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卷十一 魏書十一 袁張涼國田王邴管傳

Volume 11: Book of Wei 11 - Biographies of Yuan, Zhang, Liang, Guo, Tian, Wang, Bing, and Guan

Chapter 11 of 三國志 · Records of the Three Kingdoms
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Chapter 11
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1
Yuan Huan, styled Yaqing, came from Fule in Chen commandery. His father Yuan Pang had been Minister of Education under the Han.
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使 使
〈Yuan Hong’s Han Ji records: Pang was styled Gongxi—pure, retiring, and sparing of desire—and never spoke ill of others.) When powerful factions rose and fell, many were ruined for taking sides; Pang alone kept to the middle at court, so neither side could claim him.〉 While many young noblemen flouted the law, Huan remained restrained and measured, and never departed from propriety. When the commandery made him Chief Clerk, the corrupt clerks cleaned out their desks and left. He was later summoned to the central government, topped the civil-service examination, and became a Palace Assistant Clerk. He was offered the magistracy of Qiao but declined to serve. While Liu Bei held Yu Province, he recommended Huan as an outstanding candidate. He later took refuge between the Yangzi and the Huai and entered Yuan Shu’s service. Yuan Shu often asked his opinion; Huan answered frankly every time. Shu could not shout him down, yet respected him too much to treat him roughly. When Lü Bu struck Yuan Shu at Fuling, Huan went over to Lü Bu’s camp—and Bu kept him there against his will. Lü Bu had first allied with Liu Bei and sealed the tie with marriage, then the two fell out. Lü Bu ordered Huan to draft a letter vilifying Liu Bei. Huan refused; however hard Bu pressed, he would not budge. Enraged, Lü Bu drew his troops on him and said: “Write it and you live; refuse and you die.” Huan’s face never changed. Smiling, he answered: “I have heard that shame comes from virtue, not from vilification. If Liu Bei is a gentleman, your insults will not touch him; if he is a petty man, he will answer your spite in kind—and the shame will be yours to bear, not his. Besides, my serving General Liu in days past is as my serving you today; if one day I leave this place and revile you in turn, would that be acceptable?” Lü Bu was ashamed and dropped the matter.
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After Lü Bu’s execution, Huan was free to join Cao Cao. 〈The Yuan family chronicle notes: When Lü Bu fell, Chen Qun and his son were in Bu’s army; both kowtowed when they met Cao Cao. Huan alone straightened his back and bowed at the waist only—never touching his forehead to the ground. Cao Cao regarded him with wary respect. Cao Cao also gave each officer wagons and told them to help themselves to Lü Bu’s stores. The others hauled off loot by the cartload; Huan took only several hundred scrolls and enough food for the road. When word spread, they burned with shame. Huan told his intimates: “If they had put me in the ranks, rations for the march would have been enough—I would never have treated booty as personal gain. That was how I meant to keep my name unstained.” The others bitterly regretted their greed." Cao Cao respected him all the more for it.〉 Huan urged: “Weapons are ill-omened tools; they are a last resort. Rouse them with moral power and the Way; wage campaigns with benevolence and right; comfort the people while rooting out what harms them. Only then will men face death or life at your side without wavering. The realm has been torn apart for more than a decade; the people long for peace more than for relief from hanging upside down—so why does chaos still rage? Surely policy has strayed from the right path! Wise rulers rescue their age: in chaos they align it with justice; in decadent times they anchor it with plain sincerity. Times change and government must change with them—the difference cannot be ignored. Cutting or adding institutions need not mirror antiquity. Yet caring for the empire and steering it back toward right—even when you use arms to end disorder, you finish the work with virtue—that is the constant thread no succession of rulers may discard. You are enlightened and wise beyond the age; what the ancients did to win the people you have already diligently pursued; what causes the loss of the people today you have already taken as warning. Within the seas they rely on you and have been spared the calamity of peril and ruin—yet the people do not yet understand righteousness. If only you would instruct them as befits you, how fortunate would be all under Heaven!” Cao Cao took his counsel to heart. He was named Chief Commandant for the southern districts of Pei.
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使 簿 簿 簿
The court had just drafted civilians for military-agricultural colonies; morale was low and deserters were many. Huan urged Cao Cao: “People cling to their native soil and resist uprooting overnight. What follows their wishes moves easily; what cuts against them meets stubborn resistance. Bend with their inclinations—enroll the willing and leave the unwilling alone. Cao Cao agreed, and popular morale soared. He was promoted to chancellor of Liang. He constantly told the counties: “Care for widowers, widows, and the aged; lift up model sons and faithful wives. The proverb says, ‘Good times allow elaborate rites; troubled times call for simple ones’—the art is knowing where to draw the line. Though today is disturbed and hard to transform by ritual, still what can be done lies with us.” In office he emphasized moral instruction, deliberated with humane patience before acting, appeared mild abroad, yet could judge firmly within. 〈Wang Chen’s Wei Shu: Gushu district chief Lü Qi thought highly of Zhu Yuan and Yuan Jin. After sending them to study, he recalled them for appointment; at their meeting he named Yuan Libationer for the Friends of Learning and Jin Libationer for Resolving Doubts. Zhu Yuan and his companions went home instead and refused the posts. Lü Qi flew into a rage and ordered his officers and local residents to arrest them; he had every one of them clubbed to death. Opinion widely condemned him. Huan directed that no charges be brought. Chief Clerk Sun Hui argued that Zhu Yuan’s party did not deserve death and that a county chief had no right of summary execution—citing Confucius: “Regalia and titles must never be handled lightly. To honor men as “friends of learning” and then beat them to death confuses law with courtesy—it teaches nothing good.” Huan replied: “The chief clerk deserves blame for failing to seek higher approval—that much is true. To claim those men were innocent of capital crimes is wrong. The title “friend of learning” has always had its uses. But there is the sovereign’s “friend of learning” and there is the minister’s “friend of learning. When a ruler institutes such an office, he means to honor his officials. When crime is proven and sentence passed, that is the kingdom’s law. To skip the facts of guilt and speak only of “murdering a friend of learning” misses the point. Sun Hui borrows the language of a pupil killing his teacher to describe a ruler punishing a minister—the analogy fails. Sage kings watch the times and adapt; they need not cling to precedent when circumstance demands flexibility. In recent generations the age has been in turmoil and the people have lorded it over their superiors; though one strives to honor the ruler and humble ministers, it may still not succeed—and instead you prolong the faults of the age: is that not absurd!” So Huan let the matter drop.〉 He stepped down citing illness, and the people longed for his return. He was later recalled as Grand Counselor of Remonstrance and army libationer under the chancellor. Imperial largesse came often; he passed every gift on until his coffers were bare. He never fussed over fields or houses—when he lacked funds he borrowed—and though he never played the zealous fault-finder, contemporaries revered his integrity.
