Hu Zhao

Historical Record

Hu Zhao, courtesy name Kongming, was a man of Yingchuan. In his early years, to escape the chaos of the times, he moved to Jizhou; Yuan Shao summoned him to take office, but Hu Zhao firmly declined and withdrew in reclusion back to his hometown ^c:3015. During the time Cao Cao held the offices of Minister of Works and then Chancellor, he repeatedly invited Hu Zhao with due courtesy. Hu Zhao answered the summons and went, but on arrival he made plain to Cao Cao that he was no more than a man of the mountains and wilds, of no use in military or state affairs, and asked to return home. Cao Cao respected his resolve, saying: "Each man has his own aspiration; those who go forth and those who stay differ in their inclinations. Strive to fulfill your refined ideals; in righteousness I will not bend you." ^c:3015 Hu Zhao then moved to dwell in the Luhun mountains, tilling the fields and delighting in the Way, amusing himself with the study of the classics, and was deeply loved and respected by the local people.

Hu Zhao had an old friendship with Emperor Xuan of Jin (Sima Yi) from their days in common dress. Zhou Sheng and others of the same commandery once plotted to harm Sima Yi; when Hu Zhao learned of it, he traveled on foot over perilous terrain and intercepted Zhou Sheng between Xiao and Mian, dissuading him from his course. When Zhou Sheng would not comply, Hu Zhao wept and pledged sincerity with him, and in the end moved Zhou Sheng to abandon his murderous intent. Hu Zhao and Zhou Sheng cut a jujube tree as a token of their oath and parted. Although Hu Zhao had thus done Sima Yi this hidden good, he never spoke of it all his life and no one knew of it, while his deed of trust and righteousness was widely told in the local community ^c:3015.

In the sixteenth year of the Jian'an era (211), Ma Chao rebelled, and the common people, fleeing the ravages of war, poured into the mountains by the thousands of households; under famine, plundering gradually arose. Hu Zhao often resolved disputes with humble words, so that the menace of bandits was quelled, and all revered him. As a result, within three hundred li around the settlement where he dwelt, no one dared encroach upon another ^c:3015.

In the twenty-third year of the Jian'an era (218), Zhang Gu, the chief of Luhun, was ordered to conscript laborers and send them to Hanzhong. The people loathed distant corvée and were in a state of alarm. Sun Lang and others took the opportunity to revolt, killing the county registrar, so that the county town was left in ruins. Zhang Gu, with a dozen or so clerks and soldiers, took refuge at Hu Zhao's dwelling, gathering the scattered people in an attempt to restore order. Sun Lang and his fellows turned south to submit to Guan Yu, who granted them seals and provided troops, sending them back to Luhun to plunder. When Sun Lang and his men reached Changle Pavilion south of Luhun, they made a mutual pact: "Master Hu the retired scholar is a worthy man; on no account may we encroach upon his settlement." ^c:3015 The people of the whole valley of Luhun were thus spared disturbance thanks to Hu Zhao. After the realm was settled, Hu Zhao moved to dwell in Yiyang.

Du Shu, Inspector of You Province, once visited Hu Zhao's thatched hut to discuss matters and reason with him, his words humble and respectful, and Du Shu greatly esteemed him. The Grand Commandant Jiang Ji once summoned Hu Zhao, but he did not answer the call ^c:3015.

During the Zhengshi era, Zhao Yan, General of Agile Cavalry; Huang Xiu and Guo Yi of the Masters of Writing; Xun Yi and Zhong Yu, Cavalier Attendants-in-Ordinary; Yu Yi, the Grand Coachman; and He Zhen, Grand Administrator of Hongnong, among others, repeatedly recommended Hu Zhao to the court, calling him "of a pure and lofty nature, growing ever more steadfast with age. Mysterious, quiet, and unadorned, he has the integrity of Bo Yi and the Lord of Xia. He ought to receive a summons by appointment, to encourage public morals." ^c:3015 The court, considering that the wars had not yet ceased, deferred the matter of summoning him. Later, Xun Yi and Huang Xiu, together with Yu Yi, again recommended Hu Zhao, and the court issued an edict referring the matter to his home province for deliberation. The Palace Attendant Wei Dan argued against it: "To treat the worthy with courtesy and summon the recluse scholar is a weighty matter in the governance of a true king. In ancient times conduct was examined in the local community. Now Xun Yi and the others hold the posts of regular counselors and remonstrants, and Yu Yi is an assistant minister—enough to command trust. To curry favor with those below and deceive those above is not what a loyal minister does. Hu Zhao, of long-standing virtue and venerable age, has lived withdrawn in the mountains and forests; he should indeed receive special treatment." ^c:3015 The court adopted Wei Dan's advice. It was not until the second year of the Jiaping era (250) that the court specially summoned Hu Zhao by official carriage, but he had unfortunately died before this, at the age of eighty-nine. The court posthumously appointed his son Hu Zuan a Gentleman of the Interior (langzhong).

