Cao Fang

Enthroned at eight years old, and the chapter is careful about what he is: 'he was Cao Rui's son only by adoption. He had been brought up in the Palace secretly, and no one knew his real origin.' At the deathbed Cao Rui makes him lead Sima Yi forward and the boy throws his arms round Sima Yi's neck and clings to him — 'Never forget the affection he has just shown,' says the dying Emperor, weeping, and Sima Yi weeps too. Thereafter he signs what Cao Shuang puts in front of him, including Sima Yi's promotion out of the army and the trip to the Gaoping Tombs.

Present throughout the first half and powerless in all of it. The memorial is read aloud in front of him, and his only contribution is to turn to Cao Shuang and ask 'In the face of such words what mean you to do?' He is the Son of Heaven whom Huan Fan wants taken to Xuchang and who is instead asked to declare the hunt over and go home; afterwards he insists on the Nine Dignities for Sima Yi and will take no denial.

The throne the Simas report to: on Sima Yi's death he 'conferred high honors upon the dead' and promoted both sons — Sima Shi to Regent Marshal with the leadership of the Chairs of the Boards, Sima Zhao to Commander of the Flying Cavalry. That single act of patronage hands the state to the family that will replace his.

Deposed in this chapter, at the end of a long humiliation. He shakes when Sima Shi enters court and feels 'as if needles were being stuck into his back'; he leaves his own throne to receive a minister and is reproved for it. In the private chamber he takes his father-in-law's hand and weeps — 'That man Sima Shi treats me as a child and regards the officers of state as if they were so many straws. I am sure the throne will be his one day' — then strips off his innermost garment, gnaws his finger until it bleeds and writes the edict in blood, with a warning that turns out to be exact: 'My ancestor, Emperor Cao, put to death Dong Cheng for just such a matter as this.' Denies everything when the garment is thrown at his feet, kneels and asks forgiveness, and cannot save his wife. Surrenders the seal to the Empress Dowager in tears and goes out in a carriage with a few ministers seeing him off, reduced to Prince of Qi.

Named in passing only, and deposed since the previous chapter — but his deposition is the whole cause of the rebellion: Guanqiu Jian 'heard the news Sima Shi deposed Cao Fang' and 'was moved to great anger'.

Named in passing, and as a threat: reading the Lurking Dragon poem, Sima Zhao says 'This fellow is very like Cao Fang, and if I do not remove him he will hurt me' - measuring one emperor he deposed against another he is about to kill.