“That is where you are wrong.” The response was immediate; sharp and intentionally jarring. And it was true, in regards to several concerns. There were many ways in which one may learn from their mistakes; one of which was to study the past in preparation for the future through tactics of war and strategy. Stratagems could be learned from texts, and of course experience, but it also came from understanding others. Their own plans and motivations for one, and second to that was considering how their minds worked. Personality played a large part in it as well, as it often dictated what kind of tactics would be deployed. That was the art of war, or a fraction of it, though it was not necessarily the point Cao Cao intended to nail down.
“Considering the thoughts and aspirations of others provides insight.” Like Guo Jia, for an example. What would his take on their current situation be were he alive and well? Would he have suggested aught else, or would it have all fallen into place? “–And if you truly strive for betterment, my son, I suggest that you begin there.” And yes, while the comparison of his two sons was unjust, never once had he expressed that Pi become anything than less than he saw fit.
“Were he still with us, you would still be by my side, providing your interest in furthering the future of Wei were, indeed, still applicable.” He glanced at Cao Pi from the corner of his eye, picking out only pieces of his son’s apathy before his own gaze returned to the quickly-setting sun.
“Your time in the sun or shadow is wholly dependent no one but yourself.”
It was not an unexpected response, but still one that would garner Cao Pi’s full attention. He was not about to question his father’s words – he was right, more than right about it. Still he knew not where to begin in doing such a thing, for he did not have the mindset of others. It proposed a challenge to begin to emulate any of them. It would certainly take some time to consider, long after the battle was won; but he was certain that with how his father expressed it, it was imperative for his future.
In truth he hated to think of those lost. The reminder of finality, of never seeing them again, often brought a feeling of regret to him – it was perhaps one reason he avoided considering them. Even so, his expression went from that of certainty to humbled by his father’s insight. His mind wandered far from where they stood, to the distant memories of his brother; but not what of he would have done were he here. He could not if he wanted to.
What troubled him was that not only could he not presume an answer to his internal question, but the realization came to him that he could hardly recall anything of his brother any longer. He knew with the utmost of certainty that Ang had a heart of gold, yet memories of it did not remain – a blurred smile, a voice he could no longer recognize. Remembering words spoken to him, but not the tone of which they had been said. Eleven years had passed since then, and Cao Pi was now almost the same age as his brother was when he had perished.
He was hesitant to speak his name as though a forbidden word, lips having parted long before any word was uttered. “You knew Zixiu far more than I, yet seldom do you speak of him. Were he with us, would he be confident in our position, or cautiously optimistic?”
Years have passed and still I feel worlds apart from you. One day, will you look at me the way you looked at him? [ ➤
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[ 01:13 ] I woke up and there is a cat in the house. All of the doors and windows are still locked and I cannot fathom how it got in. [ 01:51 ] It got in again and now it’s just staring absentmindedly at the ceiling. [ 03:26 ] I have come to the conclusion that it is, in fact, miraculously stupid. I love it.
OKAY FIRST I WANT TO ADMIT SOMETHING TO YOU: I used to LOVE Cao Pi in DW6, and then after that I've had a particular distaste for him. I thought he was a little shit. But LITERALLY in like, what, under a week? You've given me reason to not only like him, but appreciate him. I love how you portray him, how you justify his character traits, and he's actually begun to redeem himself for me. The only thing I regret is not getting in contact with you sooner, and I blame myself for that. ; w; ilu
Don’t let me fool, you he is a little shit– LMAOO Ahhh but I’m really glad that my portrayal is redeeming fjdgklj ;A; I always try to never forget his many character flaws (rip), but not amplify them or make them overwhelmingly negative. Just kinda keep them there for something to grow from!! Esp with baba’s wisdom and guidance <3333 But hey, I’m glad that we finally got in touch! I can’t remember why I never contacted you, we’ve both been here for years - different friend circles maybe? EVEN SO you are such a treasure ILU TOO BB
Although he had been impaled clean through the abdomen with a spear, at the very least there was gratefulness in that he did not fall to a sky of arrows, in the middle of a field of corpses, struggling for life in cold solitude. Yet still it felt almost worse where he was now, for his father was by him to watch him die. Yes – he was certain that he was going to.
