Sima Yi
In 248, Li Sheng was appointed as the Inspector () of Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan). Before leaving Luoyang to assume his new office, he visited Sima Yi, who had been staying at home after claiming that he was too ill to serve in the imperial court. Sima Yi knew that Cao Shuang had sent Li Sheng to check on him, so he pretended to be so ill that he was bedridden and could not consume porridge without soiling his clothes. When Li Sheng told him that he was going to Jing Province, Sima Yi pretended to mishear it as "Bing Province" at least twice. When Li Sheng returned to Cao Shuang, he reported that Sima Yi was already so feeble and frail that he might die soon. Cao Shuang, thinking that Sima Yi no longer posed a threat to him, lowered his guard.