Wei Feng—yet another blind spot conveniently glossed over by the Romance.
According to the historical records, Wei Feng possessed "a talent for bewitching the masses."
This is clearly the judgment passed on a failed rebel. And because Cao Wei itself treated this episode as taboo, we can only reconstruct events by reading between the lines.
Wei Feng was from Pei County. That alone meant that even if he wasn't formally part of the Qiao–Pei faction, he would naturally be closer to it.
At the end of the Han, factional prejudice was extreme—if you were from Pei County, the Runan–Yingchuan literati would consider it good manners not to spit in your face.
The timing of Wei Feng's rebellion was exquisitely delicate.
Starting in 217, Liu Bei and Cao Cao entered a white-hot struggle over Hanzhong. At the same time, Cao Cao himself did not have many years left to live.
In 218, Hou Yin, the garrison commander of Wancheng, allied with Guan Yu and launched a rebellion. He was defeated and killed.
Hou Yin.
Guan Yu silently committed the name to memory.
In 219—
In the first month, at Mount Dingjun, Huang Zhong personally slew Xiahou Yuan in battle.
In the fifth month, Cao Cao's forces withdrew to Chang'an, marking a complete defeat in the Hanzhong campaign.
In the seventh month, Guan Yu besieged Fancheng.
In the eighth month, floodwaters drowned the Seven Armies; Yu Jin was captured alive, and Pang De was executed.
The side hall was instantly filled with a festive air.
Had a servant passed by, they might have thought the generals were celebrating the New Year early.
Just a single line on the light screen—yet it carried earth-shaking battle reports.
Huang Zhong wore a look of pure disbelief. Guan Yu's face flushed red as a jujube, but the slight lift of his brows and the corner of his mouth betrayed his excellent mood.
"General Huang, old yet unyielding—your contribution to winning Hanzhong was immeasurable," Zhao Yun said with a smile.
"And General Guan, one man against three, one siege, one capture, one execution—truly a peerless commander of this age."
Guan Yu cupped his hands briefly. No one minded—everyone knew he never bothered with polite speeches.
Huang Zhong, on the other hand, was visibly at a loss. Zhang Fei barged over and slapped him on the back.
"Brother Huang, don't be nervous! This light screen's mostly accurate. If ten years from now you can still cut down Xiahou Yuan on the battlefield, then right now you ought to be able to wrestle Zhao Zilong to a draw!"
Huang Zhong waved his hands repeatedly in denial, yet a quiet spark ignited in his heart.
So… I'm really not old yet.
Among them, only Zhuge Liang was silently calculating dates.
At precisely this sensitive moment, Wei Feng joined forces with the two sons of Palace Attendant Wang Can, Liu Wei (younger brother of Liu Yi), Zhang Quan (son of Zhang Xiu), and the son of Song Zhong—a famous scholar of Jing Province.
They colluded with Chen Yi, Commander of the Changle Guards, planning an attack on the Wei capital, Ye.
Chen Yi betrayed Wei Feng and informed Cao Pi.
Cao Pi—still only the Crown Prince at the time—launched a purge. Thousands died by collective punishment.
"How did that fail?" Zhang Fei sighed.
Liu Bei, however, instinctively smelled conspiracy.
Wei Feng's timing for "defecting to Han" was impeccable—but the whistleblowing, the purge, the collective executions, the sheer smoothness of it all…
And this was while Cao Pi was still merely Crown Prince.
It looked very much like a pit dug in advance, just waiting for someone to jump in.
Which faction Wei Feng belonged to isn't the key question.
The real question is: who won?
After the purge, the Qiao–Pei faction collapsed.
The following March, Cao Cao died. Cao Pi became King of Wei, then ascended the throne later that same year and founded the state of Wei.
That same year, he ordered Chen Qun to institute the Nine-Rank System.
Pay attention here:
Upper ranks admit no commoners; lower ranks admit no true nobles.
