He Kui 何夔 Shulong 叔龍

Contents

Biography

Background and flight from Yuan Shu

He Kui was from Yangxia, Chen Commandery (in present-day Taikang, Henan). His courtesy name was Shulong. His great-grandfather He Xi had been Chariot and Horse General under Emperor An and had campaigned against the Southern Shanyu in 109. He Kui lost his father young and lived with his mother and elder brother; he was known for filial piety and brotherly love. He was tall and stern in appearance (eight feet three inches).

When chaos spread, He Kui went to Huainan. In 193, Yuan Shu came to Shouchun and summoned him. He Kui did not accept but was detained. Later, when Yuan Shu and Qiao Rui attacked Cao Cao’s stronghold at Qiyang, Yuan Shu tried to force He Kui to persuade the defenders to surrender. He Kui fled to Mount Qian and hid. Yuan Shu knew he would never serve him; though resentful, he did not harm him because of their kinship (Yuan Shu’s cousin Yuan Yi’s mother was He Kui’s cousin).

Service under Cao Cao

In 197, He Kui returned to his home commandery. Cao Cao recruited him as a clerk in the Minister over the Masses’ Office. Cao Cao was strict and often had clerks caned for faults. He Kui regularly carried poison so that he would drink it rather than suffer humiliation; Cao Cao valued his life and never had him caned.

He Kui served as Magistrate of Chengfu and then Administrator of Changguang. The commandery lay by mountains and the sea; Yellow Turban remnants and local strongmen had rebelled and received appointments from Yuan Tan. The elder Guan Cheng gathered over three thousand households and raided. Some advised sending troops. He Kui argued that Guan Cheng and his like had been forced into banditry and could be won over; he sent the Commandery Deputy Huang Zhen to explain the situation, and Guan Cheng and others surrendered. With the commandery army and Zhang Liao, He Kui also pacified the bandit Cong Qian in Mouping. The Dongmou man Wang Ying led over three thousand households and coerced Changyang into revolt; He Kui sent officials with a plan that caused Wang Ying’s followers to disperse. The area was pacified within a month.

When Cao Cao issued new laws and imposed taxes in silk and cloth, He Kui memorialised that Changguang had only just been established and recently seen war; the law should not be applied rigidly. He proposed that the commandery follow the flexible treatment of remote or newly subdued regions and that minor matters be handled ad hoc by officials for three years, after which the people would be settled and the law could be applied fully. Cao Cao agreed. He Kui was recalled to participate in the Chancellor’s military affairs. When the pirate Guo Zu raided the borders of Le’an and Jinan, Cao Cao made He Kui Administrator of Le’an because of his earlier prestige in Changguang; within months the trouble was settled. He Kui then became Officer of the Eastern Section of the Chancellor’s Office. He advised Cao Cao that appointments should be based on merit and that the virtuous and the base should be clearly distinguished; Cao Cao praised him.

Wei dignitary and refusal to submit to Ding Yi

In 213, when Cao Cao became Duke of Wei, He Kui was appointed Director of the Masters of Writing. When Cao Pi was designated heir, He Kui was made Junior Tutor to the Heir and, with the Grand Tutor Liang Mao and the Eastern Section of the Masters of Writing, was ordered to select the heir’s staff. After Liang Mao died, He Kui succeeded him as Grand Tutor. He was later promoted to Minister of the Coach.

In 220, when Cao Pi became emperor, He Kui was enfeoffed as Marquis of Chengyang. He later fell ill and repeatedly asked to retire; Cao Pi refused and asked him to rest and comply. He Kui died in office and was given the posthumous title Marquis Jing (靖侯).

When the Ding Yi brothers were in favour, He Kui did not get on with Ding Yi. Fu Xun warned him that Ding Yi had already had Mao Jie dismissed and that He Kui should yield to avoid trouble. He Kui said that doing wrong would only harm oneself and that those who harboured treachery at a clear court would not last long. He never submitted; the Ding brothers were later destroyed and their male line executed by Cao Pi.

Historical evaluations

Cao Cao (on Yuan Shu’s disorder): “To lose worthy men is to lose the state. You were not used by Yuan Shu—so disorder was only to be expected.”
Chen Shou: “Xu Yi, He Kui, and Xing Yong valued sternness and were famous in their time.”
Sun Sheng (on carrying poison): Criticised He Kui for “clutching poison to force the lord” to avoid minor disgrace; considered release acceptable but pardon not.

References

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Volume 12, Biography of He Kui
Records of the Three Kingdoms, Volume 2, Annals of Emperor Wen
Book of the Later Han, Biography of Liang Qin (attached biography of He Xi)