Cao Hong (?) -232), the word is cheap. Pei Guoqiao (now Bozhou, Anhui) people. From the end of the Han Dynasty to the Three Kingdoms, he was a famous general in the Cao Wei period, and the younger brother of Cao Cao, Emperor Wu of Wei.

In his early years, Cao Hong raised troops with Cao Cao to defeat Dong Zhuo. When Cao Cao lost his horse in Xingyang, Cao Hong sacrificed his life and rescued Cao Cao from misfortune. Later, he went on expeditions with the army, leveling Yanzhou, conquering Liu Biao, and begging for blessings. During the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao ordered him to garrison his own position. During the battle of Hanzhong, he argued with Cao Xiu to resist Liu Bei, beheaded Wu Lan and Ren Kui, and forced Zhang Fei and Ma Chao to retreat.

After Cao Pi ascended the throne, he worshiped Cao Hong as a hussar general. Cao Pihou provoked due to private affairs and wanted to execute Cao Hong, but because of the Empress Dowager Bian's intercession, he was exempted from death and demoted to a commoner. Emperor Cao Rong of Wei Ming ascended the throne, worshiped Cao Hong as the general, and was named the Marquis of Lecheng. In the fourth year of Taihe (230 years), he worshiped the hussar general. In the sixth year of Taihe (232), Cao Hong died, and he was posthumously honored by Gonghou. In the first four years (243 years), from the ancestral temple of Cao Cao.

Cao Hong is Cao Cao's younger brother. In February of the first year of Chuping (190), Cao Cao raised an army to defeat Dong Zhuo, and when he arrived in Xingyang, he was defeated by Dong Zhuo's general Xu Rong. In the meantime, Cao Cao lost his mount, and Dong Jun pursued very urgently, Cao Hong jumped off the horse when he saw this, and gave the mount to Cao Cao, Cao Cao refused, Cao Hong said: "The world can do without me Cao Hong, but not without you!" So he walked with Cao Cao to the edge of the Bianshui, the water was deep and rapid, and he could not wade across the river, Cao Hong searched along the river, and finally found a ferry, so Cao Cao was able to cross the river and return to the county.

Chen Wen and Cao Hong are friends in Yangzhou, Cao Hong once led more than 1,000 soldiers to recruit soldiers with Chen Wen, and raised 2,000 soldiers from Lujiang, and raised thousands of people from Danyang in the east.

In the fourth year of Chuping (193), when Cao Cao conquered Xuzhou, Zhang Miao and Chen Gongju rebelled against Lü Bu in Yanzhou. At that time, there was a famine, and Cao Hong opened the way in front, occupied Dongping and Fan counties, and collected food to help the follow-up troops. Cao Cao conquered Zhang Miao and Lü Bu in Puyang, Lü Bu was defeated and retreated, and Cao Cao occupied Dong'e, and then conquered more than ten county towns such as Jiyin, Shanyang, Zhongmu, Yangwu, Jing, and Mi. Cao Hong made great contributions in these battles, and was appointed as the captain of Yingyang, and moved to the rank of general of Yangwu.

In the first year of Jian'an (196), Cao Hong was ordered to lead the army to the west to welcome the Han Emperor, and when the capital was moved to Xuchang, Cao Hong was awarded the doctor. He also served as another department to conquer Liu Biao, and defeated Liu Biao's generals Yu Wuyang, Yin Ye, Blocking Yang, and Bowang. Cao Hong was moved to General Li Feng because of his meritorious service, and he was named the Marquis of Ming Pavilion of the country. Cao Hong repeatedly followed Cao Cao's expeditions and worshiped the general.

In the fourth year of Jian'an (200 years), Cao Hong and Xu Huang broke the arms of the rebels.

