Book of Wei · Biographies of Cui Yan, Mao Jie, Xu Yi, He Kui, Xing Yong, Bao Xun, and Sima Zhi

Cui Yan, courtesy name Jigui, was from Dongwucheng in Qinghe. Simple and reserved in youth, he liked swordsmanship and military pursuits. At twenty-three his home community appointed him to a local supervisory post. This first stirred his ambition to study the Analects and Han interpretation of the Odes. At twenty-nine he joined Gongsun Fang and others to study under Zheng Xuan. Before a year passed, Yellow Turbans attacked Beihai, driving teacher and pupils to Mount Buqi. Food shortages forced Zheng Xuan to dismiss them. Bandits blocked Cui Yan's western route, so he wandered through Qing, Xu, Yan, and Yu, east to Shouchun and south toward the great rivers and lakes. After four years he returned home and amused himself with the zither and books.

General-in-Chief Yuan Shao recruited him. Soldiers then behaved violently and dug up graves. Cui Yan remonstrated: “Master Sun [Xun Kuang] said troops without training or effective weapons cannot win even under Tang (Zi Lü) and King Wu (Ji Fa). Bones lie exposed and the people have seen no kindness. Order the counties to bury the remains, displaying compassionate care and King Wen (Ji Chang)'s benevolence.” Yuan Shao made him Cavalry Commandant. Later, when Yuan Shao assembled his army at Liyang and encamped at Yanjin, Cui Yan again remonstrated: “The emperor is at Xu and people look to rightful support. Better defend our territory, fulfill our duties, and secure the realm.” Ignored, he saw defeat follow. After Yuan Shao's death both sons sought him, but he firmly pleaded illness. Imprisoned for refusal, he escaped through Yin Kui's and Chen Lin's intercession.

After defeating the Yuans, Taizu (Cao Cao) <Great Ancestor; a temple name conferred on Cao Cao posthumously> became Governor of Ji Province and made Cui Yan Assistant Administrator. “The registers show three hundred thousand men available,” he said. “A great province indeed.” Cui Yan replied, “The realm is divided and the Yuan brothers fight, leaving the people dead across the fields. We have not yet heard the royal army proclaim kindness, investigate customs, or rescue suffering, yet you first count soldiers. Is that what this province's people hope from you?” Changing expression, Taizu (Cao Cao) apologized while the guests trembled.

During the Bing Province campaign Cui Yan remained at Ye as tutor to Emperor Wen (Cao Pi) <Civil Emperor; a posthumous imperial title>. The heir repeatedly hunted in altered clothing and vehicles, devoted to the chase. Cui Yan wrote:

“Indulgence in hunting is condemned by the Documents, and Duke Yin of Lu (Ji Xigu)'s watching fish by the Spring and Autumn Annals: clear teachings of the Duke of Zhou (Ji Dan) and Confucius. The Odes reminds Yin that Xia's warning was near, while ritual treats zi and mao days as forbidden occasions for music. These too show successes and failures close at hand that demand careful reflection. Examine these precedents. The Yuan house was rich and powerful, its sons unrestrained and increasingly extravagant, with no righteous reputation. Wise men wished to leave, and fierce warriors became instruments of predation. Thus a million followers and the north's territory left them nowhere to stand. Our state is exhausted, peace incomplete, and the people long for virtue. Your father campaigns and all ranks toil. You should follow the great Way, conduct yourself uprightly, consider statecraft, learn from recent warnings, display lofty principles, and treasure your person as successor. Instead you wear a huntsman's humble clothes, race into danger, enjoy pheasants and hares, and forget the state. This grieves discerning men. Burn the hunting screen, discard the hunting clothes, fulfill public hopes, and do not let this old servant offend Heaven through failure to advise.”

The heir replied, “Your gracious instruction tells me to burn the screen and discard the clothes. The screen is destroyed and the clothes gone. If this happens again, teach me once more.”

As chancellor, Taizu (Cao Cao) appointed Cui Yan to the Eastern and Western Offices and as Consultant on Affairs. His first Eastern Office appointment declared: “You possess Bo Yi's spirit and Shi Yu's uprightness, inspiring greedy men to purity and brave men to resolve. You can lead this age; fulfill the office.” When Wei was established he became Master of Writing. The crown prince had not yet been appointed, and the talented Marquis of Linzi (Cao Zhi) enjoyed his affection. Taizu (Cao Cao) secretly consulted officials outside the inner circle by sealed written orders. Cui Yan alone answered openly: “The Spring and Autumn Annals establishes the eldest son. The General of the Household for All Purposes (Cao Pi) is also benevolent, filial, and intelligent and should inherit. I will uphold this to death.” Cao Zhi was married to Cui Yan's elder brother's daughter. Admiring his impartiality, Taizu (Cao Cao) sighed.

Cui Yan became Capital Commandant.

His voice and appearance were lofty and clear, his brows and eyes open, and his beard four chi long. Officials looked up to his imposing presence, and Taizu (Cao Cao) respected and feared him.

He recommended Yang Xun of Julu, whose ability was limited but integrity firm. Taizu (Cao Cao) recruited him. After Taizu (Cao Cao) became King of Wei, Yang Xun praised his achievements and virtue in a memorial. Critics mocked this as fashionable flattery and blamed Cui Yan's judgment. Reading the draft, Cui Yan wrote, “The memorial is good, that is all! The times, the times! A time of change will surely come.” He meant to criticize commentators' fault-finding without considering circumstances. Someone reported the letter as arrogant resentment. Taizu (Cao Cao) angrily said, “The proverb says ‘a girl was born, that is all.’ ‘That is all’ is no favorable expression. His ‘time of change’ is insolent.” Cui Yan was condemned to penal servitude. Reports that his bearing remained unbent led to another order: “Though punished, he receives visitors as though his gate were a market, twisting his beard and staring as if angry.” He was ordered to die.

Cui Yan befriended Sima Lang. While Sima Xuanwang of Jin (Sima Yi) <King Xuan; a posthumous royal title> was young, he told Sima Lang, “Your brother is discerning, trustworthy, resolute, and outstanding, perhaps beyond you.”

Sima Lang disagreed, but Cui Yan maintained his view. His younger cousin Cui Lin was obscure and slighted even by kin, yet he predicted, “A great vessel matures late. He will rise far.” He also praised new recruits Sun Li and Lu Yu: “Sun Li is candid, forceful, direct, and decisive; Lu Yu pure, alert, principled, and enduring through a hundred refinements. Both have high ministerial ability.” All three later reached the highest offices. He cared for deceased friends Gongsun Yu's and Song Jie's orphans like his own. Such were his discernment and faithfulness.

Taizu (Cao Cao) was suspicious by nature. Among those he could not tolerate were Kong Rong of Lu—

—Xu You of Nanyang—

—and Lou Gui, all executed for familiarity without due respect.

Cui Yan's death caused the greatest grief and is still judged unjust.

Mao Jie, courtesy name Xiaoxian, was from Pingqiu in Chenliu. An honest and impartial county officer while young, he intended to flee to Jing Province but, hearing Liu Biao's government was unclear, went to Luyang instead. When Taizu (Cao Cao) took charge of Yan Province, he recruited Mao Jie as Administrative Attendant. He advised, “The realm is divided, the sovereign displaced, and livelihoods ruined by famine and flight. The state lacks a year's reserves and the people lasting security. Though Yuan Shao and Liu Biao have strength, neither plans far ahead or establishes a firm base. Righteous armies win, and resources maintain power. Uphold the emperor to command disobedient men, promote cultivation, and store supplies: then the achievement of a hegemon or true king can be accomplished.” Taizu (Cao Cao) accepted and made him Officer of Merit at headquarters.

While Taizu (Cao Cao) served successively as Minister of Works and Chancellor, Mao Jie held the post of clerk of the Eastern Office. He shared responsibility for appointments with Cui Yan, selecting only upright men and rejecting empty reputation without sound conduct. His frugal example inspired scholars' integrity, and even favored officials restrained vehicles and dress. Taizu (Cao Cao) said, “Appointments like these make people govern themselves. What remains for me?” Emperor Wen (Cao Pi), then General of the Household for All Purposes, personally requested a relative's advancement, but Mao Jie answered: ‘This old servant has fortunately escaped blame by keeping to his duties. The person you mention is not due for promotion; I therefore dare not obey.’ Officials feared him. When offices were considered for consolidation at Ye, they proposed abolishing his Eastern Office because the Western traditionally ranked higher. Taizu (Cao Cao), knowing their motive, said, “The sun rises in the east and the moon reaches fullness in the east, and people name east first among directions. Why abolish it?” He abolished the Western Office instead.

After Liucheng's fall, Taizu (Cao Cao) specially gave Mao Jie a plain screen and armrest: “Your spirit is ancient, so these ancient-style furnishings suit you.” In high office he wore cloth and ate vegetables, devotedly raised his orphaned nephew, and distributed gifts to poor kin without reserve. He became Right Military Adviser and, upon Wei's establishment, Secretariat Supervisor, again directing appointments.

Before the succession was settled, the favor enjoyed by the Marquis of Linzi (Cao Zhi) prompted Mao Jie's private warning: “Yuan Shao's failure to distinguish legitimate succession destroyed his house and state. Such replacement is too grave even to hear proposed.” Later at a gathering, Taizu (Cao Cao) pointed as Mao Jie rose to change clothes: “The state's upright counselor, my Zhou Chang.”

After Cui Yan's death Mao Jie was displeased. Someone reported that seeing a tattooed rebel whose wife and children were enslaved, he said, “Perhaps this is why Heaven withholds rain.” Furious, Taizu (Cao Cao) imprisoned him. Chief Justice Zhong Yao questioned him:

“Since antiquity sage rulers extended guilt to wives and children. The Documents says, ‘If left or right fail their duty, I shall punish you and your offspring.’ Judicial offices assigned men to penal servitude and women to pounding and drying grain. Han law tattooed and enslaved criminals' families, following ancient precedent. Even descendants of old offenders serve the government with tattooed faces, both sparing common people's lives and avoiding collective execution. How does that offend spirits and cause drought? The canonical divination texts associate severity with lasting cold and leniency with heat and drought. Did your words call this lenient or severe? Severity should bring rain, not drought. The sage Tang (Zi Lü) and the worthy King Xuan of Zhou (Ji Jing) suffered terrible drought. Severe drought has recurred for thirty years. If you attribute it to tattooed faces, is that merely a coincidence? Wei's attack on Xing brought rain—how did that accord with Heaven without demonstrated guilt? Your slander spreads among the people and your displeasure reaches the sovereign. You cannot have spoken alone. How many tattooed persons did you see? Did you know them? Where and when, to whom did you speak, and what answer came? The matter is exposed. Conceal nothing; provide a complete statement.”

