Is “At Xinye, he set up the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, which was broken by Xu Shu.” true?
novel invention
The Records of the Three Kingdoms, Wei Shu, Biography of Cao Ren, and other official histories contain no mention of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation or Xu Shu breaking it. This plot was invented in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms to highlight Xu Shu's wisdom.
Cao Ren
In official histories, he is a strict and imposing Wei imperial clansman renowned for his great wisdom and valor, while in novels he often serves as a backdrop for Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang.