Sima Zhao

Biodata

Background / History

Sima Zhao is Sima Yi’s son and Sima Shi’s younger brother. Within the family’s political strategy, Sima Shi intimidates and suppresses opponents, while Sima Zhao cultivates support among ministers and aristocratic houses. Sima Shi intends his younger brother to complete their seizure of power by ascending the imperial throne, making Sima Zhao’s reputation an important political asset 27 28.

Three years before his meeting with Guo De, Sima Zhao discovered Du Yu’s talent, promoted him, and recommended him to Sima Shi. Du Yu’s father had opposed Sima Yi, but this did not prevent the brothers from bringing him into their inner circle; Sima Shi subsequently promised his younger sister to him 13.

Sima Zhao traces his cultivation of a benevolent public image to his service as Agricultural Supervisor of Luoyang. At thirty, he used an association with Emperor Ming to attract attention and establish a reputation for benevolence and righteousness. He later recognizes and welcomes similar reputation-building behavior in Sima Yan 122.

His marriage to Wang Yuanji connects him to Wang Su’s family. These ties form part of the Sima Family’s extensive network of marriage alliances, which eventually complicates punishment for his crimes: exterminating his related clans would implicate numerous officials whom Cao Mao still needs 93 529.

After Sima Shi’s death, Sima Zhao inherits responsibility for preserving the family’s political position. Although Shi leaves instructions to accommodate Cao Mao and preserve opportunities for the next generation, Zhao eventually attempts to recover control through force. His defeat leaves him confined in Luoyang and allows the emperor to absorb the personnel and regional influence assembled by the Sima brothers 212 304 308 314 462.

Historical Knowledge and the Current Storyline

• Cao Mao recalls an earlier course of events in which the young emperor repeatedly challenged the Sima brothers, eventually leading his personal guards against Sima Zhao and being murdered in the street 3.
• The narration explains that Cao Mao’s historical death disgraced Sima Zhao and disrupted the plan for him to take the throne. The family’s dynastic transition was instead completed in the next generation by Sima Yan 28.
• In the current storyline, Sima Zhao initially remains subordinate to Sima Shi. His acknowledged succession rights do not pass to Sima You merely because Sima Shi adopted the boy 34.
• The narration reviews his military background as a deputy under Xiahou Xuan, Guo Huai, and Sima Yi. His first supreme command, against Wu at Dongxing, ended in a major defeat despite the experienced generals assigned to support him; Sima Shi accepted responsibility and punished Zhao by stripping his noble titles 308.
• His historical success against Zhuge Dan during the Third Huainan Rebellion is attributed to his use of Zhong Hui’s strategy and capable commanders such as Chen Tai and Wang Ji. Cao Mao distinguishes those circumstances from Zhao’s ability to defeat him independently 308.
• Cao Mao recalls that the historical Sima Zhao marginalized Sima Fu after Sima Shi’s death rather than entrusting him with a great army. In the current storyline, Zhao likewise suspects his uncle’s potential influence, although he understands that Fu would not willingly destroy the whole family 151 171 182.
• Unlike the historical outcome, the current storyline ends Sima Zhao’s challenge with defeat by Cao Mao, confinement, and an imperially ordered suicide 308 314 529.

Appearance

• Build: Tall, with an imposing bearing 13 41.
• Face: Handsome and refined, with bright eyes and a short beard 13.
• Dress: Plain clothing at his first depicted meeting with Guo De 13.
• Expression: Frequently wears a warm, welcoming smile, even when concealing suspicion or anger 13 27 41.
• Family resemblance: Closely resembles his son Sima Yan in build and appearance 13 41.
• Mourning attire: Wears very plain clothes while living in a hut beside Sima Shi’s grave 224.
• Later condition: Grows thin under the pressure of leading the family after Sima Shi’s death, suffering sleeplessness and recurring dreams of his brother. His subsequent confinement also leaves him visibly weak and tearful 307 316.

Personality

Sima Zhao’s public manner is affable, courteous, and calculated. He welcomes guests personally, takes their hands, and invokes family ties to lower their guard. Unlike Sima Shi, he generally preserves the appearance of standing with worthy ministers, even when both brothers are pursuing the same objectives 13 28 42.

