Is “She was executed and buried with her face covered by hair and mouth stuffed with bran” true?
attested in history
Pei Songzhi's annotation to Records of the Three Kingdoms, Book of Wei, Biographies of Empresses, cites the Book of Wei: Lady Zhen lost favor and was executed by Cao Pi for speaking resentfully; her funeral was harshly degrading.
Lady Zhen
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.