Xiao He, from Pei County, was a diligent and meticulous worker, never letting paperwork get in the way of his real job. When Liu Bang was still a commoner, Xiao He often helped him with official matters. Even after Liu Bang became a headman, he always valued Xiao He. Later, when Liu Bang went to Xianyang on official business, other officials gave three qian as a gift, but Xiao He gave five qian. The Qin inspector debated this matter with Xiao He, but Xiao He was still appointed as the historian of Sishui County and performed excellently. The Qin official wanted to impeach Xiao He, but Xiao He successfully defended himself and ultimately avoided punishment.
After Liu Bang raised his army and became the Prince of Pei, Xiao He served as his top advisor, handling government affairs. When the Prince of Pei captured Xianyang, other generals rushed to seize gold and silver treasures, but Xiao He was the first to enter the mansion of the Qin prime minister and censor, seizing the Qin legal codes, records, and other archives. Thanks to the Qin archives Xiao He collected, the Prince of Pei understood the strategic locations, population numbers, strengths and weaknesses of various regions, and the suffering of the people throughout the country. Xiao He's foresight and diligence proved invaluable to Liu Bang's rise to power.
At the beginning, the warlords agreed that whoever first attacked and destroyed the Qin Dynasty in Guanzhong would become king. Liu Bang got there first and staked his claim on Guanzhong, while Xiang Yu arrived later and wanted to attack Liu Bang, but Liu Bang skillfully avoided a fight. Xiang Yu then set fire to Xianyang and discussed with Fan Zeng, saying, "The roads to Bashu are treacherous, and all those Qin refugees are holed up there." So Xiang Yu said, "Shu Han also belongs to the Guanzhong region." Therefore, Xiang Yu crowned Liu Bang King of Han, divided the Guanzhong region into three parts, and allowed the surrendering generals of the Qin Dynasty to become kings to keep the King of Han in check. Liu Bang was very angry and wanted to attack Xiang Yu. Zhou Bo, Guan Ying, and Fan Kuai all advised him, but Xiao He urged, "Hey, even being a little king in Hanzhong beats being dead!" Liu Bang asked, "Why do you say it's death?" Xiao He replied, "Right now, our strength is not as good as Xiang Yu's. We will definitely fail in the war. If we don't die, what can we do? There's an old saying, 'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.' Besides, 'Han' – what a lucky name! Being second to one person and gaining the trust of a powerful emperor, King Tang and King Wu are examples of this. I hope Your Majesty will be named king in Hanzhong, govern the people well, recruit talents, recover Bashu, regain the land of Sanqin, and then you can plan for the world." Liu Bang said, "Okay!" So he accepted the title of King of Han and appointed Xiao He as prime minister. Xiao He recommended Han Xin, and Liu Bang appointed Han Xin as the Grand General, following Xiao He's advice to have Han Xin lead the troops eastward to pacify Sanqin. The rest, as they say, is history (and in Han Xin's biography).
Why was Xiao He able to become the Prime Minister? Because he was in charge of logistics support, keeping the people happy, and supplying food to the army in the Ba Shu region. In 205 BC, Liu Bang and other lords fought against Chu country together, while Xiao He stayed in Guanzhong, assisted the Crown Prince, and managed Liyang. He formulated various rules and regulations, built ancestral temples, altars, palaces, and cities. He always asked Liu Bang's permission first, unless it was an emergency. If he didn't have time to consult, he would handle things himself and then report to Liu Bang. He was responsible for taking the census and allocating food supplies to the army. Whenever Liu Bang lost a battle and had to retreat, Xiao He would quickly get new troops ready in Guanzhong to fill the gaps in Liu Bang's army. Therefore, Liu Bang entrusted all affairs in Guanzhong to Xiao He.
In 204 BC, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu faced off between Xingyang and Suo. Liu Bang repeatedly checked in on Xiao He, who was working hard. Bao Sheng said to Xiao He, "Now the King is wearing coarse clothes and a thatched raincoat, and has looked after you many times, which meant he was suspicious of you. In my opinion, you should send your family, brothers, and those who can fight to the front line, so the King would trust you more." Xiao He listened to his advice and sent his family to the front line, and Liu Bang was indeed very happy.
