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卷十二 魏書十二 崔毛徐何邢鮑司馬傳

Volume 12: Book of Wei 12: Biographies of Cui, Mao, Xu, He, Xing, and Sima

Chapter 12 of 三國志 · Records of the Three Kingdoms
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Chapter 12
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1
西
Cui Yan, courtesy name Jigui, came from Dongwucheng in Qinghe. As a young man he was unassuming and taciturn; he delighted in swordplay and leaned toward military affairs. When he was twenty-three, his district made him village head; that finally roused him to discipline himself, and he took up the Analects and Han Ying's exposition of the Songs. At twenty-nine he formed a party with Gongsun Fang and others and went to study under Zheng Xuan. He had not yet studied a full year when Xu Province's Yellow Turbans stormed Beihai; Zheng Xuan led his students to take refuge on Mount Buqi. Grain ran short in the county market; Zheng Xuan released his pupils and sent them home. Yan had been dismissed to leave, but robbers filled the roads and the western route was impassable. So he wandered along the frontiers of Qing, Xu, Yan, and Yu, traveled east to Shouchun, and looked south toward the great river and the lakes. Four years passed before he came home, finding solace in his qin and his texts.
2
The general-in-chief Yuan Shao, hearing of him, offered him appointment. At the time, the soldiers were violent and lawless and dug open grave mounds. Yan remonstrated, saying, "Formerly Xun Qing said: 'If soldiers are not trained beforehand and weapons are not sharp, even Tang and Wu could not win in battle. Now bones lie exposed along the roads, and the people have not yet seen virtue. You should order the commanderies and counties to cover the skeletons and bury the corpses, showing sorrowful compassion and following the benevolence of King Wen." Yuan Shao made him a colonel of cavalry. Later, when Yuan Shao trained his army at Liyang and camped at Yanjin, Yan again remonstrated, saying, "The Son of Heaven is at Xu, and the people's hopes support obedience. It would be better to guard your borders and fulfill your office, thereby pacifying the realm." Yuan Shao refused to heed him and was routed at Guandu. After Yuan Shao's death his sons turned on each other, both eager to secure Yan's service. He claimed illness and stubbornly refused; they took offense, threw him into jail, and he was spared only because Yin Kui and Chen Lin intervened.
3
When the Grand Progenitor defeated the Yuan clan, took charge as governor of Ji Province, and summoned Yan as aide-de-camp to the provincial governor, he said to Yan, "Yesterday I examined the household registers: we can raise three hundred thousand troops, so this truly is a great province." Yan answered, "Now the realm has split and collapsed, and the nine provinces are torn apart; the two Yuan brothers have taken up arms against each other as close kin, and the common people of Ji lie as exposed bones in the fields. We have not heard that the royal army first sends forth a reputation for benevolence, preserves and inquires after local customs, and rescues the people from misery; instead, counting armor and weapons is made the first concern. Is this what the men and women of this humble province expect from you, enlightened lord!" Cao Cao's manner altered and he apologized. Every guest at the gathering went pale with terror.
4
When Grand Progenitor campaigned against Bing Province, he left Yan at Ye to tutor Emperor Wen. The heir still rode out to hunt, changing dress and horses, absorbed in the chase. Cui Yan drafted a memorial of remonstrance that opened:
5
The canon warns against compulsive hunting; the Spring and Autumn ridiculed Duke Yin for watching fishermen—the standards of the Documents and the Annals alike condemn such distraction. Shang mirrored Xia's fall; the Songs urge lessons drawn from near precedent; the Rites forbid festivity on ill-omened days—recent examples demand sober reflection. House Yuan was wealthy and its heir permissive; hunting and pleasure ran to excess and moral renown vanished. Gentlemen of judgment quietly resolved to slip away; bold fighters became prey all the same—so even with hosts beyond count and dominion north of the river, they could not stand secure. Today the state is exhausted and healing grace has not spread; the people crane their necks, thirsting for moral leadership. You yourself bear the hardships of campaign; the heir should tread the straight path, govern his conduct with care, ponder policies that secure the realm, learn from nearby warnings and reveal steadfast virtue abroad, reflect deeply on his role as crown prince—and guard his own life as the dynasty's chief asset. Instead he affects common huntsmen's dress, races through dangerous ground, cares more for bagging game than for the altars of soil and grain—no wonder those with sense are wounded. I beg the heir to destroy those hunting blinds and abandon his riding coat to answer public hopes and spare this old minister Heaven's reproach.
6
使
The heir apparent replied, "Yesterday I received your excellent instruction, and you kindly showed me your refined points. You wished me to burn the hunting screens and discard the pleated jacket; the screens have already been destroyed, and the jacket has also been put away. If there are later matters of this kind, may I again receive your instruction."
7
西 访 婿
After Cao Cao took the chancellorship, Yan again held appointments in the eastern and western bureau staffs as investigating clerk. When he was first appointed to the Eastern Bureau, the order said, "You have the manner of Bo Yi and the uprightness of Shi Yu; greedy men admire your reputation and become pure, and strong men esteem your name and are sharpened. This is enough to guide the age. Therefore I appoint you to the eastern bureau; go and tread your office." When Wei was first founded he became minister of the masters of writing. The crown prince was still unsettled; Marquis Zhi of Linzi was gifted and the king's favorite. Cao Cao wavered and circulated a sealed inquiry beyond the palace. Only Yan answered in an open memorial, saying, "I have heard that the meaning of the Spring and Autumn is to establish the son by seniority. Moreover, the General of the Five Offices is humane, filial, intelligent, and enlightened, and should inherit the legitimate line. I, Yan, will guard this to the death." Zhi was married to Yan's niece. Cao Cao honored his impartial candor and drew a long sigh. 〈Shiyu notes that Cao Zhi's wife wore forbidden embroidery; when Cao Cao sighted her from a tower he judged it contrary to his orders, sent her home, and commanded her death.〉 He rose to commandant of the capital.
