- Cao Song is a Chinese name; the family name is Cao.
Cao Song is a Commander hero in Total War: Three Kingdoms. Cao Song is the father of Cao Cao. He starts as a member of his son's faction in 190. He is the leader of his own faction in 182.
General Information[]
Attributes[]
Main Article: Attributes (Total War: Three Kingdoms)
- Expertise: 64
- -10% construction cost (administered commandery)
- +16 melee evasion
- Resolve: 30
- +1% general's health
- +1k population growth (administered commandery)
- Cunning: 61
- +18% ammunition (own retinue)
- +5 military supplies (own army)
- Instinct: 40
- +3% melee damage
- -1% recruitment cost (this army)
- Authority: 94
- +4 unit morale (own retinue)
Background[]
Main Article: Background (Total War: Three Kingdoms)
Ambitious Tycoon
- +15 cunning
- +5 instinct
- +10 authority
Unit Statistics[]
- Morale: 100
- Melee Toughness: 23
- Ranged Toughness: 27
- Melee Power: 5
- Hit Points: 18k
- Melee Charge Bonus: 116
- Melee Attack Rate: 30
- Base Melee Damage: 228
- Armour-Piercing Melee Damage: 164
- Base Melee Evasion: 16%
- Base Armour: 20%
- Speed: 97
Traits[]
Main Article: Traits (Total War: Three Kingdoms)
Dutiful
- +8 authority
- -50% desire for higher office
- +10 satisfaction
Focuses on Duty.
Stern
- +6 expertise
- +2 authority
- +5% income from industry (administered commandery)
Repsects Discipline, Respects Decisiveness, Opposes Criminality, Unsympathetic to the Weak.
Cordial
- +2 cunning
- +6 authority
- +10% income from commerce (administered commandery)
Values Sociability, Values Diplomacy.
Skills[]
Main Article: Skill (Total War: Three Kingdoms)
Nature's Ally
- +4 cunning
- +4 authority
- Ability: Nature's Ally
Meditation
- +8 authority
- Enables: Unbreakable
- +2 morale when defending (when commanding)
Abilities[]
Main Article: Ability (Total War: Three Kingdoms)
- Unbreakable (Passive)
- Does not suffer any morale loss and will never rout.
- Nature's Ally (Passive)
- +25% speed
- +10 morale
- Ignore Forest Penalties
- Range: 75m
Ancillaries[]
Main Article: Ancillary (Total War: Three Kingdoms)
Jian
- Base Melee Damage: 220
- Armour-Piercing Melee Damage: 163
- Melee Attack Rate: 30
- +9 expertise
Hunter's Garb
- Base Armour: 20
- +4 expertise
- +4 authority
White Horse
- Speed: 97
- Mass: 1.5k
- +2 authority
Guanxi[]
Main Article: Guanxi
Family
- Cao Teng (father)
- Lady Ding (wife)
- Cao Cao (son)
- Cao Chi (cousin)
- Cao Ren (nephew)
- Cao Ang (grandson)
- Cao Pi (grandson)
Acquaintances
Biography[]
Born in 139AD, Cao Song's true identity remains a mystery today. Later in life he changed his last name to Cao Song but what his name was before then isn't decided upon. In Records of the Three Kingdoms, it is said that Song's last name at birth is unknown, whilst in Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms it is said that Cao Song's real name was Xiahou and that he was the uncle of Xiahou Dun. Generally speaking, Records of the Three Kingdoms is a more reliable source, as it was written closer to the time period by someone who was alive during the Three Kingdoms period. This all leads to an extensive and controversial debate about Cao Song's true identity between Chinese historians that has been raging for the last eighteen centuries and is still ongoing today. His name, however, is not the only mystery about this man. His entire life is shrouded by conflicting sources and contradictions.
Little is known about Song's early life. He eventually became a government official for agricultural matters in his home region near Qiao, working his way up the ranks and earning some minor minister positions until finally being promoted to one of the Three Ducal Ministers, an extremely powerful and prestigious position. He governed some small territories around central China but mostly served in Luoyang.
Later in life, he also became the Grand Commandant of the Han Dynasty but how he did it is unknown. The first theory states that Cao Song bribed a eunuch for the position, whilst the second theory states that the position was simply put up for sale and that Cao Song bought it for 100 million yuan. Eventually, Cao Song retired somewhere around 193 and went to return to his home in Qiao.
Cao Song's death is yet another mystery and perhaps the most important of all. On his way to Qiao, he was murdered by unknown attackers, which leads to three theories. The first theory is that the governor of the province, Tao Qian, directly ordered a large army of cavalry to kill Cao Song so he could seize his wealth for himself. Cao Song thought the cavalry was there to escort him and his troops and with the element of surprise, the cavalry killed Cao Song and his entire family in a siege before reinforcements could arrive.