In 202 BC, Xiang Yu died and Liu Bang became emperor. When it came to rewarding achievements, the ministers all vied for credit, and it took over a year to decide. Liu Bang believed that Xiao He had the greatest merit, so he was the first made Marquis of Zan, with a fief of 8,000 households. The ministers who had achieved military exploits were not satisfied and said, "We have fought in engagements, faced danger and hardship, some of us have fought hundreds of times, some dozens, participated in sieges and conquests, both large and small, all of which were our contributions. But Xiao He didn't risk life and limb; he only wrote and came up with ideas with a pen, never been to the battlefield, yet he's ranked higher than us who have fought bravely. What's the deal with that?" Liu Bang asked them, "Do you know how to hunt?" The ministers said, "Yes." Liu Bang asked again, "Do you know about hunting dogs?" The ministers said, "Yes." Liu Bang said, "When hunting, the dogs chase the wild animals, but it's the people who find them and command the dogs. You are just like hunting dogs charging into battle, which is the dog's credit; while Xiao He is like the person who finds the wild animals and directs the dogs, which is the person's achievement. Moreover, at most, you brought three to five people with you, but Xiao He's whole family, dozens of people, followed me. You can't forget about that!" After hearing this, the ministers dared not say anything more.
So, the marquises got their rewards, and then it was time to decide the pecking order. Everyone said, "Marquis Pingyang Cao Shen, with over seventy wounds on his body, has made the greatest contributions in sieges and conquests, and should be ranked first!" The emperor was already feeling a bit stingy about handing out so many rewards, but when he heard about the rankings, he couldn't argue with that, and secretly, he kinda wanted Cao Shen to be number one anyway.
At this time, a lord named E Qiu from the inner passes, who was in charge of receiving guests, stood up and said, "You're all wrong! Although Cao Can has achieved great military success on the battlefield, it's just a flash in the pan! The Emperor has been at war with the State of Chu for five years, and the army has suffered heavy losses with many desertions, but Xiao He has been continuously sending troops and filling vacancies from Guanzhong. The Emperor didn't even order a mobilization, but Xiao He managed to ensure that tens of thousands of troops were never short of supplies at critical moments! Also, during the protracted siege of Xiangyang, the army was running out of supplies, but Xiao He transported food and ensured sufficient supply from Guanzhong! Although the Emperor suffered losses in Shandong several times, Xiao He has always preserved Guanzhong, waiting for the Emperor's return, which is an achievement that will be remembered forever! Even without Cao Can and his ilk, the Han would still be here. How can you put short-term gains above long-term success? Xiao He should be ranked first, and Cao Can second!"
The Emperor listened and said, "Exactly!" So he let Xiao He be ranked first, rewarding him with the privilege of wearing a sword, going to court in shoes, and not having to kneel. The Emperor also said, "Word is, you get rewarded for recommending good people. Although Xiao He's merits are great, no one would have known how great he was if it weren't for E Qiu speaking up for him!" Therefore, because of E Qiu's suggestion, the Emperor increased the land granted to him to two thousand households and appointed him as Marquis of Anping. That day, the Emperor also granted official titles and land to Xiao He's parents, siblings, and over ten others. Additionally, he gave Xiao He an extra two thousand households, saying it was to repay him for those two coins he gave me back in Xianyang when I was down on my luck.
Chen Xi rebelled, and the emperor personally led the troops to fight as far as Handan. At the same time, Han Xin plotted a rebellion in Guanzhong. How did Empress Lü get rid of Han Xin? You can read all about it in *The Biography of Han Xin*. The emperor had already heard that Han Xin had been killed, so he sent envoys to make me Prime Minister, gave me a fiefdom of 5,000 households, and gave me a 500-man guard. Everyone came to congratulate me, but only Zhaoping sighed. Zhaoping, who'd been the Marquis of East Ling under the Qin, became a commoner after the fall of the Qin Dynasty. He was very poor and grew melons in the east of Chang'an City. His melons were so good, they became known as "East Ling melons." Zhaoping said to me, "You're in trouble now! The emperor is busy outside, while you enjoy peace at home. It's not like you're facing swords and spears; the emperor suspects you because he’s increasing your fief and guard after Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, just rebelled in Guanzhong. Equipping you with a guard is not to favor you. You should refuse the fief and give all your money to the army!" I found his words very reasonable. Then, in the autumn, Ying Bu rebelled again, and the emperor personally led the troops to fight, keeping sending envoys to check up on me. I said, "The emperor's fighting the war, and I'm keeping things calm back here, supporting the army like I did during Chen Xi's rebellion." Later, someone told me, "You're heading for a fall! You're the Prime Minister—you've reached the top and can no longer be promoted. But when you first entered Guanzhong, you won the hearts of the people, and for over a decade, they have supported you. You're still working hard to win their hearts. The reason the emperor sent envoys multiple times to inquire about you is that he fears you will start a rebellion in Guanzhong. Why don't you buy more land and play it down a bit? That'll put the emperor's mind at rest." So I listened to his words, and the emperor was particularly pleased.