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使 退 祿 退
When the Wei dukedom was founded he became Prefect of the Gentlemen of the Palace, handling the duties of Imperial Clerk Grandee. He told Cao Cao: “The worst blows to the realm are over; blending civil and military policy is how dynasties last. I believe you may greatly gather books and documents, clarify the teaching of the former sages, and thereby alter what the people see and hear, so that within the seas they flourish and turn to the wind; then if distant peoples do not submit, you may draw them with the virtue of culture.” Cao Cao praised the proposal. Rumors claimed Liu Bei was dead, and the courtiers crowded in with congratulations. Huan alone stayed away—Liu Bei had once sponsored his career. After several years in office he died. Grand Progenitor wept for him and granted two thousand hu of grain—one edict read “grant the household of the Prefect of the Gentlemen one thousand hu from the Grand Granary,” another “grant one thousand hu from the granary below the wall to Yaqing’s family.” Outsiders did not understand his intent. The order explained: “Grain from the Grand Granary follows public statute. What comes from the granary below the wall is for kin and old friends.” The Emperor also heard of Huan’s past refusal of Lü Bu and asked Huan’s cousin Min, “Was Huan brave or timid?” Min answered: “He looks gentle, but when great principle or mortal danger is at stake, not even ancient heroes could surpass him. His son Kan was clear-minded and retiring like his father, and rose to commandery governor and minister. 〈The Yuan family chronicle lists four sons: Kan, Yu, Ao, and Zhun. Kan, styled Gongran, argued cleanly and fairly—flexible yet firm—and knew how to handle people. When fortunes shifted and others scrambled for advantage, he habitually stood back. His contemporaries admired him for it. He advanced to Gentleman at the Yellow Gates and Director of Selection, famed for even-handed judgment. He eventually reached ministerial rank but died young. Yu, styled Xuanhou, was sharp in debate, drawn to Daoism, and died young before serving. Ao, styled Gongrong, lived modestly enough to reform local habits; his speech was spare but exact, and he rose to Minister of the Imperial Household. Zhun, styled Xiaoni, was loyal, candid, and humble enough to learn from social inferiors—yet anxious whenever peers fell short of his standard. Danger stalked public life, so he preferred retreat and rarely pressed for promotion. He composed over one hundred thousand characters on statecraft—commentaries on the Zhou yi, Zhou li, and Mao Shi plus essays on unresolved issues in the Five Classics—intending them for posterity. Those lines come from Zhun’s own preface. Xun Chuo’s Jiuzhou ji describes Zhun as brilliant and records him as a palace attendant under Emperor Wu (Taishi era). The Yuans have kept high office for generations down to the present.〉
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退
Earlier, Huan’s cousin Yuan Ba—meticulous and capable—had become Minister of Agriculture at Wei’s founding and, with fellow townsman He Kui, stood among the age’s leading names. Ba’s son Liang and Kui’s son Zeng were as close to Kan as their fathers had been to one another. Liang was upright, learned, and outspoken; he despised He Yan and Deng Yang and lampooned them in essays, rising to governor of Henan and minister. 〈The Jin zhugong zan adds: Liang’s son Can, styled Yizu, was a scholar of wide learning who repeatedly served in academic posts and reached ministerial rank.〉 Ba’s younger brother Hui was known as a plain Confucian gentleman. When chaos spread he fled south to Jiao Province. The court summoned him as Minister of Education; he refused to answer. 〈Yuan Hong’s Han ji: Even before the collapse, Huan had sighed, “The Han house is failing; disaster cannot be far off. Once the realm dissolves in war, what refuge could exile possibly offer? If Heaven has not yet abandoned the Way and the people endure through righteousness, only he who is strong and observes ritual propriety may shelter his person, may he not!” Hui answered: “The classic line runs, ‘To grasp the turning point is next to divine wisdom. Read the moment and move—that is how a gentleman wins the great blessing. The tide of Heaven ebbs and flows; the house of Han is finished. Great deeds stir great crises—wise men see that far ahead and know when to vanish from sight. War invites countless enemies from without; I mean to lose myself among coastal hills until the storm passes." When chaos came, every cousin chose his own course.〉 His brother Min was handy with arms and obsessed with waterworks, rising to inspector of dikes and canals.
7
Zhang Fan, styled Gongyi, hailed from Xiuwu in Henei commandery. His grandfather Zhang Xin had been Minister of Education under the Han. His father Zhang Yan had served as grand marshal. Grand Tutor Yuan Kui offered him a daughter in marriage; Fan politely refused. Quiet and devoted to learning, he cared nothing for rank or riches and ignored every appointment. His brother Cheng, styled Gongxian, was likewise celebrated; called up as a man of integrity he became a Gentleman Consultant and then commandant of Yique pass. When Dong Zhuo seized the capital, Cheng wanted to raise men and join the coalition against him. His brother Zhao, a Gentleman Consultant fresh from Chang’an, warned him: “You cannot match Zhuo’s army; a hasty plot backed only by untrained villagers will fail. Zhuo commands troops without moral right—he cannot endure. Pick a patron, bide your time, and strike when fortune turns—that is how you get what you want.” Cheng agreed. He shed his official seals, slipped home by back roads, and joined Fan in flight to the south. Yuan Shu courted him with elaborate courtesy; Fan pleaded illness and Shu did not press the issue. Shu sent Cheng to an audience and asked: “When the Zhou throne faltered, Qi Huan and Jin Wen rose as hegemons; Qin bungled the mandate and Han seized it. I command vast territory and a huge population—why should I not rival Duke Huan or trace the path of the Han founder?” Cheng answered: “Power follows virtue, not manpower. Win the world’s aspirations through moral authority and even a commoner can build a hegemon’s enterprise—that is not difficult. Usurp the throne against the tide and the realm will cast you off—who then can lift you up?” Shu’s face darkened. When Cao Cao prepared to march on Ji Province, Shu tried again: “He means to meet your hundred thousand men with a few thousand battered soldiers—is that not suicidal? What say you?” Cheng said flatly: “Han’s prestige may fade, yet Heaven’s choice stands. Cao Cao holds the emperor—against him even a million spears will break.” Shu flushed with anger; Cheng walked out.
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使 西
After Cao Cao took Ji Province he sent escorts to fetch Zhang Fan. Fan halted at Pengcheng, pleading illness, and sent Cheng ahead; Cao Cao memorialized him as grand counselor of remonstrance. Bandits east of the Taihang seized Fan’s son Ling and Cheng’s son Jian. Fan walked into their camp and bargained for both; they released Ling first. Fan bowed: “You honor me by sending my boy home. Any father loves his sons, but Jian is younger—keep Ling and give me Jian instead.” Touched by his fairness, they freed both children. On Cao Cao’s return from Jing Province he received Fan at Chen, named him a Gentleman Consultant and adviser on army affairs, and treated him with exceptional respect. Whenever Cao Cao marched he left Fan and Bing Yuan with the heir to hold the capital. He told the future Wendi: “Before you act on anything, consult these two. The crown prince treated them with grandsons’ deference. He poured his wealth into charity until his house was bare; widows and orphans everywhere sought him out. He accepted presents but never spent them—when he moved on he sent every gift back. He died in 212 CE, the seventeenth year of the Jian’an era. At the founding of the Wei dukedom Cheng served as army libationer while governing Zhao commandery, and his reforms took deep root. Cao Cao summoned him for the western campaign; he reached Chang’an but died on the road.
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西
Liang Mao, styled Bofang, came from Changyi in Shanyang. He loved books from boyhood and anchored every argument in the canon. Cao Cao hired him as an aide to the minister of works; he topped the rankings and became an attendant censor. Mount Tai swarmed with bandits, so Mao was sent as administrator; within weeks more than a thousand refugee families straggled in, babies bundled on their backs. 〈The Bowu ji explains the “back-bundle”: cloth eight inches wide and a foot long, slung to cradle an infant while walking.〉 He was reassigned as governor of Lelang commandery. Gongsun Du of Liaodong kept him under house arrest and blocked his posting, yet Mao never bent. Du told Mao and his officers: “Cao Cao is far away and Ye lies undefended—I can strike with thirty thousand foot and ten thousand horse. Who will stop me?” The generals all said, "It is so." 〈Pei Songzhi objects: the story has Gongsun Du speak as if Cao Cao were away and Ye weak only after Cao Cao had in fact taken Ye. His footnote continues — 〈in Gongsun Du’s biography〉 — Du died in Jian’an 9, the very year Cao Cao took Ye. Later long campaigns were only the northern drive on Liucheng. By the time of the Liucheng campaign Du had been in the ground for years.〉 Turning to Liang Mao he asked, “And you?” Mao answered: “The realm is tearing apart and the dynasty totters, yet you sit on a hundred thousand men and watch from the sidelines—can any loyal minister behave like that? Cao Cao mourns the empire’s peril and the people’s misery; he leads righteous armies against traitors—his achievements tower and his virtue spans the age. The land has barely quieted and families just begun to settle—that is why he has not yet punished you! Yet you would march west on Ye—your fate will be sealed before noon. Think twice, General." The officers trembled at his rebuke. After a long silence Du admitted, “He speaks truth. Mao was later recalled to govern Wei commandery and Ganling principality, leaving a strong record at every post. While still heir, Wendi chose Mao as chief clerk of the Five Offices command and then raised him to master of the left army. At the founding of Wei he became vice director of the secretariat, later commanding justice and court ritual. When Wendi was crown prince, Mao served again as grand tutor and enjoyed singular esteem. He died in harness. 〈The Yingxiong ji counts him among the “Eight Friends.”〉
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退 使
Guo Yuan, styled Zini, came from Gai county in Le’an. He was a pupil of Zheng Xuan. 〈Zheng Xuan’s supplemental memoir: Before Yuan was famous, Zheng declared, “Guo Zini is brilliant—watch him become a pillar of the state.”〉 Later he fled the fighting with Bing Yuan, Guan Ning, and company to Liaodong. 〈Wang Chen’s Wei Shu: Yuan devoured the classics; on Liaodong’s cliffs he lectured until students flocked and his name spread.〉 Back home he joined Cao Cao’s ministerial staff, spoke bluntly in council, and gave no favors behind closed doors. Cao Cao planned widespread military colonies and put Yuan in charge. He fine-tuned every regulation—surveying soil, settling households, assigning overseers, tying rewards to output—and within five years the bins overflowed while farmers rushed to the fields. During the Guanzhong campaign Cao Cao named him chief clerk of rear headquarters. When Tian Yin and Su Bo rose in Hejian, scores of followers remained liable for execution after the leaders fell. Yuan argued they were not ringleaders and asked to spare them. Cao Cao agreed; more than a thousand men lived because of Yuan’s plea. Victory bulletins usually multiplied kills tenfold; Yuan reported the actual tally. Asked why, Yuan said: “Inflated body counts impress the realm when you fight foreign enemies. Hejian sits inside our borders—these men were fellow subjects in revolt. Victory here brings me no pride.” Delighted, Cao Cao named him governor of Wei commandery.
