Records of the Three Kingdoms
Sima Shi, courtesy name Ziyuan, was Sima Yi’s eldest son. He took part in the coup against Cao Shuang in 249. After Sima Yi’s death he continued the government as a senior general in charge of the secretariat. In 254 he deposed Cao Fang, the Prince of Qi, and enthroned Cao Mao, the Duke of Gaogui District. The case was put in an edict of the empress dowager: Cao Fang was unfit to be emperor.
In 255 Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin rose at Shouchun. Sima Shi had a tumor on his eye and had just undergone surgery. He still went east in person. The revolt failed. Wen Qin fled to Wu. The eye disease worsened in the field. Sima Shi returned to Xuchang and died at forty-eight. Power passed to his brother Sima Zhao. When Jin was founded he was titled Emperor Jing.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
The novel has him march east while the tumor is agony. On the road the eye bursts from the socket, and he does not halt the army. At Xuchang he commits the future to Sima Zhao and dies. The deposition of Cao Fang is there too, to show that the Sima house can now change emperors.
The bursting eye is the novel’s bodily spectacle. The histories say there was a tumor, that he campaigned in Huainan after surgery, and that he died at Xuchang.
Reference: Wikipedia · Sima Shi