A literary genius of unmatched talent, Cao Zhi should have been the brightest star of the Wei kingdom. Yet all his life, he was mired in tragedy. He was Cao Cao's most beloved son, writing with a flourish before the Bronze Sparrow Terrace and composing verse by the Luo River. The graceful melancholy of "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" and the anguish of "The Seven-Step Verse" both foreshadowed his fate. Though he was gifted with the talent to govern and deeply favored by his father, his guileless nature and lack of political savvy cost him the crown prince's position, leaving him the most helpless pawn in the game of a chaotic age.
His elder brother Cao Pi's suspicion was a blade, and the court's power struggles a frost. Once close as brothers, they ultimately turned against each other. "Born of the same root, why torment each other so cruelly?" Every word bled with grief, laying bare the sorrow of their estrangement and marking the beginning of Cao Zhi's turbulent life. From the spirited Marquis of Linzi to the King of Dong'e, dependent on others and punished at every turn, his talent was buried beneath suspicion, and his ambitions crushed by reality.
He had a sincere heart, yet lived in a cold and unfeeling age. His mind was filled with grand plans, yet he had nowhere to belong. After half a lifetime of wandering, his heart heavy with sorrow, even his peerless talent could not withstand the cruel whims of fate. He died in despair, leaving behind only his noble character and a heart full of regrets, a testament in the dust of history to the tragic life of a gifted prince.
Grounded in historical fact, this book recounts Cao Zhi's sorrowful past and the restraint and resentment he kept hidden. Discover the peerless genius and the boundless melancholy that remained after his glory had faded.
Yang Xiu's death is a tragedy of character and a political necessity! Very penetratingly written!!!