Mao Jie replied:

“Xiao Wangzhi was driven to suicide by Shi Xian; Jia Yi's exile arose from Zhou Bo's and Guan Ying's slander; Bai Qi received a sword at Duyou; Chao Cuo died in the Eastern Market; Wu Yun [Wu Zixu] at Wu's capital. Some were envied in advancement, others harmed afterward. I entered service young and gained office through repeated labor. My confidential duties attract private pressure. No powerful man's request can override my refusal, nor any small injustice escape my attention. Men seek illicit profit; law restrains it, and power retaliates. Slanderous flies have arisen, surely from such interests. Wangshu and Chensheng [王叔、陳生, the designations in this passage] once disputed at the royal court; Fan Xuanzi (Shi Gai) impartially examined their evidence, praised in the Spring and Autumn Annals. I did not say this: there is no time or witness. An accuser must provide proof. Grant me impartial judgment and confrontation with my accuser. If guilt is proven, execution will seem a gift of comfortable horses and a sword a generous reward. I submit this statement.”

Huan Jie and He Qia pleaded for him, and he was dismissed, later dying at home.

Taizu (Cao Cao) granted coffin, money, and silk and appointed his son Mao Ji a palace gentleman.

Xu Yi [徐奕], courtesy name Jicai, was from Dongguan. Fleeing to the southeast, he avoided Sun Ce's invitation by changing name and returning home in disguise. Taizu (Cao Cao) recruited him and took him against Ma Chao. After victory, he remained as chancellor's chief clerk to reassure newly submitted Guanzhong, winning respect in the western capital. He became Inspector of Yong Province, then Eastern Office Clerk. Favored Ding Yi and others resented him, but he remained unshaken.

He became Administrator of Wei Commandery. Before campaigning against Sun Quan, Taizu (Cao Cao) made him chief clerk at home: “Even the ancients did not surpass your loyalty and candor, but you are slightly too severe. Ximen Bao wore soft leather to moderate himself. I hope you can control hardness with gentleness. With home affairs entrusted to you, I need not look back.” After Wei's establishment he became Master of Writing over selection, then Secretariat Director.

During the Hanzhong campaign Wei Feng's conspiracy caused Capital Commandant Yang Jun's demotion. Taizu (Cao Cao) sighed, “He dared rebel because none of my fighting ministers restrained treachery. Where is a Zhuge Feng to replace Yang Jun?” Huan Jie nominated Xu Yi. Appointing him, Taizu (Cao Cao) wrote, “Chu's Ziyu (Cheng Dechen) made Duke Wen of Jin (Ji Chong'er) sit uneasily; when Ji An was at court, the Prince of Huainan (Liu An) abandoned his plot. The Odes' upright counselor describes you.” After several months severe illness prompted retirement as Grand Master of Remonstrance, and he died.

He Kui, courtesy name Shulong, was from Yangxia in Chen Commandery. His great-grandfather He Xi reached General of Chariots and Cavalry under Emperor An of Han (Liu Hu).

Orphaned young, He Kui lived with his mother and elder brother, renowned for filial and fraternal conduct. He stood eight chi three cun, grave and dignified.

He fled to Huainan. Yuan Shu recruited him at Shouchun, and though he refused, detained him. During the siege of Qiyang, held for Taizu (Cao Cao), Yuan Shu and Qiao Rui besieged the town together. Yuan Shu wanted to compel He Kui, a native of its commandery, to persuade its people to surrender. He told adviser Li Ye, “Liu Xiahui grieved on hearing plans against another state: ‘Why bring such words to a benevolent man?’” He hid in Qian Mountain. Recognizing he would not serve, Yuan Shu desisted. The mother of Yuan Shu's elder cousin Yuan Yi, Administrator of Shanyang, was a paternal clan aunt of He Kui, so resentment brought no harm.

In Jian'an 2 he secretly escaped home, anticipating pursuit, and arrived next year. Taizu (Cao Cao) recruited him. Asked whether reports of disorder in Yuan Shu's army were true, he replied, “Heaven aids obedience, men aid trust. Yuan Shu has neither, so cannot succeed. Even kin desert a ruler without the Way, much more attendants. Disorder is certain.” Taizu (Cao Cao) agreed: “Losing worthy men destroys states. His inability to use you makes this natural.” Taizu (Cao Cao) often beat clerks for official offenses. He Kui carried poison, vowing death rather than humiliation, and was never subjected to it.

He became Magistrate of Chengfu.