After returning from the court, a crowd of people stopped him, yelling about how the Prime Minister was forcibly buying land from them, screwing over thousands of families. When the Emperor asked who made the accusation and learned it was Lord He, he smiled and said, "Oh, the Prime Minister's a champion of the people now, is he?" The Emperor handed all those petitions to Lord He and said, "You go sort it out with them."
Later, Lord He pleaded for the people, saying, "Chang'an's short on land, but Shanglin Garden's got tons of empty space. Let the people farm it instead of letting it go to waste." The Emperor was furious: "That bribe money was just to get those merchants into Shanglin Garden, huh?" So he had Lord He arrested and thrown in prison.
A few days later, the captain of the royal guards went to visit and asked the Emperor, "What'd the Prime Minister do to deserve this?" The Emperor replied, "I heard Li Si always took the blame when things went wrong. This guy took a load of cash to get those merchants into Shanglin Garden, trying to look good. That's why he's in the clink."
Wang Weiwei spoke up, "If you request the emperor for the benefit of the people, that is what a true prime minister should do! Your Majesty, why would you suspect the Prime Minister of taking bribes from merchants? Moreover, Your Majesty has held victory over Chu for years now. When Chen Xi and Ying Bu rebelled, Your Majesty personally led the troops into battle. At that time, the prime minister guarded the Guanzhong region. If Guanzhong fell into chaos, then the entire western region would not belong to Your Majesty. He never thought of taking advantage of the situation to seek profit, let alone covet the money of merchants! Furthermore, the Qin dynasty perished because it did not listen to the faults of its subjects. Li Si's mistakes? There's nothing to learn from them! How can Your Majesty be so suspicious of the prime minister?" The emperor's expression soured. That day, the emperor sent someone to release He with a letter of immunity. The old man, who was advanced in age, always came barefoot to show his gratitude. The emperor said, "Prime Minister, you have worked hard! I did not agree to your request for the Shanglin Garden. I'm not some tyrant like Jie and Zhou, and you are a wise prime minister. I detained you to let the people know about my mistakes." After the death of Emperor Gaozu, He continued to assist Emperor Hui. When He fell ill, the emperor personally visited him and asked, "Who's going to take over when you're gone?" He replied, "No one understands their subjects better than Your Majesty." The emperor asked, "What about Cao Can?" He bowed and thanked him, saying, "Your Majesty has chosen well; I can die in peace." He bought land and houses in remote areas. He didn't bother renovating his home, explaining, "If future generations are wise, they'll follow my example. If not, my property won't fall into the wrong hands."
In 193 BC, Xiao He died and was given the posthumous title of Marquis Wen Zhong. His son, Xiao Lu, inherited the title but later died without leaving a son. Empress Dowager Lü then named Xiao He's wife as Marquis of Zan and his grandson Xiao Yan as Marquis of Zhuyang. In the first year of Emperor Wen of Han, Xiao He's wife's title was revoked, and Xiao Yan was made Marquis of Zan. After Xiao Yan died, his son Xiao Yi took over the title. Xiao Yi also died without a son. Emperor Wen of Han then named Xiao He's brother, Xiao Ze, as the heir to the title, but Xiao Ze got in trouble and was stripped of his title.
In 143 BC, Emperor Jing ordered the imperial censor to say, "Xiao He was a great contributor to Emperor Gaozu, and fought alongside him in the early days of the dynasty. Now his descendants have no one to carry on the family line, which is a real pity! He made Xiao Jia, Xiao Ze's brother, a marquis, granting him the income from two thousand households in Wuyang County!" Xiao Jia's son, Xiao Sheng, inherited the title but was later stripped of it due to committing a crime.