At first he wanted to fight that numbing sensation, but gradually it was overcoming him, tempting him with tranquility. The pain lessened, a weight lifted from his shoulders. It was an urge to sleep, to rest off the pain; but he knew that it would be a sleep he would not be waking up from. Cao Cao’s words snapped him from his lull as steel eyes met with his. Was it a command or a plea, he wondered?
“I suppose it’s easy to say when you don’t have a gaping wound,” he remarked with a halfhearted smirk, gaze lowering to his hand as he briefly lifted it from his wound. His smirk disappeared, replaced with a look of disappointment. Nothing but red. He released a shaky sigh and leaned his head back. He had thought that his allies covered behind him - but he should have known better. Such a simple mistake–
“You know, Father… I never forgot your face when you wept for Zixiu and Cangshu. I told myself that either I would keep moving forward so you would never have to feel such grief again, or that I hoped you would not have the same love for me were I to perish before you.”
There was a pause, his brows furrowing. His eyes stung, but oh did he ever fight against the tears that threatened to fall. Tears would not help make it better. It would not change anything. “I’m not going to survive this. I don’t want to die - the thought of it terrifies me more than anything. It was my mistake… I’m sorry, Father. Though it is selfish of me, I… I hope that you will forgive me for leaving you too.”
The most irritating part of it all was that he had ordered scouts to check the hills above not twice, but three consecutive times to confirm that not a single ambush was set, yet his division was still met with a volley of arrows. Such a thing was the bane to many; over half of those alongside him and the stallion he had ridden on had fallen to it as well. An arrowhead just narrowly scratched the surface of his cheek, but his left shoulder and his waist were not so fortunate.
There were two things that saved him, he was certain of that. The first was the adrenaline. It pushed him to get on his feet and fight against the oncoming ambush unit. While he had been able to find cover away from the archers, he was in no condition to outrun even the foot soldiers; the only option was to face the enemy or fall. But fight he did as his life depended on it, and all of his combat training would be his second saving grace.
After what felt like an eternity, he had cut down many who drew near to him and he was safe - almost. Cao Pi whipped around to the sound of a soldier rushing toward him, his jian raising to meet with another. Instead, that soldier’s attempt was thwarted as he was promptly charged into and trampled by an ebony steed he knew all too well, and the rider…
“–Father,” a tone of relief. He lowered his blade, bloodied knuckles white against the grip. He was in pain, but more than that, he was frustrated. He survived – and he had failed.
It was the dawning–the beginning of battle, a war; the end of all beginnings.
The fleet that occupied the channel was monstrous, and to consider anything short of success was laughable. Cao Wei’s armada doubled, if not tripled that of the coalition forces of Shu and Wu; victory would be decisive and swift, and it would shatter the morale and momentum of the opposing militias. To say that Cao Cao was confident was nothing short of the truth, and quite frankly, he had every reason to be.
–But it was at the heart of the argosy that Cao Cao stood, eyes cast out towards the setting sun as it painted the shear, rocky cliffs in hues of scarlet and titian. At his back, darkness had already overtaken the sky, and the torches lining distant encampments flickered in the stillness upon the shore. His eyes narrowed then, mind shifting from confidence to morbid remembrance through the silence punctuated only by the sloshing of water beneath each rocking boat, and he thought on how Ang might have shared great pride in Wei’s accomplishments thus far, in comparison to Pi’s grave silence.
Two compare vastly different individuals was unreasonable, but also unavoidable. While much had fallen into Cao Pi’s favour after the untimely death of Cao Cao’s eldest son, much more pressure also befell his shoulders. Expectations that might have never seemed significant, accomplishments that never quite compared to that of Ang’s, and a lifestyle Cao Cao expected. Ang was, indeed, the perfect fit to take Wei’s reins once Cao Cao’s time had come to pass, but not all played out as he had initially planned or desire. Nothing did, truth be told, but that was life despite his attempt keep control.
“Zihuan,” he began abruptly, to draw his son’s attention; breaking from his own thoughts to share eventual wisdom. A lesson, but also warning. “Were Zixiu here, where do you believe you would now be?” Cao Cao’s favourtism was evident–for Ang was not only the eldest, but talented and loyal. In his youth, Pi had been quiet, though differently than he was now. Mengde expected much–as he did of anyone with notable worth–but with his son, it was exponentially more.
