Mao Jie (died 216),

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

Xiaoxian, was an official serving under the warlord

Cao Cao Cao Cao (; ; ; 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde, was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty (), ultimately taking effective control of the Han central government. He laid the foundation f ...

during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was from Pingqiu County, Chenliu Commandery, which is located east of present-day Fengqiu County,

Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...

. On the recommendation of Man Chong, Mao Jie joined Cao Cao. Mao Jie was very skilled when it came to domestic policies promoting the prioritisation of agriculture.

Dismissal and death

After Cui Yan's death in 216, Mao Jie was very displeased. He then met an ex-rebel who had been sentenced to ''qing'' (黥; a form of punishment which involved branding a criminal by tattooing his face), and whose wife and children had been enslaved by the government. Mao supposedly said to the man, "Maybe, this is why it had not been raining." (implying that the man had been treated unjustly). Someone reported this to Cao Cao; greatly angered, Cao imprisoned him. After Huan Jie and He Qia interceded on Mao's behalf, Mao was dismissed from service; he later died at home.(崔琰既死，玠内不悦。后有白玠者：‘出见黥面反者，其妻子没为官奴婢，玠言曰“使天不雨者盖此也”。’太祖大怒，收玠付狱。.....时桓阶、和洽进言救玠。玠遂免黜，卒于家.) ''Sanguozhi'', vol.12. The volume also recorded the exchange between Mao Jie and

Zhong Yao Zhong Yao (鍾繇, 151 – April or May 230), also referred to as Zhong You, courtesy name Yuanchang (元常), was a Chinese calligrapher and politician who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of China. He serv ...

for this case. In his annotation, Sun Sheng criticized Cao Cao for Mao Jie's dismissal. He compared Cao unfavorably to

Emperor Gaozu of Han Emperor Gaozu of Han (2561 June 195 BC), also known by his given name Liu Bang, was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning from 202 to 195 BC. He is considered by traditional Chinese historiography to be one o ...

, noting that while Liu Bang did imprison Xiao He, Xiao He later regained his chancellorship after he was released, whereas Mao Jie was never given another post after his dismissal. (孙盛曰：魏武于是失政刑矣。《易》称‘明折庶狱’，《传》有‘举直措枉’，庶狱明则国无怨民，枉直当则民无不服，未有征青蝇之浮声，信浸润之谮诉，可以允釐四海，惟清缉熙者也。昔者汉高狱萧何，出复相之，玠之一责，永见摈放，二主度量，岂不殊哉！) Sun Sheng's annotation in ''Sanguozhi'', vol.12.

References

* Chen, Shou (3rd century). ''

Records of the Three Kingdoms The ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' is a Chinese official history written by Chen Shou in the late 3rd century CE, covering the end of the Han dynasty (220 CE) and the subsequent Three Kingdoms period (220–280 CE). It is regard ...

'' (''Sanguozhi''). * Pei, Songzhi (5th century). '' Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms'' (''Sanguozhi zhu''). Year of birth unknown 2nd-century births 216 deaths Government officials under Cao Cao Politicians from Xinxiang {{china-politician-stub

Dismissal and death

See also

References