Cao Xing

Three Kingdoms infobox
Name=Cao Xing


imagesize=
Caption=Cao Xing taking aim at Xiahou Dun in the 84-episode TV serial "Romance of the Three Kingdoms"
Title= Military general
Kingdom=Lü Bu
Born=
Died=
Simp=曹性
Trad=曹性
Pinyin=Cáo Xìng
WG=Ts'ao Hsin
Zi=
Other=

Cao Xing was a military general during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of China. He served under the warlord, Lü Bu. Little was documented about Cao Xing in the historical records except a minor incident found in the "Records of Heroes" (英雄記) by Wang Can.

According to the "Records of Heroes", in 198 a subject of Lü Bu named Hao Meng (郝萌) rebelled. One night, He ordered his troops to surround the government house of Xiapi, where Lü Bu resided. The startled Lü Bu had to climb over the wall of the toilet to escape to the camp of his loyal subject, Gao Shun.

Gao Shun then led a force to quell the rebellion. By the next morning Hao Meng and his troops had all retreated back to their own camp. Cao Xing, who was a subordinate of Hao Meng, then opposed his superior and the two dueled. Cao Xing was injured in the fight but cleaved an arm off his opponent. Gao Shun had also arrived at this time and slew Hao Meng.

After the incident, Cao Xing told Lü Bu that he had always opposed Hao Meng's rebellion. Lü Bu was pleased and ordered Cao Xing to take over command of Hao Meng's former troops.

It was unknown what happened to Cao Xing after Lü Bu was executed by Cao Cao in the same year after losing the Battle of Xiapi.

Cao Xing in Romance of the Three Kingdoms

"Romance of the Three Kingdoms", a historical novel by Luo Guanzhong, was a romanticization of the events that occurred before and during the Three Kingdoms era. The character of Cao Xing was given more significance in the book.

In 198, Gao Shun and Cao Xing were sent by Lü Bu to defend Xiaopei (小沛, present day Pei County, Jiangsu) against attacks from Xiahou Dun, a fierce general under Cao Cao. As the two forces met outside the city, Xiahou Dun rode forward to offer a challenge. Gao Shun took him on and the two dueled for forty or fifty bouts before Gao Shun retreated. Xiahou Dun pursued him deep into the enemy lines.

Then Cao Xing secretly took aim and fired an arrow at Xiahou Dun. The arrow hit the target right in the left eye. With a cry, Xiahou Dun pulled out the arrow along with his eyeball. "Essence of my father, blood of my mother, I cannot throw this away," he exclaimed and swallowed the eye. His spear firmly held up, Xiahou Dun then charged straight at Cao Xing. With no time to react, Cao Xing was impaled right in the face and died beneath his nemesis' horse.

References

*cite book|author=Chen Shou|title=San Guo Zhi|publisher=Yue Lu Shu She|year=2002|id=ISBN 7-80665-198-5
*cite book|author=Luo Guanzhong|title=San Guo Yan Yi|publisher=Yue Lu Shu She|year=1986|id=ISBN 7-80520-013-0
*cite book|author=Lo Kuan-chung; tr. C.H. Brewitt-Taylor|title=Romance of the Three Kingdoms|publisher=Tuttle Publishing|year=2002|id=ISBN 0-8048-3467-9

ee also

*Eastern Han Dynasty
*Three Kingdoms
*Personages of the Three Kingdoms
*"Records of Three Kingdoms"
*"Romance of the Three Kingdoms"