| Cao Pi | |
| |
| Character information | |
|---|---|
| Force(s): | Wei |
| Weapon Type: | Twin Blades |
| Advanced + : | Acceleration |
| Historical information | |
| Real name: | Cáo Pī |
| Chinese name: | 曹丕 |
| Style name: | Zǐhuán |
| Chinese name: | 子桓 |
| Born: | 187 |
| Died: | June 29, 226 |
Cao Pi is Cao Cao's son and Zhen Ji's husband. He becomes the first emperor of Wei and is known for possibly forcing Emperor Xian to abdicate his throne.
In Dynasty Warriors Online, he is 27 years old and his height is 182 cm (about half an inch below 6').
General Information
Serving Cao Pi you will gain
Peace + 10
Damage + 10
Character Information
Personality
Cao Pi is a son who closely follows his father's expectations. He is usually the only character who Cao Cao addresses by their style name in the overseas script. Unlike his father, he speaks in a bitter tone and is more condescending. Though a loyal and respectful son, he is also determined to surpass his father's image and realize his own dreams. To this end, he remains apathetic to the other two kingdoms and is unimpressed by their final efforts to oppose him. He shares an affinity with Sima Yi as their combined efforts soundly unite Wei's army after his father's death. At the same time, however, he loosely trusts the strategist's loyalty.
Any gentleness or caring feelings he has is usually reserved for his wife, whom he was instantly entranced with upon their first meeting. Though he boldly declares that he fights only for himself, he privately confides that his feats are dedicated to her in her scenario. He fondly calls her "Zhen" in Asian titles, a name which carries over into English. He additionally calls her "My Sweet" or "My Beloved" in English titles.
Character Symbolism
The particular character (奏) used for the original names of Cao Pi's third, fourth, and first set of swords in Dynasty Warriors 6 may refer to one of two meanings. The common translation is someone playing music, meaning he is performing a type of "sword dance" with his attacks in battle. Cao Pi's "performances" are rather grim in nature based on the full name of the weapon. His third and Standard swords are aimed to be purely destructive; Cao Pi's fourth and Skill weapons target on silencing all other sounds while his Strength blade is focused on pure vehemence. To add insult to injury, a secondary meaning of the character implies that his acts should be celebrated and admired as he rises to his seat of royalty. In Dynasty Warriors 5 and the Warriors Orochi series, the idea of music being played during battle might be additionally linked to his wife's weapon.
His weapons in Special follow a divine naming theme similar to the one given to his father in the series. At the same time, they follow the idea that he can surpass Cao Cao. He can control all men (Skill), brandish the earth (Strength), or transcend the heavens (Standard). Having power over the three essential components of the universe (heaven, earth, and people) is an impressive feat achieved only by beings of a higher power.
Cao Pi's original outfit for Dynasty Warriors 7 is a Japanese school uniform for males. The colorful strips of cloth he wears around his chest and arm is similar to the ones worn by president of the student council found within the Japanese education system. A president is a student elected by their classmates or may be inaugurated due to their close ties to the student council. Once elected, they give an acceptance speech and wear these bands to signify their status as president. Within the student council, presidents have the highest rank and is the one who manages internal affairs regarding the student body. Presidents make the final decisions for student organized activities and nothing can be permitted to pass without their authority.
Dian Lun (典論), his personal item in Warriors Orochi, is a compilation of Cao Pi's theories and written literature kept in five scrolls. His preferences for ancient literature is consistent throughout the work, claiming that the path to true prosperity may be achieved by studying and learning from the past. At the same time, he seemed frustrated by the unforgiving vicissitudes of time. The literary text implied that the then culturally accepted answers for death and dying weren't satisfactory enough to answer his thoughts about it.
Historical Information
Personal Info
Cao Pi was Cao Cao's third son, the eldest son born from one of his father's favorite concubines, Lady Bian. He was the older biological brother to Cao Zhang, Cao Zhi, and Cao Xiong. According to the Book of Jin, he was born in the same area as his father's homeland, Pei Commandery, Qiao Country (modern day Bozhou, Anhui). Given the somewhat loose nature of the record, however, this has been stipulated to be a probable fabrication. Book of Wei stated he showed intellectual promise since his childhood as he divulged himself into his studies. By the time he was eight years old, Cao Pi was also a talented fencer and was capable with mounted archery. Later on in his life, his favorite drink was supposedly grape wine. His praise for the liquid is listed in the Yuwu Jianshu, in which he favored the unique richness and sweetness over other local fruits in lengthy detail.
