Capture and execution of Ma Teng

The capture and execution of Ma Teng marks the collapse of his attempt to kill Cao Cao and turns a disclosed conspiracy into a public reckoning. Betrayed from within the plot, Ma Teng and one of his sons are captured after charging at a decoy; Cao Cao condemns them to death, then orders the deaths of the informant Miao Ze, Li Chunxiang, and Huang Kui and their families.

The plot exposed

Ma Teng’s capture follows an assassination scheme against Cao Cao. Huang Kui returns home disturbed but does not confide in his wife; instead, he tells his concubine, Li Chunxiang. She is having an affair with her brother-in-law, Miao Ze, who wants her for himself. When she reveals the plot to him, Miao Ze sees an opportunity to remove Ma Teng’s ally and secure Li Chunxiang, and immediately informs Cao Cao. Cao Cao responds by summoning his commanders and preparing a counterplot.

The ambush and capture

The next morning, Ma Teng, his sons, and their troops parade before the city walls. They see a group of banners emerge from the gate and mistake them for the place where Cao Cao is positioned. Ma Teng and his sons charge, but the banners divide to reveal archers and crossbowmen. When they try to retreat, Cao Cao’s men attack from several directions. One of Ma Teng’s sons dies defending his father; Ma Teng and his other son are wounded, captured, and brought before Cao Cao together with Huang Kui.

Executions and aftermath

Ma Teng and his captured son are immediately sentenced to death and executed. Miao Ze then approaches Cao Cao and asks only to marry Li Chunxiang, presenting himself as seeking no further reward. Cao Cao rejects the request: Miao Ze’s effort to gain a woman has brought destruction on his brother-in-law, and Cao Cao declares that he does not deserve to live. He orders Miao Ze, Li Chunxiang, and Huang Kui, along with their entire families, executed publicly.

The account frames betrayal as the decisive turn in the episode: Miao Ze’s private desire exposes the conspiracy, while Cao Cao’s response extends punishment beyond the plotters to their families. The reported reaction of onlookers and the closing poetic couplet underscore the irony of Miao Ze’s bargain: his betrayal brings neither lasting reward nor survival for Li Chunxiang.