[Lightscreen]
[Wei Feng is yet another blind spot in the Romance.
The historical records describe him as possessing "the talent to beguile the masses," which is clearly the sort of label given to a failed figure. At the same time, because Cao Wei itself treated this stretch of history with deliberate obscurity, we can only reconstruct it from what is visible on the surface.
Wei Feng was from Pei County, which meant that even if he did not belong to the Qiao-Pei faction, he would naturally lean toward it. In the late Han, factional prejudice ran deep. If the Yingchuan literati saw that you came from Pei County, it would already be a courtesy if they did not spit at you.
The timing of Wei Feng's rebellion is particularly delicate. Beginning in 217, Liu Bei and Cao Cao were locked in a heated struggle for Hanzhong, and Cao Cao himself did not have many years left.
In 218, the Wancheng commander Hou Yin joined forces with Guan Yu to rebel, only to be defeated and killed.]
Hou Yin.
Guan Yu silently committed the name to memory.
[Lightscreen]
[In the first month of 219, at the Battle of Mount Dingjun, Huang Zhong 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 of the same year, Guan Yu besieged Fancheng, and in the eighth month flooded seven armies, capturing Yu Jin and executing Pang De.]
The side hall immediately filled with an atmosphere of celebration. If a passing servant had seen them, he might have thought the generals were celebrating the New Year in advance.
A single line from the light screen carried the weight of thunderous battle reports. Huang Zhong's face showed disbelief, while Guan Yu's already ruddy complexion deepened, though the faint lift at the corners of his brows and lips betrayed his satisfaction.
"Huang Zhong grows stronger with age, winning Hanzhong for our lord with unmatched merit, and General Guan faces three foes alone, laying siege, capturing, and executing in succession. Truly a peerless general of this age," Zhao Yun said with a smile.
Guan Yu cupped his hands in acknowledgment, and no one found it strange, as everyone knew he was never one for empty courtesies.
Huang Zhong, however, seemed at a loss, until Zhang Fei strode over and clapped him on the back.
"Brother Huang, no need to be nervous. What the light screen says is mostly true. If ten years from now you can still cut down Xiahou Yuan on the battlefield, then right now you ought to be able to test strength with Zilong, shouldn't you?"
Huang Zhong hastily declined, yet a different kind of anticipation quietly stirred within him. So I am not yet old after all.
Among them, only Zhuge Liang was silently calculating the timeline.
[Lightscreen]
[At that same delicate moment, Wei Feng joined with the two sons of Wang Can, a Palace Attendant, Liu Wei, the younger brother of Liu Yi, Zhang Quan, the son of Zhang Xiu, and the son of the Jingzhou scholar Song Zhong. Together they conspired with Chen Wei, the Commandant of the Palace Guard in Changle, to attack Ye, the capital of Wei. Chen Wei betrayed Wei Feng and informed Cao Pi. At the time still the heir, Cao Pi carried out a purge, implicating thousands in collective execution.]
"How did this fail?" Zhang Fei sighed.
Liu Bei, however, instinctively sensed something amiss. Wei Feng's timing in declaring for the Han was precise and reasonable, yet everything that followed, the betrayal, the purge, the chain executions, unfolded far too smoothly. Cao Pi had still been only the heir, and even gaining the authority to act would have taken time.
No matter how one looked at it, it felt as though a pit had been dug in advance, waiting for someone to fall into it.
[Lightscreen]
[Which faction Wei Feng belonged to is not important. What matters is who ultimately benefited.
After the purge, the Qiao-Pei faction was crippled. The following March, Cao Cao died. Cao Pi advanced to King of Wei, and within the same year ascended the throne and founded the Wei dynasty. That same year, he ordered Chen Qun to establish the Nine-Rank System.
Mark this well. The Nine-Rank System alone ensured that the Yingchuan gentry gained the upper hand completely. From then on, the highest ranks held no commoners, and the lowest ranks held no great clans.
So it does not matter which faction Wei Feng truly belonged to. If the Yingchuan faction said he was Qiao-Pei, then he was Qiao-Pei.]
"The highest ranks hold no commoners." Liu Bei immediately grasped the key point, and the next thought that surfaced was simple. How could this be endured?
Among them, only Zhuge Liang could truly be counted as coming from a great clan. Zhang Fei might barely qualify as a lesser household. As for Guan Yu, Liu Bei, Huang Zhong, and Zhao Yun, even calling them common gentry would be generous. If such a system were implemented, would men like them never again have a path to rise?
[Lightscreen]
[After Wei Feng's rebellion, the Xiahou clan of the Qiao-Pei faction largely faded from prominence. That faction depended entirely on the Cao clan. Cao Pi himself bore the Cao name, yet once he became emperor, he began to play the game of power, unwilling to let the Yingchuan faction dominate alone.
Thus, thirty years later, the new leader of the Yingchuan faction, the Sima clan, cast their gaze upon the Cao family and thought, if the Cao clan could usurp the Han, why could the Sima clan not usurp Wei? They launched the Gaoping Tombs Incident, replacing Wei with Jin, exterminating the Cao and Xiahou clans, and bringing Cao Cao's power to its final end.]
"Exterminated them? Good!" Zhang Fei clapped in satisfaction.
Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang exchanged a glance, both falling silent.
A few short lines from the light screen summarized thirty years of struggle within Cao Wei. There was no right or wrong in such struggles, only positions and loyalties, and all of it reeked of power and intrigue. Even so, there was an undeniable sense of grim satisfaction.
Liu Bei finally let out a laugh. "Cao Cao would never have imagined that what he did to the Han would one day return upon his own descendants."
Zhuge Liang shook his head. "I recall that ten days ago, someone on the light screen mentioned Sima Yi as my destined rival. I did not expect him to harbor such ambition."
"And this Wei Feng…" Guan Yu began, seeking an opinion. Though Yi Province had not yet been taken, he remembered clearly that the light screen had said he would guard Jingzhou for a long time.
Huang Zhong spoke up for the first time. "If the factions are as described, then those Wei Feng gathered when he declared for the Han were all of the Jingzhou group. Wang Can and Zhang Xiu both once served Liu Biao, Liu Yi was promoted by Liu Biao, and Song Zhong was a native scholar of Jingzhou."
With Huang Zhong providing context, Zhuge Liang quickly formed a conclusion.
"These men likely all harbored dissatisfaction toward Cao Cao. The people of Jingzhou belong neither to the Qiao-Pei faction nor the Yingchuan faction, much like Xu Yuanzhi, who even now remains unused."
"But Wei Feng himself may also have harbored his own ambitions. Though he raised the banner of serving the Han, he directly attacked Ye. In truth, he was no different from Cao Cao, seeking only to seize power in a single stroke."
Liu Bei nodded in agreement, silently raising a thumb in approval.
[Lightscreen]
[So does the analysis end here? Of course not.
The question we're answering is why Cao Wei lacked the ability to unify the realm.
Internal strife is part of it, but the root cause is loss of popular support.
Both the Yingchuan and Qiao-Pei factions were fundamentally aristocratic blocs. The former were old nobility, the latter newly risen military elites. Neither represented the common people.
Why could Wei Feng rally supporters? Not being valued was one reason, but more importantly, Liu Bei governed Jingzhou with genuine care for seven years. People could see who actually got things done.
That's why later Jingzhou locals said: we cherish Liu Bei's benevolence, and fear Sun Quan's might.
Though honestly, those people probably never saw how embarrassing Sun Shinwan was at Hefei.
Same with Chengdu. The shrine to Zhuge Liang still stands, incense burning unceasingly. Even today, people there treat Liang-ge and Bei-bei like family.
And take Meng Da for example. He betrayed Liu Bei, then betrayed Cao Wei. Failed, sure, but in a way, that's still recognition of Liu Bei.]
Liu Bei's expression froze.
"…That kind of recognition is not needed."
Fun Fact: Factions Were Basically "Elite Cliques," Not Formal Parties
If you dropped into the Three Kingdoms era thinking talent alone would carry you to the top, you would be in for a very quick reality check. Back then, "factions" were less like official political parties and more like exclusive group chats that you could not even see, let alone join. Everyone important was already connected through family ties, hometown networks, or shared teachers. If nobody inside vouched for you, your brilliant ideas would remain exactly where they started, inside your own head.
Your birthplace did not help either. It was basically your permanent profile tag. Come from a famous cultural region, and people would nod before you even spoke, assuming you were refined and educated. Come from the wrong place, and suddenly you had to prove you were not a barbarian, twice. Regional rivalry was not just politics, it was subtle snobbery with a long memory.
Then there were the literati, the scholar-officials. On paper, they were just educated men who passed judgments and gave advice. In reality, they were walking review systems. They decided who was "talented," who was "trustworthy," and who should quietly disappear from consideration. A single comment from the right scholar could boost your career overnight, or end it before it even began. No pressure.
Meanwhile, the generals were out there risking their lives, winning battles, and doing the actual heavy lifting of the era, only to come back and sometimes get treated like they had poor table manners. Imagine saving the country and still being judged for not writing elegant poetry. That was the vibe.
Politics itself did not happen in grand halls as much as you might think. It happened over dinner, wine, poetry, and connections. Who you studied under, who you married into, and who you drank with could matter more than your official title. One good banquet could advance your career more than a year of hard work.
For regular people, all of this was not just background drama. It affected everything. Taxes, safety, whether soldiers showed up at your village, all depended on which group was currently winning the political tug-of-war. A shift in faction power could turn a peaceful year into a stressful one overnight.
At the core, the whole system was a quiet clash between old money and new power. Established aristocratic families wanted to keep things within their circle, while rising military figures were trying to break in. Think of it as an ancient version of "old elites vs self-made newcomers," except with armies involved.
And loyalty? It was... flexible. From the outside, it is easy to call someone a traitor. From the inside, it often looked more like survival. When choosing the wrong side could cost not just your life but your entire family's future, people tended to keep their options open.
In the end, power came in two flavors. The obvious kind was armies, battles, and victories. The less obvious kind was reputation, connections, and who said your name in the right room. The truly successful players were the ones who understood both, and knew when to use each.
So when you look at events like Wei Feng's rebellion, it is less about one man making a risky move, and more like watching someone try to crash a party where everyone already knew each other, and where security had probably been watching the door the whole time.