His composure can collapse in private. When his advisers and the aristocratic clans press for Xiahou Xuan’s rehabilitation, he smiles through the meeting, then kicks over a table and denounces their greed. He recognizes that these allies cannot simply be discarded, despite his resentment of their competing interests 27.

His loyalty to Sima Shi is firm during his elder brother’s lifetime. He admires his elder brother, consults him, and accepts his decisions; Cao Mao’s attempt to recruit him against Sima Shi does not create a genuine division between them. His trust is narrower elsewhere: he tells Sima Yan that only their own blood relatives can be relied upon 19 20 41 42.

His regard for reputation does not extend to respect for everyone. He dismisses Cao Mao’s cultivation of eunuchs and ordinary palace guards as laughable, treating those beneath the aristocratic offices as politically insignificant 48.

Later assessments emphasize his impatience, volatility, and tendency toward blind confidence. Sima Shi considers him weak and easily swayed, while the narration describes him as capable of employing talent and maintaining an inherited realm but prone to panic and reckless decisions in major crises. His strengths are most effective when circumstances are favorable 60 79 164 185.

His dependence on Sima Shi is emotional as well as political. News that his brother has recovered instantly restores his confidence, and he recounts his troubles almost like a child seeking protection. Without that support, responsibility for the entire clan becomes exhausting and frightening 125 307.

He nevertheless possesses more ordinary familial warmth than Sima Shi. He protects favored aides, hesitates over his sons’ succession, and shows affection toward relatives. His discomfort at coercing Sima Yue does not prevent him from carrying out the scheme, illustrating the limits of that sympathy when family interests are involved 93 125 127.

After Sima Shi’s death, pride overrides his commitment to following his brother’s instructions. He refuses to accept subordination to an emperor whose accession the Simas authorized, persuading himself that Shi lost only to illness rather than to Cao Mao. Following his own defeat, he becomes more concerned with preserving the clan and belatedly understands the value of accommodation 304 325 410.

Abilities & Skills

Political Networking and Patronage

Sima Zhao’s principal strength is dealing with people rather than matching Sima Shi’s decisiveness 27.

• Maintains relationships across factions; ministers who fear Sima Shi are more willing to approach him 27.
• Identifies and promotes useful talent, notably Du Yu 13.
• Defends Yang Zong’s usefulness when Zhong Hui demands his execution 33.
• Uses personal warmth and kinship language to ease tense negotiations 13 19.
• Treats young talents seriously and readily flatters useful advisers, earning a substantial following 84.
• Attempts to recruit Ma Long after recognizing that his disciplinary methods could help remove aristocratic appointees from the Central Army; the overture fails 236.
• Limit: Assumes that wealth, offices, titles, and personal favors can win over almost anyone. His lavish efforts fail against Guanqiu Dian, and the same direct approach offends celebrated scholars who regard such offers as humiliating 83 338.

Political Discernment

• Notices that his normally divided advisers have suspiciously united behind Xun Xu’s position 27.
• Recognizes Cao Mao’s recruiting letter as a possible scheme rather than accepting its praise at face value 41.
• Eventually identifies Cao Mao’s extravagant reward proposals as an attempt to incite ministers into demanding benefits 47 48.
• Doubts Jia Chong’s attempt to blame Wang Su for damaging rumors and recognizes the renewed political motive behind Xun Xu’s advocacy of Xiahou Xuan’s rehabilitation 56.
• Identifies Cao Mao, rather than the Empress Dowager alone, as the driving force behind the political offensive against the Sima Family 180.
• Limit: Misreads Sima Shi’s proposal to enthrone the Prince of Pengcheng, initially failing to understand that it is bargaining leverage against the Guo Family 33.
• Limit: Underestimates the political value of Cao Mao’s relationships with lower-ranking palace personnel 48.
• Limit: Anger and pride repeatedly distort his judgment. He rejects reconciliation before his attempted march on Luoyang and accepts Cheng Cui’s fabricated reports about the Central Army’s weakness 304.
• Limit: Misunderstands Sima Shi’s warning that Shi Bao needs discipline as evidence that his brother dislikes the man 356.

