He Ding

Historical Record

He Ding was a close courtier favored by Sun Hao in the later years of Eastern Wu. The Jiangbiao zhuan, quoted in Pei Songzhi’s annotations, says that he had originally served as one of Sun Quan’s attendants. He was later sent out to serve as an official, then claimed to have been an old retainer of the late emperor and requested a post back at court. Sun Hao appointed him Commandant of the Tower Base, placing him in charge of matters such as the sale of wine and grain. He later also allowed him to take part in state affairs, and He Ding rose to the post of General of the Palace. Historical accounts describe him as having won favor through flattery and as abusing the ruler’s trust to wield power arbitrarily, making him a target of criticism among court officials.^[1][2]

He Ding once framed Li Xu, the Director of the Lesser Treasury, out of a private grudge. He had asked Li Xu for his daughter’s hand in marriage for his son, and when Li Xu refused, He Ding slandered him to Sun Hao. As a result, Li Xu and the family of Xu Cun were executed. He Ding also ordered various generals to travel far in search of good hunting dogs for catching rabbits in the palace; the expense was enormous, while the results were meager. The people of Wu blamed him, yet Sun Hao still considered him loyal and diligent and enfeoffed him as a Marquis of the Rank of Lie.^[1] He Shao submitted a memorial pointing out that Sun Hao favored He Ding and entrusted him with authority, allowing him to wield power arbitrarily. He also criticized He Ding for driving soldiers stationed along the river to hunt deer and work on imperial tombs, leaving the troops exhausted and the people resentful.^[3][4]

In the second year of Jianheng, He Ding led five thousand men to Xiakou to hunt. At the time, rumors circulated among the people that Sun Hao planned to move against Sun Xiu. Alarmed, Sun Xiu fled to Jin by night with his wife and children and several hundred personal guards. When Lu Kai was gravely ill, he also urged Sun Hao not to employ He Ding, but to give him an out-of-the-way post and keep him out of state affairs. In a memorial, Lu Kang likewise cited “He Ding’s abuse of power and eunuchs’ involvement in government” as one of the problems facing the state.^[5][6][7] In the first year of Fenghuang, He Ding was executed after his “treachery and corruption came to light.” Sun Hao considered his evil conduct comparable to that of Zhang Bu and posthumously changed his name to “Bu.”^[1]

In the Novel

The novel does not depict this person. The available material provides no account of He Ding’s story or characterization in novels such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, so no fictional words, deeds, experiences, or fate can be attributed to him on that basis; accounts of He Ding must rely solely on the Records of the Three Kingdoms and the materials quoted in Pei Songzhi’s annotations.^[8][1]

Key Relationships

He Ding’s relationship with Sun Hao centered on favor and reliance: Sun Hao gave him official posts and entrusted him with responsibilities, and continued to ennoble him even when the people of Wu blamed him. At the same time, He Ding’s abuse of power and flattery drew remonstrances from high officials.^[1][4] His conflict with Li Xu began when his marriage proposal was rejected; he then slandered Li Xu, leading to Li Xu’s execution. This shows how a private grudge could, through the influence of a close courtier, become a source of political harm.^[1] Lu Kai once warned He Ding to his face, accusing him of being sycophantic and corrupt and of disrupting state affairs, and predicting that calamity would befall him. He Ding consequently resented Lu Kai and plotted to discredit him. Even on his deathbed, Lu Kai maintained that He Ding should be sent to an outlying post and not entrusted with state affairs.^[2][7] He Shao criticized He Ding for abusing the ruler’s favor and acting recklessly, citing both the state of government and the waste of the people’s labor. Lu Kang also cited He Ding’s abuse of power as an example of eunuchs interfering in government.^[6][3][4]

Notable Episodes

Using influence to settle a private grudge. He Ding sought the hand of the Director of the Lesser Treasury Li Xu’s daughter for his son. When his proposal was rejected, he slandered Li Xu to Sun Hao, and Li Xu and the family of Xu Cun were executed. The incident illustrates He Ding’s influence at court and explains why he became a target of criticism in officials’ remonstrances.^[1]

Leading troops to Xiakou to hunt. In the second year of Jianheng, He Ding took five thousand men to Xiakou to hunt. Sun Xiu had already become fearful because of rumors among the people; when he saw He Ding arrive from afar, he fled to Jin that very night with his family and personal guards. Thus, in the historical account, the hunting expedition and Sun Xiu’s flight occur in sequence, but the source does not say that He Ding was directly ordered to seize Sun Xiu.^[5]

Remonstrance and execution. Lu Kai berated He Ding to his face for usurping power and, even while ill, urged Sun Hao to send him away to an outlying post. He Shao, meanwhile, cited He Ding’s use of troops to hunt deer and work on imperial tombs as examples of wasting the people’s labor and resources. In the first year of Fenghuang, He Ding was ultimately executed, and Sun Hao posthumously changed his name to Bu, marking his fall from favored courtier to condemned criminal.^[2][7][4][1]