The second theory states that Cao Song and his men had formed a large convoy of dozens of carts filled with his vast wealth. Tao Qian ordered one of his officers, Zhang Kai to escort the warlord to his destination in Qiao. Zhang Kai arrived with about 200 horsemen and began escorting the minister but quickly started scheming. Suddenly Zhang Kai and his cavalry attacked, killing Cao Song, his family, and all his troops. They quickly seized all the wealth and made a mad dash towards Huainan where the spoils were divided and they went their separate ways.
The third theory is that while passing through Yinping County, a garrison of Tao Qian's troops stationed in the area saw the convoy with riches and took the opportunity to plunder it in a violent ambush, killing Song and his family in the process. It is not stated what happened to the garrison or the wealth afterward.
In any case, whether Tao Qian was involved or not, Cao Cao was furious at his father's death and held Tao responsible. Cao Cao launched two invasions: in 193 and 194. These invasions were more about revenge than about personal gain and as such were extremely brutal with any captured soldiers being executed without question, many towns being burned to the ground and over 100.000 civilians being killed.
When Cao Pi forced Emperor Xian of Han to abdicate and became Emperor of Wei, Cao Song was posthumously granted the title of Emperor Tai of Wei in 220.
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| Sentinel | Bao Xin・Cai He・Cai Yang・Cao Ren・Chang Diao・Chang Xia・Chen Heng・Chen Qian・Chen Wu・Chen Xiu・Cheng Pu・Congqian・Cui Jun・Deng Ai・Ding Feng・Gan Li・Gao Gan・Gongsun Du・Gongsun Xu・Guo Xian・Hou Yin・Han SuiS・Huang She・Huang YueyingF・Huang ZhongS・Huangfu Song・Jia Long・Jian Yong・Li Dian・Liang Xing・Liu Shang・Liu Yao・Lu Meng・Lu Zhi・Ma Mao・Qu Ying・Song Jian・Sui Gu・Sun JianS・Sun Shao・Taishi CiS・Tao Shang・Tian Fen・Wang Kuang・Wang Su・Wang Yu・Xia Zhao・Xiaoqiao・Xu HuangS・Xue Li・Yan Xing・Yang Bo・Yang Hong・Yang Zhong・Yin Li・Yu Jin・Yuan Shang・Yue JinS・Zang Hong・Zhang Hu・Zhang LiaoS・Zhang Ya・Zhao YunS・Zheng Bao・Zhu Zhi |
| Champion | Cai Zhong・Cao Ang・Cao Hong・Cao Shuang・Cao Xi・Cao Zhang・Chang Xi・Chen Jiu・Chen Lan・Cheng Yi・Dong Feng・Dian WeiS・Gao Ding・Gao Sheng・Guan Xing・Guan YuS・Han Fu・Han Hao・Hong Ming・Huan Lin・Huan Zhi・Huang Gai・Huang Zu・Huo Nu・Ji Ben・Jiang Gong・Li Damu・Li Huan・Li Yu・Ling Tong・Liu Shao・Lu Kang・Pang De・Qu Gong・Quan Rou・Sen Pei・Song Yang・Tao Ying・Tuoba Liwei・Wang Xi・Wei Huang・Wei Jie・Wen Chou・Xiahou DunS・Xianyu Yin・Xin Ping・Xu ChuS・Xu Rong・Xuan Fan・Yang Feng・You Tu・Yu Qin・Zang Ba・Zao Zhi・Zhang Fang・Zhang Fu・Zhang Guang・Zhang Lu・Zhang YanS・Zhao Du・Zheng Yan・Zheng JiangSF・Zou Lin・Zuozi Hangba |