In the Novel

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms gives Hu Zhao no detailed literary characterization, and his deeds are not recorded in the novel. The romance therefore contains no independent plot or dialogue about Hu Zhao, nor any depiction of his character or image. This contrasts with the figure of Hu Zhao in the historical sources as a lofty recluse: in the histories he not only declined the summonses of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, but in an age of chaos moved the people by his virtue and maintained the peace of a region ^c:3015. The romance's neglect of Hu Zhao left this recluse "of the integrity of Bo Yi and the Lord of Xia" outside the popular eye, and his distinctive standing and influence in history likewise went unportrayed by the novel.

Key Relationships

* Yuan Shao's Faction: Hu Zhao once declined Yuan Shao's summons, unwilling to take office, displaying his aspiration to shun glory and wealth and live withdrawn from the world ^c:3015.
* Cao Cao: When Cao Cao was Minister of Works and Chancellor, he repeatedly invited Hu Zhao with courtesy. Hu Zhao answered the summons, but on arrival made his feelings plain to Cao Cao and asked to return home; Cao Cao respected his choice and did not press him ^c:3015.
* Sima Yi (Emperor Xuan of Jin): Hu Zhao had an old friendship with Sima Yi from their days in common dress. Hu Zhao once risked his life to dissuade Zhou Sheng from harming Sima Yi, doing him a life-saving good, yet Hu Zhao never spoke of it all his life, displaying his noble character ^c:3015.
* Guan Yu: After the rebels Sun Lang and others turned south to submit to Guan Yu, Guan Yu granted them seals, troops, and horses. Yet Sun Lang and his men, within the territory of Luhun, on account of Hu Zhao's worthy renown, pledged not to encroach upon his settlement—indirectly showing that Hu Zhao's virtue and prestige were respected even by the enemy ^c:3015.
* The Cao Wei Court: Hu Zhao was repeatedly recommended to the Cao Wei court, including by many officials such as Zhao Yan, Huang Xiu, Guo Yi, Xun Yi, Zhong Yu, Yu Yi, and He Zhen; in the end the court specially summoned him, but Hu Zhao died before he could answer the call ^c:3015.

Signature Scenes

* Declining the summonses of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao: In an age of chaos, faced with the repeated summonses of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, Hu Zhao firmly declined them all, reflecting his character of being unwilling to enter officialdom and of pursuing mysterious quiet and simplicity ^c:3015. His statement to Cao Cao that he was "a single man of the wilds, of no use in military or state affairs," and his ultimate return to reclusion in the mountains and forests, are a vivid depiction of his "integrity of Bo Yi and the Lord of Xia."
* Saving Sima Yi between Xiao and Mian: Hu Zhao traveled on foot to dissuade Zhou Sheng from harming Sima Yi between Xiao and Mian, and by weeping and pledging sincerity moved his counterpart, ultimately succeeding in stopping this plot. This act not only displayed Hu Zhao's benevolence and wisdom but also highlighted his noble integrity of "doing the emperor a hidden good yet never speaking of it to the last" ^c:3015.
* Pacifying the people in the Luhun mountains: In the famine and plundering brought on by Ma Chao's rebellion in the sixteenth year of the Jian'an era, Hu Zhao, by his virtue, prestige, and humble words, quelled the menace of bandits, so that within three hundred li around the settlement where he dwelt "none encroached upon another by violence" ^c:3015. This scene fully displays Hu Zhao's ability to transform people by virtue in an age of chaos and his protective role over the people of a region.
* Sun Lang's rebels not encroaching upon his settlement: When the rebels Sun Lang and others, after turning south to submit to Guan Yu, returned to Luhun to plunder, they, out of respect for Hu Zhao's worthy renown, pledged not to encroach upon his settlement ^c:3015. This scene is the best proof of Hu Zhao's lofty virtue and prestige, that even marauding bandits held him in awe, so that "the whole valley relied on Hu Zhao and all were without fear."