Hu Zhao
Hu Zhao (胡昭), courtesy name Kongming (孔明)[1] (162 - 250[2]), was a hermit and calligrapher who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty.
Life
Hu Zhao was from Yingchuan Commandery. He initially sought refuge in Ji province, where he declined Yuan Shao's offer of recruitment, and lived in the countryside. When Cao Cao was appointed Minister of Works and later Imperial Chancellor, he repeatedly requested Hu Zhao to join him. While Hu accepted the offers, after joining Cao's service, he explained that he was useless in both state governance and military matters, and sincerely asked to be released from service. Cao Cao replied, "To each his own; different people have different preferences, be they serving a government or leaving service. I respect your decision and will not force you."[3]
Before Sima Yi became a government official, he was a good friend of Hu Zhao's. A man named Zhou Sheng (周生), who hailed from the same commandery as Hu, wanted to kill Sima Yi. Once Hu Zhao heard of the plot, he went to meet Zhou in a mountainous area between the Xiao Mountains (崤山) and Mianchi County (渑池) (both in modern-day Henan). At first, Hu tried to persuade Zhou to stop the plot; Zhou refused. Hu then began crying; touched by Hu's sincerity, Zhou agree not to kill Sima. Before they parted, Hu chopped down a jujube tree as a part of the vow. Although Hu helped saved Sima, he never told anyone else about it. Yet, word of his honour and reputation spread among the people in his hometown.[4]
Hu Zhao was well versed in historical texts. His calligraphy, alongside those of Zhong Yao, Handan Chun, Wei Ji (卫觊)[5], and Wei Dan (韦诞) were widely emulated by others.[6]
One final attempt was made to recruit him in 250, but did not succeed due to his death at the age of 88[7].
References
- ^ (颕川胡昭，字孔明，...) Sanguozhi, vol.11
- ^ Hu Zhao's biography in Sanguozhi indicate that he was 89 (by East Asian reckoning) when he died in the 2nd year of the Jia'ping era of Cao Fang's reign. (至嘉平二年，...会卒，年八十九) Sanguozhi, vol.11
- ^ (胡昭始避地冀州，亦辞袁绍之命，遁还乡里。太祖为司空丞相，频加礼辟。昭往应命，既至，自陈一介野生，无军国之用，归诚求去。太祖曰：“人各有志，出处异趣，勉卒雅尚，义不相屈。”) Sanguozhi, vol.11
- ^ (《高士传》曰：初，晋宣帝为布衣时，与昭有旧。同郡周生等谋害帝，昭闻而步陟险，邀生于崤、渑之间，止生，生不肯。昭泣与结诚，生感其义，乃止。昭因与斫枣树共盟而别。昭虽有阴德于帝，口终不言，人莫知之。信行著于乡党。) Gaoshi Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi, vol.11
- ^ father of Wei Guan
- ^ (昭善史书，与锺繇、邯郸淳、卫觊、韦诞并有名，尺牍之迹，动见模楷焉。) Sanguozhi, vol.11
- ^ (至嘉平二年，公车特征，会卒，年八十九) Sanguozhi, vol.11