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 Theobald ...
Zilin, was a military general and marquis of the state of
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 Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...
period of China. He was the second son of
Xiahou Dun
Xiahou Dun () (died 13 June 220), courtesy name Yuanrang, was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.''Sanguozhi'' vol.9. He served for a few months under Cao Ca ...
, a general who served under the warlord
Cao Cao
Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate Grand chancellor (China), grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the End of ...
, while Xiahou Mao was a close friend of the founding Emperor
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 son ...
. Xiahou Mao married Princess Qinghe, one of Cao Cao's daughters, though the marriage would be an unhappy one and he once faced accusation of treason from his own family.
Life
From the Xiahou clan, which had long been allies to the Cao's and supporters in the civil war, Xiahou Mao was a close friend of Cao Pi in Pi's youth. Xiahou Mao appointed by Cao Cao to the secretariat and enoffed, he also married Cao Cao's eldest daughter. When Cao Pi brought about the abdication of
Emperor Xian
Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in China. He reigned from 28 September 189 until 11 December 220.
Liu Xie was a so ...
(the last emperor of the
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
) in 220 and became the first emperor of Cao Wei, Xiahou Mao helped sponsor a commentary
stele
A stele ( ),Anglicized plural steles ( ); Greek plural stelai ( ), from Greek , ''stēlē''. The Greek plural is written , ''stēlai'', but this is only rarely encountered in English. or occasionally stela (plural ''stelas'' or ''stelæ''), whe ...
, perhaps as a proxy for his late father Xiahou Dun. Cao Pi made his sister Princess of Qinghe (in Gangling) and appointed Xiahou Mao as General Who Stabilises the West (安西將軍), putting him in charge of military affairs in the
Guanzhong
Guanzhong (, formerly romanised as Kwanchung) region, also known as the Guanzhong Basin, Wei River Basin, or uncommonly as the Shaanzhong region, is a historical region of China corresponding to the crescentic graben basin within present-day ce ...
region, with his headquarters at
Chang'an
Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi ...
(present-day
Xi'an
Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by #Name, other names, is the list of capitals in China, capital of Shaanxi, Shaanxi Province. A Sub-provincial division#Sub-provincial municipalities, sub-provincial city o ...
,
Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichu ...
) left vacant by the death of kinsman
Xiahou Yuan
Xiahou Yuan () (died 219), courtesy name Miaocai, was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He is known for his exploits in western China (in parts of present-day Ga ...
. According to the '' Weilue'', Xiahou Mao was known for having no talent in miliatry matters with an interest in personal business affairs, Howard Goodman suggests Xiahou Mao may have spent his time gallivanting around the area rather then his duties. While away from the capital, he enjoyed collecting dancers and concubines with his wife unhappy with his adultery.
When
Shu Han
Han (; 221–263), known in historiography as Shu Han ( ) or Ji Han ( "Junior Han"), or often shortened to Shu (; pinyin: ''shŭ'' <
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang ( zh, t=諸葛亮 / 诸葛亮) (181 – September 234), courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman and military strategist. He was chancellor and later regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He is r ...
prepared to attack Cao Wei for the first time,
Wei Yan
Wei Yan () (died October 234), courtesy name Wenchang, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dyna ...
advocated sending an army across harsh terrain to launch a sneak attack on Chang'an in the belief that Xiahou Mao was young, timid and irresolute so would panic on hearing of his arrival and flee Chang'an, leaving the city easy for Wei Yan to take. However
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang ( zh, t=諸葛亮 / 诸葛亮) (181 – September 234), courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman and military strategist. He was chancellor and later regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He is r ...
rejected Wei Yan's plan and in the spring of early 288, launched the first of his Northern Campaigns. The second Wei emperor,
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 remarr ...
, personally led reinforcements to Chang'an and hearing of complaints about Xiahou Mao's performance, he removed Xiahou Mao from his command, assigning it to the rather more suited
Cao Zhen
Cao Zhen (died April or May 231), courtesy name Zidan, was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was an adopted son of Cao Cao, a warlord who rose to power in the late Eastern Han dynasty and l ...
and reassigned Xiahou Mao to be a Master of Writing (尚書) in the Wei central government in
Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...
.