Promoted to Administrator of Changguang, a commandery bordering mountains and sea, he faced unpacified Yellow Turbans and powerful rebels whom Yuan Tan offered office. Guan Cheng of Changguang had over three thousand households. Advisers proposed attack, but He Kui said, “They were not born loving disorder, but habit prevents return. Without moral teaching they know no better. Press them and fear of extermination will unite them. Even victory harms people. Explain kindness and allow repentance, settling matters without war.” He sent Commandery Assistant Huang Zhen to explain the consequences of success and failure, and Guan Cheng and his followers all asked to submit. He Kui had Officer Cheng Hong, acting as colonel, and the county assistant receive them ceremonially with cattle and wine. He and Zhang Liao defeated Cong Qian's several thousand rebels at Yiping [矣平, the place-name written here]. At Dongmou, Wang Ying's over three thousand households coerced Changyang into rebellion; Wang Qin and others followed He Kui's plan to divide them and restored order within months.

When Taizu (Cao Cao) issued new regulations and collected taxes in silk floss and woven silk, He Kui judged sudden strict enforcement unsuitable for a newly established, war-ravaged commandery and memorialized:

“Since the disorders began, the people have been displaced. Although they now enjoy a little peace, they have only recently come under our instruction. The new statutes prescribe clear penalties and strict enforcement to bring everyone under a common civilizing rule. Yet the six counties under my charge have only just been pacified, and famine has compounded their troubles. If all are immediately subjected to the same prohibitions, some may fail to comply. Such failures would necessarily bring punishment, contrary to the principle of examining the people's circumstances and adapting instruction to the times. The former kings distinguished the levies of the nine zones of service according to their distance from the capital, and established three systems of punishment suited to orderly or troubled conditions. In my humble opinion, this commandery should follow the rules for distant territories and newly established states. In minor affairs among the people, let senior local officials exercise discretion according to circumstances, neither violating the proper laws above nor disregarding the people's feelings below. After three years, when the people are settled in their occupations, impose uniform legal requirements. Then nothing will remain beyond our reach.”

Taizu (Cao Cao) accepted his advice. He Kui was recalled to serve as an adviser on the Chancellor's military affairs. The pirate Guo Zu was ravaging the borders of Le'an and Jinan, to the distress of the provincial and commandery authorities. Remembering the authority and trust He Kui had gained at Changguang, Taizu (Cao Cao) appointed him Administrator of Le'an. Within a few months of his arrival, all its fortified towns had been pacified.

He entered the central administration as a clerk of the Chancellor's Eastern Bureau. He Kui said to Taizu (Cao Cao):

“Since the armies were raised, institutions have been provisional, and appointments have been made without thoroughly investigating candidates' backgrounds. Consequently, men have each promoted their own associates, sometimes overlooking moral character. I have heard that when rank is determined by worthiness, people attend to their virtue; when stipends are determined by service, people strive for achievement. I believe that henceforth every appointee should first be investigated in his home community. Seniority should be properly observed, without people overstepping one another. Make rewards for loyalty and uprightness conspicuous, and the recompense for fairness and substance unmistakable: the distinction between the worthy and unworthy will become evident. We should also revise the rules governing guarantors and recommenders who deliberately misrepresent the facts, assigning the responsible officials their respective liabilities. Court officials occasionally instructed to join the bureaus in selecting candidates should each answer for their choices. This will test the integrity of court officials above and block the source of competitive self-promotion below. By supervising subordinates and setting an example to the people in this way, we will bring great benefit to the realm.”

Taizu (Cao Cao) praised the proposal. When the state of Wei was established, He Kui was appointed Supervisor of the Masters of Writing.

When Emperor Wen (Cao Pi) was crown prince, Liang Mao was appointed Grand Tutor and He Kui Junior Tutor. A special command required the two tutors to join the Eastern Bureau of the Masters of Writing in selecting officials for the crown prince and the territorial lords. When Liang Mao died, He Kui succeeded him. On the first day of each month, the Grand Tutor was received by the crown prince, who put on the prescribed ceremonial robes and observed the proper courtesies. No formal audience was held on other days. When He Kui was transferred to Minister Coachman, the crown prince wished to bid him farewell and ordered provisions prepared in advance. He Kui showed no intention of attending. The crown prince therefore invited him by letter, but He Kui maintained that the state had established rules and did not go. Such was his adherence to proper conduct. Nevertheless, in an age that prized frugality, he was exceptionally extravagant. When Emperor Wen (Cao Pi) ascended the throne, He Kui was enfeoffed as Marquis of Chengyang Village, with three hundred households. When ill, he repeatedly requested permission to retire. An edict answered: “Honoring worthy men and cherishing old associates are constant duties of emperors and kings. As an old associate, you have rendered service as a counselor; as a worthy man, you possess the excellence of sincere and steadfast character. Those whose virtue is hidden will surely receive manifest recompense. Although your illness has not yet healed, the spirits have heard you. Rest comfortably and accord with my wishes.” He died and received the posthumous title Marquis Jing (He Kui) <‘Tranquil,’ a posthumous designation>.

His son He Zeng succeeded him. During the Xianxi era he became Minister over the Masses.

