Consort Guo

Beautiful and clever, and the reason the Emperor 'neglected state affairs for her society and often spent a month at a time in retirement with her'. It is she who asks 'Why not invite the Empress?' at the spring feast, and gets the answer 'If she came, nothing would pass my lips.' Raised to Empress by the same edict that orders Empress Mao's suicide.

She does one thing in this chapter: on Cao Rui's death and Cao Fang's accession, 'Empress Guo was given the title of Empress Dowager.' That title is what Sima Yi will use next chapter, but here it is only conferred.

The authority the coup is carried out in the name of, and she is given no choice about it. 'What can be done in the absence of the Son of Heaven?' she asks, and is told that plans are already prepared and she will come to no harm. 'The Empress was much alarmed, but could only act as she was directed and agree.' Her supposed command is then forged a second time, by Huan Fan on a slip of bamboo, to get himself out of the South Gate.

Makes the succession. Sima Shi comes to the Palace of Everlasting Peace to inform her of the deposition, not to ask her; she asks 'Whom do you propose to place on the throne, General?', turns down his candidate Cao Ju as her own uncle and therefore 'not convenient', and names Cao Mao instead — which is the one point in the chapter where Sima Shi does not get his way. She then dismisses Cao Fang to his face in the Hall of Principles: 'You are vicious beyond measure, a companion of lewd men and a friend of vile women. You are unfitted to rule. Therefore resign the imperial seal and revert to your status of Prince of Qi.'

She never appears, but her authority is forged: Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin summon the officers to Shouchun 'pretending that they held an edict from the Empress Dowager', and the declaration read over the white horse's blood claims 'We have a secret edict commanding us to muster the forces of the South of River Huai'.

Sima Zhao comes into the Palace and asks her to accompany the expedition 'as the late Emperor would have done'; 'The Empress was afraid, but dared not refuse, and the next day was requested to set out with the Ruler of Wei, Cao Mao.' Taking both of them along is Jia Chong's insurance against anything shifting at Luoyang while the army is away.

Brought on the expedition with Cao Mao, and named only in the report that reaches Shu: 'Sima Zhao has led the army himself, bringing with him the Empress Dowager and the Ruler of Wei' — which is exactly the detail Jiang Wei uses to justify his own invasion.

Cao Mao goes into the private apartments to speak to her after his three ministers have refused to help — the last thing he does before calling out the guard. What passes between them is not reported; while he is inside, Wang Shen and Wang Ye leave to betray him.

Zhong Hui claims she gave him a decree on her deathbed: 'The Empress has just died, but before her death she gave me an edict, which is here, recounting the crimes of Sima Zhao and charging him with aiming at the Throne.' Jiang Wei supplied the idea two scenes earlier: 'Empress Guo of Wei has just died. You can pretend she left you a command to destroy Sima Zhao.'