He Kui

Historical Record

He Kui, courtesy name Shulong, was a native of Yangxia in Chen Commandery. His great-grandfather He Xi rose to the office of General of Chariots and Cavalry during the reign of Emperor An of Han ^c:4519. He Kui lost his father in childhood and lived together with his mother and elder brother, becoming known in his home district for filial piety and brotherly love. He stood eight chi three cun tall, with a grave and imposing appearance ^c:4519.

As the empire fell into chaos at the end of the Han, He Kui moved to Huainan to escape the flames of war. After Yuan Shu occupied Shouchun, he once summoned He Kui, but He Kui was unwilling to answer the call and was forcibly detained by Yuan Shu. When Yuan Shu and Qiao Rui jointly besieged Qiyang—held fast by Cao Cao—Yuan Shu wished to coerce He Kui into going to persuade it to surrender. He Kui found this deeply shameful, citing Liuxia Hui's words that "one does not consult a benevolent man about attacking a state," and finally fled into Mount Qian. Although Yuan Shu knew He Kui would not be of use to him, he did him no harm, because He Kui's aunt was the mother of Yuan Shu's cousin, the Grand Administrator of Shanyang ^c:4519.

In the second year of Jian'an (197 CE), He Kui seized the chance to escape Yuan Shu's sphere of power, and the following year returned to his home district. Soon afterward, Cao Cao recruited him as an aide to the Minister of Works. At the time there was a rumor of unrest in Yuan Shu's army, and Cao Cao asked He Kui's view. He Kui analyzed that Yuan Shu "had no substance of trustworthiness or compliance" and asserted that he would surely fall into disorder of his own accord. Hearing this, Cao Cao praised He Kui: "That you would not be used by Yuan Shu—it is fitting indeed that he should fall into chaos" ^c:4520. Knowing well that Cao Cao was severe in temperament, and that his aides were often caned over official matters, He Kui always kept poison on hand, vowing to die rather than suffer humiliation, and in the end was never punished ^c:4520.

Later He Kui became Magistrate of Chengfu. At that time, after Liu Bei's rebellion, the southeast region was much in turmoil, and Cao Cao used renowned gentlemen such as Chen Qun and He Kui to pacify the various counties, so that officials and common people gradually settled ^c:4520. He Kui was then promoted to Grand Administrator of Changguang. Changguang Commandery bordered the mountains and the sea; the Yellow Turban remnants were unsubdued, and many of the local strongmen rebelled. Facing bandits of more than three thousand households such as Guan Cheng, He Kui advocated winning them over through kindness rather than attacking by force, and in the end successfully induced their surrender. He also joined with Zhang Liao to pacify the bandit Qian, and by stratagem took the rebel force of Wang Ying and others, so that within a month or so the entire commandery was wholly pacified ^c:7027.

In governing the locality, He Kui, considering that in the aftermath of war the people's hearts had only just settled and harsh laws should not be enforced at once, advocated that for minor local matters the "senior officials should act as fitting to the occasion," and that only after three years, when the people's hearts were settled, should the laws be unified ^c:7028. He also advised Cao Cao that in employing men one should "first examine them in their villages and neighborhoods," conferring rank by worth and salary by service, and establishing a system of accountability for recommendations, so as to put an end to contention and spur on the subordinates ^c:7029.

After the founding of the state of Wei, He Kui was appointed Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat ^c:110. At that time the Ding Yi brothers were in favor and on bad terms with He Kui. Fu Xun advised He Kui to yield a little, but He Kui firmly maintained that "to act unjustly suffices only to harm oneself—how can it harm another," and never submitted; Ding Yi at last came to ruin through his treacherous flattery ^c:110. After Cao Pi was made heir apparent, Liang Mao was appointed Grand Tutor and He Kui Junior Tutor, and the two tutors were specially charged, together with the Eastern Bureau of the Imperial Secretariat, to select the officials of the heir apparent and the various princes. After Liang Mao died, He Kui took over his post. He Kui strictly observed the rites; even when Cao Pi wished to treat him as an exception, he still held to the constant institutions of the state and would not overstep them ^c:110.