8
姿 鹿 使 宿 使 忿使
His voice rang clear and his bearing was imposing; his features were open and serene and his beard four chi long—awesome in presence. Officials revered him, and Cao Cao too stood in respectful awe. 〈Xianxian xingzhuang records him as upright, loyal, and lucid, with far-reaching scholarship; he upheld rectitude and wore severity in audience. Early in Wei he held the power to rank officials and for over a decade guided elite opinion. Many whom he singled out among civil and military talent rose to office. The court praised his standards and the realm called it even-handed.〉 Yang Xun of Julu lacked brilliance but was honest and principled; Yan recommended him and Cao Cao duly summoned him. Later, after Cao Cao became king of Wei, Xun published a memorial extolling his campaigns and virtues. Onlookers sneered at Xun's opportunistic praise and judged Yan's recommendation a mistake. Yan followed Xun, took the draft memorial, looked at it, and wrote to Xun, saying, "I have examined the memorial; the matter is good! The times, the times; surely there will be a time of change." His point was to ridicule critics who carped without weighing circumstance. Someone reported that this letter of Yan's showed contempt for the age and resentful slander; the Grand Progenitor angrily said, "The proverb runs 'It is only a girl'—'only' is no kindly word." There will surely come a time when things change"—the meaning points to disobedience.'" Yan was reduced to penal labor; watchers reported that his tone and bearing never broke. The Grand Progenitor issued an order: "Though Yan has suffered punishment, he still receives guests; his gate is like a marketplace. Facing visitors, he strokes his curled beard and stares straight ahead as if harboring resentment." Yan was compelled to take his own life. 〈Weilüe adds that someone picked up Yan's letter, wrapped it around a turban frame, and carried it through the capital. A longtime enemy spotted Yan's signature on that wrapping, inspected it, and denounced him. Cao Cao decided Yan brooded treasonous resentment, jailed him, shaved his head for crime, and sentenced him to convict labor. The earlier informer denounced him again, saying, "As a convict Yan strokes his beard and stares—his heart seems discontent." Cao Cao agreed and resolved to execute him. He therefore sent a senior clerk of integrity to sound Yan out, instructing the clerk, "Within three days bring me word." Yan missed the hint; days later the officer falsely reported him calm. The lord said in wrath, "Does Cui Yan mean to force me to wield the headsman's blade!" The clerk relayed this instruction to Yan; Yan thanked the clerk, saying, "I truly ought not to have done so—I did not realize his intent ran so deep!" He then committed suicide.〉
9
涿 鹿 忿 访 使 便 使 使
At first Yan was friendly with Sima Lang; when Prince Xuan of Jin was still vigorous, Yan said to Lang, "Your younger brother is intelligent, trustworthy, resolute, and outstanding—probably beyond what you can match." 〈Your servant Songzhi observes: "Zhì' may also be written 'te'; privately I consider 'yingte' correct."〉 Lang disagreed, but Yan never abandoned that verdict. Yan's younger cousin Lin had no reputation in youth; even his marriage kin mostly slighted him, but Yan often said, "This is what they call a great vessel completed late—ultimately he will go far." When Sun Li of Zhuo Commandery and Lu Yu first entered the army headquarters, Yan again identified them, saying, "Sun is open, bright, fiery, and stern—firm and spare, able to decide; Lu is clear, vigilant, and understands principle—tempered a hundred times without wearing away. Both are talents fit for public service." All three eventually rose to chief ministerial posts. After friends Gongsun Fang and Song Jie died young, he raised their orphans as his own. His eye for character and loyal generosity ran along these lines. 〈Weilüe records that under Mingdi, Cui Lin debated Ji talent with Chen Qun and placed Yan at the top. Qun discounted him with "wisdom did not preserve his person." Lin said, "A great man may meet misfortune by chance—yet people like you, are you truly so admirable!" Earlier, Grand Progenitor was by nature suspicious. Among those he could not tolerate was Kong Rong of Lu; Rong's courtesy name was Wenju. The Xu Han shu says: Rong was a twentieth-generation descendant of Confucius. His great-great-grandfather Shang was governor of Julu. His father Zhou was commandant of Taishan. From childhood, Rong had extraordinary talent. At the time Li Ying, intendant of Henan, had a great reputation and ordered his gatekeepers to screen visiting guests; unless they were eminent worthies of the age or descendants of families with long-standing ties, he would not see them. When Rong was a little over ten, he wished to see what sort of man Li Ying was, so he went to Ying's gate and told the gatekeeper, "I am a descendant of a family with long-standing ties to Lord Li." Ying saw Rong and asked, "Did your honored fathers and grandfathers ever associate with me?" Rong said, "They did. My former lord Confucius and your ancestor Lord Lao Li were alike in virtue and comparable in righteousness, and served as teacher and friend to each other; therefore your family and mine have had ties for generations." Everyone seated there found this remarkable, and all said, "He is an extraordinary child." Grand Master for Palace Leisure Chen Wei arrived later, and those seated there told him about it. Wei said, "Someone clever as a child is not necessarily remarkable when grown." Rong answered, "If it is as you say, then when you were young, surely you must have been truly wise!" Ying laughed loudly, turned to him, and said, "When you grow up, honored sir, you will certainly become a great vessel." Zhang Jian of Shanyang, acting as impartial arbiter, had incurred the hatred of the regular palace attendant Hou Lan, so Lan had a written order issued to the provinces and commanderies for Jian's arrest. Jian had an old relationship with Rong's elder brother Bao, and when he fled he went to Bao. He happened to find Bao away; Rong was sixteen at the time, and Jian, because Rong was young, did not tell him. Rong knew Jian was an elder and saw his distressed expression, so he said to him, "Am I alone unable to be a host for you?" He therefore kept Jian in the house and hid him. Later the matter leaked out, and the chancellor and his subordinates secretly came to surround and arrest them. Jian escaped, and they immediately seized Rong and Bao and sent them to prison. Rong said, "The one who received and sheltered him in the house was I, Rong; I should sit for the crime." Bao said, "He came seeking me. The cause of the crime lies with me; it is not my younger brother's fault. I should be held responsible." The brothers competed to accept death; the commandery and county were uncertain and could not decide, so they submitted the case for review. The imperial edict ordered Bao to be held responsible. Because of this, Rong's name shook places near and far. Together with Taoqiu Hong of Pingyuan and Bian Rang of Chenliu, he was regarded as an outstanding talent and the foremost figure of the younger generation. In sustaining arguments and ordering principles, Rong did not match Rang and the others, but in unrestrained talent and breadth of learning he surpassed them. The Minister over the Masses and the Grand General summoned and recommended him in the highest grade, and he was repeatedly promoted to Central Inspector of the Northern Army, Gentleman General of the Tiger Guard, and Chancellor of Beihai. He was twenty-eight at the time. In the aftermath of the Yellow Turbans' devastation, he repaired cities and settlements, honored learning, established village and district academies, raised up worthies and talents, and gave prominence to Confucian scholars. He made Peng Qiu an upright man, Bing Yuan a man of the Way, and Wang Xiu a filial and incorrupt candidate. He notified Gaomi County to establish a special township for Zheng Xuan, named Zheng-gong Township. Also, when people of the kingdom without descendants, or traveling scholars from the four quarters, died, he provided coffins and buried them all. The commandery man Zhen Ziran was known for filial conduct but died early; Rong regretted not having known him and therefore ordered that he share offerings at the county altar. Such was the way he honored worthies. After he had been in the commandery for six years, Liu Bei memorialized for Rong to hold the office of inspector of Qing Province. In the first year of Jian'an, he was summoned back as grand artisan and then promoted to chamberlain for revenues. Whenever there was court assembly, consultation, and response, he became the chief voice in debate; the various ministers and grandees merely lent their names. Sima Biao's Jiuzhou chunqiu says: when Rong was in Beihai, he considered his wisdom and abilities superior and abundant, his overflowing talent destined for the age; none of the heroes of the time could match him. He also credited himself with great ambition and wished to raise an army, display armor, seek merit with assembled worthies, and plant his own foundations between the sea and Mount Dai; he would not be mediocre like an ordinary commandery governor, merely serving provincial chiefs and attending scheduled meetings. Yet those he employed were chosen for novelty and strangeness, and all were frivolous and nimble talents. As for scholars who examined antiquity, he gave them misplaced reverence; although his courtesy toward them was complete, he did not discuss affairs of state with them. Toward Zheng Xuan of Gaomi, he called him Lord Zheng and performed the rites of a son or grandson. When he spoke loftily and issued instructions and orders, these filled the offices; their wording and tone were warm and elegant, worthy of admiration and recitation. But when matters were discussed and tested against reality, they could hardly all be put into practice. He could only spread and stretch the nets; his own ordering was very loose. When taxes and levies were slightly delayed, he killed five district inspectors in a single morning. Treacherous people and corrupt officials brought disorder to court and market, and he also could not govern them. When elite troops from You Province mutinied, reached Xu Province, and suddenly arrived below the city walls, the whole kingdom was afraid. Rong went straight out and persuaded them, causing them to have no contrary intentions. He then plotted with another colonel to overturn the You men at night; the You army was defeated, and Rong took all their troops. Before long, they rebelled and fled again. When the Yellow Turbans were about to arrive, Rong drank heavily of strong wine, personally mounted his horse, and opposed them on the bank of the Lai River. The bandits ordered their upper division to confront Rong, while their two wings crossed directly through the water and went straight to his administrative city. The city collapsed, and Rong could not enter it; he turned to Nan County, and those around him gradually rebelled. After successive years of collapse, nothing was saved, and so he could not preserve and defend the four borders; he abandoned the commandery and left. Later he moved to Xu Province; as Chancellor of Beihai, he returned on his own authority to hold the office of Inspector of Qing Province and governed on the northern frontier of the commandery. He wished to attach himself to Shandong, connect outwardly with Liaodong, obtain the advantage of horses and arms, establish a foundation, and stand alone in one corner rather than join with others. At that time Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and Gongsun Zan were linked head and tail with one another; Rong's fighting men numbered fewer than several hundred, and his grain did not reach ten thousand hu. Wang Zifa and Liu Kongci were fierce, argumentative minor talents, and he trusted them as intimates. Zuo Chengzu and Liu Yixun were pure and refined men, but they merely filled seats at his side; people said these were men of public standing and could not be lost. Chengzu urged Rong to entrust himself to a strong state; Rong did not listen and killed him. Yixun abandoned him and left. He was then attacked by Yuan Tan. From spring to summer, the city was small and the attackers numerous, and stray