Chang Lin 常林

Chang Lin, courtesy name Bohuai, was a man of Wen County in Henei Commandery. When he was seven, a friend of his father came to the house and asked, 'Is Boxian at home? Why do you not bow?' Chang Lin replied, 'Though I should humble myself before a guest, you call the father by his courtesy name in front of his son; why should I bow?' and everyone praised him. Records, Wei 23 §17

When the Administrator Wang Kuang raised troops to attack Dong Zhuo, he sent various Confucian students to the subordinate counties to spy secretly on the crimes and faults of officials and people, had those found arrested and pressed to redeem their crimes with money and grain, and exterminated the clans of those who were slow. When Chang Lin's uncle beat a guest and was denounced by a student and arrested, Chang Lin went to see Huwu Biao, a man of the same county as Wang Kuang, told him that without kindness and virtue, and with the wrong men employed, ruin would come, and explained how his uncle had been arrested. Huwu Biao wrote a letter rebuking Wang Kuang, and Wang Kuang pardoned the uncle; Chang Lin then took refuge in Shangdang and farmed at the foot of the mountains. Records, Wei 23 §17–19

At that time there was drought and a plague of locusts, but Chang Lin alone had a good harvest, and he called all his neighbors and shared it out by the pint and the peck. Chang Lin relied on the fortified camp of Chen Yan, the former Administrator of Hejian, and Zhang Yang (張楊) coveted the women and wealth of the two families of Chen and Feng, which had held office for generations. Chang Lin led his clan and laid plans for them, and though besieged for more than sixty days they kept the camp intact to the end. Records, Wei 23 §20

Gao Gan, Inspector of Bing Province, submitted a memorial to make him Chief Commandant of Cavalry, but Chang Lin declined and did not accept. Later the Inspector Liang Xi recommended Chang Lin, Yang Jun, Wang Ling, Wang Xiang (王象) and Xun Wei as noted scholars of the province, and Cao Cao made them all county chiefs. Liang Xi's biography also notes that his recommending of noted scholars, all of whom became prominent in the world, is recorded in the Biography of Chang Lin. Chang Lin governed Nanhe County with success in civilizing it, so he was promoted over the usual grades to Administrator of Boling and Inspector of You Province, and he achieved results wherever he went. Records, Wei 23 §21Records, Wei 15 §31

When Cao Pi became General of the Household for All Purposes, Chang Lin became his Officer of Merit. While Cao Cao was campaigning in the west, Tian Yin and Su Bo rebelled and You and Ji Provinces were stirred up, and Cao Pi wished to suppress them in person. Chang Lin said that, having served in Boling and You Province, he could gauge the enemy's situation; the officials and people of the north enjoyed peace and disliked disorder, and Tian Yin and Su Bo were a band of dogs and sheep who could do no harm. He also said that with the main army far away and strong enemies outside, if the general who was the bulwark of the realm set out lightly on a distant campaign, even a victory would not bring martial glory; Cao Pi followed this, sent generals, and the rebellion was crushed at once. Records, Wei 23 §21–22

He went out to be Administrator of Pingyuan and Chief Commandant of the Eastern Division of Wei Commandery, and came back in as Clerk of the Eastern Bureau of the Chancellor. When the state of Wei was established, he was appointed Master of Writing. When Cao Pi took the throne, Chang Lin was moved to Minister Steward, enfeoffed as Marquis of Leyang Village and transferred to Grand Minister of Agriculture. When Emperor Ming took the throne, he was raised to Marquis of Gaoyang District and moved to Superintendent of the Imperial Household and Minister of Ceremonies. Records, Wei 23 §23

Sima Yi always bowed to Chang Lin, because he was an elder of virtue from the same district. When someone said that Lord Sima was noble and important and Chang Lin ought to stop him, Chang Lin answered, 'Lord Sima himself wishes to strengthen the order between elder and younger and to set an example for the younger generation. His nobility is not something I fear, and his bowing is not something I can prevent,' and the speaker withdrew in embarrassment. Records, Wei 23 §23–24

According to the Biography of Lu Yu, when the post of Minister over the Masses was vacant, Lu Yu recommended the recluse Guan Ning, and when Emperor Ming could not employ him and asked who came next, Lu Yu named Han Ji (韓曁) and Cui Lin in turn and then said, 'for steadfastness and purity, there is the Minister of Ceremonies Chang Lin'. Emperor Ming employed Han Ji. Records, Wei 22 §102

Public opinion at the time held that Chang Lin's integrity was pure and stern and wished to raise him to the post of chief minister, but Chang Lin in the end declared himself gravely ill and was appointed Grandee of Splendid Happiness. When he died at the age of eighty-three, he was posthumously named General of Agile Cavalry, buried with the rites of one of the Three Excellencies, and given the posthumous title Marquis Zhen. His son Chang Shi succeeded him and became Administrator of Taishan, but was executed for breaking the law, and Chang Shi's younger brother Chang Jing inherited the title. Records, Wei 23 §24

In his assessment Chen Shou said, 'Chang Lin's everyday conduct was pure and steadfast,' called him, together with He Qia, Yang Jun and others, one of the fine men of his age, and said that it was truly admirable that Chang Lin did not set his heart on the posts of the Three Excellencies but asked to retire in old age with the rank of a grandee. In the assessment of another volume, too, Chen Shou said that, compared with Xu Miao and Chang Lin, Han Ji, who took his place at court when over eighty, and Gao Rou, who held on to office for twenty years, fell short. Records, Wei 23 §75Records, Wei 24 §81