Wang Bi, whose most important works are…

Wang Bi, whose most important works are commentaries on Laozi's Tao Te Jing and the I Ching, serves as a minor bureaucrat in the Kingdom of Wei.

Married with a daughter, he dies of pestilence at the age of 24.

The text of the Tao Te Jing that appears with his commentary will widely be considered as the best copy of this work until the discovery in 1973 of the Mawangdui texts.

Sima Yi, a strategist, general, and politician of the Three Kingdoms era of China, is perhaps best known for defending Cao Wei from Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions.

Shu's Northern Expeditions after Zhuge Liang's death, had ceased for some years, and peace had returned to the Kingdom of Wei.

The emperor, Cao Rui is now an adult and, taking advantage of the peace, had turned to palace building, costing the state extravagant amounts of money and alienating his ministers and people.

In this environment, Gongsun Yuan, a powerful warlord, had rebelled.

After a campaign to suppress the rebellion was foiled by flooding, Sima Yi had been dispatched the next year, and although initially being set back by more flooding, he had defeated Gongsun Yuan and exterminated his family.

This campaign had brought him even greater prestige.

Cao Rui died not long afterward and the next emperor, again very young, Cao Fang, had ascended to the throne.

This time two regents had been appointed, Sima Yi and the son of Cao Zhen, Cao Shuang.

Cao Shuang was very jealous of Sima Yi's great power and prestige, and sought total control over the Kingdom of Wei.

At the advice of an advisor, he had persuaded the emperor to promote Sima Yi to personal instructor to the emperor.

Although among the highest of positions a person could be given, it is an honorary position only and Sima Yi had been left without any real political authority, although he has maintained his military command.

Zhu Ran of the Kingdom of Wu in 241 had Fancheng under siege.

Sima Yi had personally gone to lift the siege, and had succeeded in driving the attackers away.

He had then succeeded in the year 243 in defeating Zhuge Ke of Wu.

In contrast to this, Cao Shuang's attempts to attack the Kingdom of Shu had ended in failure, making the difference between his abilities and Sima Yi's all the more obvious.

Sensing danger, Sima Yi had retired from his position in 247, citing illness as the reason.

Suspicious, Cao Shuang had sent an advisor to visit Sima Yi, to check whether or not he was truly ill. Sima Yi, then advanced in age, had pretended to be senile.

As Cao Shuang's advisor completely believed the act, Cao Shuang finally felt safe that he had no challenge to his power.

Sima Yi has since bided his time and in 249 springs into action while Cao Fang and Cao Shuang are outside the capital on an official visit to Cao Rui's tomb.

He moves on the imperial palace with an army and persuades the emperor's mother to issue an order to arrest Cao Shuang in order to save the kingdom from its irresponsible government.

Cao Shuang and his allies, with an imperial order declaring them rebels, surrender, expecting to be spared.

Sima Yi instead executes them all.

With complete power over the Kingdom of Wei now in his hands, Sima Yi becomes chancellor.