Performance and Reputation Management

• Presents himself as a sympathetic counterpart to Sima Shi’s severity, including pleading against Xiahou Xuan’s execution 26 28.
• Matches Cao Mao’s emotional performance with tears, hand-clasping, and assurances of protection while believing none of the emperor’s account 42.
• Abandons his immediate plan to kill Cao Mao after Du Yu explains how the death would damage his reputation and benefit rival ministers 28.
• Recognizes the political utility of Sima Yan’s staged filial conduct and initially celebrates the reputation it earns him 122 123.
• Shields Sima Yan from participation in family schemes, preserving his son’s reputation much as Sima Shi had protected his own 274.
• Learns to restrain his outward emotions more effectively after Sima Shi’s death, although Cao Mao still finds his reactions much easier to read than his brother’s 307 410.

Court Administration

• Handles important succession matters while Sima Shi’s eye illness worsens 19.
• Resists indiscriminate grants of noble titles because of their consequences for court finances and authority 47 49.
• Chooses Wang Xiang as Cao Mao’s teacher after Jia Chong warns that Zheng Chong could connect the emperor with young scholars 48.
• Brings Fu Gu’s warning about Lu Yu’s clan-based recruitment proposal to Sima Shi and receives orders to send Du Yu against the Ping County rebellion 104.
• Approves Du Yu’s proposal to lure Guanqiu Jian away from the Huainan Army with appointment as Grand Commandant, reasoning that an exalted court title would deprive him of actual military power 118.
• Accepts advice to cultivate Lu Yu and the Hebei clans through appointments, reorganize the Central Army, and prepare Deng Ai to reinforce Yongliang against Jiang Wei 244.
• Limit: Hesitates to punish powerful offenders decisively. When officials massacre nearly ten thousand commoners, he proposes executing the worst offenders and referring the others to the Minister of Justice; Sima Shi intervenes and orders all the prisoners executed 150.

Military Command and Coercion

• Commands substantial forces during Sima Shi’s illness. Sima Fu describes the Central Army as numbering 130,000 and estimates that support from regional generals could raise the available strength above 200,000 84.
• Plans to have Cheng Ji kill Cao Mao if Sima Shi dies, followed by Sima Wang executing Cheng Ji under the pretext of avenging the emperor. Sima Fu’s intervention redirects the palace arrangements toward using the Guo Family as a buffer and potential scapegoat 83 84.
• Uses Yang Zong’s manufactured dispute between He Zeng’s and Chen Ben’s troops to suspend both commanders and remove their military authority 289 304.
• Limit: His military record depends heavily on capable advisers and supporting generals. Cao Mao regards his defeat at Dongxing and later successes under others’ guidance as grounds not to fear him in direct confrontation 308.
• Limit: Fails to recognize that troops and officers around him have already aligned with Cao Mao. Yin Damu’s attack and the emperor’s coordinated operation result in his capture before his planned advance 266 307 308.

