with power, lest you bring about the destruction of our whole clan' - and 'with a deep groan as his eye popped out Sima Shi died'.

Named in passing only, and long dead: made Wonderful Prince and then Wonderful Emperor, with his brother's second son adopted to continue his line - and his brother's own verdict on the succession, 'The empire was really my brother's', recorded as the reason.