“–And where do you expect to be going forward?”
And how beautiful the sunset looked in the unreachable sky above. Yet even on an auspicious day as this with victory surely in sight, not a shred of joy could be seen on Cao Pi’s face. He merely looked onward, expression calmed as his eyes trailed along the horizon of ships. He had little desire to celebrate until the battle was over and won, merely feeling anxious as the time for war drew nearer.
Unlike his father, Cao Pi’s thoughts did not wander to that of Ang’s demise; so the mention of his name caught him by surprise. Cao Pi inwardly grew discomfort in the memory of his elder brother - he recalled a perfect man. He was filial, he had courage, intelligence, and the capability of taking the reins when the time would come. Horrid a loss it had been, but yet even greater for his father. When he thought about it, he realized that he was now about as old as Ang was when he perished. Cao Pi thought in absolute sincerity that if it could bring his brother back, he would give up the potential of succession in a heartbeat. But it was those wistful thoughts that would lead him nowhere.
“Were he here…” Cao Pi contemplated briefly before shaking his head. “In truth, I do not know. I rarely consider the what ifs beyond what could be done better next time. They bring nothing but yearning for what cannot be had. All that I know is that I would not be here, standing beside you.”
His gaze would leave his father, instead turning to the mass of ships. “I cannot be him. He was a person of his own - henceforth, I strive to better myself. The future is unpredictable… but I do not want to live in the shadow of another forever.”
There was a drawn out silence, Zihuan finding himself void of response. His gaze did not divert from his father’s eyes but his stare was nothing short of inquisitive. Was it for him? He was not sure. No, it was certainly for the entirety of Wei, for all of the loyal people who follow him. Oh, God, he wanted to believe it, but he hesitated. That moment of doubt kept him from feeling any sort of warmth or comfort - merely obligation to continue to strive for greater. No matter the sincerity of Cao Cao’s tone, he was uncertain.
“I will ensure that all of your efforts will not be in vain, Father.”
i. First and foremost, please do not steal my headcanons, my graphics, or anything of the sort. I put a lot of thought and care into those. Thank you~!
ii. Cao Pi is not always a nice guy. He can be a sadist and has a crude sense of humour. He doesn't put up with stupidity, and has a lack of patience at times. Do take this in mind that he IS a prince/emperor depending on the timeline, and will more than likely take great offense to being treated like a peasant. Especially if it’s intentional.
iii. Goes without saying, but Cao Pi and I are not the same. He can be a real jerk sometimes, but that doesn’t reflect how I feel, ye? I swear I'm a nice person fkdjlgkj--
iv. Please don’t godmod. That also goes without saying!
v.I don’t accept M!A’s unless posted otherwise. I get pretty bored with them.
vi.I’m totally chill with following/rping with other Cao Pi blogs! I love seeing 'em~
vii.This blog is selectively multiship. Cao Pi is attracted to physical appearance before getting to know someone better, but just ‘cause you’re good looking doesn’t mean he wants a relationship.
- Side note: I will likely not want to ship with you if you are a Lu Xun. Pi/Xun is my otp and I’m very picky about who I write that with whooops.
- I exclusively ship Pi/Mitsunari with sxkichi.
viii. I don’t mind pre-established relationships, so long as it’s discussed first!
ix. OC sons, daughters, siblings or whatever are also okay, again as long as it’s discussed so he doesn’t get bombarded all of a sudden (especially children). I absolutely love family relations, but I also like to know it's coming :'D
x. I WILL NOT SMUT WITH MINORS. I have absolutely no exceptions to this.
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There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask "What if I fall?"
Oh but my darling, What if you fly?
basic information
Name: Cao Pi.
(Pronounced T'sao Pi).
Style name: Zihuan.
Kingdom: Wei.
Role: Prince/Emperor.
Age: 27
Height: 6'0" (182cm)
DOB: December 23, 187AD.
Death: June 29, 226AD.
Western Zodiac: Capricorn.
Chinese Zodiac: Fire Tiger.
Element: Ice.
Weapon: Dual blade.
history
From a young age, Cao Pi had exceptional talent. He was "the perfect child" as quoted by others, and was also said to have quite the bashful side in his youth. He was the third son of Cao Cao who was known as the King of Wei and Hero of Chaos, and his mother was Lady Bian.
