Bao Xun

Historical Record

Bao Xun, styled Shuye, was a man of Mount Tai. His father Bao Xin followed Cao Cao from his first rising and later gave his life for the state. Bao Xun carried on his father's purpose and served under Cao Cao from an early age. In the twenty-second year of Jian'an (217), when Cao Cao established Cao Pi as Heir Apparent, Bao Xun was appointed Middle Household Counselor, charged with assisting the Heir Apparent. Soon after, he was transferred to be Yellow Gate Attendant, and later sent out as Commandant of the Western Sector of Wei Commandery. During his tenure Bao Xun was renowned for his upright, unbending character. At the time the younger brother of Heir Apparent Cao Pi's Lady Guo served as a clerk in Quzhou County and, for stealing official cloth, was by law liable to death. Cao Cao was then at Qiao, while the Heir Apparent Cao Pi remained at Ye, and Cao Pi repeatedly wrote in his own hand to Bao Xun asking him to pardon his wife's brother. Bao Xun, however, did not bend the law for private favor on this account, but reported the matter truthfully to the court ^c:4396.

While at the Eastern Palace, Bao Xun, owing to his upright and unyielding character, had failed to win the Heir Apparent's favor. This affair further deepened Cao Pi's displeasure and resentment toward him. It happened just then that soldiers within Wei Commandery had overstayed their leave, and Cao Pi secretly ordered the Commandant to memorialize the matter, using it as a pretext to remove Bao Xun from office. Even so, Bao Xun's upright character did not change on this account. After a time he was reemployed as Attendant Imperial Secretary. In the first year of Yankang (220), Cao Cao died and the Heir Apparent Cao Pi succeeded as King of Wei; on account of his rank as Commandant of the Imperial Sons-in-Law, Bao Xun concurrently held the post of Palace Attendant ^c:4396.

After Cao Pi proclaimed himself Emperor, Bao Xun repeatedly remonstrated with him, stressing that "what is urgent now lies only in military affairs and agriculture, and in treating the people with leniency and kindness. Terraces, pavilions, parks, and enclosures should be set aside for later." ^c:4397. On one occasion, when Emperor Wen Cao Pi prepared to go out hunting, Bao Xun even halted his carriage before it and submitted a memorial, remonstrating: "I have heard that the Five Emperors and Three Kings, every one, made clear the root and established teaching, governing the realm with filial piety. Your Majesty's benevolence, sagacity, and compassion are the equal of the men of old. I hope you will follow in the tracks of former ages and make yourself a model for ten thousand generations. How can you, while in the period of mourning, pursue the business of galloping and racing? I venture death to make this known—may Your Majesty examine it." ^c:4397. Cao Pi, on reading it, tore up the memorial on the spot and still insisted on hunting. While resting along the way, Cao Pi asked his attending ministers: "How does the pleasure of the hunt compare with music?" The Palace Attendant Liu Ye flatteringly replied: "The hunt surpasses music." Bao Xun at once rebutted: "Music above reaches the spirits and gods, below harmonizes human relations, brings prosperity and good rule, and makes all states at peace. For transforming customs and altering manners, nothing is better than music. As for the hunt, it spreads the canopy over the wilds, harms the supreme principle of life and growth, and braves wind and rain out of season. Of old, Duke Yin of Lu watched fishing at Tang, and the Spring and Autumn Annals censured him. Though Your Majesty takes this as a pressing matter, I, your foolish servant, do not wish it." ^c:4397. Bao Xun then directly memorialized, charging Liu Ye with being "fawning, flattering, and disloyal, pandering to Your Majesty's excessive jesting words. Of old Liangqiu Ju ingratiated himself at the Chuan Terrace—Liu Ye is just such a man. I beg the authorities to deliberate his guilt to purify the imperial temple." ^c:4397. Cao Pi, hearing this, flew into a rage and, upon returning to the palace, demoted Bao Xun to General of the Gentlemen of the Right.

In the fourth year of Huangchu (223), the Master of Writing Chen Qun and the Vice Director Sima Yi jointly recommended Bao Xun to serve as Palace Rectifier (that is, Vice Censor-in-Chief). Although Cao Pi was unwilling, he in the end adopted their recommendation. After Bao Xun took office, the hundred officials all held him in strict awe, none failing to be solemn. In the autumn of the sixth year of Huangchu (225), Cao Pi planned to campaign against Eastern Wu, and the assembled officials debated the matter fiercely. Bao Xun again remonstrated to his face, pointing out: "The reason the royal army has campaigned repeatedly without success is that Wu and Shu are interdependent as lips and teeth, relying on the barriers of mountains and rivers, in a position hard to uproot. Last year the dragon-boat drifted, cut off on the southern bank; Your Majesty's sacred person trod peril, and your subjects' gall was broken. At that time the ancestral temple nearly came to ruin—a warning for a hundred generations. Now again to weary the troops in attacking the distant, expending a thousand pieces of gold a day, drains the Central Land and lets the cunning caitiffs make light of our might; I privately hold it cannot be done." ^c:15822. Cao Pi, hearing this, grew more enraged still and demoted Bao Xun to Law-Keeping Enforcer.

