Cao Song (simplified: 曹嵩, traditional: 曹嵩, pinyin: Cáo Sōng) was Cao Cao’s father. He was the adopted son of the eunuch Cao Teng and held high Han office, including Minister over the Masses and briefly Grand Commandant (太尉) in 187. When he retired from the capital, he went to live with Cao Cao in Yan Province. In 194 he was travelling through Xu Province to join Cao Cao when troops under Tao Qian’s subordinate Zhang Kai (張闓) attacked his party, killed him and his younger son Cao De, and made off with the baggage. Cao Cao blamed Tao Qian and launched a devastating campaign against Xu Province.
Legacy
Cao Song’s death is a pivotal episode in the Records and the Romance: it gave Cao Cao a pretext to attack Xu and contributed to the cycle of violence in the region. Tao Qian had relied on Zhang Kai, who had been a Yellow Turban; the killing underscored the chaos of the period and the risks faced by prominent families on the road.