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the Emperor once again ordered the imperial censor to say, "Using the two thousand four hundred households of Zan County, appoint Xiao Qing, Xiao He's great-grandson, as Marquis of Zan, to announce to the world that I am repaying Marquis Xiao's contributions!" Xiao Qing, Xiao Ze's son, took over the title. After Xiao Qing died, his son Xiao Shoucheng inherited the title but was later fired due to the poor condition of sacrificial animals. During the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han, the Emperor ordered the Prime Minister and imperial censor to search for Xiao He's descendants, finding his great-grandson Xiao Jianshi and eleven others, and appointed Xiao Jianshi as Marquis of Zan using the two thousand households of Zan County. The title stayed in the family until Xiao Huo, who got in trouble for having his servant kill someone. During the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han, Xiao He's great-grandson's son, Chang Xi of Nanyang, was made Marquis of Zan. The title passed down through the family until his great-grandson, only ending after Wang Mang took over the Han Dynasty.
Cao Can was from Pei County. During the Qin Dynasty, he served as a jail warden in the county, with Xiao He as his superior, who was highly respected at that time. After Liu Bang became the Prince of Pei, Cao Can followed him as a personal attendant and fought against Huling and Fangyu, defeating the Qin army and winning a decisive victory. He then went south to Xue territory to engage the Sishui garrison at Xueguo Xi. After that, he attacked Huling and captured the area. He was then transferred to be the commander of Fangyu. When Fangyu rebelled and defected to the state of Wei, Cao Can fought against it. Feng County also defected to Wei, so he besieged it. Liu Bang granted him the title of Seven Dafu (a high-ranking official).
Cao Can then marched north to confront the army of Sima Xin, capturing Hufu and Qishan near Dàngdōng. He pressed his attack westward from Xiayi, all the way to Yu, targeting the cavalry unit of Qin general Zhang Han. He assaulted Yuanqi and Kangfu, always the first to charge. He was then promoted to Five Dafu. He then marched north to rescue Dong'e, attacked Zhang Han's army, captured Chen County, and pursued them to Puyang. He attacked Dingtao and captured Linji. Then he went south to rescue Yongqiu, decisively defeating Li You's forces, killing Li You, and capturing a nobleman from the state of Qin.
Holy smokes! Zhang Han was taken out by Xiang Liang, and Liu Bang and Xiang Yu led their troops east. King Huai of Chu appointed Liu Bang as the Warden of Dang County, letting him manage the troops there. Then, he was made Marquis Jiancheng, which sounded pretty impressive. He later got promoted to Duke Qi (a noble title in ancient China), still in charge of Dang County.
Next, he routed the army of the Eastern County Prefect just south of Chengwu. Following this victory, he crushed Wang Li's army south of Chengyang and then attacked Gangli, achieving a complete victory. He pursued Zhao Ben's army west of Kaifeng, besieging him in the city. To the west, he fought against the Qin general Yang Xiong in Quyu, defeating him and capturing a Sima (a high-ranking military official) and an Imperial Censor (a government auditor) from the Qin army. His status kept rising, and he was promoted to Zhi Gui, an important military rank.
He then fought Yangwu in the west, capturing Huanyuan and Goushi, and even cutting off the river crossing. Continuing to battle Zhao Ben, he won again at Shibei. After that, he attacked Chuo from the south, clashing with the Nanyang defender, Ji, east of Yangcheng. He broke through Chendi, captured Wancheng, and took Ji prisoner, pacifying Nanyang County. He then attacked Wuguan and Yaoguan to the west and captured them.
He first struck the Qin army south of Lantian and then launched a night raid on the northern army, achieving a complete victory and marching right into Xianyang, wiping out the Qin Dynasty!
Xiang Yu arrived and appointed Liu Bang as the King of Han. The King of Han also appointed Shen as the Marquis of Jiacheng. Accompanying the King of Han to Hanzhong, Shen was promoted and became a general. He participated in pacifying Sanqin, capturing several cities in the region, including Bian, Gudao, Yong, and Li. Shen defeated Zhang Ping's army south of Haoshi, capturing Rangxiang and surrounding the city itself. He also triumphed over the Sanqin army east of Rangdong and Gaolei. After surrounding Zhang Ping, who fled from Haoshi, Shen went on to defeat the armies of Zhao Ben and Neishi Bao, capturing Xianyang to the east and renaming it Xincheng.
Shen defended Jingling with his troops for twenty-three days before Sanqin sent Zhang Ping and others to attack. Shen led his troops to a decisive victory, and the emperor rewarded him with land in Ningqin. Later, Shen became a general again and besieged Zhang Han in Feiqiu; he then served as a centurion and followed the King of Han to Linjin Pass. In Henan, they captured Xiuwu, crossed the Yellow River, and defeated the armies of Long Qie and Xiang Tuo in Dingtao to the east. They also captured Dang, Xiao, and Pengcheng.
