The spread of "Seven-step Poetry" originally had two versions. Later, after collation by scholars, it was considered that two sentences were missing from the four-sentence version, and six sentences should be regarded as credible, so the six-sentence version was newly compiled into the textbook.
Creation background
In the first month of the first year of Huang Chu (220), Cao Cao died at the age of 66, and Cao Pi was promoted to Wang Wei by the prince. In October of the same year, Emperor Xian of Han Dynasty was forced to abdicate, and Cao Pi acceded to the throne, claiming himself. Cao Pi couldn't let go of the experience of fighting for the Crown Prince. After he proclaimed himself emperor, he still held a grudge against Cao Zhi. He was worried that this learned and politically ambitious younger brother would threaten his throne, so he tried to get rid of him.
Cao Zhi knew that his brother had deliberately framed himself, but he could not excuse himself. He had to write a poem within seven steps in extreme grief and indignation. According to "Shi Shuo Xin Yu Literature", "(Cao Pi) wants Dong Awang (Cao Zhi) to write poetry in seven steps, but fails to achieve Dafa (killing), it should be poetry.