Around 230, tensions between Xiahou Mao and his wife got worse. Xiahou Mao's two younger brothers, Xiahou Zizang (夏侯子臧) and Xiahou Zijiang (夏侯子江) had earned Xiahou Mao's ire over failing to respect the courtesy's and they feared punishment so they allied with their sister-in-law, writing a memorial on her behalf accusing Xiahou Mao of treason. Xiahou Mao was arrested with Cao Rui going to executed him but Duan Mo (段默) argued Xiahou Mao's bad relations with his wife meant this was slander and that Xiahou Mao had served Cao Pi well. Cao Rui ordered an investigation as to who wrote the memorial and when truth came out, he released Xiahou Mao and restored him as a Master of Writing.其後群弟不遵禮度，楙數切責，弟懼見治，乃共搆楙以誹謗，令主奏之，有詔收楙。帝意欲殺之，以問長水校尉京兆段默，默以為「此必清河公主與楙不睦，出于譖搆，冀不推實耳。且伏波與先帝有定天下之功，宜加三思」。帝意解，曰：「吾亦以為然。」乃發詔推問為公主作表者，果其群弟子臧、子江所搆也。
''Weilue'' in ''Sanguozhi'' vol.9.
Some time later in Cao Rui's reign, Xiahou Mao was appointed as General Who Guards the East (鎮東將軍). It is not known when he died.
In ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''
Xiahou Mao's supposed impotence was dramatised in the 14th-century historical novel ''
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ...
''. When he was assigned to defend the Wei-Shu border, he was not well respected by his colleagues, who assumed that Xiahou Mao would be unable to fulfil his role. Xiahou Mao reportedly responded to such criticism as follows:
His early encounter against Shu turned out badly, and he was forced to flee. After consulting with his generals, he planned a successful ambush against the Shu general
Zhao Yun
Zhao Yun ( ) (died 229), courtesy name Zilong (), was a military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the northern warlord Gongsun Zan, Zhao Yun later came ...
and duelled him for over 50 rounds. Unfortunately for Xiahou Mao, this victory was only temporary, as Shu generals Zhang Bao and
Guan Xing
Guan Xing ( third century), courtesy name Anguo, was an official of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period of China.
History
He was the second son of Guan Yu and a younger brother of Guan Ping.
Little information about Guan Xing is ...
both arrived with 10,000 troops to save Zhao Yun; Xiahou Mao's army was utterly routed by nightfall. Xiahou Mao escaped to Nan'an Commandery with just 100 horsemen. He managed to resist a siege for ten days until Zhuge Liang arrived and directed his efforts towards
Tianshui Commandery Tianshui Commandery ( zh, 天水郡), known as Hanyang Commandery ( zh, 漢陽郡) during the Eastern Han dynasty, was a historical commandery of China in eastern Gansu. The modern city of Tianshui receives its name from the commandery.
History
Th ...
. Cui Liang, a defeated Wei officer who was en route to Tianshui, offered Zhuge Liang to convince the governor of Nan'an, Yang Ling, to turn the city over. In fact, he had no such intention, instead telling Yang Ling what had taken place, and the two of them and Xiahou Mao attempted to lure the Shu army into the city and destroy them.
Zhuge Liang saw through the plot and turned it against them. Both Cui Liang and Yang Ling were slain by Zhang Bao and Guan Xing respectively, and Xiahou Mao was captured. He begged for his life and was released by Zhuge Liang on the condition that he convinces
Jiang Wei
Jiang Wei (202 – 3 March 264), courtesy name Boyue, was a military general of the state of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Born in Ji County (present-day Gangu County, Gansu), Jiang Wei started his career as a military officer ...
to defect to Shu. In fact, Xiahou Mao was simply being played a fool, and was tricked into thinking that Jiang Wei had already defected. He went to Tianshui Commandery to meet Ma Zun (馬遵), the commandery's Administrator, and his false belief of Jiang Wei's defection was reinforced when a fake Jiang Wei led troops to attack Tianshui. He was driven off, and so was the real Jiang Wei when he came to Tianshui later. Due to the later defection of Jiang Wei and the betrayal of Liang Xu (梁緒) and Yin Shang (尹賞) (friends of Jiang Wei), Tianshui fell to Shu forces. Xiahou Mao fled with a few hundred loyalists and sought refuge with the Qiang tribes, and, staying true to his words, never returned.
See also
*
Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms
The following are lists of people significant to the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of Chinese history. Their names in Mandarin pinyin are sorted in alphabetical order.
Fictional characters in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of ...
Records of the Three Kingdoms
The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220– ...
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ...
Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms
Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms () by Pei Songzhi (372-451) is an annotation completed in the 5th century of the 3rd century historical text ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'', compiled by Chen Shou. After leaving his native land, Pei ...