View source for Cao Ang

{{Short description|Chinese warlord Cao Cao's eldest son (c.177–197)}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Cao Ang<br>曹昂
| image = 
| image_size = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{circa}} 177{{sfnp|de Crespigny|2007|p=33}}
| death_date = between 5 February  and 6 March{{efn|name=death date|The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' recorded that the [[War between Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu#Battle of Wancheng|Battle of Wancheng]] took place in the 1st month of the 2nd year of the Jian'an era of the reign of [[Emperor Xian of Han|Emperor Xian]] of the [[Eastern Han dynasty]].{{sfnp|Sima|1084|loc=vol. 62}} This month corresponds to 5 February to 6 March 197 in the Gregorian calendar.}} 197 (aged 20){{sfnp|de Crespigny|2007|p=33}}
| death_place = [[Wancheng District]], [[Nanyang, Henan]]
| house = [[Cao Wei|House of Cao]]
| father = [[Cao Cao]]
| mother = Consort Liu
| posthumous name = Prince Min (愍王)
| full name = '''Family name''': Cao (曹)<br>'''Given name''': Ang (昂)<br>'''[[Courtesy name]]''': Zixiu (子脩)
}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Cao (Chinese surname)|Cao]]|lang=Chinese}}

'''Cao Ang''' ({{audio|Cao Ang.ogg|pronunciation}}) ({{circa}} 177 – February or March 197),{{efn|name=death date}} [[courtesy name]] '''Zixiu''', was the eldest son of [[Cao Cao]], a warlord who rose to power towards the [[end of the Han dynasty]] and laid the foundation of the state of [[Cao Wei]] in the [[Three Kingdoms]] period of China. He was killed at the [[War between Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu#Battle of Wancheng|Battle of Wancheng]] in 197.{{sfnp|de Crespigny|2007|p=33}}

==Life==
Cao Ang was the first son of [[Cao Cao]] and his concubine Lady Liu (劉夫人). Lady Liu also bore Cao Cao another son, Cao Shuo (曹鑠), and a daughter, Grand Princess<ref name=grand>{{cite book|editor1-last=Lee|editor1-first=Lily|editor2-last=Wiles|editor2-first=Sue|title=Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xqNsBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA609|volume=II|year=2015|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-51562-3|page=609| quote= An emperor's [...] sister or a favorite daughter was called a '''grand princess''' ({{transliteration|zh|zhang gongzhu}}); and his aunt or grand-aunt was called a princess supreme ({{transliteration|zh|dazhang gongzhu}}).}}</ref> Qinghe (清河長公主).<ref>(武皇帝二十五男： ... 劉夫人生豐愍王昂、相殤王鑠， ...) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 20.</ref><ref>(魏略曰：太祖始有丁夫人，又劉夫人生子脩及清河長公主。) ''Weilue'' annotation in ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 5.</ref> However, as Lady Liu died early, Cao Ang was raised by Cao Cao's first official spouse, Lady Ding (丁夫人), who treated Cao Ang as though he was her own son.<ref>(魏略曰：太祖始有丁夫人，又劉夫人生子脩及清河長公主。劉早終，丁養子脩。子脩亡於穰，丁常言：「將我兒殺之，都不復念！」遂哭泣無節。) ''Weilue'' annotation in ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 5.</ref>

Nothing was recorded in history about Cao Ang's early life, except that he was nominated as a ''[[xiaolian]]'' (civil service candidate) when he reached the age of adulthood (around 19 years old).<ref>(豐愍王昂字子脩。弱冠舉孝廉。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 20.</ref> In February or March 197, Cao Ang followed his father on [[War between Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu|a campaign]] against the warlord [[Zhang Xiu (warlord)|Zhang Xiu]] in Wan (宛; or Wancheng, in present-day [[Wancheng District]], [[Nanyang, Henan|Nanyang]], [[Henan]]). Zhang Xiu surrendered initially, but rebelled later, launched a surprise attack on Cao Cao and caught him completely off guard. Cao Cao was injured in the right arm by a stray arrow during the battle while his horse, Jueying (絕影), was hit in the neck and leg.<ref>(魏書曰：公所乘馬名絕影，為流矢所中，傷頰及足，并中公右臂。) ''Wei Shu'' annotation in ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 5.</ref> Cao Ang could not ride on horseback so he offered his own steed to his father, who managed to escape from Wancheng. Cao Ang later died in battle.<ref>(世語曰：昂不能騎，進馬於公，公故免，而昂遇害。) ''Shiyu'' annotation in ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 1.</ref><ref>(二年春正月，公到宛。張繡降，旣而悔之，復反。公與戰，軍敗，為流矢所中，長子昂、弟子安民遇害。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 1.</ref><ref>(隨太祖南征，為張繡所害。無子。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 20.</ref>