With that system alone, the Runan–Yingchuan aristocracy won everything.
Therefore, it doesn't matter which faction Wei Feng himself belonged to.
If the Runan–Yingchuan clique said he was Qiao–Pei, then Qiao–Pei he was.
"No commoners in the upper ranks…"
Liu Bei immediately grasped the implication—and his second thought was: How is anyone supposed to play this game?
Among them, only Zhuge Liang could be considered a proper aristocrat. Zhang Fei barely counted as low gentry. Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun—calling them "commoners" would already be generous.
If such a system were enforced, people like them would never rise, no matter how talented they were.
After Wei Feng's rebellion, the Xiahou clan of the Qiao–Pei faction all but faded away.
That faction survived only because of the Cao clan itself—after all, Cao Pi was still a Cao.
But once he became emperor, Cao Pi learned the art of power politics. He didn't want the Runan–Yingchuan clique to dominate completely.
And so, thirty years later, the Sima clan—new leaders of the Runan–Yingchuan group—looked at the Cao family and thought:
If the Caos could usurp the Han, why can't the Simas usurp Wei?
Thus came the Coup of Gaoping Tombs.
Wei became Jin.
The Cao and Xiahou clans were exterminated.
Cao Cao's power base was wiped out entirely.
"Good riddance!" Zhang Fei clapped loudly.
Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang exchanged glances—speechless.
A few short lines had summarized thirty years of brutal power struggles within Cao Wei. No right or wrong—only sides. The air was thick with intrigue and ambition.
And yet… it was oddly satisfying.
Cao Cao must never have imagined that everything he did to the Han would one day be repaid—with interest—to his own descendants.
"I remember someone on the light screen saying Sima Yi was my destined rival," Zhuge Liang said, shaking his head.
"So he really was a wolf with a traitor's heart."
"What about Wei Feng then…?" Guan Yu asked. He remembered clearly that the light screen had once said he would guard Jing Province for a long time.
Huang Zhong spoke up for the first time.
"If the factions are divided as described, then everyone Wei Feng recruited under the banner of 'defecting to Han' was from Jing Province. Wang Can and Zhang Xiu both once served Liu Jingzhou. Liu Yi was promoted by Liu Jingzhou. Song Zhong was a native Jing scholar."
With that added context, Zhuge Liang quickly understood.
"These people were likely all dissatisfied with Cao Cao. Jing Province belonged to neither Qiao–Pei nor Runan–Yingchuan—just like Xu Shu, who's currently idle."
"But Wei Feng himself may also have harbored ambition. Though he flew the banner of restoring Han, he directly attacked Ye. In his heart, he may have been no different from Cao Cao—seeking only to seize power."
Liu Bei nodded quietly and gave a silent thumbs-up.
Is that the end of the analysis? Of course not.
After all, we're asking why Cao Wei never had the ability to unify the realm.
Internal strife is part of the answer—but the root cause was loss of popular support.
Whether Runan–Yingchuan or Qiao–Pei, both were aristocratic blocs.
The difference was that one was old nobility, the other newly risen through military merit.
What they shared was this: neither represented the people.
Why could Wei Feng stir rebellion?
Being marginalized was one reason—but a far more important one was this:
Liu Bei governed Jing Province for seven years with genuine care. People could see who truly got things done.
As the locals later put it:
Grateful for Liu Bei's kindness, fearful of Sun Quan's force.
(Though anyone who saw Sun Quan's embarrassment at Hefei might dispute that.)
The same goes for Chengdu.
Wuhou Shrine still stands today, incense burning without end.
The people of Chengdu still visit it casually, treating Kongming and Liu Bei like family.
And then there's Meng Da—who defected from Liu Bei, then defected again from Cao Wei.
He failed, sure—but in his own twisted way, that was still recognition of Liu Bei.
Liu Bei: We really don't need this kind of two-timing "recognition," thanks.