Xing Yong, courtesy name Zi'ang, was from Mao in Hejian. He declined both nomination as Filial and Incorrupt and an invitation from the Minister over the Masses. Changing his surname and personal name, he went to Youbeiping and associated with Tian Chou. Five years passed before Taizu (Cao Cao) secured Ji Province. Xing Yong told Tian Chou: “More than twenty years have passed since the Yellow Turbans rose. The realm has boiled with disorder and the people have been scattered. I now hear that Lord Cao (Cao Cao) enforces strict laws. The people are weary of disorder; when disorder reaches its extreme, peace follows. Let me take the lead myself.” He packed and returned home. Tian Chou said: “Xing Yong is one who understands before other men.” Tian Chou then went to see Taizu (Cao Cao) and offered to serve as a local guide in the conquest of Liucheng.

Taizu (Cao Cao) recruited Xing Yong as an attendant official of Ji Province. People of the time praised him: “How imposing the virtue and conduct of Xing Zi'ang (Xing Yong)!” Appointed Chief of Guangzong, he abandoned office to mourn a former commander. When the authorities brought charges, Taizu (Cao Cao) said: “Xing Yong is devoted to his former superior and possesses unwavering integrity.” He ordered that the matter not be pursued. Xing Yong was recruited again as a clerk of the Minister of Works and appointed Magistrate of Xingtang. He encouraged agriculture and sericulture, and his moral influence spread widely. He entered the Chancellor's staff as Supervisor of the Retinue, was promoted to Intendant of the Left Fengyi, and left office through illness. At this time Taizu (Cao Cao) was selecting outstanding staff for his sons. He ordered: “The officials of a marquis's household should be men of depth and discipline, like Xing Yong.” Xing Yong was therefore appointed Household Assistant to the Marquis of Pingyuan (Cao Zhi). He maintained the restraints of ritual without yielding, and consequently did not get along with Cao Zhi. The Household Gentleman Liu Zhen wrote to admonish Cao Zhi: “Household Assistant Xing Yong is an outstanding man of the north. Since youth he has upheld lofty principles. Profoundly quiet and indifferent to gain, he speaks little but conveys much reason: he is a truly refined gentleman. I am certainly unworthy to be counted with him and serve beside him. Yet I receive exceptional courtesy, while he is treated distantly and casually. I privately fear that observers will say Your Lordship cultivates familiarity with the unworthy and gives insufficient honor to the worthy, plucking the spring blossoms of a Household Gentleman while forgetting the autumn fruit of the Household Assistant. To bring criticism upon one's superior is no small fault. This leaves me deeply uneasy.” Xing Yong subsequently advised the Chancellor on military affairs and transferred to clerk of the Eastern Bureau. Before the heir was settled, the Marquis of Linzi (Cao Zhi) enjoyed favor, and Ding Yi and others promoted his merits. Taizu (Cao Cao) asked Xing Yong's opinion. He answered: “Replacing the principal heir with a younger son is something against which earlier generations warned. I hope Your Highness will consider it with the greatest care.” Taizu (Cao Cao) understood his meaning and later appointed him Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, then Grand Tutor.

When Emperor Wen (Cao Pi) ascended the throne, Xing Yong became Palace Attendant and Supervisor of the Masters of Writing and received the rank of Marquis within the Passes. He left the palace administration to become Colonel Director of Retainers, then transferred to Minister of Ceremonies. He died in the fourth year of Huangchu. His son Xing You succeeded him.

Bao Xun, courtesy name Shuye, was from Pingyang in Taishan, a ninth-generation descendant of Bao Xuan, the Han Colonel Director of Retainers. Some of Bao Xuan's descendants had moved from Shangdang to Taishan and settled there. Bao Xun's father Bao Xin was a Commandant of Cavalry under Emperor Ling (Liu Hong). General-in-Chief He Jin sent him east to recruit troops. He later became Chancellor of Jibei and cooperated in Taizu (Cao Cao)'s plans, losing his life in the process. These events are related in the Biography of Dong Zhuo and the Annals of Emperor Wu (Cao Cao).

In the seventeenth year of Jian'an, Taizu (Cao Cao) commemorated Bao Xin's services and memorialized to enfeoff Bao Xun's elder brother Bao Shao as Marquis of Xindu Village.

Bao Xun was recruited as a clerk of the Chancellor.

In the twenty-second year of Jian'an, when the crown prince was appointed, Bao Xun became a Palace Attendant to the Crown Prince. He transferred to Gentleman of the Yellow Gates and then left the capital to become Commandant of the Western Division of Wei Commandery. The younger brother of Lady Guo, the crown prince's consort, was an official in Quzhou County. He was convicted of stealing government cloth, an offense punishable by execution in the marketplace. Taizu (Cao Cao) was then at Qiao, while the crown prince remained at Ye. The crown prince repeatedly wrote personally to request leniency. Bao Xun dared not release the man without authority and reported the entire case to the throne. During his earlier service in the Eastern Palace, Bao Xun had upheld what was right without yielding, which had already displeased the crown prince. This further incident greatly increased his resentment. When soldiers returning from leave in the commandery missed their deadline, the crown prince secretly instructed the Capital Commandant to memorialize for Bao Xun's dismissal. Much later, Bao Xun was appointed Attending Censor. In the first year of Yankang, Taizu (Cao Cao) died and the crown prince succeeded as king. Bao Xun became Commandant Escorting the Imperial Son-in-Law, concurrently serving as Palace Attendant.