Relationships

• Sima Yi — Father. The narration distinguishes Sima Zhao’s aptitude for interpersonal politics from Sima Shi’s strengths in decision-making and action 27.
• Sima Shi — Elder brother, political superior, and trusted partner. Sima Zhao is his acknowledged successor and does not harbor the resentment Cao Mao hopes to exploit 34 42. Shi remains his emotional anchor and repeatedly questions his readiness to govern. Before dying, Shi tells him to accommodate Cao Mao, preserve the Imperial Secretariat if possible, improve the family’s reputation, and prepare younger relatives for a future opportunity. Zhao initially follows the withdrawal plan but later rejects its central policy of accommodation 104 125 196 212 214 304.
• Wang Yuanji — Wife and Wang Su’s daughter. Her presence makes him reluctant to refuse Wang Su directly. She repeatedly warns him that Zhong Hui is ambitious and unreliable, and worries that his preference for Sima You could produce conflict between their sons 93 153.
• Wang Su — Father-in-law and political associate. Zhao presses him to undertake important business despite accepting his request to leave office. Wang Su’s family connection later becomes one reason Cao Mao avoids a punishment that would exterminate Sima Zhao’s related clans 63 93 529.
• Sima Yan — Son, for whom he has high expectations. He sends Yan to supervise Cao Mao’s succession, becomes angry over his closeness to the emperor, and later orders him to study under Pei Xiu 19 41 48 49. He eventually welcomes Yan’s growing public reputation, then becomes alarmed to discover that Cao Mao has been teaching him. After his defeat, he approves of Yan maintaining the imperial friendship as a means of preserving the family 122 123 124 325.
• Sima You — Second son by his principal wife, adopted by the childless Sima Shi to continue that branch’s family line 22 34. Zhao privately prefers his exceptional intelligence to Yan’s disposition and later regards him as the family’s deeper hope for a renewed rise 122 325.
• Cao Mao — Emperor and political adversary. Sima Zhao alternates between seeking his elimination, protecting him for political reasons, and supporting restrictions on his activities 27 28 41 48. Their positions reverse after Cao Mao defeats him: Zhao becomes a confined figurehead whose name the emperor uses to absorb Sima personnel and promote policies. Cao Mao ultimately orders his suicide for attacking the emperor and attempting to usurp power 308 312 321 405 462 529.
• Du Yu — Trusted aide and protégé. His advice restrains Sima Zhao’s impulse to kill Cao Mao and redirects attention toward managing the court factions 13 28. He later supplies plans against Guanqiu Jian, recommends accommodation with Cao Mao, and volunteers to negotiate in Luoyang when Zhao fears the ministers have seized the capital 118 244 273.
• Jia Chong — Favored among Sima Shi’s aides. Sima Zhao enjoys his flattering reports and entrusts him with monitoring and restricting Cao Mao 41 47 48. He persuades the bereaved and exhausted Jia Chong to remain at his side rather than take several days of rest, although he later blames him for the political damage that prevents Zhuge Dan from openly supporting the Simas 63 89.
• Yang Zong — A talented man whom Sima Zhao previously saved from Sima Shi and later protects from Zhong Hui’s accusations. He becomes Sima Zhao’s Military Adviser 9 33 49. Zhao continues to treat him generously without blaming him for Cao Mao’s actions, and Yang repays that confidence by devising the removal of He Zeng and Chen Ben. His later drinking and powder consumption make him unavailable when Zhao seeks further advice 289 304 307.
• Xun Xu — Initially a deeply trusted military adviser who argues that rehabilitating Xiahou Xuan and Li Feng would win aristocratic support 27. He later advocates leniency toward offending officials and accommodation with the ministers. After Zhao’s defeat, he distances himself from their former ties, provoking Zhao’s bitter sense of betrayal 150 180 321.
• Zhong Hui — Useful but distrusted strategist. Zhao praises him extravagantly after his maneuvers subdue the court, yet resents his insults and suspects his growing closeness to Cao Mao. He rejects Zhong Hui’s argument that alliance with the emperor is necessary once the great families become the immediate threat 76 89 158 180 185.
• Guo De and the Guo Family — Connected to the Simas by marriage, but increasingly suspicious of their intentions toward the palace. Sima Zhao’s appeals to family unity do not dispel that distrust 13 19. He later instructs Guo Li to reconcile with the Empress Dowager, remain near her, and report her intentions 124.
• Sima Fu — Paternal uncle. Fu rejects Sima Zhao’s private, contemptuous remarks about Cao Mao after the emperor’s provocative reward proposals 28 44. He later restrains Zhao’s palace schemes, while Zhao fears that his seniority and military standing could threaten his own position. Zhao ultimately recognizes Sima Shi’s public break with Fu as a means of preserving another branch of the family 83 84 171 182.
• Sima Yue and Guo Ping — Niece and her young son. Zhao shows affection toward Ping but participates in coercing Yue to enter the palace by using the child’s future as leverage. Under Sima Shi’s instructions to accommodate Cao Mao, he later agrees to let Ping join his mother 125 127 196 197.
• Guanqiu Jian and Guanqiu Dian — Military and political opponents whom he unsuccessfully attempts to separate from Cao Mao through patronage. Dian refuses his gifts and promises, and Zhao subsequently supports plans to deprive Jian of his provincial command 79 83 118.
• He Zeng — A general whom Zhao treats as especially close to the Sima Family and favors extensively. Zhao later removes him from command to prevent a possible defection; after Zhao’s death, He Zeng becomes a principal agent of the purge against the Sima clan 217 289 529.
• Cheng Cui and Cheng Ji — Officers whose connections to the emperor undermine Zhao’s security. Cheng Cui supplies false intelligence and escorts him into captivity, while Cheng Ji humiliates and threatens him after his defeat and later forces his compliance in court 304 308 309 312 462.
• Li Chu — A supervisor during his confinement, and the grandson of Li Feng. Zhao’s attempt to establish friendly family connections collapses when Li Chu reveals that Sima Shi destroyed his father’s and grandfather’s household 314.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Negotiating Cao Mao’s Succession

