What reward had Cao Cao bestowed upon himself?
It was actually quite simple.
He was already King of Wei and had reached the pinnacle of noble rank. At this point, he was not yet prepared to have Liu Xie abdicate in his favor.
He planned to unite the North completely before arranging the abdication, then march south to pacify Wu State and be crowned Son of Heaven of All Xia. The procedure would be legitimate, his achievements sufficient-one step at a time.
Now standing at the summit of the Great Han Court was Cao Cao, King of Wei, authorized to establish his own government and oversee all state affairs, Chancellor, Great General, Grand Commandant, Chancellor of the Secretariat, commander of military and civil affairs in Sili, and governor of Liangzhou!
Wei State already occupied most of the Han Court's remaining territory. With the title of regent, he could bypass the emperor's seal and issue imperial edicts himself. Great General, Grand Commandant, and Chancellor were the highest military and civil offices, while Chancellor of the Secretariat held real power, which he would not entrust to anyone else. Naturally, he could not entrust the newly conquered Guanzhong to anyone else, either, and he also had to keep Liangzhou's Six Commanderies in his grasp. Liu Xie could continue being the master of the Imperial Palace in Xuchang with peace of mind. He was not to entertain any thought of letting even a sliver of power escape the palace.
In the Great Han's three hundred years of history, a powerful minister of this stature could rank alongside King Wen of Luo.
But Cao Cao and King Wen of Luo represented two entirely different models.
King Wen of Luo was an Acting Son of Heaven. Most importantly, he possessed the Late Emperor's endorsement and the