In the Novel

Romance of the Three Kingdoms gives no independent literary shaping of Bao Xun; his deeds appear mainly scattered through the chapters following Cao Pi's accession, and mostly accord with the historical record, showing no obvious deviation or invented episodes. The novel's depiction of Bao Xun centers chiefly on his frank remonstrances with Cao Pi, highlighting his "upright and unyielding" character, but does not develop his personal experiences in detail, nor does it give him dialogue ^c:4396. Bao Xun therefore appears in the novel mostly as the image of a loyal minister, used to set off Cao Pi's obstinacy and his later political missteps.

Key Relationships

* Cao Wei (serves): Bao Xun served the Cao Wei regime loyally all his life; whether in Cao Cao's time or Cao Pi's, he was dutiful and devoted, offering counsel and strategies for the state. He held such posts as Middle Household Counselor, Yellow Gate Attendant, Commandant of the Western Sector of Wei Commandery, Attendant Imperial Secretary, Commandant of the Imperial Sons-in-Law concurrently Palace Attendant, Palace Rectifier (Vice Censor-in-Chief), and Law-Keeping Enforcer ^c:4396.
* Cao Pi (enemy_of): Bao Xun's relationship with Cao Pi was complex and tense. As Middle Household Counselor to the Heir Apparent Cao Pi, Bao Xun should have assisted the Heir Apparent, but for upholding the law impartially and refusing to show favor to the Heir Apparent's wife's brother, he incurred Cao Pi's resentment ^c:4396. After Cao Pi took the throne, Bao Xun again repeatedly remonstrated, opposing Cao Pi's hunting and his campaign against Wu, and even rebuked Liu Ye's flattery to his face, making Cao Pi ever more displeased and repeatedly demoting him ^c:4397. This relationship reflects the conflict between Bao Xun's uprightness and Cao Pi's obstinacy.
* Liu Ye (enemy_of): Bao Xun's relationship with Liu Ye is a classic opposition of loyal minister and flatterer. When Cao Pi was hunting, Liu Ye, to ingratiate himself, said the hunt surpassed music; Bao Xun at once sternly rebutted him and memorialized to ask that Liu Ye be charged, calling him "fawning, flattering, and disloyal" ^c:4397. This directly displays Bao Xun's hatred of evil and his fearlessness before the powerful.

Iconic Scenes

* Upholding the law impartially, refusing favor to the Heir Apparent: When Bao Xun was Commandant of the Western Sector of Wei Commandery, the younger brother of Heir Apparent Cao Pi's Lady Guo was arrested for stealing official cloth, and Cao Pi repeatedly wrote asking Bao Xun to pardon him. But Bao Xun was unmoved, insisting on handling the matter according to law and reporting truthfully, thereby offending Cao Pi ^c:4396. This affair fully displays Bao Xun's "upright and unyielding" character.
* Remonstrating at the risk of death against Cao Pi's hunting: When Cao Pi insisted on going out to hunt during the mourning period, Bao Xun halted his carriage and submitted a memorial, remonstrating at the risk of death and pointing out that this violated propriety. After Cao Pi tore up the memorial and still insisted on hunting, Bao Xun again rebuked Liu Ye's flattering words to his face along the way and memorialized to ask that Liu Ye be charged ^c:4397. This scene displays to the full Bao Xun's pure and lofty integrity and his courage in not fearing the powerful.
* Strongly remonstrating against Cao Pi's campaign on Wu: In the sixth year of Huangchu, when Cao Pi wished to campaign against Eastern Wu, Bao Xun remonstrated to his face during the grand deliberation of the officials, analyzing the geographic advantage of Wu and Shu's interdependence as lips and teeth, taking Cao Pi's earlier peril aboard the dragon-boat as a warning, and pointing out the harm of wearying the troops on a distant campaign. He thereby enraged Cao Pi again and was demoted to Law-Keeping Enforcer ^c:15822. This reflects his deep insight into the larger affairs of state and his concern for the people's hardships, as well as his political aspiration of being "incorrupt yet able to give."