Emperor Xian of Han
Cao Cao died on 15 March 220. His son and successor, Cao Pi, soon forced Emperor Xian to abdicate the throne in favour of himself, ending the Han dynasty. Cao Pi established a new state known as Cao Wei (sometimes known inaccurately as the Kingdom of Wei), and he granted Emperor Xian a noble title – Duke of Shanyang (山陽公). The former Emperor Xian died in 234 and was buried with honours befitting an emperor, using Han ceremonies, and the then emperor of Wei, Cao Rui, was one of the mourners. As Emperor Xian's crown prince was already dead, his grandson Liu Kang (劉康) inherited his dukedom, which lasted for 75 more years and two more dukes, Liu Jin (劉瑾) and Liu Qiu (劉秋), until the line was exterminated by invading Xiongnu tribes in about 309, during the Jin dynasty. This practice of an emperor conferring hereditary nobility on his predecessor, from whom he usurped the throne, was known as "er wang san ke" (二王三恪).
Annals of the Later Han
Annals of the Later Han or Hou Hanji (後漢紀) is a Chinese history book of the Eastern Han dynasty. It was written by Yuan Hong (328 - 376) during the Jin dynasty (265–420). Yuan spent eight years to complete his Annals. The annals contain 30 books with some 210 thousand Chinese characters. It covers the period from the farmers' revolts of the later years of Wang Mang to the years when Cao Pi, and Liu Bei became emperors; therefore it covers roughly 200 years. The annals were written 50 years earlier than Fan Ye (historian)'s "Book of the Later Han", and it is one of two surviving history books of Eastern Han dynasty.