• Initially favors choosing another imperial clansman rather than enthroning Cao Mao 13.
• Accepts the enthronement arrangement after the Empress Dowager offers to place a Sima woman beside Cao Mao as empress; he sees the marriage as a legitimate route into the inner palace 13.
• Sends Sima Yan to Yuan City to watch the participants, ensure the succession proceeds, and return with the emperor 19.
• Considers martial law when public pressure grows around Cao Mao’s adoption and succession, but stands down when Zhong Hui delivers Sima Shi’s supporting order 20.

The Xiahou Xuan Rehabilitation Dispute

• Faces conflicting advice over restoring Xiahou Xuan and Li Feng’s reputations, with most aides supporting a move that could weaken Sima Shi’s authority 27.
• Orders Cao Mao killed under the guise of illness, then reverses course after Du Yu warns that the death would ruin his standing 27 28.
• Publicly offers to petition Sima Shi for Xiahou Xuan’s rehabilitation. The Empress Dowager’s opposing edict and news of Guo De’s suicide leave him wondering whether his brother has intervened secretly 28.
• Proposes enthroning the Prince of Pengcheng, only to be corrected by Sima Shi. Guanqiu Jian’s unexpected support for Cao Mao then changes the family’s priorities, and Sima Zhao is ordered to Yu Province 33.
• Later refuses to commit to Xun Xu’s renewed proposal to clear Xiahou Xuan’s name. Hearing that Ruan Ji has circulated Cao Mao’s poem, “Sparrows in an Empty City,” he angrily demands Ruan Ji’s arrest before restraining himself 56.

Receiving and Restricting the Emperor

• Supports Jia Chong’s plan to isolate Cao Mao through supervised study, selected attendants, and controlled access to companions 41.
• Receives Cao Mao’s letter asking him to seek justice for Xiahou Xuan and suspects an attempt to divide the brothers 41.
• Assures Cao Mao of safety in Luoyang and promises eventual rehabilitation of Xiahou Xuan, privately envisioning it as a display of benevolence after the Simas secure power 42.
• Presses the exhausted Jia Chong to continue working despite his son’s death and requests that Wang Su personally handle an important matter even after accepting his resignation 63.
• With Sima Shi’s health deteriorating, prepares to eliminate Cao Mao if his brother dies. Sima Fu persuades him to change the palace arrangements and use the Guo Family’s weakness rather than fear an immediate imperial uprising 83 84.
• Initially warns Sima Yan against inviting renowned scholars into the palace, but consents after Zhong Hui endorses the plan 89.

Rewards and Palace Alliances

• Cao Mao’s lavish reward proposals place him under pressure from officials seeking higher noble ranks 44 47.
• Repeatedly avoids Cao Mao’s summons while dealing with the resulting demands 47.
• Works with Jia Chong to prevent the emperor from reaching influential scholars through his teacher 48.
• Dismisses Cao Mao’s friendships with eunuchs and guards, but reacts with murderous anger when told that Sima Yan and Sima Wang have also grown close to him 48.

