曹丕 / Cao Pi
曹丕 / Cao Pi appears in 《资治通鉴·周纪》24丨商鞅曰：我咋裂了 as the sequel to the episode’s 曹操 analogy. The source says that after Cao Pi monopolizes power, 汉献帝 abdicates to him, making explicit the dynastic endpoint that Cao Cao himself did not take.
The episode uses Cao Pi only to clarify the logic of irreversible power. If Cao Cao could not safely hand power back, Cao Pi shows one forward path: convert control into formal succession. That makes the Cao family comparison a foil for Shang Yang, who cannot plausibly take Qin’s throne and therefore remains trapped below the ruler.