After Emperor Wen (Cao Pi) received the abdication, Bao Xun repeatedly argued: “The pressing tasks now are military affairs, agriculture, and generous treatment of the people. Terraces, pavilions, parks, and preserves should come afterward.” When Emperor Wen (Cao Pi) was about to go hunting, Bao Xun stopped his carriage and presented a memorial: “I have heard that the Five Emperors and Three Kings all clarified fundamental principles, established moral instruction, and governed the realm through filial devotion. Your Majesty is humane, wise, and compassionate, like the illustrious rulers of antiquity. I hoped you would follow earlier generations and provide a model for ten thousand ages. How can you pursue the chase while still observing mourning? At the risk of death I submit this for Your Majesty's consideration.” The emperor tore up the memorial with his own hands and went hunting anyway. During a rest on the journey, he asked his attendants: “How does the pleasure of hunting compare with music of the eight categories?” Palace Attendant Liu Ye answered: “Hunting is more enjoyable than music.” Bao Xun protested: “Music communicates with the spirits above and harmonizes human relations below. It elevates government, brings about moral transformation, and puts all states in order. Nothing surpasses music in changing customs. Hunting, by contrast, exposes the imperial canopy in the wilderness, injures the great principle of nurturing life, and subjects one to wind and rain, without regard for appropriate intervals. When Duke Yin of Lu (Ji Xigu) watched fishing at Tang, the Spring and Autumn Annals criticized him. Even if Your Majesty considers this a priority, your foolish servant cannot wish it.” He then memorialized: “Liu Ye has acted with flattery and disloyalty, accommodating Your Majesty's mistaken remarks in jest. He is like Liangqiu Ju, who sought favor at Chuantai. I request that the responsible authorities deliberate on his offense to purify the imperial court.” The emperor's expression changed with anger. He ended the excursion and returned, then immediately sent Bao Xun out as General of the Household of the Right.

In the fourth year of Huangchu, Chen Qun, Director of the Masters of Writing, and Supervisor Sima Xuanwang (Sima Yi) both nominated Bao Xun as Palace Corrector, the office also known as Palace Assistant Censor. The emperor reluctantly appointed him. All the officials feared his severity and conducted themselves with solemn restraint. In the autumn of the sixth year, the emperor wished to campaign against Wu. During a general discussion among the ministers, Bao Xun remonstrated directly: “The imperial armies have repeatedly campaigned without gaining a decisive victory because Wu and Shu support one another like lips and teeth, relying on difficult mountains and waterways that make them hard to dislodge. In a previous year, the dragon boat drifted away and was stranded on the southern bank. Your sacred person faced danger, and your servants were terrified. At that moment the ancestral temples almost fell: it should be a warning for a hundred generations. Now you would again weary the troops by attacking far away, spending a thousand gold pieces daily, exhausting the central territories, and allowing cunning enemies to make light of our might. I privately believe this must not be done.” The emperor grew still angrier and demoted Bao Xun to Censor in Charge of Documents and Law.

Returning from Shouchun, the emperor encamped within Chenliu Commandery. Administrator Sun Yong came to an audience and afterward visited Bao Xun. The camp fortifications were unfinished, with only boundary markers in place. Sun Yong took a shortcut rather than the designated road. Military camp secretary Liu Yao wished to investigate him, but Bao Xun stopped the proceedings on the grounds that the ditches and ramparts were incomplete. When the main army returned to Luoyang, Liu Yao committed an offense, and Bao Xun memorialized to dismiss and send him away. Liu Yao secretly reported that Bao Xun had privately quashed Sun Yong's case. An edict declared: “Bao Xun calls a deer a horse. Arrest him and deliver him to the Commandant of Justice.” That office assessed the lawful sentence as five years of penal servitude. The three judicial officers objected: “Under the statutes, the penalty is a fine of two jin of metal.” The emperor was furious: “Bao Xun has no prospect of living, yet you dare let him off! Arrest the three judicial officers and their subordinates and deliver them to the investigators. I shall put all ten rats in one hole!” Grand Commandant Zhong Yao, Minister over the Masses Hua Xin, General-in-Chief Who Guards the Army Chen Qun, Palace Attendant Xin Pi, Master of Writing Wei Zhen, acting Commandant of Justice Gao Rou, and others jointly memorialized that Bao Xun's father Bao Xin had rendered meritorious service to Taizu (Cao Cao), pleading for leniency. The emperor refused, and Bao Xun was executed. His private conduct was cultivated; he was incorruptible yet generous, and at his death his household had no surplus wealth. Twenty days later, Emperor Wen (Cao Pi) also died. Everyone lamented Bao Xun's fate.