arrows fell like rain. Yet Rong leaned on his armrest and sat calmly, reading books and discussing matters as before. When the city broke and his people fled, he himself fled to Shandong, and his household was captured by Tan. Zhang Fan's Han ji says: Rong was in the commandery for eight years and escaped only with his own person. When the emperor first made his capital at Xu, Rong believed it was appropriate to follow the old system in outline, fix the royal domain, and make the territory administered by the Metropolitan Commandant a thousand-li enclosure; he then led the dukes and ministers in submitting a letter explaining the principle. At this time all under Heaven was only beginning to be organized, and the power of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao had not yet been decided; Rong's proposal showed no understanding of the practical needs of the moment. Moreover, he was by nature frank in temperament, often pressed the views he had held all his life, and treated the Grand Progenitor with familiarity and contempt. The Grand Progenitor imposed a prohibition on wine, and Rong wrote to mock him, saying, "In Heaven there is the star of the Wine Banner; on earth there is the commandery of Wine Spring; among men there is the virtue of fine wine. Therefore, if Yao had not drunk a thousand zhong, he would have had no way to complete his sagehood. Moreover, Jie and Zhou lost their states through sex, yet the present order does not prohibit marriage." Grand Progenitor was outwardly tolerant, but inwardly he could not be at peace. Censor-in-chief Xi Lu understood his intent and removed Rong from office by law. After more than a year, Rong was appointed grand master for palace leisure. Although he lived at home after losing power, guests filled his gate every day. He loved talent and delighted in wine, and often sighed, "If the guests at my table are always many and the wine in the cups is never empty, I have no worries." There was a Tiger Guard soldier whose appearance resembled Cai Yong; whenever Rong was merry with wine, he would draw him in to sit with him and say, "Although there is no mature elder, there is still the model form." Such was his fondness for gentlemen. The Xu Han shu says: Grand Commandant Yang Biao was connected by marriage with Yuan Shu. When Shu usurped the title, the Grand Progenitor had a grudge against Biao and therefore arrested him, intending to kill him. Rong heard of this and, not taking time to put on court dress, went to see the Grand Progenitor and said, "Lord Yang has had pure virtue for successive generations and four leaves of repeated radiance. The Documents of Zhou says, 'Fathers and sons, elder and younger brothers: guilt does not reach one another.' How much less should this be so for the crime of the Yuan clan?" The Changes says, 'Accumulated goodness leaves surplus blessings.' Is this merely deceiving people?" Grand Progenitor said, "It is the intention of the state." Rong said, "Suppose King Cheng had wished to kill the Duke of Shao; could the Duke of Zhou have said that he did not know? The reason why the capped and sashed gentlemen under Heaven look up to Your Enlightened Lordship is that Your Enlightened Lordship is perceptive, humane, and wise, assists the Han court, raises the straight and sets aside the crooked, and brings the world to harmony and brightness. Now if you recklessly kill the innocent, among all within the seas who sees and hears of it and will not fall apart? I, Kong Rong, am a man of Lu; tomorrow I will lift my robes and leave, and will not come to court again." Grand Progenitor's intent relaxed, and he accordingly reviewed the case and released Biao. The Wei shi chunqiu says: when Yuan Shao was defeated, Rong wrote to the Grand Progenitor, saying, "When King Wu attacked Zhou, he bestowed Daji on the Duke of Zhou." Grand Progenitor considered Rong learned and broad, and thought this was recorded in the documents and commentaries. Later, when he saw Rong, he asked him about it. Rong replied, "Judging from the present, I imagined that it must have been so!" In the thirteenth year, Rong spoke words of ridicule and slander while responding to Sun Quan's envoy, and for this crime he was executed in the marketplace. His two sons were eight years old. At the time they were playing chess; when Rong was arrested, they remained seated upright and did not rise. Those nearby said, "Your father is being arrested; why do you not rise?" The two sons said, "How could there be a nest destroyed and the eggs not broken!" They were then both killed. Rong had a lofty reputation and pure talent, and many in the age pitied him. The Grand Progenitor feared criticism from near and far and therefore issued an order, saying, "Grand Master for Palace Leisure Kong Rong has already confessed his crime, yet people of the age often adopt his empty reputation and are poor at examining the facts. Seeing Rong's superficial brilliance and his fondness for strange novelties, they are dazzled by his deception and no longer examine how he disordered custom. A man of this province says that Mi Heng of Pingyuan received and transmitted Rong's argument, holding that parents have no kinship with a person, but are like a vessel for salted fish in which one is temporarily contained; he also said that if famine were encountered and one's father were unworthy, one should rather support and keep alive someone else. Rong violated Heaven and rebelled against the Way, ruined the relationships and disordered principle. Though he was displayed in the marketplace and court, I still regret that it came late. Again list this matter above and proclaim it to the generals, colonels, assistants, and staff of the armies, making all hear and see it." The Shiyu says: Rong's two sons were both at the age of shedding milk teeth. When Rong was arrested, he looked back and said to his two sons, "Why do you not take leave?" The two sons both said, "When Father is already like this, what further leave-taking is there!" They thought that they would certainly all die together. Your servant Songzhi believes: the Shiyu says that Rong's two sons did not take leave and knew they would certainly die together; this can still be considered somewhat reasonable. As for Sun Sheng's account, truly I do not understand it. If eight-year-old children could deeply understand disaster and fortune, with intelligence especially penetrating and distinction already far-reaching, then their feelings of grief and joy ought to have surpassed those of adults; how could they see their father arrested and yet never change expression, not rise from playing chess, and seem to be wholly at leisure? Formerly, when Shensheng went to his death, his words did not forget his father; because he himself was about to die, he did not abandon the feeling of thinking of his father. When his father was safe, he was still like this; how much more in distress and danger? For Sheng to take this as a fine tale, is this not to injure those men's sons? It was probably because his fondness for the strange was excessive, and he did not know that his words injured principle.
10
使 鸿
Xu You of Nanyang— 〈Weilüe states that Xu You, courtesy Ziyuan, was friendly in youth with Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. During Chuping he attended Yuan Shao in Ji and joined council discussions. At Guandu he urged Yuan Shao not to strike Cao Cao; the detail appears in Yuan Shao's memoir. Yuan Shao, confident in his strength, meant to push every military advantage. Seeing counsel was useless, Xu You defected to Cao Cao. When Yuan Shao broke and fled and Ji Province later fell, Xu You earned credit. You relied on his merit and often bantered with the Grand Progenitor; whenever he was at a banquet he failed to restrain himself and even called the Grand Progenitor by his childhood name, saying, "Without me you would not have gotten Ji Province." The Grand Progenitor laughed and said, "What you say is right." Yet inwardly he bore a grudge. Later, accompanying him on an outing through the east gate of Ye, he turned to those at his side and said, "This fellow—without me he could not pass in and out this gate." An informer repeated it and he was arrested.〉 Lou Gui—both died because they presumed on old acquaintance and showed disrespect. 〈Weilüe states that Lou Gui, courtesy Zibo, had known Cao Cao since youth. In the Chuping years Lou Gui raised a band along Jing Province's northern frontier, then presented himself to Cao Cao. Cao Cao named him a senior general yet withheld battlefield command, keeping him instead at council tables for strategy. After the Hebei plain was subdued, he followed Cao Cao into Ji Province. Later Cao Cao rode out with his sons for pleasure, and Lou Zibo went along. Zibo turned to those beside him and said, "This father and sons—what pleasure they take today." An informer repeated the remark; Cao Cao read it as veiled disloyalty and had him arrested. The Wu shu says Lou Zibo burned with martial ambition from youth and once sighed, "A real man living in the world should one day have tens of thousands of soldiers and a thousand horsemen at his back!" His peers mocked him for it. He later faced execution for sheltering outlaws, broke jail under pursuit, disguised himself as a manhunter, and slipped away unseen. As loyalist forces rose empire-wide, he raised troops of his own and threw in with Liu Biao. He eventually entered Cao Cao's service and sat in on the gravest civil and military decisions. After Liu Biao's death Cao Cao advanced on Jing Province. Liu Cong came out with the imperial baton to surrender; the commanders smelled a trap, so Cao Cao sought Lou Zibo's reading. Zibo said, "The realm is in turmoil; each lord craves royal mandate to bolster himself—now they deliver the tally; this must be utmost sincerity." Lord Cao said, 'Excellent." He pushed the army forward on that advice. He showered honors on Zibo until his household accumulated a thousand in gold, saying, "Lou Zibo is as rich and merry as I—only his power cannot match mine!" Lou Zibo's contributions stood highest in the victory over Ma Chao and company. Lord Cao often sighed, "In Zibo's stratagems I cannot match him." Later, riding in the same carriage with Xi Shou of Nan Commandery, seeing Lord Cao emerge, Shou said, "Father and sons like this—how exhilarating!" Zibo said, "Living in the world, should one achieve greatness oneself or merely watch others do it!" Xi Shou reported the remark, and Lou Zibo was put to death. Yu Huan said: an ancient had a saying: "For one who catches a bird, it is one mesh of the net; yet if one spreads a net of one mesh, in the end he will not catch a bird. A bird cannot be without one mesh, and one mesh cannot get the bird. Reasoning from this, although the rise of Great Wei had meritorious ministers, it was not necessarily unrelated to the dependent support of men of this sort."〉 It was Cui Yan whom contemporaries mourned most; posterity still calls his fate unjust. 〈《Shiyu》 names Yan's grandnephew Liang, style Shiwen, celebrated for austerity, who rose under Jin to minister of the masters of writing and grand herald. Xun Chuo's 《Ji Province gazetteer》 identifies Liang as Yan's grandson.〉
11
Mao Jie, courtesy Xiaoxian, came from Pingqiu in Chenliu commandery. As a young clerk he earned a reputation for honest impartiality. Bound for Jing Province to escape chaos, he turned aside to Luyang on hearing Liu Biao ruled weakly. Cao Cao recruited him as administrative adviser when he entered Yan Province. Mao Jie said to the Grand Progenitor, "Now the realm is divided and collapsing, the ruler has moved from place to place, the living people have abandoned their work, famine has sent them wandering, the public treasury has no stores for a full year, and the common people have no settled resolve. It will be hard to hold out long. Now Yuan Shao and Liu Biao, though their armies and people are strong, both have no long-term plans and have not established a foundation. Armies fighting for righteousness prevail, and wealth preserves position. You should uphold the Son of Heaven in order to command those who refuse submission, restore plowing and planting, and store military supplies. If you do this, the enterprise of hegemon and king can be completed." Cao Cao adopted the advice and moved him onto headquarters staff as merit assessor.