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使 祿
Someone circulated a slanderous pamphlet; Cao Cao burned to learn who wrote it. Yuan persuaded him to keep the original confidential. The tract quoted Zhang Heng’s Two Capitals rhapsodies, so Yuan told his chief clerk: “We are a large commandery at the capital’s edge, yet scholars are scarce. Round up bright young men and enroll them with tutors.” The Chief Clerk assigned three men; as they were about to depart he introduced them and instructed them that "your studies are not yet advanced—the Rhapsodies on the Two Capitals are works of broad learning; the world neglects them and few have teachers—seek those who can read them and study under them." Privately he explained the real purpose. Within ten days tutors appeared and lessons began. Clerks then had the students draft samples—the script matched the pamphlet exactly. Arrest and interrogation broke the case wide open. He rose to grand coachman of the court. Though he ranked among the Nine Ministers, he dressed like a commoner and ate simply, passing every stipend to kinsmen and old friends; he died as poor as he had lived. 〈Wang Chen’s Wei Shu notes that Cao Cao gave Yuan Tai a place among the Gentlemen.〉
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使 使
Tian Chou, styled Zitai, came from Wuzhong in Right Beiping commandery. He loved books and fencing. In 190 CE coalition forces rose while Dong Zhuo dragged the court west to Chang’an. Governor Liu Yu of Youzhou mourned: “Rebel ministers hold the emperor hostage; the realm reels and no one knows where to stand. I carry the imperial surname—I cannot hide among ordinary folk. I need an envoy who can prove loyalty without losing face—where else will I find such a man?” The assembly answered: “Tian Chou is young, but everyone calls him remarkable. Chou was twenty-two. Liu Yu received him with full honors, delighted in the interview, named him an attendant clerk, and furnished wagons and escort. Before leaving he urged: “The roads are closed and bandits swarm—a titled envoy draws every outlaw’s eye. Let me travel as a private scholar—only reaching Chang’an matters." Liu Yu agreed. He went home and picked twenty armed retainers willing to ride with him. Liu Yu himself hosted the farewell feast and sent him on his way.
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西
〈The Conduct of Former Worthies: Before departure Tian Chou took Liu Yu aside. He warned: “The boy emperor is a pawn and corrupt ministers hold real power; waiting for court approval wastes precious time. Gongsun Zan commands troops and kills without mercy—move against him now or repent later." Liu Yu would not listen.〉 He swung northwest through the passes, skirted the steppe to Shuofang, slipped past patrols, and delivered Liu Yu’s memorial at Chang’an. The court named him commandant of cavalry. He refused the commission while the emperor remained a fugitive—honors felt obscene. The court praised his integrity. All three senior ministries called him; he ignored every summons. He raced home with the emperor’s answer but Liu Yu was already dead at Gongsun Zan’s hands. He rode straight to Liu Yu’s grave, read the imperial rescripts aloud, wept, and left. Gongsun Zan flew into a rage, had Tian Chou seized, and demanded: “Why mourn Liu Yu but hide the emperor’s letter from me?” Tian Chou answered: “The Han totters and loyalty is rare—only Liu Yu kept faith. That document praises virtues you lack—I doubt you wanted to hear it. You slaughtered an innocent patron and brand loyalty as crime—carry on like this and every north-China knight will drown himself before he serves you!” Zan respected the nerve of it and spared him. He kept Tian Chou under military arrest and cut him off from friends. An adviser warned: “Tian Chou is a hero—jailing him after failing to win him will cost you hearts. Zan let him go.
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便 使 使
Free again, he rallied kin and followers, swept earth for an oath, and swore: “Until Liu Yu is avenged I have no place under Heaven!” They withdrew into the Xu Wu range, built a settlement on a sheltered plateau, and farmed to feed their families. Refugees streamed in until more than five thousand households gathered. He told the headmen: “You honor me though I am unworthy and trek here from afar. We have become a town without government—that invites chaos. Choose the worthiest among you to lead." All said: "Good." They elected Tian Chou. He answered: “We did not flee here for comfort—we came to settle scores with Gongsun Zan. Unless we impose order, hotheads will brawl for petty gain and ruin everything. I propose a simple code—will you adopt it?” All said: "It is acceptable." He promulgated twenty-odd statutes covering homicide, theft, and lawsuits—capital crimes for the worst, fines or labor for lesser faults. He added marriage customs, opened schools, and taught the rules until travelers could drop purses untouched. Steppe tribes deferred to him; Wuhuan and Xianbei envoys arrived with gifts, and he kept them from raiding Han settlements. Yuan Shao courted him with repeated missions and even tried to buy him with a general’s seal—Tian Chou refused each time. After Shao died Yuan Shang summoned him again—still no answer.
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忿 使 使 使 洿 退 便 退 使 使
He burned to punish the Wuhuan for slaughtering Youzhou officials but lacked the force. In 207 CE Cao Cao marched against the Wuhuan; before the army arrived he summoned Tian Chou through Tian Yu. Tian Chou told his household to pack at once. His followers protested: “Yuan Shao honored you with five respectful summons and you stayed put; yet one word from Cao Cao sends you scrambling—why?” Smiling, he said: “That is not for you to judge. He rode to camp, took a temporary post in the minister’s household bureau, and briefed Cao Cao. Next morning Cao Cao announced: “Tian Zitai is wasted on clerical duty. He nominated him recommended talent and named him magistrate of Tiao—knowing Tian Chou would not sit a desk, he kept him with the host at Wuzhong. Summer rains turned the coastal flats to mud while tribal pickets held the passes—the army stalled. Cao Cao turned to Tian Chou for another route. He explained: “This coast floods summer and fall—too shallow for boats, too soft for wagons. Old maps show the road from Pinggang through Lulong to Liucheng; It fell into ruin two centuries ago but a hunter’s trace remains. The tribes watch Wuzhong—the dead end we just quit—so they relax. Double back through Lulong Pass, burst onto the plateau behind them, and we could seize Tadun’s head without a pitched battle.” Cao Cao said: “Do it.” They feigned retreat and nailed notices to trees: “Summer mud blocks us—we return in autumn. Tribal scouts mistook the withdrawal for real. Tian Chou guided the column up Xu Wu, through Lulong and Pinggang, over Bailang Mountain within two hundred li of Liucheng before the Wuhuan reacted. The chanyu rode out to fight; Cao Cao shattered the horde and chased them to Liucheng. Back inside the Wall he enfeoffed Tian Chou as a village marquis at five hundred households. 〈The Conduct of Former Worthies carries Grand Progenitor's memorial assessing Chou's merit: "Cultured grace fully prepared, loyalty and martial prowess equally evident, harmonious in soothing subordinates, careful in serving superiors—measuring times and principles, advancing and retreating accord with righteousness. Youzhou had shattered—steppe and Han peoples mingled in flight. Tian Chou led kin into Xu Wu, blocking Lulong pass and guarding southern narrows while farming in quiet until thousands sustained him. When the Yuans dominated the north and allied the Wuhuan, Tian Chou still ignored every summons. When this army camped at Yi, Tian Chou raced in with a strategy worthy of Guangwu’s Yan plan or Xue Gong’s Huainan calculus. Agents waved edicts on the frontier; Han refugees slipped through while Wuhuan morale cracked. The imperial column marched nine hundred li of mountain track behind Tian Chou’s five hundred pioneers until the Wuhuan broke. Chou effective in civil and military affairs—integrity commendable—truly should receive favor and reward—to signal his excellence."〉" Tian Chou refused the fief: he had fled disaster, not sought fortune. Cao Cao understood and did not insist. 〈The Wei Shu carries Grand Progenitor's order: "Formerly Bocheng abandoned his state and the Xia lord did not seize him—the intent was to allow lofty gentlemen and rulers who esteem worthies not to stop at one generation. Hear what Chou insists upon."〉"