Sima Zhi, courtesy name Zihua, was from Wen in Henei. A scholar in his youth, he fled the disorders to Jing Province. At the mountains of Luyang he encountered bandits. His companions all abandoned the old and weak and fled, but Sima Zhi alone remained seated beside his elderly mother. When the bandits arrived and held a blade over him, he bowed his head to the ground and said: “My mother is old. Her fate rests with you!” The bandits said: “This is a filial son. Killing him would be unjust.” They spared him, and he carried his mother away in a small deer cart. He lived in the south for over ten years, farming personally and preserving his integrity.

After Taizu (Cao Cao) pacified Jing Province, he appointed Sima Zhi Chief of Jian. The realm was still being restored, and many disregarded the law. The commandery registrar Liu Jie belonged to an old, powerful family and maintained over a thousand households of retainers. Outside the administration they became robbers; within it they disrupted official business. When Sima Zhi assigned Liu Jie's retainer Wang Tong and others to military service, his clerks protested: “Liu Jie's household has never supplied labor service. If they conceal themselves when the time comes, we shall be held responsible for the outstanding levy.” Sima Zhi refused to listen and wrote to Liu Jie: “You head a great lineage and also serve as a principal support of the commandery. Yet your retainers repeatedly fail to perform their service. The common people resent this, and reports may reach higher authorities. Wang Tong and the others have now been assigned as soldiers. Please send them on time.” Once the soldiers had assembled at the commandery, Liu Jie hid Wang Tong and the others and had an inspector unfairly accuse the county of delaying the military levy. The county clerks, placed in a desperate position, asked to supply substitutes for Wang Tong. Sima Zhi instead sent an urgent dispatch to Jinan detailing Liu Jie's offenses. Administrator Hao Guang had long respected and trusted him and immediately made Liu Jie serve in Wang Tong's place. Throughout Qing Province, Sima Zhi became known as the man who “made a commandery registrar into a soldier.” He was promoted to Magistrate of Guangping. General Who Conquers the Enemy Liu Xun enjoyed rank and favor and behaved arrogantly. He had also been Sima Zhi's former commandery chief. His retainers and younger kinsmen repeatedly broke the law within the county. Liu Xun wrote to Sima Zhi without signing his name, making many requests for favors. Sima Zhi neither answered the letters nor made exceptions: he handled everything according to law. When Liu Xun was later executed for disloyal designs, those who had dealings with him were punished, while Sima Zhi won praise.

Sima Zhi was promoted to Senior Justice under the Chief Judge. Some government silk had been stolen and left at a communal latrine. Officials suspected female weaving workers and imprisoned them. Sima Zhi said: “Errors in criminal punishment arise from harshness and violence. Here the stolen goods were found first, and only afterward were the suspects questioned. Unable to endure torture, they may confess falsely. A false confession cannot determine a case. Moreover, simplicity that is easy to comply with is the transforming influence of a great ruler. Merely ensuring that no guilty person escapes is the government of a mediocre age. Why should we not pardon those whose guilt is doubtful and uphold the principle of making the law easy to follow?” Taizu (Cao Cao) accepted his opinion. Sima Zhi successively served as Administrator of Ganling, Pei, and Yangping, achieving results wherever he went.

During the Huangchu era he entered the capital administration as Intendant of Henan. He restrained the powerful, supported the weak, and rejected private requests. A palace official once wished to seek a favor from him but dared not speak directly, so approached Dong Zhao, an elder paternal uncle of Sima Zhi's wife. Even Dong Zhao stood in awe of Sima Zhi and would not convey the request. Sima Zhi issued instructions to his subordinates: “A superior can establish rules but cannot guarantee that his officials will never break them. An official can break the rules but cannot guarantee that his superior will never hear of it. Establishing rules that are then broken reveals a superior's weakness; breaking rules and being discovered brings an official disaster. Weakness above and disaster below are what prevent government from being put in order. Should we not each make every effort?” Thereafter his subordinate officials all exerted themselves. A patrolling attendant once suspected a gate clerk of stealing a hairpin. The clerk's statements were inconsistent, and the bureau treated it as a criminal case. Sima Zhi instructed: “Objects can resemble one another so closely that they are difficult to distinguish. Unless one has the eyesight of Li Lou, few can avoid confusion. Even supposing the charge is true, how can the patrolman value a single hairpin so highly and the harm to a fellow man so lightly? Let the case rest and pursue it no further.”

When Emperor Ming (Cao Rui) ascended the throne, Sima Zhi received the rank of Marquis within the Passes. Shortly afterward, Dang, the wet nurse of Cao Hong, Holder of Special Rank, and an attendant of Princess Linfen were imprisoned for jointly worshiping the spirit of Wujian.

Empress Dowager Bian (Bian Shi) sent a Yellow Gate attendant to the office to convey her instructions. Sima Zhi refused him admission and immediately ordered the Luoyang prison to conclude the case and carry out the executions. He then submitted a memorial:

“All cases involving capital punishment should first be reported, and execution should await a reply. An earlier edict prohibited illicit sacrifices in order to rectify customs. The case of Dang and the others, involving the prohibited practices, had just been established when Yellow Gate attendant Wu Da arrived to convey the Grand Empress Dowager's instructions. I dared not admit him, fearing that a plea to save them would quickly reach Your Majesty. If such intervention became unavoidable, the case might be delayed. Failing to finish the matter earlier was my fault. I therefore ventured to violate the regular procedure and immediately instructed the county authorities to conclude the case, carrying out the executions on my own authority. I now await punishment.”

