Do you like Cao Rui in the Rotk Book?

[Lord Li Dian]

Do you like Cao Rui in the Rotk Book?

I vote Yes!

[MarvelousLingTong!!!!!!]

Yea he wasn't a half bad ruler until Zhuge died, and he went crazy building things for himself. I think he defeated Wu in a battle he led personally.

[SixWingGryffin]

In the book, I don't really like him, A.) Because I always read from a Shuist standpoint and B.) Because he went a bit nuts with the palaces.

[Lafeel]

Neutral. He wasn't the worst ruler in the novel, but he was pretty far from the best.

[Lady Wu]

I was reading Zhuge Jin's SGZ bio last night and came across a letter that Sun Quan wrote to Zhuge Jin, about Cao Rui. I think it's pretty interesting, so I'll post a rough translation here.

"Recently, I received a memorial from Boyan [Lu Xun]. He said that he once thought that since Cao Pi died, the people that he oppressed during his reign should rise up and abandon their state. However, all was tranquil in Wei. He then heard that the Wei court employed many loyal and wise men, relaxed the law and showed clemency, reduced taxes and eliminated forms of national service, in order to appease the people. Thus, Boyan argued, they are a worse threat to us now than they were during Cao Cao's times.

I think he's wrong. When one examines Cao Cao's actions, he was too keen on executing people for the smallest offence, and was too cruel in tearing families apart. However, his genius in leading military men is not to be matched in history. Cao Pi was no comparison to Cao Cao. And now, Cao Rui is much worse than Cao Pi in this respect, just as Cao Pi was much worse than Cao Cao.

The reason why he was granting these small favours is probably only because his father had just died, and he was worried that his power was weak and the people would abandon him. And thus he bent to their will in order to buy people's hearts, and to save himself from harm. How, then, can this be a mark of a prospering kingdom?

I also heard that he was employing men like Chen Changwen (Chen Qun) and Cao Zidan (Cao Shuang). These are either simple scholars or family members. How can he command brave warriors and heroic captains to strive for hegemony in the world? When one's hold on power is not absolute, then many things will go wrong. In the past, Zhang Er and Chen Yu used to be friends, but once they both came to power, they backstabbed each other. This is just how things go. People like Changwen used to be good subordinates only because Cao Cao was breathing down his neck. Fearing Cao Cao's exactingness, he could only exert himself in doing his will, and stay out of trouble. When Cao Pi inherited the position, he was a grown-up and could continue Cao Cao's work. When he bestows kindness on Chen Qun, he managed to move him into gratitude.

However, Cao Rui now is young and weak, and could not but follow what other people say. Those people would definitely take advantage of this and play with power, forming factions and cliques and compete with each other. When this happens, corruption and slander would arise, and people would suspect each other and cause harm. And then, when the subordinates are fighting for profit and power, and the lord is too young to control them, the fall of the state is nigh!

I know this to be true, because looking in history, there has never been a time when four or five men were given the powers of life and death and yet did not turn to trampling each other down. The strong will oppress the weak, and the weak will seek allies, and this is the way a state falls into disorder and destruction.

Ziyu [Zhuge Jin], just keep an ear out for news. Boyan normally think things through very clearly and carefully, but I'm afraid he had miscalculated in this matter."

That was Sun Quan writing to Zhuge Jin, some time soon after Cao Rui ascended the throne.

Pei Songzhi, in a note to this biography, commented:

"My personal opinion is that Emperor Ming of Wei [Cao Rui] was a brilliant lord of his time, who directed administration according to his own will. This prediction of Sun Quan's did not come to pass. The reason why the historian [Chen Shou] decided to include this passage was probably because the emperor of his time was young and suspicion filled the courts, and various people held absolute power simultaneously; the state of the nation was as Sun Quan described of Wei. And thus he thought it would be appropriate to include it as a form of admonishment to his time.

Some other people have argued that Wei's decline had begun during Emperor Ming's reign, even though it was only manifest during Prince Qi [Cao Fang]'s time. What Sun Quan said was precisely what happened during Prince Qi's reign.

I don't dare make a strong argument either way, but would simply note my opinion here."

---

Was Lu Xun right in saying that Cao Rui revamped Wei and made it stronger and more of a threat to Wu?

Was Sun Quan right in saying that Cao Rui spelled the end of Wei?

[MarvelousLingTong!!!!!!]

That was interesting letter im glad you posted it Lady Wu. Sun Quan was close to being right after Cao Rui died Wei was doomed because of the Sima Family took over and the Caos had no power. But Lu Xun wasnt wrong because things were stable when Rui was emperor so they were both close to being correct.

[Dong Zhou]

I like Cao Rui in the book

Thanks for that intresting passage Lady Wun and as already said, both where right