Later He Kui was transferred to Grand Coachman. After Cao Pi took the throne, he enfeoffed He Kui as Marquis of the Pavilion of Chengyang, with a fief of three hundred households. In his late years He Kui was beset by illness and repeatedly asked to resign, but Cao Pi issued edicts urging him to stay. After He Kui died, he was given the posthumous title Marquis Jing ^c:110. His son He Zeng inherited the title, rose to the office of Minister over the Masses, and during the Xianxi era became known for his refined elegance and pure filial piety ^c:117.

In the Novel

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms contains very little about He Kui, and his image receives no notable literary shaping. The novel scarcely mentions He Kui's life and deeds, nor does it explore his character in depth. Compared with the rich detail and important contributions recorded in the histories, the He Kui of the novel is all but an overlooked figure. For instance, He Kui's refusal to submit to Yuan Shu, his clever quelling of rebellion, and his important standing and upright character within the Cao-Wei regime are none of them reflected in the novel [c:4519, c:7027, c:110]. The novel focuses chiefly on warfare and the conflicts of major figures, and tends to pass over—or even omit entirely—officials like He Kui who were renowned for civil governance and integrity. The He Kui of the novel can thus be said to be a flat image, lacking the vivid personality of the histories: "filial and fraternal, treading the upright path, frugal and plain, unbending in resolve."

Key Relationships

* He Zeng (parent_of): He Kui's son, who inherited his title, rose to the office of Minister over the Masses, and was renowned for refined elegance and pure filial piety ^c:117.
* Yuan Shu's Faction (defected_from): He Kui was once forcibly detained by Yuan Shu, but never allowed himself to be used by him, and finally contrived to escape ^c:4519.
* Cao Wei (serves): Under Cao Cao, He Kui was recruited as an aide to the Minister of Works, and later held in succession the posts of Magistrate of Chengfu, Grand Administrator of Changguang, Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat, Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent, and Grand Coachman—an important official of the Cao-Wei regime [c:4520, c:110].
* Cao Pi (mentor_of): He Kui served as Cao Pi's Junior Tutor as heir apparent, responsible for selecting the heir apparent's officials, and influenced Cao Pi through his upright character and his insistence on the rites ^c:110.

Iconic Scenes

* Cleverly Refusing Yuan Shu, Hiding in Mount Qian: Yuan Shu wished to coerce He Kui into persuading Qiyang to surrender; He Kui refused, citing Liuxia Hui's words, and finally fled into Mount Qian, displaying his unbending resolve and lofty character ^c:4519.
* Foretelling Yuan Shu's Disorder: Cao Cao asked He Kui's view on the unrest in Yuan Shu's army, and He Kui asserted, on the grounds that Yuan Shu "had no substance of trustworthiness or compliance," that he would surely fall into disorder, showing his deep insight into the situation of the times ^c:4520.
* Keeping Poison Ready, Vowing to Die, Never Disgracing His Charge: Knowing well that Cao Cao was severe, He Kui kept poison always on hand to avoid humiliation, vowing to die rather than yield—embodying his steadfast and unyielding character ^c:4520.
* Wielding Kindness and Authority Together, Pacifying Changguang: As Grand Administrator of Changguang, He Kui, facing the bandits, advocated first winning them over through kindness and then backing it with force, successfully pacifying the rebellion and displaying his outstanding talent for governance ^c:7027.
* Holding to the Rites, Unbending Before Ding Yi: After the founding of the state of Wei, facing the power of the Ding Yi brothers, He Kui remained unmoved and held to his integrity; in the end Ding Yi came to ruin, confirming He Kui's foresight and unbending resolve ^c:110.
* Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent, a Model of Treading the Upright Path: During his tenure as Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent, He Kui strictly observed the rites; even when Cao Pi wished to treat him as an exception, he still held to the constant institutions of the state, setting Cao Pi an example of uprightness ^c:110.