The emperor answered in his own hand: “Having read your memorial, I understand your utmost sincerity. You wished to uphold the edict and exercised discretion: you were right. Since your purpose was to carry out my command, what need is there for an apology? If a Yellow Gate attendant comes again, be sure not to admit him.” Sima Zhi held the office for eleven years and frequently proposed revisions to inconvenient regulations. Among the highest officials, he followed an upright course. When the princes came to court and formed unauthorized contacts with residents of the capital, he was dismissed on account of the affair.

He later became Grand Minister of Agriculture. Previously, the various agricultural commissioners had directed the officials and people under them into secondary occupations and business ventures to obtain revenue. Sima Zhi memorialized:

“The government of a true king honors the fundamental occupation and restrains secondary pursuits, devoting itself to agriculture and valuing grain. The Royal Regulations say: ‘A state without three years' reserves is no longer truly a state.’ The Guanzi repeatedly emphasizes accumulating grain as an urgent task. Now the two enemy powers remain unconquered and campaigning has not ceased. The state's essentials are grain and silk. Emperor Wu (Cao Cao) specifically established agricultural colony offices devoted exclusively to farming and sericulture. During the Jian'an era, granaries throughout the realm were full and the people had abundant supplies. Since the Huangchu era, however, agricultural commissioners have been allowed to conduct business, each planning for the advantage of his own subordinates. This is certainly inconsistent with the state's overall interests. A king regards all within the seas as his household. Hence the tradition says: ‘If the people lack enough, with whom can the ruler have enough?’ The field of prosperity lies in observing the seasons and making full use of the land's productive power. Although the ventures of traveling traders may visibly double their investment, they inflict incalculable loss on the economy of the united state. They are less valuable than bringing one more acre into cultivation. Farmers begin plowing and sowing in the first month. They weed, hoe, prune mulberries, plow dry ground, sow wheat, reap, and prepare threshing floors, finishing only in the tenth month. They repair granaries, secure bridges, transport taxes, clear roads, mend crossings, and plaster their dwellings. Thus the year passes without a day free from agricultural work. The agricultural commissioners now each say that those remaining behind make arrangements for the fields of those sent away on business. Yet when we assess their available labor, the consequences are unavoidable: either something must be neglected, or they must previously have possessed surplus capacity. In my humble opinion, commercial affairs should no longer be allowed to interfere. Exclusive attention to farming and sericulture would benefit the state's finances.”

Emperor Ming (Cao Rui) accepted his advice.

Whenever a superior summoned officials for questioning, Sima Zhi first met the clerks, assessed the purpose of the inquiry, and instructed them how to answer fully. Events always turned out as he had anticipated. By nature candid and upright, he did not make a display of personal rectitude. If something said in conversation with guests displeased him, he immediately challenged it to their faces; after they left, he said nothing different behind their backs. He died in office, leaving no surplus wealth at home. From the founding of Wei down to the present, no Intendant of Henan has equaled Sima Zhi.

After Sima Zhi died, his son Sima Qi succeeded him. From Assistant Intendant of Henan he transferred to Senior Justice under the Commandant of Justice, then became Chancellor of Chenliu. A prison case in Liang Commandery implicated many people and had remained unresolved for several years. An edict transferred it to a county under Sima Qi. The county asked to prepare prison equipment in advance. Sima Qi said: “There are several dozen prisoners. Although their cunning and deceit make their accounts hard to reconcile, they are already exhausted by painful interrogation, and their true circumstances should be easy to discern. Why should they remain imprisoned any longer?” When the prisoners arrived, he questioned them. None dared conceal facts or deceive him, and the case was settled in a single morning. He was then exceptionally promoted to Commandant of Justice. At this time General-in-Chief Cao Shuang monopolized power, supported by Masters of Writing He Yan, Deng Yang, and others. Gui Tai of Nanyang once offended them with his words and was imprisoned for interrogation by the Commandant of Justice. Deng Yang questioned him and intended to impose a severe sentence. Sima Qi rebuked Deng Yang: “As a minister at the center of government and a support of the royal house, you have failed to assist moral transformation, perfect virtue, and equal the excellence of the ancients. Instead you indulge private anger and unjustly condemn an innocent man. What could make the people more fearful than this?” Ashamed and angry, Deng Yang withdrew. Sima Qi nevertheless feared that he would eventually be punished and resigned on grounds of illness. He died at home less than a year later, aged thirty-five. His son Sima Zhao (司馬肇) succeeded him.

Appraisal: Xu Yi, He Kui, and Xing Yong esteemed sternness and rigor and became men of renown in their age. Mao Jie was pure and impartial, living simply; Sima Zhi was loyal, candid, and unwavering. They came close to the ideal of neither spitting out the hard nor swallowing the soft. Cui Yan's lofty character was the most outstanding, and Bao Xun upheld righteousness without compromise, yet neither escaped destruction. How regrettable! The Greater Odes prizes being “both discerning and wise,” and the Documents of Yu esteems being “upright yet gentle.” Without a combination of exceptional qualities, who could possess them all?