Throughout his life, Cao Pi was a rather academic man and often retreated to reading or debating in his free time. He expressed an interest in the Zhuzhi Baijia and chose to confide with nearby intellectuals on a regular basis. Allegedly, there were four individuals whom he thought as his closest friends and confidants: Sima Yi, Chen Qun, Wu Zhi and Zhu Shuo (listed in Western Jin's Shiyu and Book of Jin). Another one of his famous friends was Xiahou Shang, a nephew of Cao Cao and Xiahou Yuan. Unlike the previously mentioned individuals, they knew one another before Cao Pi ascended the throne. Their friendship became ill fated when Cao Pi ordered the death of Xiahou Shang's beloved concubine at the request of his friend's wife. Cao Pi would regret his actions and avoided seeing Xiahou Shang to repress ill will between them. When Xiahou Shang passed away to illness shortly thereafter, Cao Pi was mournfully by his side.
Like his father, Cao Pi was a poet. However, his approach to the poetic medium was a severe contrast to his father or Cao Zhi. He doesn't emphasize the decorative or heroic prose as much as his younger brother or father. Several of his compositions hint that he was unattached to Confucianism and he was a natural skeptic. He denounced the existence of immortals and questioned the morality of ancient traditions. The poem dedicated to his father's passing expresses a tone of remorse, but it also criticizes the purpose of digging a grave for a lifeless corpse. It is thought that Cao Pi's overall level-headed and pessimistic nature lead to his unpopular reputation, both in literature and -eventually- politics.
In spite of whatever reaction his poetry invoked, his Yangehang is considered the first poem with seven syllables per line, and it is a rousing piece entailing a husband lost to war. The same composition is also said to be dedicated to the people of the Yan during the Warring States Period of Chinese history, thus making the title roughly translated as "Ballad of Yan". In the Shipin, he is praised as one of the poetic "Three Caos", along with his father and Cao Zhi. He is praised as being artful yet direct with his words, offering an eccentric "flavor" than his relatives. When not composing poetry, Cao Pi wrote analytical compositions and other essays for Wei. He has been credited to have been the author to the compiled novel, Lieyizhuan, but recent research draws the centuries year old claims into question.
While the chain of internal rebellions marked disdain for his ideas, Cao Pi lead a relatively peaceful reign. His country did not experience any major revolts, making it a sparse moment of rough stability during Wei's time. Even so, the historian Chen Shou commented that, while Cao Pi was of uncommon character, he was also a ruler who ultimately refused to work together with politicians and other rulers of the state. Researchers are currently questioning the neutrality of certain records regarding Cao Pi and his reign, since many are quick to denote him due to his unpopular reputation. As of late, there is a growing speculation that many -not all- of the negative events tied to him are either circumstantial or deliberately made after the fact to further distort his image.
Cao Pi had sixteen royal consorts (seventeen if counting a dubious legendary one) and sired ten sons and one daughter.
Early Career
When Cao Pi was eleven years old, he was enrolled into Cao Cao's army. Approximately at the time of his enrollment, his older brothers, Cao Ang and Cao Shuo, had already perished. Lady Liu (the mother of Cao Cao's eldest sons) had passed away at a young age and Lady Ding (Cao Cao's actual wife) refused to return to her husband. With these losses, Cao Cao gradually recognized Cao Pi to be his eldest child. His decision came as a reluctant one since he originally refused to adopt any of his other children into his family line. By 197, Cao Pi was considered the next legitimate heir for his father. According to the Book of Wei, Cao Pi was appointed to official duty but had no participation in his father's campaigns.
Four years later, he was appointed the titles Fifth Official Commander of the Palace Guards and Assistant Chancellor. Little is recorded of his time in office so it's presumed his service was mainly uneventful. According toRecord of the Three Kingdoms Cao Pi at this time paid a visit to Zhu Jianping, a well versed practitioner ofXiangshu, or a type of divination method for reading a person's future. Cao Pi was among thirty or so onlookers at the fortune teller's stall. When Zhu Jianping read his fortune, he said, "You are fated to live eighty years. When you are forty, you will experience a small misfortune that might jeopardize your longevity. I hope that you overcome this minor setback and live your life to its fullest." Apparently the divination was made based on the lines of Cao Pi's palm.
In 217, Cao Pi was officially deemed a crowned prince by his father. Many believe that there was growing attribution for the succession between him and Cao Zhi, but the legitimate nature of these claims are under speculation. Before his father's death in 220, he was married to Lady Zhen. Cao Pi had apparently favored her long before their official marriage date, since their first child was born shortly after their first meeting. It is highly likely that Lady Zhen's son was not actually Cao Pi's, since she isn't historically mentioned to have met Cao Pi personally until their wedding date. Her activities following her capture in 204 mainly state that she was taken prisoner and nothing more. Since records state she was with child shortly after their marriage, it is therefore more likely that their only offspring together was Princess Dongxiang.
Quests Started by Cao Pi
Destroy the Facility - 1 Player Quest
Capture the Messenger - 1 Player Quest
A Soldier Prizes Speed - 1 Player Quest
Wealth, Money, Boss - 3 Player Quest
Challenge from the Trio - 3 Player Quest
WeaponEdit
Cao Pi's Weapon of choice is the Twin Blade