He Qia

Historical Record

He Qia, courtesy name Yangshi, was a native of Xiping in Runan. He was recommended as a Filial and Incorrupt candidate and recruited by the Grand General, but took up neither post. When Yuan Shao was in Jizhou, he sent envoys to recruit the gentry of Runan. He Qia, with singular insight, held that although Jizhou had level land and a strong populace and produced many champions, it was a land contested on four sides, and that although Yuan Shao was strong, his future was not assured. He instead favored Liu Biao of Jing Province, holding that Liu Biao had no far-reaching ambitions, loved men and delighted in scholars, and that Jing Province had rugged, defensible terrain with weak mountain tribesmen, easy to attach oneself to ^c:1060. He Qia therefore took his kin and old associates south to join Liu Biao, who treated him with the courtesy due an honored guest. However, He Qia well understood that "the lord of a benighted age must not be approached too closely, for in time, as danger mounts, there will surely be slanderers sowing discord within" ^c:1060, and finally crossed south to Wuling.

After Cao Cao pacified Jing Province, He Qia was recruited as a subordinate of the Chancellor's office. At that time, Mao Jie and Cui Yan were renowned for their loyal, pure, and capable conduct of affairs, and in selecting men they also esteemed frugality. He Qia offered an original view on this, holding that "the great vessel of the realm lies in offices and men, and cannot be measured by a single standard. Excessive frugality and plainness may be acceptable in governing oneself, but to use this standard to judge others may lose much" ^c:4994. He pointed out that at the time, an official who wore new clothes or rode a fine carriage was regarded as not incorrupt, while a senior officer of unkempt appearance and worn-out furs and garments was deemed honest—so much so that gentry deliberately dirtied their clothes and hid their carriages and robes, and high officials of the court carried their own meal-pots into the offices. He Qia emphasized that in establishing instruction and observing custom, the value lies in the mean, and the aim is to accord with human feeling; he opposed "extreme and eccentric conduct," holding that it easily breeds falseness and deceit ^c:4994.

After the state of Wei was established, He Qia served as Palace Attendant. When someone falsely accused Mao Jie of slandering Cao Cao, Cao Cao flew into a rage. He Qia forcefully set out that Mao Jie's customary conduct had a sound basis and requested that the matter be verified. Cao Cao at first was unwilling to investigate deeply, holding that "those who now report the matter say that Jie not only slandered me, but also harbored resentment on Cui Yan's behalf. This harms the bond of duty between lord and subject and wantonly voices grievance and lament for a dead friend—it is nearly unbearable" ^c:1061, and cited the relationship between Xiao He, Cao Shen, and Emperor Gaozu as lord and subject. He Qia, however, insisted that if Mao Jie truly had words slandering his superior, he should be punished; if not, then the false accuser should be punished, for otherwise "if these two are not examined and verified, I privately feel uneasy" ^c:1061. Cao Cao demurred on the grounds that "now that we are in the midst of military affairs, how can I have him interrogated on another's report?" but in the end, with the advice of Huan Jie and He Qia, Mao Jie was spared dismissal and died at home ^c:1059.

During the Taihe era, the Cavalry Attendant-in-Ordinary Gaotang Long memorialized that "the seasonal winds do not come, and there is an air of decline and waste—this must be because officials are not diligent in their duties and so have lost the constancy of Heaven." He Qia voiced his view on this, holding that "the people are sparse and the plowing scant, while idle eaters are many. The state takes the people as its root, and the people take grain as their life," and pointing out that since spring and summer the people had been burdened with corvée labor and agriculture had been neglected, which might be the cause of "the seasonal winds not coming." He emphasized that of the arts of dispelling calamity and restoring order, none is greater than frugality, and advised relieving and reducing wearisome corvée duties and cutting away superfluous tasks in order to store up military provisions, and treating military action with caution, avoiding "delight in arms without awe" ^c:9433.

In the Novel

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, He Qia's image is mainly reflected in his role as a close minister of Cao Cao, taking part in important policy discussions of the Cao Wei regime. In the novel, after Cao Cao finished reading the memorials, he once halted his southern campaign, established schools, and entertained literary scholars with courtesy. At this time, the four Palace Attendants Wang Can, Du Xi, Wei Kai, and He Qia proposed to honor Cao Cao as King of Wei ^c:1063. This episode is not clearly recorded in the histories as a joint proposal by the four men, which instead emphasize He Qia's office as Palace Attendant after the state of Wei was established. Through this episode, the novel shapes He Qia into a close associate of Cao Cao who took part in advancing Cao Cao's rise in power.