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使 使 退 使便 祿 祿祿 使使 使 宿 祿
Liaodong decapitated Yuan Shang and sent his head—ordering that "whoever of the three armies dares weep shall be executed." Tian Chou had once served Yuan Shang’s summons, so he offered incense anyway. Cao Cao looked the other way. 〈Pei Songzhi argues Tian Chou rightly ignored the Yuans as usurpers. Yet he mapped the Lulong raid for Cao Cao. That route drove Yuan Shang to his death—credit Tian Chou. Having branded him traitor, why mourn his skull? If past patronage bound him, he should never have plotted Yuan Shang’s ruin. His mourning contradicted his strategy—superficially like Wang Xiu weeping for Yuan Tan but morally elsewhere.〉 He relocated three hundred kinsmen to Ye. Cao Cao showered him with goods; he passed everything to relatives and friends. Returning from the campaign in Jing Province, Grand Progenitor pursued his thoughts on Chou's merit being especially fine—he regretted earlier having listened to Chou's declination—saying: "This fulfills one man's aspiration yet harms the great institutions of royal law. He reissued the original marquisate. 〈The Conduct of Former Worthies carries Grand Progenitor's order: "Magistrate of Tiao Tian Chou—loftiness of intent and integrity—encountering barbarian turmoil in the commandery—he withdrew into deep mountains—refined learning and tasted the Way—the common people followed him until they formed a city. Even when the Yuans were strongest he spurned their calls. He kept faith through chaos while watching for a legitimate sovereign. Once I held the emperor’s mandate to pacify the north, crush Youzhou, and strike the Hu, I courted him with unusual ceremony. He took office, mapped the mountain tracks, rallied local clans, opened the passes, and supplied guides so Cao Cao caught the tribes flat-footed. Tadun fell at Bailang and the army raced to Liucheng—Tian Chou made that blow possible. After the campaign Cao Cao listed his deeds and offered a village at five hundred households—Tian Chou refused again and again. Three years of honors deferred served his scruples but mocked the law of rewards. Enfeoff him now and spare me the scandal of stinginess.”〉" Tian Chou petitioned in tears and swore he would die before taking the fief. Cao Cao kept pressing appointments; Tian Chou refused every summons. The ministry charged him with obstructing policy—some demanded stripes as well as dismissal. Cao Cao hesitated, unwilling to punish integrity. He polled the court; the crown prince likened Tian Chou to ancient worthies who spurned pay so virtue might shine. Xun Yu and Zhong Yao agreed he should keep his pride. 〈The Wei Shu carries the heir apparent's deliberation: "Formerly Wei Ao fled salary—the transmitted records carry his beauty—in order to stir a muddy age and encourage greedy men—better than those who hold corpse salaries and eat white meals. Such men may seem odd but must not be crushed. Tian Chou belongs in that company. Stripping and scourging him would be wildly disproportionate." Another edict cited Boyi and Shuqi—even Confucius called their stubbornness “seeking humanity. Tian Chou may miss the big political picture—he only wants a clean name. If everyone behaved so, we would live in Mozi’s communal utopia or Laozi’s primordial village. Some wanted the metropolitan commandant to rule on the case." The Wei Shu carries Xun Yu's deliberation, holding that "the way of the gentleman—sometimes emerging sometimes withdrawing—ends in doing good, that is all. Therefore when a common man guards resolve—the sages each complete him accordingly." Zhong Yao held that "Yuan Si declined grain—Confucius did not approve—Zilu refused an ox—this was called stopping goodness—though it can stir the clear and encourage the muddy—it is still not enough to praise much. Chou though does not match great righteousness—there is benefit to the wind of yielding—one should follow the heir apparent's deliberation." Your servant Songzhi investigates the Lüshi chunqiu: "Lu state's law—when Lu people became servants or concubines in feudal states—whoever could ransom them took gold from the treasury. Zigong refused reimbursement—Confucius scolded him. No one would ransom captives again. Zilu pulled a man from the river and accepted the ox offered in thanks. Confucius said, 'The men of Lu will certainly rescue the drowning.'" Pei doubts Zhong Yao’s anecdote matches the Analects.〉 Cao Cao still wanted him titled. Chou was by nature friendly with Xiahou Dun; Grand Progenitor spoke to Dun: "Go for now and persuade him with feeling—follow whatever you yourself say—do not report my intent." Dun stayed overnight as instructed. Tian Chou saw through the ruse and fell silent. At dawn Dun gripped his shoulder: “The Chancellor begs you—will you not bend?” Tian Chou flared: “That goes too far! I am a fugitive whom your lord spared—I owe him my life. Shall I hawk the Lulong secret for a salary? Even if the court forgives me, could I face myself? You know my heart—if you force me, I die here.” He wept before finishing. Dun reported every word. Cao Cao sighed and named him a ceremonial Gentleman Consultant instead. He died at forty-six. His son had predeceased him. Emperor Wen later ennobled Tian Chou’s great-grandson Xu to keep the line alive.
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簿 調
Wang Xiu, styled Shuzhi, came from Yingling in Beihai. His mother died when he was seven. She died on the spring communal festival; the next year’s revels shattered him with grief. Neighbors canceled the festival out of respect. At twenty he studied in Nanyang as a guest of Zhang Feng. When the Zhang household fell ill with no nurse, Xiu nursed them until they recovered. In the 190s Kong Rong made him chief clerk and acting magistrate of Gaomi. The powerful Sun clan harbored armed retainers who broke the law. Robbers fled to the Sun compound and officials dared not enter. Xiu besieged the compound but his men hung back. He threatened his troops: “Hang back and share the bandits’ guilt. The Suns surrendered the fugitives. Local bullies learned to behave. Recommended as filial and honest, he ceded the honor to Bing Yuan; Kong Rong refused. 〈Kong Rong’s letter: “I know Bing Yuan’s excellence. The Eight Paragons eluded Yao yet Shun raised them. Yuan is the sort who never fears obscurity. Save the spotlight for him later!” Xiu protested again; Kong Rong answered: “You have proved incorrupt through every trial. Accept the court rank!”〉" Chaos blocked his journey to the capital. Soon the commandery rose in revolt. When Kong Rong was besieged, Xiu galloped through the night to help. Kong Rong told his staff: “Only Wang Xiu would ride into this trap. Before he finished, Xiu appeared. He was reinstated as chief clerk. With Jiaodong infested by pirates, Kong Rong sent him as magistrate. Gongsha Lu walled his clan and ignored taxes and levies. Xiu rode in with a handful of horsemen and executed Lu’s brothers on the spot. He pacified the rest and piracy ebbed. Whenever Kong Rong faced disaster—even on leave—Xiu came. Kong Rong owed him his life more than once.
