Recaps

Cao Mao resisted the Sima Family’s plan to make him emperor while building support among the Guo Family, officials, and the people. He made his enthronement conditional on clearing Xiahou Xuan and Li Feng, leaving the court’s response uncertain as opposition to Sima Shi spread.

• Cao Mao forced Shu Wan to reopen Zhang Sheng’s case against Shu Qu and secured justice for the old man’s family.
• After Wang Su delivered the empress dowager’s decree naming Cao Mao emperor, Cao Mao repeatedly refused the throne and told his retainers he expected the Sima Family to control him.
• Cao Mao rejected Yang Zong’s advice to submit to Sima Shi and asked Guo Ze to teach him how to punish traitors and protect the realm.
• Cao Mao sent Liu Lu with a letter and gold to Mouqiu Dian while encouraging Guo Ze and the Guo Family to support his succession plans.
• Cao Mao persuaded Guo Jian to delay agreeing to the enthronement, while Empress Dowager Guo and Wang Xiang promoted Cao Mao’s adoption as the late emperor’s heir.
• Cao Mao won Sima Yan’s goodwill and agreed to go to Luoyang, but Wang Su remained wary of him.
• When Wang Su brought the empress dowager’s decree again, Cao Mao demanded the restoration of Xiahou Xuan’s and Li Feng’s reputations and the release of their enslaved kin before he would accept the throne.
• Yang Zong urged Guo Jian to alert his allies and spread news of the controversy so Sima Shi could not punish every involved clan.

Cao Mao survived Sima Shi’s attempts to control him and reached Luoyang, where he was enthroned and began building support among officials and palace attendants. As he maneuvered against the Sima family, Sima Shi remained in Yuan City and prepared for the rebellion led by Guanqiu Jian.

• Sima Shi forced Guo De to confess to misleading Cao Mao, while Sima Yue begged for her husband’s life, and Guo De later died by poison after the Empress Dowager rejected efforts to clear Xiahou Xuan’s name.
• Cao Mao tried to rally support for clearing Xiahou Xuan and Li Feng, survived a staged assassination attempt, and won Cheng Ji’s favor before Guo De’s death and Sima Shi’s threats forced him to seek allies.
• Cao Mao secretly sent Guanqiu Jian a letter through Sima Yan, but Sima Shi confronted him and decided to enthrone him in order to summon Guanqiu Jian to Luoyang.
• Jia Chong escorted Cao Mao to Luoyang, where Cao Mao cultivated Jia and the ministers before meeting Empress Dowager Guo and being crowned emperor under the era name Zhengyuan.
• Cao Mao granted titles and honors to the Sima family and other officials, then began cultivating the Guo family and palace attendants while Jia Chong and Sima Zhao watched his growing influence.
• Cao Mao drew Sima Yan and Sima Wang close, while Jia Chong warned Sima Zhao that the emperor was gaining support among scholars, eunuchs, and guards.
• Zhuge Dan met with Sima Shi and Deng Ai and pledged to help defeat the rebels, while Sima Shi approved Deng Ai’s plans and suffered a severe coughing fit as more letters arrived from Luoyang.