12
使 西 西
Under Cao Cao as minister of works and chancellor, Mao Jie served in the eastern bureau alongside Cui Yan, both directing personnel selection. His nominees were consistently honest; flashy reputations without moral root never passed his gate. His personal austerity set the tone until officials empire-wide prized integrity and even favorites kept coaches and robes within statute. The Grand Progenitor sighed, "Employ men thus—let the realm govern itself—what further need have I!" While still heir as general of the five offices, Cao Pi went in person to ask Mao Jie to advance a favorite connection. Jie replied, "This old minister has luckily escaped blame by keeping to his duty; the man you speak of is not due for promotion, so I dare not obey." After the host returned to Ye, ministers debated which bureaus to consolidate. Because Mao Jie would grant no private hearings, rivals feared him and pushed to dissolve the eastern bureau. They jointly reported: "Formerly the western bureau ranked first, the eastern second—we ought to abolish the eastern." The Grand Progenitor knew their motive and ordered, "The sun rises in the east, the moon waxes in the east; when ordinary people speak of directions, they also begin with east. Why abolish the Eastern Bureau?" He abolished the western bureau instead.
13
When the Grand Progenitor first pacified Liucheng and distributed captured goods, he specially gave Jie plain screens and a plain armrest, saying, "You have the manner of antiquity; therefore I grant you the furnishings of antiquity." Though powerful, he dressed as a commoner, ate plainly, raised his widowed brother's son devotedly, and funneled stipends to needy kin until nothing stayed at home. He rose to right army adviser. Wei established him as vice director of the masters of writing with renewed charge over promotions. 〈《Conduct of earlier worthies》 calls him magnanimous, candid, and scrupulous in every post. Over selections he favored substance over show, humility over swagger, and struck at cliques. County heads who enriched themselves without benefiting the people lost rank for years. The empire snapped to attention; everyone tightened discipline. District chiefs coming off assignment arrived unwashed in rags, often aboard hay carts. Military clerks entered yamen in court robes but on foot. Citizens aspired to the spotless courtesy of a roadside meal; families cultivated the 《Songs》 ideal of clean motives—nobles shed greed, commoners shunned graft; purity flowed down from the clerks and manners followed; posterity still applauds it.〉 At the time, the heir apparent had not yet been settled, and the Marquis of Linzi, Cao Zhi, was favored. Mao Jie secretly remonstrated, saying, "Recently Yuan Shao, because he did not distinguish the legitimate heir from collateral sons, overturned his clan and destroyed his state. Deposing and establishing heirs is a great matter, and not something that should be heard of." Later, at a gathering of officials, Jie rose to change garments; the Grand Progenitor pointed with his eyes and said, "This is what antiquity calls the state's upright official—my Zhou Chang."
14
使
Mao Jie nursed resentment after Cui Yan's death. Later someone accused Jie: "When he went out, he saw tattoo-faced rebels whose wives and children had been confiscated as government slaves; Jie said, 'Those who make Heaven withhold rain are surely such as these.'" Enraged, Cao Cao jailed him. Court inspector Zhong Yao interrogated him:
15
Since high antiquity sage kings punished kin along with the culprit. The Documents says, "If the left does not attend to the left, or the right does not attend to the right, I will execute you together with your wives and children." The office of minister of crime assigns men to criminal servitude and women to pounding grain." Han law likewise branded traitors' families and bound them as government slaves. Facial branding rested on precedent honored since antiquity. Keeping branded bondsmen honors both mercy toward the innocent and acknowledgment of inherited guilt. How could such policy insult Heaven enough to stop the rains? The counsels link harsh rule with chill and lax rule with drought—blazing yang follows loosened discipline. Did Mao Jie intend laxity or severity? If severity, skies should weep—why this sun-scorch instead? Even Cheng Tang's reign knew barren fields; King Xuan faced the scourge of drought-fiends. Thirty years of drought cannot hinge on branded servants alone. Wei invaded Xing and rain followed without proven guilt—what cosmic verdict is that? Mao Jie's barbs reached the streets and echoed to the throne. Zhong Yao demanded how many branded faces Mao Jie could have seen if he spoke aloud. Did he recognize those bondsmen? How did he encounter them to sigh in their presence? Who overheard him? What answer came back? Which day? Where? Expose everything now—no evasions.
16
Mao Jie replied:
17
He cited Xiao Wangzhi driven to hang by Shi Xian; Jia Yi banished on Zhou Bo and Guan Ying's malice; Bai Qi forced to die at Duyou; Chao Cuo cut down at the eastern market; Wu Zixu executed at Wu—each victim undone by jealousy fore or aft. He himself had risen since boyhood through diligence beside the throne, where intrigue never sleeps. Private spite stalked him endlessly; every whisper of injustice reached his desk. Law blocks greed, yet influence still twists justice. Slanderous flies buzzed because rivals wielded leverage, not truth. He recalled how Zhao Dun judged Wang Shu and Chen Sheng's feud. The 《Spring and Autumn Annals》 celebrated how justice sorted crooked from straight once the covenant tablet surfaced. He insisted he had neither invented the tale nor lacked corroboration. Anyone repeating his defense must produce evidence. He asked for the sort of hearing Zhao Dun gave Wang Shu against Chen Sheng. If he stood convicted of distortion, let execution parallel the tribute of gentle carriage horses. When the blade came, treat it as the bounty owed a vindicated minister. Here ends his sworn reply.
18
Huan Jie and He Qia intervened on Mao Jie's behalf. Mao Jie was spared removal and died in retirement. 〈Sun Sheng remarks that Cao Cao forfeited sound justice at that moment. The Changes praises "clearly deciding the many lawsuits"; the Tradition records "raising the straight and setting aside the crooked." When lawsuits are clear, the state has no resentful people; when crooked and straight are properly judged, none of the people refuse submission. Never has listening to the buzzing of blue flies or trusting soaking slander been enough to bring orderly rule within the four seas and pure, continuing radiance. Liu Bang jailed Xiao He yet restored him; one Mao Jie indictment meant exile forever—what a gulf between those rulers!〉 Cao Cao sent burial goods and appointed Mao Ji as court gentleman.