18
使 使 滿 滿 使 使
Yuan Tan hired him as administrative aide while Liu Xian maligned him. When Liu Xian faced execution, Xiu saved him. Onlookers admired the grace. Shao named him magistrate of Jimo, then aide to Tan again. After Shao’s death the brothers feuded. When Shang routed Tan, Xiu rallied officials and civilians to the rescue. Tan cried: “Wang Xiu saved my army! In defeat Liu Xun rebelled at Luoyin and cities flipped. Tan groaned: “Has the whole province abandoned me? Xiu answered: “Guan Tong beyond the sea stays loyal. He will come." Ten days later Tong rode in—bandits slaughtered his family—Tan made him governor of Le’an. Tan planned another strike on Shang; Xiu warned: “Brothers who war invite ruin. Tan scowled but recognized his loyalty. Later he asked: “What now? Xiu said: “Brothers are two hands. Cutting off your right arm then boasting of victory—is that sane? Reject kin and you stand alone. Petty men stoke civil war for quick gain—plug your ears. Kill the whisperers, embrace your brother, and you can face the world." Tan ignored him, fought Shang again, and begged Cao Cao for aid. After Cao Cao took Ji Province, Yuan Tan turned on him again. Cao Cao then besieged him at Nanpi. Wang Xiu was hauling grain in Le'an; when he heard Tan was hard pressed he rushed with his command and dozens of clerks to help. At Gaomi he learned Tan was dead. He flung himself from the saddle: “My lord is gone—where can I go?” He begged Cao Cao for Tan’s body for burial. Cao Cao said nothing, testing his resolve. Wang Xiu said: “The Yuans showed me great kindness. Let me bury my lord, then execute me if you will—I will not complain. Cao Cao admired the loyalty and agreed. 〈The Fuzi states: After Grand Progenitor had executed Yuan Tan and displayed his head, an order said: "Whoever dares weep for him will have wife and children executed with him." Wang Xiu and Tian Chou said: “We served him alive—to stay silent now would be cowardly. Cowering to save our skins would disgrace us forever.” They walked to the severed head and wailed until the whole army wept. The provost moved to kill them; Cao Cao said: “These are men of honor. He spared them. Pei Songzhi notes: Tian Chou served Yuan Shang, not Tan—so the story is muddled. The Fuzi conflated two different men.〉 Cao Cao put him in charge of army grain and sent him back to Le’an. When Tan fell every city yielded except Guan Tong in Le’an. Cao Cao wanted Guan Tong’s head; Wang Xiu cut his ropes and sent him in as a loyalist worth sparing. Cao Cao welcomed the gesture and pardoned Guan Tong. The Yuans ruled loosely, so officials grew rich. Cao Cao’s inventory of Ye seized Shen Pei’s hoards by the ten thousand. At Nanpi Wang Xiu’s store held under ten hu of grain and a few hundred scrolls. Cao Cao said: “The great name was earned. He hired him for the minister’s staff, made him director of the mint, then governor of Wei commandery. He crushed magnates, shielded the weak, and kept clear laws—people praised him. 〈Wei lue: as mint director Wang Xiu wrote: “Thorn thickets yield no timbers; trickles never swell to a flood. Seven years in a minor post left his advice ignored—he could not sleep for shame at failing the trust. Why? The load overwhelmed him. I respectfully submit my deliberations as follows." Cao Cao replied at length: “Your virtue fills your home commandery—loyalty and deeds match your fame. I trust you with more than hearsay. History shows salt and iron fill military coffers. When I created the mint I chose you because no one else would do. I reminded you of Efu’s pottery line that founded Chen—and Sang Hongyang rose to the Three Dukes. That was your mandate—some may not grasp why you stayed at the mint. Every promotion list put you first—Yuan Huan’s circle agreed you deserved senior posts. Cao Cao explained he meant the mint as rehearsal for higher command. His sincerity, he said, should reassure Wang Xiu. Wang Xiu should not doubt Cao Cao’s esteem. Gossip might paint the mint as exile rather than preparation. Lesser men promoted ahead would prove poor patronage. He dreaded frog croaks of rumor. If rumor flies, may wise listeners still discern truth; if not, over-explaining hurts nothing. Like Xuandi testing Xiao Wangzhi by sending him to Fengyi. It looked like a lateral move from chief minister. The emperor explained it was a test, not disfavor. Cao Cao compared his intent to Zhongzong’s. You have proved worthy of my hopes. Like Gongsun Wenzi sharing rank with his servant—such honors await.” Soon after Wang Xiu became governor of Wei.〉
19
便 祿
At the founding of Wei he served as palace prefect under the minister of agriculture. Cao Cao debated mutilation laws; Wang Xiu said the times were wrong—Cao Cao agreed. He moved to grand master of ceremonies. When Yan Cai raided the palace side gate with dozens of men, Wang Xiu ran to the gate on foot before his carriage arrived. From the Bronze Bird Terrace Cao Cao said: “That must be Wang Xiu. Zhong Yao protested: “Ministers used to stay at their yamens. Wang Xiu answered: “Their pay buys their peril. Remaining at office though old custom—is not the righteousness of rushing to disaster." He soon died in harness. His son Wang Zhong became governor of Donglai and palace attendant.
20
西 西
He had spotted Gao Rou young and Wang Ji as a boy—both rose high; contemporaries praised his eye for talent. 〈Wang Yin’s Jin shu names his son Wang Yi, styled Zhu biao—grave and upright. When Sima Zhao commanded the east, Wang Yi served as his marshal. At the defeat at Dongguan Wenwang said: "In recent matters—who bears the blame?" Wang Yi said: “The chief of staff. Sima Zhao snarled: “You blame me?” He had Wang Yi executed. His son Wang Bao, styled Weiyuan, formed stern principles in youth—never stepped outside ritual. He stood eight chi four—striking in appearance. Because his father died by violence he refused office for life. He lived by his father’s grave and taught for a living. Morning and night he keened at the grave until he could not breathe. His tears stained the graveyard cypress until its bark darkened. Whenever he read “Alas, my parents” he wept until his collar dripped. Poor, he farmed by mouth and raised silkworms within his means. When pupils secretly harvested grain for him he threw the crop away; after that no one tried. A pupil asked him to write off corvée; Wang Bao refused: “Your scholarship cannot shield you—my virtue cannot shelter you. Moreover I have not grasped the brush for forty years." He shouldered dry rations, his son carried pickled beans, and a thousand students followed him south. The Anqiu magistrate thought Wang Bao came to visit him and waited at the gate in full dress. Wang Bao stopped at the milestone, bowed low, and stood aside. He said only: “I escort a drafted pupil. He clasped the boy’s hand, wept, and left. The magistrate freed every student—the county squirmed with shame. He befriended Guan Yan before anyone noticed him; they betrothed their infants. Guan Yan became colonel of the western Yi. Bao afterward changed by marrying his daughter to another—Yan's younger brother Fu asked Bao—Bao said: "My meager intent having fulfilled its wish—in mountains and marshes I dwell myself—sisters all distant—good and ill fortune cut off—by this I swore myself. Your worthy elder brother's son buried his father in the imperial capital—thereby he is a Luoyang person—how could this be my original intent for contracting marriage?" Guan Fu said: “But his wife is from Qi. She ought to return to Linzi." Wang Bao shot back: “Who buries his father in Henan yet trails a wife to Qi? Given that stance, what wedding vow could stand?” He broke the betrothal. Bing Chun traced his line to Bing Yuan. Young Bing Chun apprenticed himself to hardship, studied away from home, and locals thought him worthy of his forebears. Wang Bao called him vain and shallow—Chun later proved a wanderer without learning, vindicating Bao’s judgment. Wang Bao taught that conduct must aim at virtue—never judge others by your own gifts. He refused every gift. When Luoyang fell and rebels swarmed, kin fled south but Wang Bao stayed by his father’s tomb. The raiders grew until they overran Taishan. He would not abandon home soil and the bandits killed him. (Han Jin chunqiu pairs Wang Bao with Liu Zhao of Jinan—both famed refusers of office. Wang Bao blamed Sima Zhao for his father’s death—never served the Jin and avoided facing west—the emperor’s direction.〉
21
Bing Yuan, styled Genju, came from Zhuxu in Beihai. Like Guan Ning he was famed for integrity and ignored every summons. When the Yellow Turbans rose he fled with kin to Yu Isle. Kong Rong, ruling Beihai, nominated him as a candidate for moral excellence. Because rebels still raged he sailed to Liaodong where he and Liu Zheng of his commandery shared fame for daring. Gongsun Du meant to kill Liu Zheng—seized his family—but Liu escaped. Du announced to the counties: "Whoever dares harbor Zheng shares the same crime." Cornered, Liu fled to Bing Yuan.
22
〈Wei shi chunqiu: Liu said: “A hunted bird dives into your cloak. Bing Yuan answered: “How do you know this chest is safe?”〉 Bing Yuan hid him a month, then passed him to Taishi Ci sailing south. Then he told Du: “You wanted Liu dead because he threatened you. Now Zheng has gone—is not your harm already removed!" Du said: "It is so." Bing Yuan continued: “You feared his wit. He is free—why jail his kin? Release them before hatred deepens." Du freed Liu’s family. Bing Yuan paid their passage home. In Liaodong hundreds of families settled under him; his school never quieted.
23
Back in Han lands Cao Cao hired him for the minister’s staff. When Cao Cao’s son Cao Chong died, he asked to bury him with Bing Yuan’s daughter; Bing Yuan refused: “Joint burial breaches ritual. You employ me because I uphold the classics—do not ask me to break them. If I obey, I am just another timeserver.” Cao Cao dropped the idea and named him chancellor’s investigator. 〈Xian di qiju zhu: in 210 CE two investigator posts were created—Bing Yuan and Wang Lie filled them.〉 Cui Yan memorialized: “Bing Yuan and Zhang Fan are dragon wings for the state. Promote them and petty men flee." He replaced Liang Mao as the heir’s chief clerk and rarely left his house.
