Why did Jia Chong poison Sima Zhao? How did he do it?

In Chinese history, there are numerous remarkable events and stories. Among them, the incident of Jia Chong poisoning Sima Zhao has always attracted much attention. So, why did Jia Chong poison Sima Zhao? This article will reveal this mystery based on historical records.

Jia Chong (217-282), styled Gongluan, was a renowned politician and strategist in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Born into a prestigious family, his grandfather Jia Yi was a well-known writer and politician in the Western Han Dynasty, and his father, Jia Chong himself, was a distinguished general in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. Since childhood, Jia Chong had displayed exceptional intelligence, read extensively, and excelled in poetic prose creation. His literary achievements brought him to prominence in the Eastern Han court, and he served as Shangshulang and Shizhong.

However, Jia Chong's political career was not without challenges. Among the many twists and turns he encountered, the most notable was his enmity with Sima Zhao.

Sima Zhao (211-265), styled Zishang, was a powerful official and emperor of the Cao Wei Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period. As the eldest son of Sima Yi, he succeeded to become the second emperor of Cao Wei. During his reign, Sima Zhao implemented a series of political reforms, strengthened centralization, and consolidated the ruling position of Cao Wei. However, beneath his governance lay a startling secret - Jia Chong had poisoned him.

Why did Jia Chong poison Sima Zhao? According to the "Records of the Three Kingdoms: Wei Book: Emperor Wu", Jia Chong was appointed as the governor of Runan in the early stages of the Cao Wei Kingdom. However, due to severe political conflicts with Sima Zhao, Jia Chong repeatedly petitioned against Sima Zhao's crimes during his tenure. This led to Sima Zhao harboring great enmity towards Jia Chong. Later, Jia Chong resigned due to illness and returned home, but was assassinated by Sima Zhao's men on his journey. However, this account has not been supported by conclusive historical evidence.

In fact, the claim that Jia Chong poisoned Sima Zhao mainly originates from later legends and novels. The story of Jia Chong poisoning Sima Zhao appears in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." However, from historical records, this claim is unfounded. The enmity between Jia Chong and Sima Zhao may have been fictionalized by later writers to create dramatic plotlines.

In conclusion, there is no conclusive historical evidence to support the claim that Jia Chong poisoned Sima Zhao. This incident may have been fabricated by later writers to create dramatic plotlines. Nonetheless, it still provides us with an opportunity to understand the political struggles during the Three Kingdoms period and shows the helplessness and tragedy of a politician in adversity.

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