Governing During Sima Shi’s Illness

• Celebrates Zhong Hui’s successful use of intimidation, Gao Rou’s authority, and promises of benefits to bring the ministers into line. The maneuver weakens Gao Rou’s independent faction and transfers supporters to the Sima Family 76.
• Attempts to buy Guanqiu Dian’s support with banquets, attendants, gifts, and promises. Dian’s refusal convinces him that reconciliation with Guanqiu Jian and his son may be impossible 83.
• Rejects Zhong Hui’s proposal to provoke Guanqiu Jian into rebellion without first consulting Sima Shi, questioning both the plan and Zhong Hui’s motives 89.
• Brings Lu Yu’s recruitment proposal to Sima Shi after Fu Gu warns that privileging highly ranked families would enable the great clans to monopolize government 104.
• Fails to intimidate Gao Rou, who proposes sending Gao Guang to Huainan. On Du Yu’s advice, he instead approves an offer of the Grand Commandant’s post intended to separate Guanqiu Jian from his army 118.
• Praises Sima Yan’s growing reputation, then discovers that Cao Mao has taught him to distrust ministers, investigate commoners’ conditions, and rely on Du Yu. Du Yu suggests that the emperor may be preparing a wise successor in case he is deposed, a possibility Zhao dismisses 122 123 124.
• Helps implement Sima Shi’s plan to send Sima Yue into the palace while retaining leverage through her son, despite his misgivings about coercing his recently widowed niece 125 127.
• Hesitates over punishing officials responsible for massacring nearly ten thousand commoners. Sima Shi personally intervenes, kills Sima Ban with Zhao’s sword, orders the remaining offenders beheaded, and rebukes Zhao for allowing powerful clans to endanger the realm through abuse 150.
• Rebukes Zhong Hui for accusing Xun Yi and Wang Xiang of conspiracy, then personally apologizes to Xun Yi. The dispute further exposes the divisions among his advisers 158.

Sima Shi’s Final Instructions and Death

• Panics when the ministers move against the family while Sima Shi lies unconscious. He proposes killing Cao Mao, but Zhong Hui argues that the emperor has become a necessary ally against the great families 180.
• Regains some composure when Sima Shi awakens. He participates in the public break with Sima Fu while understanding that the separation provides the wider clan with a possible escape route 182.
• Receives instructions to endure, obey Cao Mao outwardly, and preserve control of the Imperial Secretariat even if the position of Grand General cannot be retained 196.
• Agrees to send Guo Ping into the palace, releasing the leverage previously held over Sima Yue, while delaying Cao Mao’s request to take Du Yu 196 197.
• At his deathbed, Sima Shi tells him to control his temper, improve the family’s reputation, assist impoverished people, and prepare Sima You and other younger relatives for a future opportunity 212.
• Resigns to mourn after Sima Shi’s death, following instructions to withdraw until the ministers need him again. He privately explains that he expects them eventually to ask him to become Grand General 214.
• Lives in a hut beside Sima Shi’s grave until Xin Chang brings the Empress Dowager’s edict requesting his return as General of the Guards to suppress rebellions 224.

Rebuilding Military Influence

• Takes interest in Ma Long’s reforms of the Central Army and plans to imitate his removal of useless aristocratic officers. His attempt to recruit Ma Long through Sima Gan is rejected 236.
• Approves Du Yu’s proposals to recruit Lu Yu and the Hebei clans, reorganize the Central Army, and prepare Deng Ai for the northwestern threat. Although initially furious at the suggestion of cooperation with Cao Mao, he agrees to contact the emperor after returning to Yanzhou 244.
• Remains outside Luoyang while Cao Mao takes control of the Central Army and defeats the ministers. Unknown to Zhao, two of the four battalions accompanying him have already pledged allegiance to the emperor 263 266.
• Interprets the silence from Luoyang as evidence that the ministers have seized the capital. Du Yu volunteers to negotiate there and urges him to contact Guanqiu Jian and other trusted commanders rather than immediately risk civil war 273.
• Wins Yang Zong’s assistance in removing He Zeng and Chen Ben. A staged clash over prisoners and spoils provides the pretext to suspend both generals 289.

