Cao Chong - Biography

Biography

Cao Chong was born the oldest son of Cao Cao and Consort Huan. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms by Chen Shou, Cao Chong had the intelligence of an adult around the age of five and six. On one occasion, the southern warlord Sun Quan sent a gift of an elephant to Cao Cao, who wished to know the animal's weight. No one could think of a method but young Cao Chong had an ingenious idea. Somewhat similar to Archimedes' solution to the legendary Problem of the Crown, Cao Chong asked to have the elephant loaded onto a boat, on which the water level was marked. The elephant was then replaced with smaller weighable objects until the boat was submerged to the same level. The weight of the elephant could then be found out by summing up the weights of all the objects. According to Joseph Needham, although no official treatise in the likes of Archimedes' principle was ever written regarding buoyancy in ancient China, there were observational precedents of it in the Rites of Zhou, compiled and edited during the early Han Dynasty (202 BCE - 220 CE). Joseph Needham states:

Empirical use, of course, was made of principle, as in the floating of arrows and vehicle wheels in water by the and Han technicians, in order to determine their equilibrium and add or remove material accordingly.

In another incident, Cao Cao's saddle was chewed through by rodents. The storekeepers were in great fear for their lives as laws were strict during those times of war. When Cao Chong learnt of their plight, he took a knife and cut holes in his clothings as if rats had bitten through them. He then went to see his father and complained that he feared ill luck brought by the rat bites. Cao Cao consoled him, saying it was only a superstition. Cao Chong then told Cao Cao of the damaged saddle. Cao Cao laughed and said, "Even when my son's clothings were just by his side, they could not be spared from the rats, let alone the saddle in the store." The storekeepers were then pardoned.

Cao Chong would often review cases of indicted criminals for any injustice. His intelligence and benevolence had won the love of Cao Cao, who often voiced his intention to make him his successor. Cao Chong died, however, in 208 at a young age. Cao Cao accordingly said to Cao Pi, his ultimate successor: "This is my misfortune, but your good fortune."

In 221, Cao Chong was posthumously given the title of Marquis Ai of Deng (鄧哀侯), and was ultimately elevated to Prince Ai of Deng (鄧哀王) in 231. He was succeeded by his nephew Cao Cong (曹琮) since he was without his own heir.