Cao Guojiu- Chinese GodDeity"Imperial Brother-in-Law"

Royal Blood

Cao Guojiu was born Cao Yi into the Cao family of the Northern Song dynasty. His ancestor Cao Bin had conquered the Southern Tang for the founding emperors Taizu and Taizong, and his elder sister became Empress Cao, consort of Emperor Renzong and later regent during the transition to Emperor Yingzong. The Songshi records the Cao family among the most prominent consort clans of the period. As the emperor's brother-in-law, Cao Yi received the title "Guojiu" and moved through the innermost circles of power.

His younger brother moved through them with impunity. In Wu Yuantai's Dongdu ji, Cao Jingzhi used his sister's name to bully and steal, until finally he killed a man who stood in his way. The empress was his sister. No one touched him. Cao Yi pleaded with his brother to show restraint and invoked the family's honor. Cao Jingzhi ignored all of it.

The Road to the Mountains

Cao Yi could not undo the murder. He could not redeem his brother or cleanse the family name through any act at court. So he abandoned court entirely. He gave away his fortune to the poor, stripped off his official robes, and left the capital in rough clothing with nothing but a begging bowl.

In the mountains he devoted himself to fasting and meditation. The court forgot him. He intended to be forgotten.

Where Is the Way?

Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin found him during their wanderings. In the Dongdu ji, the two immortals came upon a ragged man in the mountains and asked what he sought. He said the Way. Zhongli Quan asked where the Way was. Cao Yi pointed at the sky. Where is the sky? He pointed at his heart.

They accepted him. Under their instruction he mastered inner alchemy and became the eighth and last of the Eight Immortals. Actors and opera troupes later claimed him as their patron. They kept his image backstage and offered prayers before performances.

Crossing the Sea

When the Eight Immortals crossed the Eastern Sea, each rode their signature object across the waves. Cao Guojiu stood on his jade court tablets, the badges of office he had once used to enter the imperial presence.

The crossing turned violent. The Dragon King's son seized Lan Caihe and dragged the young immortal beneath the waves. The eight combined their powers against the Dragon King's undersea armies, and the conflict escalated until celestial mediation restored peace. The Dongdu ji records this episode, which gave rise to the proverb: "The Eight Immortals cross the sea, each revealing their divine powers."