Attempted Advance and Capture

• Finds potential regional allies unwilling to commit firmly: Hu Zun’s support is conditional, Wang Chang claims illness, and Zhao abandons an approach to Zhuge Dan 304.
• Rejects Sima Shi’s policy of submitting to Cao Mao, deciding instead to seize Luoyang by surprise. With Yang Zong unavailable, he accepts Cheng Cui’s false reports portraying the Central Army and its defenses as weak 304.
• Suffers insomnia, anxiety, and recurring dreams of his brother while preparing to march. He begins to understand the burden Sima Shi had carried but still interprets the final instructions as a possible judgment against his own abilities 307.
• Is attacked in camp before the planned advance. His guards fight Yin Damu’s forces, but cavalry breaks through during his attempted escape, and he is captured alive 307 308.
• Initially assumes Gao Rou is responsible. Cao Mao’s appearance reveals that the emperor himself has been his opponent, overturning Zhao’s understanding of the struggle 309.
• Declares that he will never submit, then confesses when Cao Mao orders Cheng Ji to kill him and destroy his clan. Cao Mao spares him while stating that he still requires his assistance in governing 312.

Confinement and Use as an Imperial Figurehead

• Returns to Luoyang under guard. Zhang Hua places him in a residence watched by five hundred armored soldiers, where requests to summon his younger brother are refused 314.
• Attempts to establish friendly ties with his supervisor Li Chu, only to learn that he is Li Feng’s grandson and Li Tao’s son 314.
• Loses communication with outsiders and discovers that Cao Mao issues orders in his name without informing him. The emperor uses his remaining prestige to bring Sima followers under imperial control 321.
• Reassesses Sima Yan’s friendship with Cao Mao as a means of preserving the clan, while continuing to place deeper hopes in Sima You 325.
• Bears the ministers’ anger over military policies attributed to him and eventually trades insults with them. Cao Mao again offers an alliance against the ministers and brings him to the grand reception for Zhuge Dan, which Zhao watches with disgust and growing regret 337.
• Continues to serve as the nominal author of memorials he has neither written nor seen. Violence outside his residence deters him from demanding an explanation 405.
• Accepts responsibility for dealing impartially with corrupt Sima relatives and adopts a more deferential attitude toward Cao Mao, recognizing that he has little prospect of prevailing while the emperor lives 410.
• As Cao Mao prepares to rehabilitate Xiahou Xuan and condemn Sima Shi’s abuses, guards forcibly make Zhao seal a memorial listing his brother’s crimes. Cheng Ji’s sword at his neck compels him to agree to further discussion 462.

Death and the Sima Family Purge

• Cao Mao determines that Zhao’s attack on the emperor and attempted usurpation merit severe punishment. A full extermination of related clans would implicate too many useful officials through the Sima Family’s marriage alliances, while an openly lenient sentence would appear unjust 529.
• Cao Mao therefore has him take his own life in acknowledgment of guilt. His confession, publicized crimes, and death allow the matter to be closed without further interrogation or a formal sentencing process 529.
• He Zeng then prosecutes Sima relatives using evidence of crimes left by Zhao. Numerous family members are dismissed, imprisoned, injured, or killed; Sima Gan dies after torture in prison, and Sima Yi is stripped of his titles and honors 529.
• At Zhao’s spirit tablet, Cao Mao tells Sima Yan that the family’s attempt to seize power always carried the possibility of retribution. He acknowledges Yan’s possible hatred and refuses to demand that he forget it or remain at his side 534.

Notable Quotes

“Yan, remember this: even your maternal grandfather does not bear the Sima surname. The only people we can trust are our own blood relatives.” 19

“If we don't kill him today, we'll regret it sooner or later!” 28

“Your Majesty has now arrived in Luoyang, the safest place in the realm. With me here, absolutely no one will dare harm you.” 42

“My defeat at your hands today was entirely my own fault. Kill me if you wish. I will never bow my head.” 312

“I confess my guilt!” 312

“I am willing to discuss them amicably!” 462