19
西 西西 西 使
Xu Yi, courtesy Jicai, hailed from Dongguan. Seeking refuge east of the river, he received Sun Ce's courteous summons. He assumed an alias, traveled incognito, and slipped back to his native district. Cao Cao as minister of works enlisted him for staff duty on the western campaign against Ma Chao. After Ma Chao's defeat the host marched home. Newly pacified Guanzhong still trembled; Xu Yi stayed as chief clerk to steady the western metropolis, where men hailed his commanding integrity. He rotated to Yong governor, then back to the eastern bureau staff. Court favorites Ding Yi schemed against him, but Xu Yi never bent. 〈Wei shu records: Someone said to Yi, "Between Shi Yu's bluntness and Qu Boyu's wisdom—which excels? Ding Yi is rising to power—you ought to consider how to humble yourself before him." Yi said, "Given the lord's enlightened sagacity, how could Yi practice deception! Moreover crafty ministers serving the lord—those I know how to resist; you had better advise me on something else." Fu Xuan's Fu zi adds that Cao Cao was extraordinarily clear-sighted. Cui Yan and Xu Yi epitomized loyal candor at court. Ding Yi's intrigues cost Xu Yi his post and Cui Yan his life.〉 He became prefect of Wei commandery. When the Grand Progenitor campaigned against Sun Quan, he transferred him to Chief Clerk of the Rear Headquarters and told Yi, "Your loyalty and brightness surpass the ancients, yet you are slightly too severe. Long ago Ximen Bao wore soft leather to moderate himself—one who can govern hardness with softness is what is hoped from you. Now that you oversee rear headquarters affairs, this solitary one has no further worry about returning." Under Wei he rose through minister of personnel to director of the masters of writing.
20
使 退
During the Hanzhong expedition Wei Feng's plot demoted capital commandant Yang Jun. The Grand Progenitor sighed, "Feng dared cherish rebellion because among my talon-and-fang ministers none blocked treachery or forestalled plots. How can I obtain someone like Zhuge Feng to replace Jun!" Huan Jie said, "Xu Yi is the man.'" The Grand Progenitor therefore made Yi Commandant of the Capital, issuing a handwritten order: "Ancient Chu had Ziyu, and Duke Wen sat sideways for fear of him; Ji An held court—Huainan therefore broke its plots. The Songs calls "the state's straight judge"—does it mean you!" Within months grave illness forced retirement as grandee remonstrant; he soon died. 〈Wei shu notes Cao Pi always mourned Xu Yi's example at council. Childless, Xu Yi passed succession to clansman Xu Tong by imperial order.〉
21
殿
He Kui, courtesy Shulong, came from Yangxia in Chen commandery. His great-grandfather He Xi reached chariot-and-cavalry general under Emperor An. 〈Huaxian's Han shu describes Xi as ambitious and broad-minded from youth. Eight chi five in height with a commanding physique and faultless deportment. As filial-incorrupt nominee he became palace usher whose resonant announcements shook the hall. Emperor He of Han (a manuscript note reads jia 'fine,' likely corrupt for jia 'praised') commended him; he rose through metropolitan commandant to minister of agriculture. Yongchu 3 saw the southern Shanyu and Wuhuan revolt; Xi led them as acting chariot-and-cavalry general with repeated success. The Wuhuan capitulated and the Shanyu renewed vassalage. Xi died abruptly of sickness.〉 Orphaned young, He Kui lived with mother and brother, famed for filial devotion. He stood eight chi three with austere, imposing looks. 〈Wei shu adds that when eunuchs purged the court, He's uncle-in-law Heng landed on the blacklist and kin could not serve. Kui sighed, "Heaven and earth are shut—the worthy hide." Hence he ignored ministerial appointments.〉 He escaped chaos into Huainan. Yuan Shu reaching Shouchun pressed him to serve; though He Kui refused, Shu kept him captive. Eventually Yuan Shu and Qiao Rui invested Qiyang, which held firm for Cao Cao. Shu meant to exploit He's local ties to talk the city down. Kui told Shu's strategist Li Ye, "Long ago, when Liuxiahui heard of a plot to attack another state, his expression grew anxious and he said, 'I have heard that attacking another state is not discussed with humane men—why should those words reach me!'" He vanished into the Qian Mountains. Shu saw He Kui would never obey and dropped the demand. Family ties through Shan's prefect—He's aunt—shielded him despite Shu's hatred.
22
使
Jian'an 2 he slipped homeward by back roads before Yuan Shu's pursuit caught him; next year he arrived safe. Cao Cao soon recruited him for ministerial staff. When rumor claimed Yuan Shu's camp collapsed, Cao Cao queried He Kui: "Do you deem it credible?" Kui replied, "What Heaven aids follows order; what men aid follows trustworthiness. Shu lacks substance of trustworthiness or compliance yet hopes for aid from Heaven and men—by this he cannot realize ambition under Heaven. When a lord loses the Way even kin rebel—how much more those at his side! Judging by what Kui sees, turmoil is certain." Cao Cao replied: "When a state loses worthies it perishes. You were not employed by Shu; turmoil—is it not fitting!" Cao Cao beat clerks freely for bureaucratic slips. He Kui carried poison vowing suicide before flogging—so blows never touched him. 〈Sun Sheng opens by noting ritual loyalty breeds harmony between ruler and minister. Ducal aides should be elite talent—right picks strengthen policy, wrong picks spill the cauldron. Faults warrant dismissal or stripes. To add flogging penalties as petty warning—is this what is meant by "lead them with virtue, align them with ritual'!" Still, entrants must weigh a lord's virtue before serving. Uncertain candidates should scrutinize every step. The truly high-minded soar beyond royal harness or bronze insignia. Others brave office knowing shame may come—Jizi bore kin punishment, Liuxiahui suffered triple exile, Xiao He and Zhou Bo wore chains—all bowed to sovereign duty. Sun Sheng faults He Kui for accepting rank yet brandishing poison to blackmail his ruler against minor humiliation. The Songs says "only this narrow heart'—does it fit He Kui!" Banishment would be fair. Absolving him was mistaken.〉 He became magistrate of Chengfu county. 〈Wei shu notes turmoil rippled through the southeast after Liu Bei's revolt. Cao Cao posted Chen Qun at Zan and He Kui at Chengfu, staffing counties with reputable scholars until order returned.〉
23
广 广 使 广 使
He rose to governor of Changguang commandery. Coastal Changguang still swarmed with Turbans and defectors whom Yuan Tan tried to co-opt. County leader Guan Cheng commanded three thousand families in raids. Advisers urged a punitive expedition. Kui said, "Cheng and the rest were not born delighting in turmoil; they became habituated to chaos and cannot return by themselves. The instruction of virtue has not reached them, and therefore they do not know to turn toward goodness. Now if troops press them urgently they will fear extermination and surely unite their strength to fight. They will not be easy to overcome by attack, and even if we are victorious, officials and commoners will surely be harmed. It would be better to instruct them gradually with kindness, allowing them to repent on their own; then they can be settled without troubling the army." He dispatched Huang Zhen with terms; Guan Cheng's band submitted. He detailed Cheng Hong as colonel while county aides rode out with cattle and wine to escort the column to headquarters. Another coastal chieftain, Cong Qian, led thousands; He Kui joined Zhang Liao's column to crush them. Wang Ying of Dongmou rallied three thousand families and bullied Changyang into revolt. He Kui gave Wang Qin plans to split and dissolve the band. Inside a month quiet returned.
24
Cao Cao rolled out fresh legal codes and silk levies across the provinces. He Kui argued the new prefecture needed breathing room after war and petitioned for gradual enforcement.
25
使
The populace remained thinly accustomed to order after long wandering. The edicts aimed to unify behavior through clear penalties. Six counties still hollow from famine might resist blanket statutes. Mass executions for minor breaches would betray adaptive governance. Ancient kings graded tribute by distance and matched punishments to chaos; He Kui asked leeway for remote Changguang until routine returned. After three calm harvests, strict codes could apply everywhere.