24
西 涿 簿 西 宿 使
He died on Cao Cao’s Wu campaign. 〈Yuan bie zhuan: orphaned at eleven in poverty. He wept outside a neighbor’s school. The teacher asked: "Boy—why grieve?" He said: “Orphans bruise easily—the poor feel everything. As for scholars—they surely all have fathers and elder brothers—first I envy them as not orphaned—second I envy them obtaining study—in my heart sad and therefore shedding tears." The teacher wept and said: “Study if you wish! He replied: "I lack funds." The teacher said: "Boy—if you indeed have intent—I as teacher instruct you—not seeking funds." He enrolled. One winter later he knew the Classic of Filial Piety and Analects by heart. Even as a child he seemed extraordinary. As a man his conduct was flawless. He sought Sun Song of Anqiu before roaming. Song declined saying: "Your village worthy Master Zheng—do you know him?" Yuan replied: "Yes." Song said: "Master Zheng's learning surveys ancient and modern—broad hearing strong memory—hooking deep reaching far—truly a model teacher for scholars. Yet you skip him—that is ignoring Confucius’s eastern mound. You seem not to know yet say yes—why?" Bing Yuan answered: “Your lecture is bitter medicine; but you miss my purpose. Some quarry jade on peaks, others pearls in the sea—each trade need not mock the other. You deem my servant takes Zheng as mound east of house—you deem my servant west-house foolish husband?" Sun Song apologized. He added: “I know many scholars in Yan and Yu—none like you; I ought to write letters of introduction for you." Bing Yuan took the letters to be polite. True learning depends on intent, not introductions. Why cart letters? He left them in a drawer and set out. Though once fond of wine he touched none for nine years on the road. He walked to Chenliu to study with Han Zizhu, Yingchuan with Chen Zhonggong, Runan with Fan Mengbo, Zhuo with Lu Zigàn. Friends offered a farewell feast though he abstained from wine. Yuan said: "Originally able to drink wine—but because idle thoughts waste enterprise—therefore cut it off. Now about to part far—because seeing gifts for farewell—may once drink and feast." They drank all day; Bing Yuan never stumbled. He returned Sun Song’s letters unused. The commandery later made him chief clerk. Kong Rong stacked his revenue office with Zheng Xuan, Peng Qiu, and Bing Yuan. Kong Rong doted on a favorite. Later he meant to execute him; every official begged mercy. The man kowtowed bloodily; Kong Rong would not relent. Only Bing Yuan stayed silent. Rong said to Yuan: "All plead—yet why do you alone not?" Bing Yuan said: “You called him your adopted son and promised him promotion. No clerk owed you more—yet now you mean to kill him. Love likens him to a son; hate wants him dead. I cannot tell love from spite. By what do you hate him?" Kong Rong said: “I raised him from nothing; He repaid kindness with treason. Reward good, kill evil—that is rule. Ying Shao once nominated a candidate then executed him within the month. As for lording over people—thick and thin—what constancy is there!" Yuan replied: "Zhongyuan recommended Filially Pious and Incorrupt—killed him—where is the righteousness in that? Such nominees are national jewels. If the nomination was sound, killing him was wrong; if killing him was right, nominating him was wrong. The Odes say: “Those friends failed their troth. —that line exposes Ying Shao’s contradiction. The Analects say: love someone and you want him to thrive—hate him and you want him dead. To promote him then execute him is sheer muddle. Ying Shao’s confusion ran deeper still. What does enlightened prefect take from that?" Kong Rong laughed: “Only teasing! Bing Yuan answered: “A gentleman’s words leave his mouth and bind the people; speech and deed are his pivot. How can there be wishing to kill someone yet treating it as jest?" Kong Rong had no answer. As Han rotted and offices sold for silver, Bing Yuan fled with his kin to Yu Isle. Kong Rong urged him: “You refine yourself and shun dangerous courts. The dynasty staggers west like the Zhou move to Haojing. The court humbly seeks worthies. Every edict pleads for help. Even widows and girls like Tiying rush to save a doomed realm. Genju—take humanity as your burden—pull men from the flood. Will you lounge in safety while the realm burns—is that the gentleman’s way? Genju—Genju—it is time to come!" So Bing Yuan sailed for Liaodong. Tigers plagued Liaodong—yet Bing Yuan’s hamlet never saw one. He tied stray cash to a tree; others piled offerings until the trunk glittered. Villagers mistook it for a sacred tree. He exposed the fraud and pooled the coins for proper village rites. Later he tried to go home and halted at Three Mountains. Kong Rong wrote: “Like exiles yearning for news of home. I hear you have reached Three Mountains. As the Odes sing: “Home from the west—the road seemed endless.” He sends an aide to ask after your voyage—whatever fortune finds you. Warlords still wrestle like chess masters fighting over the king." So Bing Yuan turned back. More than ten years passed before he slipped away. He was days south before Gongsun Du noticed. Du admitted: “Lord Bing is the crane above the clouds—no quail net holds him. I let him go—do not chase." So Bing Yuan escaped. Home again he taught ritual and classics—hundreds enrolled, dozens mastered the Way. Zheng Xuan’s glosses drew every scholar in Qingzhou. Bing Yuan matched him—aloof, precise in word and deed—and heroes flocked. Critics spoke of “the Bing and Zheng schools” in Qingzhou. Cao Cao named him eastern-pavilion libationer. After campaigning against the steppe khans he banqueted Yan scholars at Changguo. Drunk, Cao Cao said: “Every Ye official will ride out to greet me by dawn. Everyone has come except Libationer Bing!" Before he finished, Bing Yuan arrived first. Word came—Cao Cao snatched his sandals and ran: “Sages are unpredictable! I feared you would stay away; by coming from afar and lowering yourself, you truly answer my hungry and empty heart." Hundreds of officers lined up to see him. Cao Cao asked why; Xun Yu said: “Ask Bing Yuan. Grand Progenitor said: "This lord's name weighty—yet also overturns scholar-official hearts?" Xun Yu said: “He is singular—honor him fully. Cao Cao said: “Always my intent. After that Cao Cao esteemed him more. Bing Yuan stayed on sick leave in his lane—avoiding duty and audiences. Zhang Fan of Henei—kindred spirit—became his closest friend. An edict lamented: “Bing Yuan towers above the age yet will not serve me. Hearing Zhang Zi quite wishes to study him—I fear makers thereof rich—followers thereof poor." While the heir filled his salon, Bing Yuan ignored fashion unless duty called. Grand Progenitor subtly sent someone casually ask him—Yuan said: "I have heard state in peril does not serve chief minister—lord departed does not attend heir apparent—this is canonical regulation." So Cao Cao made him chief clerk to the heir: “My son needs discipline—I burden you. Even benefiting him leaves me ashamed." At a banquet the heir asked: “One pill saves one dying man—father or lord? Guests split evenly. Bing Yuan stayed out of the debate. Pressed for an answer he said: “Father. The heir dropped the subject.〉
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鹿辿 鹿 使
Later Zhang Tai of Julu as grand herald and Pang Chan of Fufeng as Henan governor won fame for purity, 〈Jiuzhou ji adds Zhang Pi, styled Shaohu. His grandfather Zhang Tai, styled Boyang, was celebrated in Wei. His father Zhang Miao governed Liaodong. His essay on loving learning appears in Ji Kang’s works. Broad-minded and unreadable as water. He served two courts, took Chengyang, then died before posting.〉 Zhang Ge of Dongjun, grand coachman under Yongning, was famed for plain living. Du Shu wrote: “Zhang Ge looks dull yet embodies harmony with heaven and earth. Such men may never grow rich—what calamity could touch them? The world admires men like him though few match him."