In October of the fifth year of Jian'an (200 years), Cao Cao led a surprise attack on Wuchao under the suggestion of Xu You, leaving Cao Hong and Xun You to guard the camp, Yuan Shao learned the news, sent Zhang He and Gao Ran to attack Cao Cao's camp, and under the persistence of Cao Hong and Xun You, Zhang He and Gao Ran could not break through. After Cao Cao burned the black nest, Zhang He and Gao Ran burned the equipment of the camp and went to Cao's camp to surrender. Cao Hong was afraid of being tricked and did not dare to accept their surrender. Xun You said: "Zhang He went down in a rage because the strategy was not adopted by Yuan Shao, what do you have to doubt!" So they accepted the surrender of the two.

In the twenty-second year of Jian'an (217), Liu Bei sent Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, Wu Lan and other troops to discern it; Cao Hong was ordered to refuse.

In the twenty-third year of Jian'an (218), Cao Hong broke Wu Lan and beheaded his general Ren Kui and others. At the celebration banquet that followed, Cao Hong held a banquet and let the singer wear thin clothes and step on the drum, and the people present laughed. Yang Fu severely reprimanded Cao Hong and said: "There is a difference between men and women, this is a big festival of the country, how can you let a woman expose her body in front of the public!" Even the defeat of Xia Wei and Shang is not as good as this. So he resigned angrily. Cao Hong immediately ordered the female performer to stop performing, and asked Yang Fu to return to his seat.

In the first year of Yankang (220), when Cao Pi ascended the throne, Cao Hong served as the general of Wei. Transferred to the hussar general, entered the feudal prince, entered the Yi 1,000 households, and the first 2,100 households, and the special advance. Later, he migrated to the Marquis of Duyang.

In the seventh year of the early Huang dynasty (226), Cao Hong's family was rich but stingy, and Cao Pi borrowed money from him when he was young but did not get it, so he held a grudge and took advantage of Cao Hong's protégé to break the law, and Cao Hong was thrown into prison and wanted to be executed. The ministers went to intercede, but it didn't work.

When Cao Pi accepted Cao Hong for his crimes, Cao Zhen was left and right, and said: "If Your Majesty kills Cao Hong now, Cao Hong must think that I am lying behind my back to frame him." Cao Pi said: "I have to deal with him myself, what do you have to hesitate?" ”

At that time, Empress Dowager Bian was angry with Cao Pi and said: "Between Liang and Pei, there is no such thing as Zilian. He also said to Empress Guo: "If Cao Hong dies today, tomorrow I will let the emperor depose you." Empress Guo wept bitterly and repeatedly begged Cao Pi to pardon Cao Hong. Cao Pi dismissed Cao Hong as a concubine and stripped him of his official position, title, and fiefdom. Empress Dowager Bian asked for Cao Hong's advice again, and Cao Pi returned Cao Hong's family wealth. At the beginning, Cao Cao was commonplace, and he launched an investigation every year from his own body, so that the county magistrates and officials of the county could make their families wealthy. At that time, Cao Cao was ordered to be equal to the prince's family, and Cao Cao sighed: "My family is as cheap as a son!" ”

When Cao Hong broke the law, he thought that he would die, and he was restored and overjoyed, so he wrote to apologize: "The ministers are not willing to do it, they live in human relations, and they steal for a long time, so they are borrowed." There is no distinction between sexual contentment, and there is the insatiable quality of a jackal, old and greedy, touching the national network, sin and persecution of three thousand, not forgiven, when he is punished, abandoning the city, he is still blessed by heaven, and his flesh and blood are reborn. The minister looks up to the sky, ashamed of the spirit, bows down to the sorrow, is ashamed of the fear, can not be the pheasant to cut himself, carefully paint the face of the door, worship the chapter and express the feelings. ”

Cao Hong was the hero of Taizu (Cao Cao), and Cao Pi treated him like this, and people at that time complained a lot.

In the first month, Cao Hong was exempted from being a concubine. In May, Cao Pi died, and the crown prince Cao Rong ascended the throne, worshiped Cao Hong as the rear general, changed the title of Lecheng Marquis, and gave a special position.

In the fourth year of Taihe (230), Cao Hong returned to the hussar general.

In the sixth year of Taihe (232), Cao Hong died and was posthumously named Gonghou. His son, Cao Fu, is the heir.

In the first four years (243 years), he was enshrined in Cao Cao's ancestral temple.