Princess Jinxiang

Princess Jinxiang (金鄉公主, 201 - 3rd century) was a Chinese Imperial princess of the Cao Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 AD). She was the daughter of Cao Cao, the King of Wei. She was the wife of Cao Cao's adopted son, He Yan. There is no record of her real name, she was titled Princess Jinxiang after Cao Pi, her half-brother, deposed the last emperor of the Han dynasty in favor of Cao Wei.

He Yan was the grandson of He Jin, a prominent general during the Eastern Han Dynasty, through his mother, Lady Yin. Lady Yin later became a concubine of Cao Cao, and this led to He Yan's adoption into the Cao family. He Yan was greatly favored by Cao Cao, known for his handsome appearance, affinity for romance, and the use of aphrodisiacs like "Wushi San." After the establishment of the Cao Wei state, He Yan became a trusted confidant of Cao Shuang, a member of the imperial clan.

After Princess Jinxiang's marriage to He Yan, she became increasingly concerned about his unrestrained behavior, fearing that it might lead to his downfall. She confided in her mother, Lady Du, who responded with a smile, saying, "Then you have no reason to be jealous!" (He Yan was notorious for his promiscuity and affairs). In the year 249, during the tumultuous Incident at Gaoping Tombs, orchestrated by Sima Yi, Cao Shuang was executed, and He Yan was also killed. Sima Yi intended to wipe out the entire He family, but due to the heartfelt pleas of He Yan's mother, Lady Yin, Princess Jinxiang was spared, along with her son.^[a]

"The Records of the End of Wei" suggests that He Yan and Princess Jinxiang were half-siblings, sharing the same mother but having different fathers. However, it also indicates that Princess Jinxiang's mother was the Lady Du (the mother of Cao Lin). Pei Xiu, however, challenged this assertion, stating that the mention of He Yan marrying his half-sister was too indecent to believe, especially considering that Princess Jinxiang was supposed to be born to Lady Du. This indicates that Princess Jinxiang's birth could not have occurred earlier than 199, as Lady Du was accepted into Cao Cao's residence at the end of 198. Scholar Zheng Xin, in his work "A Study on He Yan's Birth Year," suggested that He Yan was likely born in 196, and Princess Jinxiang was likely born in 201, based on typical marriage ages during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the age of their son, who was five or six years old when He Yan died.

Furthermore, an excerpt from "Selections of Distinguished Essays from the Zhengming Era" quotes from "The Annals of Wei," mentioning, "The Taizu emperor's Lady Du bore him the Cao Lin (Pei prince) and the Princess Gaoping." It remains uncertain whether the Princess Gaoping is the same as Princess Jinxiang or if Lady Du had another daughter who was titled Princess of Gaoping.

• "Records of the End of Wei" (Pei Zhu Wei Shu) with annotations by Pei Songzhi
• "Selections of Distinguished Essays from the Zhengming Era" (Zhao Ming Wen Xuan)
• "Biographies of Princes and Dukes" (Wang Gong Chen Zhuan)
• Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
• Fan, Ye (5th century). Book of the Later Han (Houhanshu).