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西 使
Guan Ning, styled You’an, came from Zhuxu in Beihai. 〈The Fuzi traces him to Guan Zhong. When the Tian seized Qi, the Guan clan scattered to Lu and Chu. A Guan Shaoqing settled Zhuxu under Han; nine generations later came Guan Ning.〉 Orphaned at sixteen, he refused kinfolk’s funeral gifts and buried his father with what he could afford. He stood eight chi tall with striking beard and brows. With Hua Xin of Pingyuan and Bing Yuan he studied abroad and revered Chen Zhonggong. When chaos erupted they heard Gongsun Du ruled Liaodong and sailed there with Bing Yuan and Wang Lie. Gongsun Du cleared a guesthouse for them. After the courtesy call Guan Ning built a hut in the hills. Refugees clustered south; Guan Ning camped north to show he would not drift—and disciples followed. When Cao Cao summoned Guan Ning, Gongsun Kang suppressed the edict. 〈The Fuzi: Guan Ning discussed only the canon with Du. Home in the hills he dug a cellar hut. Exiles moored beside him until a town grew in weeks. He taught the classics, staged sacrifices, drilled deportment, and shut his door to casual callers. Du trusted his virtue; commoners copied his manners. Bing Yuan’s blunt criticism unsettled Gongsun Du. Guan Ning warned him: “Hidden dragons stay silent—untimely words invite ruin. He secretly urged Bing Yuan to flee west. Gongsun Kang played king in all but name—yearned to hire Guan Ning as minister yet never dared ask aloud. (Huangfu Mi: at the village well men and women jostled and brawled. Guan Ning bought buckets, left them at the well, and filled them anonymously. Drawers found the filled buckets and guessed Guan Ning’s handiwork—they stopped brawling at the well. When a neighbor’s ox trampled his crop, Guan Ning led it to shade, fed it better than its master. The owner was humiliated as if flogged. Neighbor disputes vanished—courtesy reached even Liaodong.〉
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使 使 駿 使 使 使 使
Wang Lie, styled Yanfang, outranked Bing Yuan and Guan Ning in renown. He refused Du’s chief clerk post and worked as a tradesman to stay obscure. Cao Cao summoned him as investigator—he died en route from Liaodong. 〈The Xianxian xingzhuang: Wang Lie grasped the Way and never bent principle. He studied under Chen Shi and befriended his sons. The Yingchuan luminaries who studied with Chen Shi admired Wang Lie’s stature. His fame spread empire-wide. Virtue won, he went home—then mourned his father three years. In famine he emptied his granary for the hamlet. Kin called him filial; neighbors deferred to him. He founded schools and taught the classics. He taught the Way and steered men toward good. Pupils hardly noticed the change—yet every graduate shone. His students walked so upright that crowds spotted them. The district raced to outdo one another in virtue. When a cattle thief was caught, The thief said: "I stumbled into error—from now on I shall reform. Since you have already pardoned me—pray do not let Wang Lie hear of it." When Wang Lie heard, he sent the thief a bolt of cloth. Someone asked: "This man was a thief—he feared you would hear—yet you give him cloth—why?" Lie said: "Formerly Duke Mu of Qin—someone stole his fine horse and ate it—and he gifted wine. Those thieves later died saving Mu. Shame proves a conscience. Knowing shame of evil—then a good heart will arise—therefore I give cloth to encourage good." Later a stranger hauled an old man’s load for miles and vanished without giving his name. The same elder dropped a sword. A passerby guarded the blade rather than pocket it. At dusk the owner found the same helper. The old father grasped his sleeve and asked: "You formerly carried for me yet I learned no name—now you guard my sword on the road—none so benevolent as you—please tell me your name—I shall report it to Wang Lie." The man whispered his name and fled. Wang Lie marveled: “I never met such goodness. An inquiry proved he was the cattle thief. Wang Lie sighed: “Music moves gods—men can change too! He ordered a plaque hung on the man’s gate. Litigants settled out of court rather than trouble Wang Lie. Liaodong’s rulers drove to his cottage for advice. He refused every capital summons. He fled Zhuo to Liaodong, farmed among commoners, and stayed content. Eastern Liaodong treated him like a prince. Faction politics poisoned everyone who could judge. Exiles usually died—Wang Lie did not. Under his moral sway the strong spared the weak and markets stayed honest. Cao Cao called repeatedly; Liaodong stalled. He died in 218 CE at seventy-eight.〉
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使 退 穿
From Huangchu through Qinglong the court sent oxen and wine each autumn. An edict asked Qingzhou Inspector Cheng Xi: "Is Ning guarding integrity out of loftiness—or truly old, sick, and exhausted?" Xi memorialized: "Ning has a clansman Guan Gong who serves as state clerk—living adjacent to Ning—your servant often sent him to gather news. Guan Gong described Guan Ning’s dress and steady gait. At ancestral rites he still dons his Liaodong robe and completes every bow. For the mother he never knew he pours an extra cup and weeps. His hut stands near a stream; he still bathes and gardens in summer. Cheng Xi argued Guan Ning declined from modest old age, not posturing. This is Ning's intent and conduct—what he desires he must complete—not for guarding loftiness." 〈Huangfu Mi: Guan Ning sat fifty years on one couch—knees wore holes in the wood.〉
29
In 241 Tao Qiuyi, Meng Guan, Sun Yong, and Wang Ji jointly memorialized for Guan Ning:
30
耀
They opened: worthies wait for the right sovereign. They cited omens from Zhou and Han. They praised Guan Ning’s cosmic virtue. They listed his mastery of Daoism and the classics. They recalled the Zhongping turmoil. He fled thirty years in Liaodong. There he hid like the Book of Changes counsels—teaching even barbarians.
31
祿
In 223 Wendi summoned him via Hua Xin. Illness waylaid him—court named him grand counsellor. Mingdi raised him to minister of the imperial household. Sickness kept him from duties. Now eighty and recovered, he remains vigorous. He lives in a lane on gruel yet stays cheerful. Hardship only polished his integrity. Heaven meant him to serve Wei. The realm waits for him to fill high office. They cited Shang Gaozong and Zhou Wen seeking ministers. Earlier memorials praised him—delay dishonors precedent. Your majesty inherits the mandate. Your virtue surpasses the Duke of Zhou. You consult tutors with every edict. Continue Wendi and Mingdi’s guest ritual.
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Guan Ning has no peer. No hermit rivaled Guan Ning. Summon him with full honors to tutor the throne. If he insists on life like the sages of Ji Mountain, the court still shines like Yao and Shun. 〈The Jinwen Shangshu says "promote worthies and display experience"—meaning to display what they experienced in trial. Zuo Si's Wei du fu says: "promote worthies manifests in displayed experience."〉 Serve or retreat—both orders the age.
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駿
The court sent the full carriage-and-jade summons. Guan Ning died at eighty-four before the escort arrived. His son Guan Miao became gentleman and academician. Earlier Ning's wife had died first—friends knowing the story urged him to remarry—Ning said: "Whenever I reflect on Zengzi and Wang Jun's words—my heart always praises them—how could I encounter this myself yet violate my original heart?" 〈The Fuzi notes his Treatise on Surnames against fraudulent genealogies. He split his last grain with needy kin and neighbors. To sons he preached filial piety; to younger brothers, fraternity; to officials, loyalty. He looked stern afar, gentle up close—every pupil bent toward good. All China mourned Guan Ning—friend or stranger. Such was the power of his purity.〉
34
Zhang Qian and Hu Zhao
35
鹿 簿 西 ·
Zhang Qian of Julu (styled Ziming) and Hu Zhao of Yingchuan (styled Kongming) likewise refused office. Zhang Qian studied at the imperial academy, mastering classics and technical lore, then went home. He ignored Yuan Shao’s repeated summons and moved to Shangdang. Gao Gan nominated him for Leping magistrate; he fled to Changshan with hundreds of pupils, then to Ren county. He ignored Cao Cao’s summons as chancellor. Taihe edicts sought miracle-working hermits; the county nominated Zhang Qian but age and illness blocked travel. Lu Yu’s clerks wanted to pay Zhang Qian a formal visit. Yu instructed saying: "Mr Zhang—what men call one who above does not serve the Son of Heaven—below does not befriend feudal lords. How could visiting-cards brighten him!" Send only letters and modest gifts. Qinglong fourth year xinhai edict: "In Zhangye commandery the Dark River overflowed surging—waves rose fiercely—precious stone bore chart—shape like spirit tortoise—dwelling west of the river—towering like massive pillar—plain substance plain pattern—unicorn phoenix dragon horse—brilliantly formed—written characters proclaiming mandate—radiantly manifest. Director of Astronomy Gao Tanglong memorialized: ancient sage emperors never received such—it is truly Wei's auspicious mandate—the eastern hall's treasure of the age." 〈The Shangshu Gu ming chapter states: "Great jade, barbarian jade, celestial sphere, River Chart lie in the eastern hall. Commentary states: "River Chart—the chart emerging from the river—what sage emperors receive."〉 The edict circulated empire-wide. Magistrate of Ren Yu Chuo repeatedly carried it to ask Qian—Qian secretly said to Chuo: "As for spirit—it knows what comes—it does not chase what has passed—auspicious signs appear first—then rise and fall follow. Han is gone and Wei holds power—why parade omens of mandate? This stone marks today’s prodigy and the coming auspicious sign." In 240 a hoopoe nested in Zhang Qian’s doorway. Qian told disciples: "The hoopoe is a yang bird—yet it nests in gate shade—this is ill omen." He sang, wrote two poems, and died ten days later at one hundred and five. That year Administrator of Guangping Wang Su arrived at office—instructed the counties saying: "Formerly in the capital I heard of Zhang Ziming—coming here I asked—happened that he had already died—I extended deep regret. He studied in seclusion and found joy in the Way. Like Zhao Meng honoring Jiang’s elder, honor worthies and lords unite. Pity his aged diligence loving the Way—yet not receiving glory and favor—when the letter arrives—dispatch clerks to console his household—mark his gate prominently—strive to add exceptional marks—to console the past—to encourage the future."