| Strategist | Bao Xun・Bian Rang・Bu LianshiF・Cai YanF・Cai Yong・Cao Chong・Cao Zhi・Chang Lin・Che Zhou・Chen Biao・Chen Di・Chen Gong・Chen Lin・Chen Qun・Chen Zhen・Cheng Xu・Cheng Yu・Cui Lin・Cui Yan・DiaochanF・Ding Yi・Dong Yun・Dong Zhao・Du Qiong・Fa Zheng・Fan Qin・Lady FengF・Feng Shuo・Fu Gan・Fu Jia・Fu Wan・Gao Rou・Gaotang・Gongsun Xiu・Gu Yong・Guan Chun・Guan Jing・Guan Lu・Guan Ning・Guanqiu Dian・Guo Jia・Guo Tu・Han Ji・Han Ran・Han Rong・Han Yin・Handan Chun・Handan Shang・He Yan・He Zeng・Hu Zhao・Hu Zhi・Hu Zong・Hua Biao・Hua Tuo・Hua Xin・Huan Dian・Huan Fan・Huan Jia・Huang Wan・Hungfu Mi・Ji Miao・Ji Mu・Jia Chong・Jia Cong・Jia Xu・Jiang Ji・Jin Yi・Ju Shou・Kan Ze・Kong RongS・Kong Zhou・Kuai Liang・Kuai Yue・Liu Ba・Li Chao・Li Fu・Li Kang・Li Ru・Li Shao・Li Xiu・Liang Mao・Liu Dai・Liu Fu・Liu He・Liu Ji・Liu Yan・Liu Ye・Liu Yi・Liu Zhen・Lu An・Liu Fan・Lu Ji・Lu Kai・Lu Mao・Lu Su・Lu Xing・Lu Xun・Lu Yi・Lu Yu・Lu ZhengF・Ma Liang・Ma Midi・Ma Qiu・Ma Su・Ma Yu・Mao Jie・Mi Heng・Mi Zhu・Miao Xi・Min Chun・Pan Xu・Pang Ji・Pang Tong・Pei Jun・Pei Qian・Peng Yang・Qi Zhou・Qiao Zhou・Qin Mi・Quan Ji・Que Xuan・Ren An・Ren Jun・Ruan Yu・Shan Gu・Shan Tao・Shen You・Sheng Xian・Shi Wei・Shi Xie・Shi Yi・Shi Zhi・Sima Feng・Sima Fu・Sima Lang・Sima YiS・Su Shuo・Su Ze・Sun Qian・Sun Xu・Tao QianS・Teng Yin・Tian Chou・Tian Feng・Tian Jing・Wang Biao・Wang Can・Wang Dang・Wang Fu・Wang Jian・Wang Lan・Wang Lei・Wang Lie・Wang Su・Wang Xiang・Wei Dan・Wei Feng・Wei Shu・Wei You・Wei Zhao・Wei Hui・Wu Fan・Wu Shuo・Wu Zhi・Xiahou Rong・Xiahou Xuan・Xiahou Zuo・Xiahou Lang・Xiao QiaoSF・Xin Xianying・Xing Yong・Xu Gan・Xu Jing・Xu Miao・Xu Shao・Xu Shu・Xu Ta・Xu Xuan・Xu You・Xue Zong・Xun Wei・Xun Yu・Xun Yue・Yan Pu・Yan Xiang・Yan Yu・Yang Chou・Yang Dao・Yang Xi・Yang Xiu・Yao Tai・Yao Zhou・Ying Qu・Ying Yang・Ying Yu・Yu Fan・Yuan Long・Yuan Yi・Yue Dun・Zhang Chao・Zhang Cheng・Zhang Chunhua・Zhang Hong・Zhang Ji・Zhang Miao・Zhang Min・Zhang Quan・Zhang Song・Zhang Wen・Zhang Yun・Zhang Zan・Zhang Zhao・Zhang Zhen・Zhang Zhi・Zhao Ang・Zhao Qi・Zhao Wei・Zhao Yan・Zhao Yi・Lady ZhenF・Zheng Mao・Zheng Mo・Zheng Sui・Zheng Tai・Zheng Xuan・Zhong Yao・Zhongchang Tong・Zhou Huan・Zhou YuS・Zhou Zhi・Zhu En・Zhu Gui・Zhu Han・Zhuge Jin・Zhuge LiangS |
| Vanguard | Bu Ji・Bu Zhi・Cai Mao・Dong Zhuo・Gan Ning・Gongsun ZanS・Liu Qi・Lü BuS・Ma ChaoS・Ma TengS・Shisun Rui・Sun CeS・Sun RenSF・Xiahou Jie・Xiahou YuanS・Yan Liang・Ze Rong・Zhang FeiS・Zhang He・Zhang Yang |
| Commander | Lady BianF・Lady CaiF・Cai Xun・Cao CaoS・Cao JieF・Cao Pi・Cao Ren・DaqiaoF・Da QiaoSF・Dong PeishanF・Guan YinpingF・Liu BeiS・Liu BiaoS・Lady LiuF・Liu Yu・Liu ZhangS・Wang Lang・Lady WuF・Sun QuanS・Yuan AnyangF・Yuan ShaoS・Yuan ShuS・Yuan Tan・Yuan Xi |
| Healer (YTR) | Han Xian・He YiS・Liu Pi・Wang Du |
| Veteran (YTR) | Gong DuS・Guan Hai・Liao Hua・Pei YuanshaoS・Zhang KaiS・Zhao Bo |
| Scholar (YTR) | Guo Da・He ManS・Huang ShaoSWang Rao・Xu He |