==Subsequent events and succession==

Lady Ding wept often on Cao Ang's death and accused Cao Cao of getting Cao Ang killed. Cao Cao became angry and sent her back to her family in the hope she might change her mind. When Cao Cao went to see her around 200, she refused to speak to him, and they officially divorced.<ref name="Rafe de Crespigny Cao Cao biography">{{cite book |last1=de Crespigny |first1=Rafe |title=Imperial Warlord A Biography of Cao Cao 155-220 AD |date=2010 |publisher=Brill |isbn=9789004188303 |page=401 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gd95DwAAQBAJ |access-date=10 January 2022 |language=en |format=ebook}}</ref> After Lady Ding's death, Cao Cao often wondered how he could face his son's spirit if he asked about Lady Ding.<ref>''Weilue'' annotation in ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 5.</ref>

In 221, after [[Cao Pi]] (another of Cao Cao's sons) ended the Han dynasty and established the state of [[Cao Wei]] (which marked the start of the [[Three Kingdoms]] period), he granted Cao Ang the [[Posthumous name|posthumous title]] "Duke Dao of Feng" (豐悼公). Three years later, Cao Ang was posthumously elevated to the status of a prince, so his posthumous title became "Prince Dao of Feng" (豐悼王), literally Mourned Prince of Feng. In 229, during the reign of Cao Pi's son [[Cao Rui]], Cao Ang's posthumous title was changed to "Prince Min of Feng" (豐愍王), literally Pitied Prince of Feng.<ref>(黃初二年追封，謚曰豐悼公。 ... 五年，追加昂號曰豐悼王。太和三年改昂謚曰愍王。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 20.</ref>

Cao Ang had no son to succeed him when he died. However, in 222, Cao Wan (曹琬), a son of Cao Ang's half-brother, Cao Jun (曹均), was designated as Cao Ang's heir and was enfeoffed as a Zhongdu Duke (中都公). Later that year, Cao Wan was reassigned as a Zhangzi Duke (長子公). In 254, during the reign of [[Cao Fang]], Cao Wan was promoted to "Prince of Feng" (豐王) and given the princedom "Feng", per Cao Ang's posthumous title. The number of taxable households in his princedom increased through the reigns of [[Cao Mao]] and [[Cao Huan]] until it reached 2,700. After Cao Wan died, he was posthumously honoured as "Prince Gong of Feng" (豐恭王) and was succeeded by his son, Cao Lian (曹廉).<ref>([黄初]三年，以樊安公均子琬奉昂後，封中都公。其年徙封長子公。 ... 嘉平六年，以琬襲昂爵為豐王。正元、景元中，累增邑，并前二千七百戶。琬薨，謚曰恭王。子廉嗣。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 20.</ref>

A tomb discovered at the [[Cao Cao Mausoleum]] in [[Anyang County|Anyang]] which contained clothes but no human remains may belong to Cao Ang, as his body was never found.<ref name="Taiwan News">{{cite news|last1=Everington|first1=Keoni|title=Tomb of legendary Chinese general Cao Cao found|url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3390636|access-date=27 March 2018|newspaper=Taiwan News|date=26 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="SCMP">{{cite news|last1=Zhou|first1=Laura|title=Archaeologists confident they have found body of fabled Chinese warlord Cao Cao|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2138951/archaeologists-confident-they-have-found-body-fabled-chinese|access-date=27 March 2018|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=26 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="Apple Daily">{{cite news|title=梟雄出土 河南考古找到曹操遺骸 [A ''xiaoxiong'' is unearthed; Henan archaeologists discover Cao Cao's remains]|url=https://tw.news.appledaily.com/international/realtime/20180325/1321878/|access-date=27 March 2018|newspaper=Apple Daily|date=25 March 2018|language=zh}}{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==See also==
* {{section link|Cao Wei family trees|Lady Liu}}
* [[Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
* [[Chen Shou|Chen, Shou]] (3rd century). ''[[Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (''Sanguozhi'').
* {{cite book|last=de Crespigny|first=Rafe|author-link=Rafe de Crespigny|title=A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23-220 AD|date=2007|publisher=Brill|location=Leiden|isbn=9789004156050}}
* [[Pei Songzhi|Pei, Songzhi]] (5th century). ''[[Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (''Sanguozhi zhu'').
* {{cite book |author-link=Sima Guang|last=Sima |first= Guang |year=1084 |title=[[Zizhi Tongjian]]}}

{{People of Cao Wei}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cao, Ang}}
[[Category:197 deaths]]
[[Category:Family of Cao Cao]]
[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]
[[Category:2nd-century births]]
[[Category:Han dynasty people killed in battle]]
[[Category:Heirs apparent who never acceded]]
[[Category:170s births]]