In a battle against Xiang Yu, however, the Han army suffered a major defeat and fled. As a centurion, Shen besieged Yongqiu. Wang Wu rebelled in Waihuang, and Cheng Chu rebelled in Yandi, but Shen defeated them both. He also overcame Zhu Tianhou in Yanshi and defeated Yu Ying in Kunyang, pursuing them to Yedi. After attacking Wuqiang, he arrived at Xingyang. Having served as a general and centurion in Hanzhong, Shen fought alongside the King of Han against various warlords and Xiang Yu, ultimately suffering defeat and returning to Xingyang.
In 205 BC, I was appointed as the acting Left Prime Minister and stationed in the Guanzhong region. One month later, King Bao of Wei rebelled. As the acting Left Prime Minister, I teamed up with Han Xin to campaign eastward, defeating General Sun Suo of Wei and winning a decisive victory! We then attacked Anyi and captured Wei General Wang Xiang. Afterwards, we defeated King Bao of Wei in Quyang, pursued him to Dongyuan, and captured him. We captured Pingyang, took King Bao's mother, wife, and children captive, and pacified Wei territory, a total of fifty-two counties. The Emperor rewarded me with the fief of Pingyang.
Later, together with Han Xin, we defeated and killed Zhao Chancellor Xia Shuo at Wudong. Han Xin and the former King of Changshan, Zhang Er, attacked Jingxing, defeating Chen Yu, the Cheng'an Marquis, while I besieged Zhao General Qi Gong in Wucheng. Qi Gong fled, and we caught up and killed him. Then I led the army to meet the King of Han. Han Xin had already defeated Zhao and was appointed Chancellor, campaigning eastward against Qi, while I assisted him as the Left Prime Minister. We broke through Qi's Li Xia forces and then captured Linzi. We then pacified Jibei Commandery, recovering Zichuan, Luoyin, Pingyuan, Ge, Lu, and other areas. Later, together with Han Xin, we defeated the army of Long Qie in Shangjiamimi, achieving a great victory, killing Long Qie, and capturing his deputy Zhou Lan. We pacified Qijun, recovering a total of seventy counties. We also captured Tian Guang, the former chancellor of the previous King of Qi, along with Qi's defender Xu Zhang and former general Tian Ji. Han Xin was declared King of Qi, led his troops eastward into Chen territory, and defeated Xiang Yu with the King of Han, while I stayed behind to pacify the remaining rebels in Qi.
After the Han emperor ascended the throne, Han Xin was transferred to the Kingdom of Chu as a king, and I returned the seal of the prime minister. The emperor made me a Marquis, while his eldest son was appointed as the King of Qi. In 202 BC, I and other nobles accepted the emperor's appointment together. The emperor granted me a fief in Pingyang consisting of 1,630 households, and stipulated that my title would be hereditary.
As the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Qi, I led the army to defeat Chen Xi's general, Zhang Chun. Later, when Ying Bu rebelled, I followed King Dao Hui, leading 120,000 troops, and together with Emperor Gaozu of Han, we attacked Ying Bu's army and achieved a great victory! We went south to Qi County, then pacified Zhu Yi, Xiang County, Xiao County, and Liu County.
My achievements can be summarized as follows: pacifying two countries, a total of 122 counties; capturing two kings, three prime ministers, six generals, and a host of other officials.
During the first year of Emperor Xiao Hui's reign, the court abolished the system of appointing prime ministers in the feudal states and appointed Cao Shen as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Qi. During Cao Shen's tenure as Prime Minister of Qi, he governed seventy cities. With the country just pacified and Emperor Hui wealthy, Cao Shen gathered experienced elders and scholars to inquire about their methods of governing the people. At that time, there were hundreds of Confucian scholars in Qi, each with their own ideas, leaving Cao Shen stumped. Hearing that there was a man named Gai Gong in Jiaoxi who was well-versed in the teachings of Huang-Lao, he sent someone with a lavish gift to fetch him. When he met Gai Gong, Gai Gong told him, "The best way to rule is to do nothing," and explained the relevant principles in detail. Cao Shen then made sure Gai Gong had the best seat. He used the teachings of Huang-Lao to govern the Kingdom of Qi, and thus served as the Prime Minister of Qi for nine years. Qi flourished under his rule, and Cao Shen was hailed as a wise prime minister.