26
广
Cao Cao approved. Recall brought him onto the chancellor's military council. Pirate Guo Zu terrorized Le'an and Jinan until regional offices groaned. He Kui's Changguang prestige won him the Le'an governorship. Within months every citadel submitted.
27
He joined the eastern bureau under the chancellor. He Kui advised Cao Cao:
28
使 使 怀 宿
Wartime staffing bred cliques that ignored virtue. Merit-based ranks teach the people to cherish character. Service-based pay teaches them to strive. Nominees should win village scrutiny so seniority and merit stay aligned. Open rewards for candor and penalties for hollow fame would separate wheat from chaff. False sponsors should face statutory blame. Courtiers who co-nominate must answer for their picks. Such rules would test integrity upstairs, choke patronage downstairs, and steady the realm. Grand Progenitor praised this as good. After the Wei state was established, He Kui was appointed vice director of the Secretariat. The Wei shu says: at the time, Ding Yi and his brothers were just then advancing in favor, and Yi did not get along with Kui. Secretariat official Fu Xun said to Kui, "Yi's dislike of you has become extreme. Your friend Mao Jie and his companions have already been harmed by Yi. You should lower yourself to him a little!" Kui said, "Doing unrighteousness only suffices to harm oneself; how can it harm others? Besides, if one cherishes a treacherous and flattering heart while standing in an enlightened court, how can it last long!" Kui never bent his resolve, and later Yi indeed fell through vicious falsehood. When Emperor Wen was heir apparent, Liang Mao was made Grand Tutor and Kui Junior Tutor; by special order, the two tutors and the Eastern Bureau of the Secretariat together selected officials and staff for the heir apparent and the princes. When Mao died, Kui replaced Mao. On the first day of each month, the Grand Tutor entered to see the heir apparent, and the heir apparent put on formal ritual robes and treated him with ceremony; on other days there was no audience ceremony. When Kui was promoted to Grand Coachman, the heir apparent wished to bid him farewell and had the supplies prepared the night before, but Kui had no intention of going; the heir then wrote to invite him, but Kui held that the state had fixed regulations, and so did not go. Such was the way he walked in rectitude. Yet in an age that valued frugality, he was the most extravagant and wasteful. When Emperor Wen ascended the throne, Kui was enfeoffed as Marquis of Chengyang Pavilion, with a fief of three hundred households. When he became ill, he repeatedly begged to yield his position. The edict replied, "To honor worthies and be close to old associates is the constant duty of emperors and kings. As an old associate, you have the merit of assistance and support; as a worthy, you have the excellence of pure solidity. One who has hidden virtue must have manifest recompense. Now although your illness has not yet healed, the spirits have heard it. You should remain at ease, in accordance with my will." When he died, his posthumous title was Marquis Jing.
29
He Zeng, his heir.
30
使簿 使
He Zeng inherited the line and rose to steward of education under Jin. 〈Gan Bao's Jin annals gives his style as Yingkao. During Zhengyuan he served as metropolitan commandant. Wuqiu Jian's granddaughter, married into the Liu house while pregnant, sat in ministerial custody. Her mother Xun, reprieved through Xun Yi, pleaded to enter penal service to save the girl. Zeng ordered chief clerk Cheng Xian to draft an opinion; the opinion stated: "Great Wei inherits Qin and Han abuses without yet reforming institutions. Therefore pursuing execution even on daughters already married away truly intends to exterminate ugly kinds. If they have already borne children then they become mothers of other houses. As prevention, this does not suffice to punish the source of treason; in sentiment, it wounds the thoughts of filial sons. Men do not bear guilt in other lineages, while women alone suffer execution in two households; this is not the way to pity weak women or balance the great divisions of law. Your servant thinks daughters still in the chamber may follow parents' punishment; wives already capped at marriage should follow husbands' households in execution." The throne codified his distinction. The Jin praise of ministers calls him refined and dutiful, ending as grand tutor and Langling duke. He died past eighty with posthumous name Yuan. Son He Shao inherited. He Shao, style Jingzu, combined erudition with statesmanlike bearing. He too became grand tutor as Lord Kang posthumously. Son He Rui succeeded him. Concubine-born elder brother He Zun, style Sizu, was an able administrator. He rose through honorific posts to minister of coaches. He Zun's son He Sui, style Bowei, earned repute as a troubleshooter. Under Yongjia he directed the masters of writing until Sima Yue executed him. The Fu zi praises Zeng together with Xun Yi: Who serves kin with King Wen"s path—the lord of Yingchang He? Or the lord Xun! Antiquity sang Zeng and Min; today one names Xun and He. Within they exhaust heart to serve kin; without they honor yielding ritual to receive all under Heaven. Filial sons are ancestors for a hundred generations; humane men are commanders for all under Heaven. Those able to practice humane filial ways are gentlemen's standards."
31
Xing Yong, courtesy Ziang, hailed from Mo county in Hejian. He refused filial-incorrupt nomination and ministerial summons alike. Assuming an alias, he fled to Right Beiping and studied under Tian Chou. Five years later Cao Cao conquered Ji Province. Yong said to Chou: "The Yellow Turbans arose over twenty years ago; within the seas cauldron boils; commoners drift and wander. Now I hear Lord Cao's commands and statutes are strict. The people weary of chaos; chaos pushed to the limit turns to peace. I ask to take my body first." He journeyed home. Tian Chou said: Xing Yong is the people"s early awakener." Tian Chou then sought Cao Cao out as guide against Liucheng.
32
广 殿
The Grand Progenitor summoned Yong as aide in Ji Province; people of the time styled him: "Magnificent in virtue—Xing Ziang." Made Guangzong magistrate, he resigned mourning a former patron's death. Responsible offices impeached him; the Grand Progenitor said: "Yong is earnest toward old lords—he possesses consistency of principle." He forbade prosecution. Rehired under the ministry, he governed Xingtang, pushing silk and grain until custom flourished. He rose to gate superintendent then left assistant governor of the capital before illness struck. At this time the Grand Progenitor's sons were carefully selecting officials for their staffs; an order said, "The household clerks of marquises should be men of deep law and measure, like Xing Yong and his peers." Thus Xing Yong became Cao Zhi's majordomo. Ritual discipline estranged him from the free-spirited prince. Secondary Son Liu Zhen wrote to remonstrate with Zhi: "Household Steward Xing Yong is a paragon of the northern land; from youth he has held lofty principles, is quiet and detached, speaks little yet has much sense—a true refined gentleman. Zhen truly does not suffice to share rank with this man, standing side by side at left and right. Yet Zhen receives extraordinarily special treatment, while Yong, on the contrary, is kept distant and treated plainly. I privately fear observers will say that my lord is accustomed to drawing near the unworthy and is insufficient in honoring worthies—plucking the Secondary Son's spring blossoms while forgetting the Household Steward's autumn fruit. It invites slander above—the fault is not small—therefore I toss uneasily." Xing Yong later served on military council and eastern bureau. While succession hung open, Ding Yi boosted Cao Zhi. The Grand Progenitor asked Yong; Yong answered: "Using the lesser branch to replace the trunk is warning from former ages. I pray Your Highness reverently examine deeply!" Cao Cao heard him and later named him tutor to the crown prince, then senior tutor.