When Xun You opposed honoring Cao Cao as King of Wei, Cao Cao, hearing of it, flew into a rage and was reminded of Xun Yu. Xun You consequently fell ill from worry and indignation and died. In the novel, He Qia, together with Wang Can, Du Xi, and Wei Kai, jointly raised the proposal to honor Cao Cao as king, which slightly diverges from the histories' portrayal of He Qia's character as "pure, harmonious, and capable of management" and "upright and impartial," leaning more toward a literary work's shaping of a group portrait, so as to set off Cao Cao's power and his suppression of dissent. In the histories, He Qia more often displays his side of independent thought and courage to remonstrate directly, especially in the Mao Jie affair, where he overruled the others and insisted on verifying the truth, embodying his character of being "pure, harmonious, and capable of management" ^c:1061. The novel's episode does not deeply depict He Qia's personal stance, but places him in the context of a collective decision.

Key Relationships

* Mao Jie: He Qia was a firm supporter and defender of Mao Jie. When Mao Jie was falsely accused of slandering Cao Cao, He Qia overruled the others and insisted that Cao Cao verify the truth, ultimately ensuring that Mao Jie was spared a serious punishment ^c:1059. This embodies He Qia's upright and impartial character.
* Yuan Shao: In the early period He Qia was a rival_of Yuan Shao; with singular insight, he foresaw that although Yuan Shao was powerful, his future was uncertain, declined Yuan Shao's recruitment, and instead went over to Liu Biao ^c:1060.
* Liu Biao's faction: He Qia once served Liu Biao, who treated him with the courtesy due an honored guest. But He Qia well understood Liu Biao's limitations and ultimately chose to leave ^c:1060.
* Cao Wei: He Qia ultimately served Cao Wei, holding the offices of Chancellor's subordinate and Palace Attendant, and was an important strategist and close minister of Cao Cao. He once offered advice on Cao Cao's standards for selecting men and his frugality policy, and remonstrated directly in the Mao Jie affair ^c:4994, ^c:1061.
* Wang Can, Du Xi, Wei Kai: In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, He Qia, together with these three men, proposed to honor Cao Cao as King of Wei ^c:1063 (novel only).

Signature Scenes

* Foresight in choosing Liu Biao as lord: At a time when Yuan Shao was powerful, He Qia foresaw the uncertainty of his future and chose to join Liu Biao, while maintaining a clear-eyed awareness of the limitations of Liu Biao's faction, ultimately crossing south to Wuling. This displays his distinctive strategic vision and his precise judgment of the times ^c:1060.
* Forcefully remonstrating with Cao Cao to verify the Mao Jie case: When Mao Jie was falsely accused of slandering Cao Cao, Cao Cao in his fury wished to charge Mao Jie. Undaunted by power, He Qia forcefully set out Mao Jie's customary conduct and insisted that Cao Cao verify the truth, ultimately sparing Mao Jie from punishment. This scene fully embodies He Qia's upright, impartial, pure, harmonious, and capable character ^c:1061, ^c:1059.
* Advocating the mean, opposing overcorrected frugality: He Qia objected to the phenomenon of overemphasizing frugality in selecting men in the early Cao Wei period, holding that "excessive frugality and plainness may be acceptable in governing oneself, but to use this standard to judge others may lose much," and pointing out that excessive pursuit of frugality could breed hypocrisy. He advocated that in establishing instruction and observing custom, the value lies in the mean and the aim is to accord with human feeling ^c:4994.
* Discussing with Wang Can and others honoring Cao Cao as King of Wei: In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, He Qia, together with Wang Can, Du Xi, and Wei Kai, proposed honoring Cao Cao as King of Wei; though it did not succeed, this displays his standing in the Cao Wei regime and his supportive attitude toward Cao Cao's rise in power ^c:1063 (novel only).
* Memorializing on the people's livelihood and frugality: During the Taihe era, in response to Gaotang Long's memorial, He Qia raised the problem that "the people are sparse and the plowing scant, while idle eaters are many," emphasized the importance of frugality, advised relieving and reducing wearisome corvée duties and cutting away superfluous tasks to store up military provisions, and urged caution in military action ^c:9433.