Xiao He passed away, and after hearing this news, Cao Can immediately ordered his subordinates to get ready to travel, saying, "I will soon be the Prime Minister." Sure enough, a messenger from the court arrived to summon him. Before taking office, Cao Can instructed the person who would replace him as the Prime Minister of Qi, saying, "Just leave Qi's prisons and markets alone, do not disturb them." The person replacing him asked, "Anything more important than that?" Cao Can replied, "No. Prisons and markets are full of all sorts. Mess with them, and where will the bad guys go? So I’m telling you this first."
When Cao Can was young, he had a good relationship with Xiao He, but later, after both became prime ministers, things got strained between them. It was not until Xiao He was on his deathbed that he recommended only Cao Can as his successor. After Cao Can took over as Prime Minister from Xiao He, he kept everything running the same way, sticking to Xiao He's rules. When selecting county officials, he preferred those who were not good at rhetoric but were cautious and honest elders, promoting them to be his subordinates as Prime Minister. He got rid of anyone who was all talk and no action. Cao Can was a daily drinker. He'd ply visitors with wine, letting them get drunk before they could even start a serious conversation about politics.
Cao Can's residence was close to the dormitories of officials in the backyard, where officials would drink, sing, and make noise every day. His staff were at their wits' end and didn’t know what to do, so they asked Cao Can to take a walk in the backyard. Hearing the sound of officials singing while drunk, the subordinates wanted the Prime Minister to punish them. But Cao Can just had more wine brought out, joined the party, and sang along.
Cao Shen saw that his subordinates made small mistakes and always concealed them, so his mansion was always calm, without any disputes. Cao Shen became a mid-level official. Emperor Hui wondered, "Am I not treating him well enough?" So he said to Cao Shen's son, Cao Zhu, "Go back and find an opportunity to ask your father: 'The Emperor Gaozu has just passed away, and now you are in your prime as the emperor. As the prime minister, you spend your days drinking and don't report anything important. How can you worry about the world?' Remember, don't say that I asked you to ask!" After Cao Zhu returned home and washed up, he followed Emperor Hui's instructions to persuade Cao Shen. When Cao Shen heard this, he exploded, flaying Cao Zhu with two hundred lashes and roaring, "Get back to the Emperor! Mind your own business!" The next day in court, Emperor Hui asked Cao Shen, "What's the deal with you and your son? I asked him to persuade you!" Cao Shen took off his hat and apologized to Emperor Hui, saying, "Your Majesty, do you really think you're as smart and strong as Emperor Gaozu?" Emperor Hui replied, "How can I dare to compare myself to the late Emperor?" Cao Shen then asked, "Your Majesty, do you think I am better than Xiao He?" Emperor Hui responded, "You got that right. You're not as good as him." Cao Shen said, "You're right, Your Majesty. In the past, Emperor Gaozu and Xiao He pacified the world together, and the laws and systems were already perfect. Now, Your Majesty only needs to govern peacefully, and we ministers just need to do our jobs, follow the laws, and not make mistakes, isn't that enough?" Emperor Hui said, "Good! Rest well!" After serving as prime minister for three years, Cao Shen passed away and was posthumously named Marquis Yi. People sang songs about him: "Xiao He made the laws, clear as a picture; Cao Shen followed them to the letter. He was honest, and the people lived good lives."
Cao Ju inherited the marquis title and eventually became the Chief Imperial Censor during the reign of Empress Lü. The title of the Cao family was passed down to his great-grandson Cao Xiang, who served as a general during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, leading expeditions against the Xiongnu and dying in battle. His son Cao Zong committed a crime and was sentenced to Chengdan (a form of forced labor). It was not until the reign of Emperor Ai of Han that Cao Ben, a descendant of Cao Can, was appointed as the Marquis of Pingyang with a fief of two thousand households. He died under Wang Mang. His son Cao Hong inherited the title and submitted to the authority in Hebei during the Jian'an period, being appointed as the Marquis of Pingyang once again. The Cao family produced eight marquises in total.
Praise: Xiao He and Cao Can both started as minor officials in the Qin Dynasty, unknown and without any remarkable achievements. After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, they relied on the lingering prestige of Emperor Gaozu. Xiao He carefully managed state affairs, while Cao Can and Han Xin participated in military campaigns together. After the empire was pacified, they eased the people's suffering, heeded public sentiment, reformed the old ways, and together brought peace to the land. Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, and Ying Bu, among others, met their ends, leaving only Xiao He and Cao Can with significant contributions, ranking at the forefront of officials and becoming renowned in later generations as exemplary statesmen. Their achievements and glory were passed down to their descendants, a legacy of remarkable success.
