He Qia | |
|---|---|
| 和洽 | |
| Minister of Ceremonies (太常) | |
| In office ?–? | |
| Monarch | Cao Rui |
| Minister of the Household (光祿勳) | |
| In office 220 (220) – 226 (226) | |
| Monarch | Cao Pi |
| Prefect of the Gentlemen of the Palace (郎中令) | |
| In office 219 (219) – 220 (220) | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Chancellor | Cao Cao |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | Between 228 and 233[1] |
| Children |
|
| Occupation | Politician |
| Courtesy name | Yangshi (陽士) |
| Posthumous name | Marquis Jian (簡侯) |
| Peerage | Marquis of Xiling District (西陵鄉侯) |
He Qia (died between 228 and 233[2]),courtesy nameYangshi, was a Chinese official of the state ofCao Wei during theThree Kingdoms period of China. He was known for his austere lifestyle.
He Qia was born in Xiping County (西平縣),Runan Commandery (汝南郡),Yu Province, which is present-dayXiping County,Henan. In the 190s, the warlordYuan Shao sent ambassadors to Runan Commandery inviting the gentry and nobility to join his cause. Yu Province was an area of contention between Yuan Shao and his half-brotherYuan Shu, so He Qia feared staying, but he did not want to serve under a man such as Yuan Shao, whose ambition He Qia felt exceeded his capability.[3]
Instead, He Qia brought his family south toJing Province to serve the provincial governorLiu Biao, whom He Qia considered to be a kind lord without higher ambition. Crossing theYangtze river, he settled in at Wuling Commandery (武陵郡) in present-dayChangde,Hunan.
In the late 190s,Cao Cao gained control over parts of Jing Province, and He Qia found employment in his administration.[3] In this early stage of his career, he spoke out against the elevation of officers based on their following an ascetic, deliberately impoverished lifestyle, and against seeing these men as more pure than officers who displayed their salary outwardly.[4]
In 213, afterEmperor Xian enfeoffed Cao Cao as the Duke of Wei (魏公), He Qia served as aPalace Attendant[5] in Cao Cao's court. He unsuccessfully defendedMao Jie against rumours that Mao slandered Cao Cao. Correspondence on the matter between He Qia and Cao Cao has survived and has been preserved in theRecords of the Three Kingdoms.[6] Due to the rumours, Mao Jie was forced to commit suicide in 216.
He Qia received successive promotions under Cao Cao andCao Pi, rising to the position of Minister of the Household (光祿勳), the most important personnel manager of theWei court. UnderCao Rui, he was granted 200 taxable households in his marquisate as the Marquis of Xiling District (西陵鄉侯).
Late in life, He Qia reversed his position on asceticism and began living a greatly curtailed lifestyle. After he was promoted to the prestigious position of Minister of Ceremonies (太常)[1] under Cao Rui, he gave so freely of his salary that he was forced to liquidate his real estate in order to support himself.[1] Cao Rui granted him grain and silk so He Qia could avoid total insolvency. His modest lifestyle is reflected in his posthumous name, Marquis Jian (簡侯; "modest marquis").