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調 簿 祿 宿
Hu Zhao fled to Ji, refused Yuan Shao, then slipped home. Cao Cao summoned him repeatedly. Hu Zhao answered the summons but begged off as useless to state affairs. Cao Cao said: “Each man has his path—I will not force you. Hu Zhao retired to Luhun, farmed, and read. Neighbors revered him. 〈Huangfu Mi: Sima Yi knew Hu Zhao before power. When neighbors plotted against Sima Yi, Hu Zhao crossed mountain passes to stop them. Tears and earnest pleas turned the plotters. They cut a jujube tree as covenant. Hu Zhao never told Sima Yi what he had done. His integrity was locally famous. When Ma Chao’s revolt drove refugees into the hills, Hu Zhao mediated feuds until calm returned. No raider touched his valley for three hundred li.〉 In 218 Luhun district was ordered to ship corvée labor to Hanzhong. People dreaded the long march. Sun Lang killed the registrar and sacked the town. Magistrate Gu rallied survivors at Hu Zhao’s camp and rebuilt the district. Sun Lang then joined Guan Yu. Yu conferred seals and issued troops—returned as bandit raiders—reached south of Luhun at Changle pavilion—mutually swore an oath saying: "Layman Hu is a worthy—none may violate his tribal settlement." The whole basin slept safely thanks to him. When peace returned he moved to Yiyang. 〈Du Shu visited Hu Zhao’s hut and admired his discourse. He refused Grand Commandant Jiang Ji.〉 During Zhengshi, Zhao Yan, Huang Xiu, Guo Yi, Xun Yi, Zhong Yu, Yu Yi, 〈Pei notes: Yu Yi, styled Shaoran, from Yingchuan. His son Yu Yun rose in Jin. Brother Yu Dun was grand counsellor. The Yu clan flourished. Their descendants filled Jin offices down to the present.〉 He Zhen of Hongnong and others 〈Wenshi zhuan: He Zhen, styled Yuanqian, from Lujiang. He served Youzhou, justice, then Jin ministries. Son He Kan became a general; He Xu, general of chariots; He Yun, governor of Yu; The rest rose high. He Chong descended from this line.〉 In turn recommended Zhao saying: "Heavenly truth high and pure—old yet more devoted. He rivals Boyi and the Four Elders. Ought receive summons with exception—to encourage customs." 〈War delayed Hu Zhao’s summons. Later Xun Yi and Huang Xiu renewed the plea; the court polled his county. Attendant Wei Dan refuted saying: "Courtesy toward worthies and summoned gentlemen—is what royal governance esteems—in ancient times conduct was examined in the village. High ministers can vouch for him. Flattery of inferiors is unworthy. Yet Hu Zhao’s long-standing virtue and venerable age, withdrawn in the mountains and forests, truly deserve exceptional honor." The court adopted Wei Dan’s view.〉 In 250 the court summoned him—he died at eighty-nine first. Son Hu Zuan became a gentleman.
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西 使 使 使 使
Hu Zhao ranked with Zhong Yao and Handan Chun in calligraphy. 〈Fu Xuan says Hu Zhao loved everyone, even slaves. Outwardly ordinary, inwardly pure—no prince could break him—still reading at eighty. The narrative turns to Jiao Xian of Hedong. (Wei lue: Jiao Xian, styled Xiaoran. At Zhongping’s end the White Wave rebels rose. Jiao Xian, twenty, fled with Hou Wuyang. They fled east to Yangzhou where Hou married. Returning west, Hou registered at Dayang while Jiao stayed in Shan. By 211 Guanzhong exploded. Jiao Xian lost his family and lived naked on a river bar. Magistrate Zhu Nan thought him a deserter. Wuyang told the county: "This is only a mad deranged man! So they listed him as such. The county gave five sheng of grain daily. During plague the county used him for burials; boys mocked him. He walked only ridge paths—never shortcuts; when gleaning he left the largest heads; he starved and froze rather than steal—wore grass and went barefoot. He hid from women on the road. He built a tiny hovel and swept it clean. A plank bed and straw mat. In winter he huddled by a fire, muttering alone. When hunger drove him he day-labored for meals alone—never kept pay. On the road he dove into ditches whenever anyone approached. Some asked his reason—he constantly said "a man of straw huts—with foxes and hares in one herd." He refused idle chatter. Once he refused to ford a stream alone—folk wondered if he was sane after all. New prefect Jia Mu made a point of visiting his shack. Jiao Xian bowed twice. Jia Mu spoke; Xian stayed mute. Offered food; he refused. Jia Mu said: “The court made me your magistrate—you ignore my food and words—I cannot serve you—I will leave. Xian whispered: “Can that be true? Then fell silent again. The next year Wei launched the Wu campaign. Someone secretly asked Xian: "Now attacking Wu—how will it go?" He chanted nonsense: “Blunt snouts, blunt snouts—neither fish nor flesh—chasing in circles—were we meant to slaughter the Wu ewe or the Wei kid?” Nobody understood the riddle. After the defeat listeners decided “ewe” meant Wu and “kid” meant Wei—and hailed him a prophet. Dong Jing admired him and spied on his hut. Xian stroked his beard and cried: “Brother Xian—long time! Remember the White Wave days?” Xian stared through him. Jing always knew he formerly received Wuyang's kindness—therefore again said: "Remember Wuyang—do you not?" Xian muttered: “Paid that debt. Further questions met silence. He died the next year at eighty-nine. (Huangfu Mi: no one knew Jiao Xian’s origins. Some say he left Shan for Dayang alone. Han’s fall sealed his lips. After Wei took the mandate he built a grass hut on the river. He slept naked on earth year-round—black with grime. He ate when he earned a meal—never took charity. He avoided shortcuts and women’s eyes. He never spoke—even in crisis. He refused food gifts. Du Shu brought clothes; Xian stayed mute. Sima Shi sent Dong Jing to observe; Xian still would not talk. A wildfire destroyed his hut—he slept under sky. He lay naked in blizzard—seemed dead yet unharmed. He died past one hundred. Someone asked Huangfu Mi: "What sort of man was Jiao Xian?" Mi answered: “Beyond my ken. Yet tables sketch his type. Men chase flavor, clothes, houses, talk, and kin. Jiao Xian shed every human tie and merged with the Way. Since legendary times none matched him. Huangfu Mi piles paradox on paradox—cold cannot hurt him, exile cannot scare him. Since Fuxi—only one person!" The Wei shi chunqiu states: former Inspector of Liangzhou Geng Fu took Xian as "transcendent"—Beihai Fu Xuan called him "nature same as birds and beasts"—both composed biographies—yet none could fathom him.〉
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宿 宿 宿
〈Wei lue adds Hu Lei and “Cold Poverty.” Hu Lei, styled Bozhong, from Jingzhao. In Chuping a Shandong man called Master Green Ox (styled Zhengfang) lived in Sanfu. He knew astrology, wind lore, and bird omens. He lived on herbs. He looked sixty yet people swore he was a century old. Hu Lei studied under Green Ox in middle age. He had a barren wife. In 211 he fled to Hanzhong with Green Ox. When Hanzhong fell, Green Ox went to Shu; Hu Lei trekked to Ye and lost his wife to plague. By 220 he lived in Luoyang and never remarried. He slept in a tile pen by the road. Days he meditated; nights he read stars and esoteric texts. Questions met silence. In Jiaping he looked fifty though eighty. The county gave five sheng daily. He moonlighted when rations ran out—still refused handouts. He wore rags and died of illness soon after. “Cold Poverty” was born Shi Delin of Anding. Early Jian’an he lived in Sanfu. He studied with the famous Luan Wenbo. He turned to esoteric Daoism and fell silent. In 211 he fled south to Hanzhong. He owned nothing—chanted Laozi and inner scriptures. After 220 he wandered back to Chang’an—dementia silenced him. He wore ragged stitched robes in every season. He looked frail and blind. He lived alone in a hovel—no kin. He refused charity. The county ration failed—he begged sparingly. People asked his surname and name—mouth unwilling to speak—therefore on account of this was titled "Cold Poverty." Old friends still drew bows from him—proving sense lingered. Guo Huai shouted questions—no answer. Guo Huai offered clothes and food—he took one strip of jerky and one sheng of grain. Pei Songzhi cites Wei lue on snail huts for Jiao Xian and Yang Pei. “Gua” should read “wo” (snail), meaning spiral shells—folk call them “yellow calves.” Their round huts looked like snail shells. Zhuangzi states: "There is a state on the snail's left horn called Chu Clan—there is a state on the right horn called Man Clan—they constantly dispute territory and war—corpses lie in myriads—pursuing north fifteen days then return. That is the image.〉
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Evaluative note
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退
The historian praises Yuan Huan, Bing Yuan, and Zhang Fan for walking purity and timing every step. 〈Pei Songzhi winces at the phrase “tread purity tread.”〉 They rank with Gong Yu and the Gongs of Han. Liang Mao and Guo Yuan follow. Zhang Cheng stood worthily in his brother’s shadow. Tian Chou’s resolve and Wang Xiu’s loyalty set the tone. Guan Ning towered immovable. Zhang Qian and Hu Zhao shut the world out—so they close the chapter.
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