Cao Ju (birth and death dates unknown) was a son of Cao Cao, a warlord who rose to power in the late Eastern Han dynasty and laid the foundation for the state of
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...
period of China. His mother was Lady Yin (尹夫人), a concubine of Cao Cao. He died early and had no son to succeed him.
In 217, Cao Min (曹敏), a son of Cao Ju's half-brother Cao Jun, was designated as Cao Ju's heir and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Linjin (臨晉侯). In 222, Cao Ju's half-brother
Cao Pi
Cao Pi () ( – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the eldest ...
, who became the first emperor of the Cao Wei state, honoured Cao Ju with the
posthumous title
A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments o ...
"Duke Min of Fanyang" (范陽閔公). In 224, he promoted Cao Min from a duke to a prince under the title "Prince of Fanyang" (范陽王). In 226, Cao Min's title was changed to "Prince of Juyang" (句陽王). In 232, Cao Pi's successor
Cao Rui
Cao Rui () (204 or 206 – 22 January 239), courtesy name Yuanzhong, was the second emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. His parentage is in dispute: his mother, Lady Zhen, was Yuan Xi's wife, but she later rem ...
honoured Cao Ju with a new posthumous title: "Prince Min of Fanyang" (范陽閔王); he also changed Cao Min's title to "Prince of Langya" (琅邪王). Throughout the reigns of the subsequent Wei emperors, the number of taxable households in Cao Min's dukedom increased until it reached 3,400. After Cao Min died, he was posthumously honoured as "Prince Yuan (of Langya)" (原王) and was succeeded by his son Cao Kun (曹焜).(建安二十二年，以樊安公均子敏奉矩後，封臨晉侯。黃初三年追封謚矩為范陽閔公。五年，改封敏范陽王。七年，徙封句陽，太和六年，追進矩號曰范陽閔王，改封敏琅邪王。景初、正元、景元中，累增邑，并前三千四百戶。敏薨，謚曰原王。子焜嗣。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 20.