Cao Ang was the first son of Cao Cao and his concubine Lady Liu. Lady Liu also bore Cao Cao another son, Cao Shuo, and a daughter, Princess Qinghe. However, as Lady Liu died early, Cao Ang was raised by Cao Cao's first official spouse, Lady Ding, who treated Cao Ang as though he was her real son. Nothing was recorded in history about Cao Ang's early life, except that he was nominated as a xiaolian when he reached the age of adulthood. In February or March 197, Cao Ang followed his father on a campaign against the warlordZhang Xiu in Wan. Zhang Xiu surrendered initially, but rebelled later, launched a surprise attack on Cao Cao and caught him completelyoff guard. Cao Cao was injured in the right arm by a stray arrow during the battle while his horse, Jueying, was hit in the neck and leg. Cao Ang could not ride on horseback so he offered his own steed to his father, who managed to escape from Wancheng. Cao Ang died in the battle.
Post-mortem events and succession
In 221, after Cao Pi ended the Han dynasty and established the state of Cao Wei, he granted Cao Ang the posthumous title "Duke Dao of Feng". Three years later, Cao Ang was posthumously elevated to the status of a prince, so his posthumous title became "Prince Dao of Feng". In 229, during the reign of Cao Pi's son Cao Rui, Cao Ang's posthumous title was changed to "Prince Min of Feng". Cao Ang had no son to succeed him when he died. However, in 222, Cao Wan, a son of Cao Ang's half-brother Cao Jun, was designated as Cao Ang's heir and was enfeoffed as a Zhongdu Duke. Later that year, Cao Wan was reassigned as a Zhangzi Duke. In 254, during the reign of Cao Fang, Cao Wan was promoted to "Prince of Feng" and given the princedom "Feng", per Cao Ang's posthumous title. The number of taxable households in his princedom increased through the reigns of Cao Mao and Cao Huan until it reached 2,700. After Cao Wan died, he was posthumously honoured as "Prince Gong of Feng" and was succeeded by his son, Cao Lian. A tomb discovered at the Cao Cao Mausoleum in Anyang which contained clothes but no human remains may belong to Cao Ang, as his body was never found.
