甄

CIVILIZATION DOSSIER

Lady Zhen甄氏

Wei (Cao)History × Fiction

Wife of Yuan Xi, later wife of Cao Pi.

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DIRECT FIGURES
5
RELATION RECORDS
7
SOURCE WORKS
2

RELATIONSHIP COMPASS

Lady Zhen, and the people around them.

Open one chapter at a time. Each chapter gives the relationship first, then the source text behind it.

01
KINSHIP

Kinship

Blood, marriage and sworn bonds

4 figures · 4 records
02
ALLEGIANCE

Allegiance

Rulers, appointments and allegiance

1 figure · 1 record
03
CONFLICT

Conflict

Battles, captures and defeat

1 figure · 1 record
04
THE UNSEEN

Mythic acts

Transformation, aid and divine punishment

1 figure · 1 record
Complete relationships and verbatim sources ↓Open in the civilization atlas ↗

7 key relationships are shown here. The complete record remains below.

In history · Records of the Three Kingdoms

Cao Pi's wife, died.

In fiction · Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Wife of Yuan Xi, later wife of Cao Pi; Cao Pi's wife, was given death, later posthumously honored.

Across source works

How this figure changes across texts

Works are shown side by side, not as a chronology. No influence between texts is inferred.

  1. 2 profile notes
    4 relations5 verified quotations
    • Cao Pi→ spouse →Lady Zhen
    • Cao Pi→ order suicide →Lady Zhen
    • Cao Rui→ mother-son →Lady Zhen
    • Cao Rui→ posthumous title →Lady Zhen
    Verified original text · 5
    1. 遂令曹丕纳之。

      take as wife · Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ch. 33

    2. 丕先纳夫人甄氏

      spouse · Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ch. 91

    3 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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  2. 8 profile notes
    7 relations10 verified quotations
    • Cao Pi→ spouse →Lady Zhen
    • Cao Pi→ order suicide →Lady Zhen
    • Cao Rui→ mother-son →Lady Zhen
    • Cao Rui→ posthumous title →Lady Zhen
    Verified original text · 10
    1. 及冀州平，文帝纳后于邺

      take as wife · Records of the Three Kingdoms, 魏书·后妃传

    2. 夫人甄氏卒

      spouse · Records of the Three Kingdoms, 魏书·文帝纪

    8 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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History vs. fiction

In official history, she was Empress of Emperor Wen of Wei and mother of Cao Rui; in fiction, a romance with Cao Zhi was invented.

  • novel inventionShe had a secret romance with Cao Zhi, inspiring the Rhapsody of the Luo River

    Tang dynasty Li Shan's commentary on Selections of Refined Literature falsely claimed Cao Zhi wrote it in memory of Lady Zhen; official Records of the Three Kingdoms confirms they had no such relationship, and the rhapsody was inspired by a goddess.

  • attestedShe was executed and buried with her face covered by hair and mouth stuffed with bran

    The Records of the Three Kingdoms, Book of Wei, Biographies of Empresses and Consorts, Pei's annotations, citing the Book of Wei, records that Empress Zhen, having lost favor, uttered complaints and was ordered by Cao Pi to die; her funeral was treated harshly. The original text: 「汉晋春秋曰：初，甄后之诛，由郭后之宠，及殡，令被发覆面，以糠塞口，遂立郭后，使养明帝。」(Source: Book of Wei, Biographies of Empresses and Consorts.txt)

Relationship network

6 figures · 14 links
Lady ZhenLady ZhenCao PiCao PiCao RuiCao RuiWang LangWang LangCao FangCao FangYuan XiYuan Xi
historyliteraturedual
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Sources: Records of the Three Kingdoms, 魏书·后妃传; Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ch. 33; Records of the Three Kingdoms, 魏书·少帝纪; Romance of the Three Kingdoms, ch. 91; Records of the Three Kingdoms, 魏书·文帝纪; Records of the Three Kingdoms, 魏书·方技传; Records of the Three Kingdoms, 魏书·明帝纪; Records of the Three Kingdoms, 魏书·武文世王公传

This page was extracted from classical texts with AI assistance and revised; errors remain possible. Spotted a mistake? Tell us →

Compiled with AI assistance from public-domain texts; for cultural reference. Mythological accounts vary — corrections welcome.