Qin and Han · Cao Wei prince and one of the leading poets of the Jian'an era

Cao Zhi 曹植

Attested AD 192 - AD 265

Passages: 13
Chapters: 9
Histories: 7

Overview

Cao Zhi was a Cao Wei prince and one of the leading poets of the Jian'an era.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Zijian	子建	Zijian
Posthumous name	Si	思

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 192 to AD 232 七步之才
Dated from the passage context · Book of Wei 110, passage 70
AD 192 to AD 232 曹植
Strongly inferred · Book of Wei 91, passage 193
AD 192 to AD 232 曹植/子建
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passages 132, 155
AD 192 to AD 232 曹植信魏世之英
Strongly inferred · Book of Wei 91, passage 8
AD 192 to AD 232 曹植禹廟讚
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 122, passage 10
AD 220 to AD 232 東阿
Directly stated · Book of Liang 4, passage 135

Show 3 more source-backed claims

c. AD 232 近世
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 14, passage 260
AD 192 to AD 232 陳思王表
Strongly inferred · Book of Southern Qi 35, passages 191-192, 200
AD 220 to AD 265 魏
Directly stated · Book of Chen 17, passage 150

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Prince Si of Chen 陳思王
Held
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 35, passage 191

Places and affiliations

Polity Cao Wei 曹魏 · Relation Member of
Strongly inferred · Book of Southern Qi 35, passage 191
Polity Cao Wei 魏 · Relation Associated with
Directly stated · Book of Wei 91, passage 8

Works and attributed material

memorial 表
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 35, passages 191-192
Praise of Yu's Temple 禹廟讚
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 122, passage 10
Praise of Yu's Temple 禹廟讚
Literary composition · Author
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 122, passage 10
Memorial · Author · Direct quotation · Mode historian-citation
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 35, passages 191-192
Memorial · Author · Summary petitioned to merge consort commandant and carriage attendant titles
Directly stated · Book of Chen 17, passage 150

Events and relationships

Moved Yu shrine into Yongqiu city
Ritual · Actor · At Yongqiu 雍丘
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 122, passage 10
Relation Contemporary of · Person Lu Ji (陸機)
Directly stated · Book of Wei 91, passage 8

Assessments and attributes

Assessment genius of the Wei age · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Wei 91, passage 8
Assessment his words proved true · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 35, passage 200
Assessment literary model compared to Xiao Gang as family's Dong'e · Mode speech Speaker Emperor Wu of Liang (梁武帝)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 4, passage 135

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Wei 91, passages 14, 193

References in the histories

Search passages

History

13 passages

History of the Northern Dynasties, Chapter 88Volume 88 Biographies 76: Recluses · 2 passages

才謝天人，多慚子建。 in talent I fall short of heaven and man, and am much ashamed before Zijian.

曹植儻豫聞高論，則不殞令名； If Cao Zhi by chance heard your lofty discourse, his fine name would not perish;

Book of Chen, Chapter 17Volume 17: Wang Chong; Wang Tong; Yuan Jing · 1 passage

駙馬都尉置由漢武，[9]或以假諸功臣，或以加於戚屬，是以魏曹植表駙馬、奉車趣為一號。 The consort commandant was created by Han Wudi; [9] it was sometimes given to meritorious ministers and sometimes to kin—hence Cao Zhi in Wei asked to merge consort commandant and carriage attendant into one title.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 122Volume 111: Commanderies and States Part Three · 1 passage

〖雍丘〗本杞国。陳留志曰：「城内有神井，能興霧雹。」案：徐齊民北征記曰：「有呂祿臺，髙七丈。有酈生祠。」曹植禹廟讚曰：「有禹祠，植移於其城，城本名杞城。」 Yongqiu was the old state of Qi. The Chenliu zhi says, “Inside the city was a divine well that could bring forth fog and hail.” Xu Qimin’s Beizheng ji says, “It had Lü Lu’s Terrace, seven zhang high, and a shrine to Li Sheng.” Cao Zhi’s Praise of Yu’s Temple says, “There was a shrine to Yu, which Zhi moved into the city; the city was originally called Qi city.”

Book of Liang, Chapter 4Volume 4: Emperor Jianwen · 1 passage

高祖歎曰：「此子，吾家之東阿。」 Gaozu sighed and said, "This boy is our family's Dong'e."

Book of Liang, Chapter 14Volume 14: Jiang Yan; Ren Fang · 1 passage

遒文麗藻，方駕曹、王； His forceful prose and gorgeous pattern rivaled Cao and Wang;

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 35Volume 35 Biographies 16: Gao Zu's Twelve Princes · 2 passages

史臣曰：陳思王表云：「權之所存，雖疏必重； The historian says: Prince Si of Chen's memorial states: "Where power resides, though distant one must honor it;

曹植之言信之矣。 Cao Zhi's words proved true.

Book of Sui, Chapter 77Volume 77 Biographies 42: Recluses · 2 passages

高視上京，有懷德祖，才謝天人，多慚子建，書不盡意，寧俟繁辭。 Gazing toward the capital, I think of Dezao; my talent falls far short of heaven and earth, and I feel deeply ashamed before Zijian; words cannot say all I mean, so why multiply them?

曹植儻預聞高論，則不隕令名，楊修若切在下風，亦詎虧淳德。 Had Cao Zhi heard your lofty discourse, his fine name would not have fallen; had Yang Xiu stood in your shadow, his pure virtue would not have suffered.

Book of Wei, Chapter 91Volume 85: Men of Letters: Yuan Yue, Pei Jingxian, Lu Guan, Feng Su, Xing Cang, Pei Bomao, Xing Xin · 2 passages

曹植信魏世之英，陸機則晉朝之秀，雖同時並列，分途爭遠。 Cao Zhi was truly the genius of the Wei, and Lu Ji the outstanding talent of the Jin; though contemporaries, they pursued diverging paths to ever greater distance.

衍稱之曰：「曹植、陸機復生於北土。 Yan praised him, saying, "Cao Zhi and Lu Ji are reborn in the northern lands.

Book of Wei, Chapter 110Volume 104: Author's Preface · 1 passage

帝曰：[7]「雖七步之才，無以過此。」 The emperor remarked: [7]"Not even Cao Zhi's seven-pace talent could surpass this."