Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast.

This is episode 137.

Last time, the Wei Emperor Cao Rui had died, and his eight-year-old son, Cao Fang, ascended to the throne.

Being eight, he needed some adults to help him manage things. Those adults were Sima Yi and Cao

Shuang, the son of Sima Yi's former colleague and sometimes friend of Cao Zhen. Things started out

well enough between Sima Yi and Cao Shuang,

until somebody reminded Cao Shuang how Sima Yi had humiliated his late father time after time,

though really it was his father who usually did the heavy lifting in humiliating himself.

In any case, Cao Shuang decided to elbow Sima Yi out of the way,

and he did so in a very cloak and dagger way. He convinced the emperor to promote Sima Yi to imperial guardian,

a lofty title, that just so happened to carry zero military authority.

So Cao Shuang as regent, hoarded command of the army, and with that came total control of the court.

In response, Sima Yi, well, just decided to stay home on account of, um, illness.

And his two sons also retreated from public life, settling into private lives of leisure instead.

So now, Cao Shuang, with a firm grasp on control of the court, spent his days drinking and making

marry with his entourage.

Their clothing and daily wares were the equal of those used by the court.

Whenever a tribute of exotic curios arrived for the emperor,

Cao Shuang skimmed the best for himself before sending the rest to the emperor.

His residence was filled with pretty women, but even that was not enough.

A eunuch from the inner palace wanted to suck up to Cao Shuang,

so he picked seven or eight of the late emperors attending ladies and secretly sent them to Cao Shuang.

...