Cao Cao, styled Mengde, was a famous politician, militarist and litterateur in the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He was brave and skillful in war throughout his life, intelligent and brave, laying the foundation for the Wei Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period. However, after Cao Cao's death, there were many controversies in history about the fate of his wives and concubines, as well as the evaluation of his son Cao Pi. This article will explore the fate of Cao Cao's wives and concubines after his death, as well as the evaluation of Cao Pi.

I. The Fate of Cao Cao's Wives and Concubines After His Death

According to the "Records of the Three Kingdoms", after Cao Cao's death, his wives and concubines did not suffer a tragic fate. On the contrary, after Cao Pi succeeded to the throne, he showed respect and care for his father's wives and concubines. Cao Pi's mother, Lady Bian, was honored as the Empress Dowager, and other wives and concubines also received corresponding titles and treatment. This is inconsistent with the descriptions in some unofficial histories and legends that Cao Cao's wives and concubines were brutally killed after his death.

II. The Evaluation of Cao Pi

Cao Pi, styled Zihuan, was Cao Cao's eldest son and became the second emperor of the Wei Kingdom after succeeding to the throne. There are both positive and negative views about Cao Pi's evaluation in history. On the one hand, Cao Pi was talented and made remarkable achievements in literature. His "Song of the Swallow" is known as the "ancestor of seven-word poems". In addition, Cao Pi was also good at politics. During his reign, he implemented a series of reform measures to strengthen centralization and laid the foundation for the development of the Wei Kingdom.

However, on the other hand, Cao Pi was also accused of being cruel and unprincipled. According to historical records such as "Shishuo Xinyu", Cao Pi once forced his younger brother Cao Zhi to compose a poem in seven steps, and even tried to kill him out of jealousy of his talent. These actions have caused Cao Pi's image to suffer a certain degree of negative impact.

III. Conclusion

Overall, the fate of Cao Cao's wives and concubines after his death was not as tragic as described in unofficial histories. Instead, they received respect and care from Cao Pi. Although there are controversies about Cao Pi's evaluation in history, his achievements in literature and politics cannot be ignored. When evaluating historical figures, we should objectively and fairly view their achievements and shortcomings, so as to better understand the truth of history.

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