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He Kui 何夔

Dec 30, 2015 © Ulrich Theobald

He Kui 何夔, courtesy name Shulong 叔龍, was a high official of the warlord Cao Cao 曹操 during the late Eastern Han period 東漢 (25-220 CE).

He came from Yangxia 陽夏 in the commandery of Chenjun 陳郡 (today's Taikang 太康, Henan) and fled during the Yellow Turban rebellion 黃巾起義 to the region of Huainan 淮南, where the local powerholder, Yuan Shu 袁術, desired to take him into his service, yet he declined. Later on he decided to become a follower of the warlord Cao Cao 曹操, who made him section administrator in the Ministry of Works (sikong yuan 司空掾), and later governor (taishou 太守) of the commandery of Changguang 長廣, then of Le'an 樂安.

He Kui was a diligent administrator, and was therefore promoted to the post of clerk in the eastern bureau of the Counsellor-in-chief (chengxiang dongcao tuan 丞相東曹掾). Cao Cao decided to make He Kui junior mentor (shaofu 少傅) and then senior mentor (taifu 太傅) of his heir apparent, Cao Pi 曹丕 (the eventual Emperor Wen of Wei 魏文帝, r. 220-226).

When the latter proclaimed himself emperor of the Wei dynasty, He Kui was given the title of neighbourhood marquis (tinghou 亭侯) of Chengyang 成陽.

His posthumous title is Marquis Jing 成陽靖侯.

He Kui had always stressed that only persons of talent were to be promoted to high positions, and their salaries fixed according to need. Kui himself was known as a person living in great austerity.

Sources:
Huang Huixian 黄惠賢, ed. (1997). Ershiwushi renming da cidian 二十五史人名大辭典 (Zhengzhou: Zhongzhou guji chubanshe), Vol. 1, 113.
Zhang Huizhi 張撝之, Shen Qiwei 沈起煒, Liu Dezhong 劉德重, eds. (1999). Zhongguo lidai renming da cidian 中國家歷代人名大辭典 (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe), Vol. 1, 1087.
Zhang Shunhui 張舜徽, ed. (1992). Sanguozhi cidian 三國志辭典 (Jinan: Shandong jiaoyu chubanshe), 199.