33
寿 使
When Emperor Wen ascended the throne, Xing Yong became Palace Attendant and Vice Director of the Secretariat, was granted the rank of Marquis within the Passes, went out as Metropolitan Commandant, and was transferred to Minister of Ceremonies. He died Huangchu 4. Son Xing You inherited. 〈The Jin praise mentions descendant Xing Qiao, style Zengbo. Renowned poise and competence. He served in honorific posts. Yuankang saw him personnel clerk with Liu Huan, later metropolitan commandant.〉 Bao Xun, courtesy name Shuye, was from Pingyang in Taishan and was a ninth-generation descendant of Bao Xuan, metropolitan commandant under Han. Among Xuan's later descendants, some moved from Shangdang to Taishan, and so the family settled there. Xun's father Xin served as commandant of cavalry under Emperor Ling, and Grand General He Jin sent him east to recruit troops. Later he became chancellor of Jibei, joined in planning with Grand Progenitor, and met death in person. The matter is recorded in the "Biography of Dong Zhuo" and the "Annals of Emperor Wu." The Wei shu says: Xin's father Dan held office as Chamberlain for Revenues and Palace Attendant, and for generations the family was distinguished for cultivated refinement. From youth Xin had great integrity; he was generous, loved others, was calm and resolute, and had strategic judgment. Grand General He Jin summoned and appointed him Commandant of Cavalry, then sent him home to recruit troops; he obtained more than a thousand men, but when he returned as far as Chenggao, Jin had already been killed. When Xin reached the capital, Dong Zhuo had also just arrived. Xin knew Zhuo would surely cause disorder and urged Yuan Shao to attack him, but Shao feared Zhuo and did not dare move. The matter is recorded in the "Biography of Shao." Xin then led his army back to his home district and gathered twenty thousand followers, seven hundred cavalry, and more than five thousand baggage wagons. That year, Grand Progenitor first raised troops at Jiwu, and Xin and his younger brother Tao responded to him with their troops. Grand Progenitor and Yuan Shao memorialized that Xin should act as general who breaks the caitiffs, and Tao as assistant general. At the time Shao's following was the strongest, and many heroes inclined toward him. Xin alone said to the Grand Progenitor, "Strategy does not appear in every generation; the one who can unite the heroes, clear away disorder, and restore correctness is you. If a man is not the right person, even if he is strong, he must perish. You are almost certainly the one opened by Heaven!" He then bound himself closely to Grand Progenitor, and Grand Progenitor also treated him with special intimacy. In the defeat at the Bian River, Xin was wounded, and Tao died in battle at Chen. Shao seized Han Fu's position by force and then occupied Ji Province. Xin said to the Grand Progenitor, "A treacherous minister took advantage of an opening and overturned the royal house; heroes roused their integrity, and all under Heaven responded because of righteousness. Now Shao is alliance leader, and relying on authority he monopolizes advantage; he is about to generate disorder himself. This is another Zhuo. If we try to restrain him, our strength cannot control him; we will only encounter disaster, so what can be accomplished? For now we can plan for the region south of the Great River and wait for his change." Grand Progenitor approved this. When Grand Progenitor became governor of Dong Commandery, he memorialized for Xin to become chancellor of Jibei. When a large Yellow Turban force entered the province, Liu Dai wished to fight them; Xin stopped him, but Dai did not listen and was defeated. The matter is recorded in the "Annals of Wu." Grand Progenitor judged that the bandits, relying on victory, had become arrogant, and he wished to set an ambush and strike them at Shouzhang. He first went out with Xin to inspect the battlefield, but before the infantry arrived, they suddenly encountered the bandits and joined battle. Xin fought desperately to save Grand Progenitor; Grand Progenitor only barely broke through the encirclement and escaped, and Xin was then lost, aged forty-one. Although he encountered disorder and raised troops, his family had originally cultivated Confucian learning; he governed himself with utmost frugality, yet generously supported his officers and soldiers, kept no surplus wealth at home, and for this reason the soldiers turned to him. In the seventeenth year of Jian'an, the Grand Progenitor posthumously recorded Xin's merit and memorialized to enfeoff Xun's elder brother Shao as Marquis of Xindu Pavilion. The Wei shu says: Shao had his father's manner, and the Grand Progenitor admired him, additionally appointing him Commandant of Cavalry and granting him a staff of authority. When Shao died, his son Rong succeeded him. Xun was summoned as an assistant in the chancellor's office. The Wei shu says: Xun was pure and upright and had lofty integrity, and he was known in his age.
34
西
When the crown prince was named in the twenty-second year, Bao Xun joined his household as palace attendant. He moved to yellow-gate attendant and western Wei commandery chief commandant. The crown prince's brother-in-law, a Quzhou clerk, stole official cloth—a capital offense. Cao Cao was at Qiao while the crown prince stayed in Ye, sending repeated pleas to spare his brother-in-law. Bao Xun refused a quiet discharge and forwarded the full dossier to court. Bao Xun's stern tenure in the heir's household had already bitter Cao Pi; enforcing the law on Lady Guo's kin deepened the grudge. When troops missed muster in his jurisdiction, the prince secretly had the capital commandant impeach Bao Xun out of office. Eventually he received appointment as palace censor. In the first year of Yankang, the Grand Progenitor died, the heir apparent assumed the royal throne, and Bao Xun, as Commandant of the Imperial Son-in-law, concurrently served as Palace Attendant.
35
When Emperor Wen received the abdication, Xun often stated, "What is urgent now lies only in the army and agriculture, and in being generous and kind to the common people. Terraces, pavilions, parks, and preserves should be put afterward." When Emperor Wen was about to go out hunting, Xun stopped the carriage and submitted a memorial, saying, "Your servant has heard that among the Five Emperors and Three Kings, none failed to make the root clear and establish instruction, governing all under Heaven with filial piety. Your Majesty is humane, sagely, and compassionate, equal to the ancient worthies. Your servant hopes you will follow the tracks of former ages and make something that ten thousand generations can take as their model. How can you, while in the mourning hut, practice galloping and racing! Your servant risks death to bring this to your attention; may Your Majesty examine it." The emperor tore up his memorial by hand and went hunting anyway; midway he halted and asked the attending ministers, "How does the pleasure of hunting compare with the eight tones?" Attendant Liu Ye replied: "Hunting surpasses music." Xun replied forthrightly, "Music above communicates with the spirits, and below harmonizes human principles; it exalts governance and brings transformation, so that the myriad states are all ordered. For shifting customs and changing habits, nothing is better than music. As for hunting, it exposes the splendid canopy in the fields, harms the utmost principle of nurturing life, and goes combed by wind and bathed in rain; is it not done without regard to the proper times? Formerly Duke Yin of Lu watched fishing at Tang, and the Spring and Autumn criticized him. Though Your Majesty treats it as important business, your foolish servant cannot approve." Thereupon he memorialized "Liu Ye is flatteringly disloyal, parroting Your Majesty's playful words. Long ago Liangqiu Ju curried favor at Swift Terrace—Ye is such a one. I ask responsible offices debate guilt to cleanse the imperial temple." Enraged, Cao Pi banished him to right household guard general.
36
齿 忿
Huangchu 4 saw Chen Qun and Sima Yi nominate Bao Xun as palace rectifier—equivalent to imperial censor-in-chief. Forced to agree, Cao Pi watched officials snap to discipline under Bao Xun. In autumn of the sixth year, the emperor wished to campaign against Wu, and the ministers held a broad debate; Xun remonstrated face to face, "Our royal army has repeatedly campaigned yet gained no victory because Wu and Shu depend on each other like lips and teeth and rely on mountains and rivers; therefore they are difficult to uproot. In former years the dragon boat drifted and bobbed, stranded on the southern shore—your sagely person trod danger and ministers below shattered their gall. At that time the ancestral temple nearly overturned—it becomes warning for a hundred generations. Now again we would weary troops in a distant strike, spending a thousand in gold each day, hollowing out the central states while cunning barbarians toy with our might. Your servant privately thinks this impermissible." Furious, Cao Pi cut him to archival clerk.
37
鹿
Returning from Shouchun, Cao Pi camped along Chenliu. Prefect Sun Yong exited audience past Bao Xun's station. Sun Yong shortcutted stakes; Liu Yao sought charges; Bao Xun withheld prosecution until fortifications stood. Later Liu Yao fell afoul; Bao Xun cashiered him, so Liu Yao snitched about Sun Yong. An edict stated "Xun calls a deer a horse—seize him and hand to minister of justice." The minister of justice"s legal deliberation: 'Apply orthodox punishment five years." The three offices objected "According to statute fine two jin of metal." The emperor raged greatly saying "Xun has no portion of life—yet you dare indulge him! Seize officials below the three offices and deliver to accusation investigators—let ten rats share one hole." Grand Commandant Zhong Yao, Minister of Education Hua Xin, General-in-Chief Chen Qun of the Army Guards, Palace Attendant Xin Pi, Minister Wei Zhen, and Acting Minister of Justice Gao Rou jointly memorialized, "Xun's father Xin had merit toward the Grand Progenitor," begging that Xun's crime be pardoned. Cao Pi refused and executed Bao Xun. He died poor despite private virtue. Two weeks later Cao Pi died; observers mourned Bao Xun anew.
38
Biography of Sima Zhi.
