Zhong Yao (151 – April or May 230), also referred to as Zhong You,
courtesy name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theob ...
Yuanchang, was a Chinese calligrapher and politician who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...
Cao Pi
Cao Pi () ( – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the eldest ...
's death and
Cao Rui
Cao Rui () (204 or 206 – 22 January 239), courtesy name Yuanzhong, was the second emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. His parentage is in dispute: his mother, Lady Zhen, was Yuan Xi's wife, but she later rem ...
taking the throne, Zhong Yao was appointed as the Grand Tutor () of Wei in 226. As a student of
Cai Yong
Cai Yong (Chinese: ; 132–192), courtesy name Bojie, was Chinese astronomer, calligrapher, historian, mathematician, musician, politician, and writer of the Eastern Han dynasty. He was well-versed in calligraphy, music, mathematics and astrono ...
, a famous calligrapher, he also contributed to the development of standard script (kaishu), and is known as the "father of standard script". His famous works include the ''Xuanshi Biao'' (), ''Jianjizhi Biao'' (), and ''Liming Biao'' (), which survive through handwritten copies, including by
Wang Xizhi
Wang Xizhi (; ; 303 AD361 AD) was a Chinese calligrapher, politician, general and writer during the Jin dynasty. He was best known for his mastery of Chinese calligraphy. Wang is sometimes regarded as the greatest Chinese calligrapher in Chines ...
. Qiu Xigui (2000, p. 143) describes the script in Zhong's ''Xuanshi Biao'' as:
Family
Zhong Yao's grandfather, Zhong Hao (), was a prominent scholar in the Eastern Han dynasty. Zhong Yao's father, Zhong Di (), refused to enter politics because of the
Disasters of Partisan Prohibitions
The Disasters of the Partisan Prohibitions (黨錮之禍) refers to two incidents in which a number of Confucian scholars who served as officials in the Han imperial government and opposed to powerful eunuchs, and the university students in the ...
. Zhong Yao had two known siblings: a brother, Zhong Yan (), who received a marquis title; a sister, who was the mother of Guo Yuan.
Zhong Yao had at least three spouses. The first, Lady Sun (), was known for being jealous of his other concubines and for seeking to harm them or make them fall out of his favour. Zhong Yao divorced her after he discovered that she tried to poison Zhang Changpu, his second spouse. Zhang Changpu maintained her status as a concubine up to her death. The third, Lady Jia (), was originally one of his concubines, but was elevated to the status of his formal wife after he divorced Lady Sun.
Zhong Yao had at least two sons. The elder one, Zhong Yu (), served as the Minister of Justice () and General of Chariots and Cavalry () in the Wei government. The younger one,
Zhong Hui
Zhong Hui (225 – 3 March 264), courtesy name Shiji, was a Chinese calligrapher, essayist, military general, and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the younger son of Zhang Changpu with Zhong Y ...
, was born to Zhang Changpu. He also served as a general in the Wei government and is best known for his role in the Wei conquest of Shu Han, one of Wei's rival states, in 263. However, he launched a rebellion in 264 against the Wei regent, Sima Zhao, but failed and was killed by his soldiers, who started a mutiny against him.
Zhong Yu had four sons: Zhong Jun (), Zhong Yong (), Zhong Yi () and Zhong Chan (). Zhong Yi was raised as Zhong Hui's adoptive son because Zhong Hui was single and had no children. Zhong Yong was killed along with his uncle Zhong Hui during the mutiny and his family members were executed. In the aftermath of Zhong Hui's failed rebellion, Zhong Jun, Zhong Yi and Zhong Chan were implicated, arrested and placed on death row for their relations to Zhong Hui. However, Sima Zhao took into consideration that Zhong Yao and Zhong Yu had rendered meritorious service to Wei, hence he decided to let them preserve their posterity. He made the Wei emperor Cao Huan issue an imperial decree, which pardoned Zhong Jun and Zhong Chan and restored them to their original official positions and titles. Zhong Yi, however, was executed(會兄毓，以四年冬薨，會竟未知問。會兄子邕，隨會與俱死，會所養兄子毅及峻、辿。等下獄，當伏誅。司馬文王表天子下詔曰：「峻等祖父繇，三祖之世，極位台司，佐命立勳，饗食廟庭。父毓，歷職內外，幹事有績。昔楚思子文之治，不滅鬪氏之祀。晉錄成宣之忠，用存趙氏之後。以會、邕之罪，而絕繇、毓之類，吾有愍然！峻、辿兄弟特原，有官爵者如故。惟毅及邕息伏法。」) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 28. because he was Zhong Hui's adoptive son and was hence not eligible for the pardon.
* Chen, Shou (3rd century). '' Records of the Three Kingdoms'' (''Sanguozhi'').
*
*
* Pei, Songzhi (5th century). '' Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms'' (''Sanguozhi zhu'').
* Qiu, Xigui (2000). Chinese Writing. Translation of 文字學概論 by Mattos and Norman. Early China Special Monograph Series No. 4. Berkeley: The Society for the Study of Early China and the Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley. .
* Wang, Yuchi "Zhong Yao" ''
Encyclopedia of China
The ''Encyclopedia of China'' () is the first large-entry modern encyclopedia in the Chinese language. The compilation began in 1978. Published by the Encyclopedia of China Publishing House, the encyclopedia was issued one volume at a time, begin ...