In these early years, he honed his talents in swordsmanship and archery, until he was able to wield almost any weapon ambidextrously, and shoot a bow with great precision from horseback. His skills only improved as his age progressed.
Exceptional as he was, however, he was not initially heir to the throne; his elder half-brother named Cao Ang was. Cao Ang was a man that Cao Pi looked up to greatly, and out of all of his siblings, he felt the strongest bond with him. Often he would follow his brother around, eagerly watching and learning from him. In turn, he was a particular favourite to Cao Ang.
Their time shared was short-lived. When the events of Wancheng occurred, Cao Pi was about ten years old and had almost lost his own life that day. Cao Ang himself had given their father his horse to escape, and he was left behind on the battlefield, never to be seen again.
The loss of his elder brother struck him hard, as it did for many. Coming to terms with never seeing him again, hearing his voice - it was impossible for him. Cao Pi had shut down, wallowing in depression, distancing himself from all those around him. While his connection to his father appeared to improve, he rarely offered a second glance to his brothers and sisters any longer. During his nights of grief, Cao Pi made the decision to do everything he could to succeed his brother. He changed, and was no longer the kind and sweet boy he was before, but rather a hard working and devoted son.
While ambidextrous, he wrote only with his right hand. Cao Pi was an excellent writer; he loved literature and poetry like his father and wrote over a hundred articles on various subjects. He wrote Yàn Gē Xíng, the first Chinese poem in the style of seven syllables per line.
In 200 AD following Yuan Shao's defeat at the hands of Wei, Cao Pi would meet Lady Zhen, who was Yuan Shao's daughter-in-law. He fell in love with her and married her not long after. She bore him two children; his son and heir Cao Rui, and a daughter. However, there were whispers of Cao Rui not truly belonging to Cao Pi, but to Lady Zhen's previous husband due to her pregnancy shortly after their meeting. As such, it was possible that their only child together was really Princess Dongxiang. Even though it was possible, Cao Pi disregarded those rumours and treated Rui as blood.
Wei's victories and morale only continued to grow, until the time came when they faced against the Wu and Shu alliance at Chibi. Cao Pi was left with a physical reminder of Wei’s failure at that time. With their massive fleet, everything was in their favour until the wind changed direction. Through Wu and Shu's schemes, the entirety of Wei's naval fleet was set ablaze, and they were forced to retreat in shame.
As the flames grew higher and he fled from battle, he was struck by falling debris from the ships, which burned through his attire and left a painful wound on his back. By the time he was treated, it was already too severe to heal completely. When he recalls that battle, he notes that he still feels the sensation along the scarred skin. It was this event that increased his fear of failure, and ignited his complete and utter disdain for the other kingdoms.
Indeed, he learned from his father's mistakes through the many years - but at what cost, he continued to wonder.
After his father's death, the kingdom was then ruled by Cao Pi. Cao Pi forced Emperor Xian to abdicate his throne to fully wipe out the Han Dynasty, however it caused a rift between him and his sister, Cao Jie, due to her marriage to the emperor. His reign from then on was relatively peaceful. Although some internal conflicts were present, there were no major revolts. Due to his paranoia, he had many eyes and ears within Wei, especially around his siblings. They were his spies and reported anything of interest to him.
Though his reputation was that of a man whose heart was frozen to the core, those who knew him personally knew otherwise. His softness was restricted for his wife and children, and he was more relaxed around a particular few of his generals.
Come his late thirties, he grew ill. It was very slight at first, and he thought little of it. However, as time progressed, it worsened. It continued into coughing fits and to the paleness of his skin. His once perfected talents were now something he struggled with, and his hand shook with each stroke of his brush. He gradually became bedridden and unable to recover from illness, and he died at the age of 38 in the summer of June 29, 226. He was posthumously known as Emperor Wen.
side notes
It's noted that Cao Pi was interested in the supernatural, and set aside his poetry to write the occasional ghost story.
Cao Pi had a fondness for grape wine, speaking highly of its richness and sweetness. He was very tolerant of alcohol, but drank in moderation as he had a tendency to get 'carried away' when far too intoxicated.
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