39
鹿
Sima Zhi, courtesy Zihua, came from Wen county in Henei. Fleeing to Jing, robbers cornered his party; companions fled, but he shielded his mother. When bandits arrived they laid blades at Zhi; Zhi prostrated himself and said, "Mother is aged—I leave her only to you gentlemen!" The bandits said "This is a filial son—to kill him lacks righteousness." They escaped; he pushed her in a handcart. He farmed honorably south of the Yangzi for a decade.
40
簿 簿 广 宿
Cao Cao named him magistrate of Jian county after taking Jing. Early Wei saw widespread legal laxity. Chief clerk Liu Jie ran a thousand-client racket inside and outside the yamen. Shortly afterward, Zhi assigned Jie's guests Wang Tong and others as soldiers; the clerks cited precedent, saying, "Jie's household has never supplied corvée; when the time comes they will hide, surely leaving arrears." Zhi did not listen, and wrote to Jie, "You are the head of a great lineage and are attached to a commandery that serves as a limb of the state, yet your guests repeatedly avoid service; the common people already resent and complain, and rumors may have reached above. Now, having listed Tong and the others as soldiers, I hope you will dispatch them on time." Liu Jie hid the conscripts and pressured the county through bogus military orders. Sima Zhi reported Liu Jie to Jinan in writing. Governor Hao Guang had always respected and trusted Zhi, and therefore made Jie replace Tong and the others; Qing Province nicknamed Zhi "the man who turned a commandery chief clerk into a soldier." He moved up to Guangping magistrate. Liu Xun's hangers-on broke laws in Sima Zhi's county. Sima Zhi ignored anonymous pull peddling and judged by code alone. When Liu Xun fell for treason, Sima Zhi won praise for incorruptibility. 〈Weilüe identifies Liu Xun as Zitai from Langye. Late Han he governed Jianping in Pei and knew Cao Cao of old. Sun Ce smashed his Lujiang command; he surrendered to Cao Cao, took a column marquisate, and joined staff debates. His elder brother died as Yu Province governor. Nephew Liu Wei inherited the post. Liu Xun presumed on Cao Cao's friendship, broke laws, and spread libel. Li Shengcheng denounced him; Liu Wei lost rank too.〉
41
He rose to senior judge under the minister of justice. Theft of palace silk implicated female artisans wrongly. Zhi said, "The failure in punishments and crimes lies in harsh violence. Now the stolen goods are obtained first and only afterward are the statements questioned; if a man cannot endure the beating, he may reach the point of making a false confession. The circumstances of a false confession cannot be used to decide a case. Moreover, being simple and easy to follow is the transforming influence of a great man. Not letting the guilty escape is only the governance of a mediocre age. Now to pardon what is doubtful, thereby elevating the meaning of being easy to follow, would that not be acceptable!" Cao Cao adopted his view. He governed Ganling, Pei, and Yangping with distinction.
42
使 使
As Henan governor he shielded the weak and barred pull. Eunuchs tried reaching him via Dong Zhao. Even Dong Zhao hesitated to ask. Zhi issued an instruction to his subordinates, saying, "A lord can establish instructions, but cannot make it certain that officials will never violate them. Officials can violate the instructions, but cannot make it certain that the lord will never hear of it. To establish instructions and have them violated is the lord's deficiency; to violate instructions and have it heard of is the official's disaster. With the lord deficient above and officials meeting disaster below, this is why government affairs are not ordered. Can each of you fail to exert himself!" Staff tightened discipline overnight. A patrolman accused a gate runner of pin theft on thin grounds. Zhi instructed them, saying, "Whenever things resemble one another and are difficult to distinguish, unless one is Li Lou, few can avoid being confused. If the true situation is considered, how could a patrolman bear to value one hairpin so highly and lightly injure one of his own kind! Let the matter rest and do not inquire into it." When Emperor Ming came to the throne, Sima Zhi was granted the rank of Marquis within the Passes. Soon afterward, Dang, the wet nurse of Specially Advanced Cao Hong, together with an attendant of Princess Linfen, served the spirit of Wujian. Your servant Songzhi notes: Wujian is the name of a mountain, northeast of Luoyang. They were imprisoned. Empress Dowager Bian sent a Yellow-Gate attendant to the office to transmit her command, but Zhi did not let it through; he immediately ordered the Luoyang prison to complete the investigation, and sent up a memorial saying:
43
宿
Death sentences required imperial confirmation. Prior bans on illicit cults framed Dang's sorcery trial when a eunuch relayed the empress dowager's command mid-case. He would not pass the message along lest protectors alert the emperor prematurely; only if compelled would he let the case sit overnight. He confessed to rushing a capital sentence without higher approval and offered himself for punishment.
44
便
The emperor replied in his own hand, "I have read your memorial and understand your deepest sincerity. You wished to honor the imperial edict while acting according to practical authority; this was correct. This was precisely your intent in honoring the edict; what is there to apologize for? If yellow-gate attendants come again later, be careful not to let them through." For eleven years as Henan governor he contested cumbersome laws. Among high ministers he kept an uncompromising course. Princes' illicit contacts with Luoyang locals cost him his post.
45
He later directed the ministry of agriculture. Colony officials had turned tenant farmers toward trade sidelines. Sima Zhi submitted:
46
便
The throne must privilege agriculture over commerce. The Royal Regulations say: "Without three years' stores, the state is not a state. Guanzi in terse sayings takes storing grain as urgent." Until Wu and Shu fell, grain and cloth remained the strategic priority. Cao Cao founded the colony system for tillage and silk alone. Jian'an granaries once overflowed and the people prospered. Huangchu permissiveness let colonies chase private gain—a poor fit for national policy. The king takes all within the seas as household—therefore the tradition says: "If commoners are insufficient, with whom is the lord sufficient! The field of abundance lies in not missing heaven's seasons and exhausting earth's strength." Trading windfalls drain the strategic economy worse than opening one extra mu. The farming calendar runs solid labor from spring sowing through autumn threshing. Farmers spend the year hauling tax grain, mending roads, and patching roofs—no idle day. Now various colony officers each say: Those staying calculate traveling men"s ancestral fields, assessing their labor—circumstances force it. If nothing is abandoned then ordinarily there should be surplus strength. Your foolish servant thinks one ought not again mix commercial affairs in confusion—dedicate solely to farming and sericulture—convenient for state planning."
47
Mingdi adopted the proposal.
48
便退
He coached subordinates before imperial audiences until replies landed exactly as predicted. He was candid without theatrical righteousness. He criticized companions openly and never gossiped behind their backs. He died poor in post; later Henan governors were measured against him and found wanting.
49
His heir Sima Qi.
50
忿 使 退
Sima Qi inherited, rose from Henan aide to judge, then Chenliu minister. Liang commandery jailed mass defendants for years unresolved. An edict transferred the case to his counties, which begged to build new cells. Qi said: "Now prisoners number several tens—already crafty fraud hard to match—and moreover already weary of Chu torture—their circumstances easy to see. How should they again long dwell in prison!" Morning interrogations cleared every charge and vaulted him to minister of justice. Cao Shuang dominated court with He Yan and Deng Yang as allies. Gui Tai of Nanyang crossed power-holders and landed in jail. Deng Yang meant to crush Gui Tai in trial. Qi repeatedly told Yang, "Pivot ministers assisting the royal house, unable to aid transformation into virtue or match the excellence of the ancients, instead vent private resentment and twist judgment against the guiltless. Making commoners stand in peril—if not here then where?" Deng Yang stalked off humiliated and furious. Fearing reprisal, Sima Qi resigned on health grounds. He died within the year at thirty-five. Son Sima Zhao inherited. 〈During the Jin Taikang era he governed Ji Province and served as minister of the masters of writing; see (Treatise on the Hundred Offices) and the Register of Official Titles).〉
51
Commentary of the historian.
52
Chen Shou ranks Xu Yi, He Kui, and Xing Yong among the era's stern exemplars. Mao Jie and Sima Zhi embodied the classic refusal to truckle to the powerful. Cui Yan and Bao Xun stood tallest yet paid with their lives—a bitter loss. "The Great Odes prize being both perspicacious and wise; the Documents esteem being straight yet able to be mild—unless one possesses combined talents, who can fulfill them all!"
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