Cao Cao and his seventy-two decoy tombs – so which one is real? Cao Cao (155 to 220 AD) was a warlord and the penultimate Chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty who rose to great power in the final years of the dynasty. Although he is often portrayed as a cruel and merciless tyrant, Cao Cao was also praised as a brilliant ruler and military genius. According to legend, Cao Cao made a careful plan before his death – to prevent looters disturbing his peace after death, he had 72 coffins made, which were carried out to 72 separate burial sites on the day of his funeral. In 2009, the Henan Pro...