RNo direct record — estimated from his post as General Who Conquers the NorthWei 4 §128
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Minister over the MassesCh. 119 §34
He Zeng 何曾
| Occupation | RNOfficial · Minister over the Masses | Faction | Wei |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | Book of Wei |
| Born | Native place | Chen Commandery Yangxia County Unverified | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R10 |
Profile
He Zeng was the son of He Kui, who served Wei as Junior Tutor and Minister Coachman, and was Minister over the Masses in the last years of Wei. The Records has no separate biography of him; at the end of his father He Kui's biography there is a single line, 'His son He Zeng succeeded him, and in the Xianxi era became Minister over the Masses', and his name also appears in the Biography of Yuan Huan and the Annals of the Three Young Emperors. Records, Wei 12 §53 · 55–56Records, Wei 11 §13Records, Wei 4 §128
According to the Annals of the Three Young Emperors, in the 3rd month of the 1st year of Xianxi (264) he rose from General Who Conquers the North to Minister over the Masses, and in the 8th month of the following year, after Sima Zhao, King of Jin, died and the Heir Apparent Sima Yan inherited his title, he became Chancellor of Jin while Minister over the Masses. Records, Wei 4 §128 · 148–149
In his assessment Chen Shou named only his father He Kui as a renowned figure of his age who esteemed sternness, and did not assess He Zeng separately. In the Romance he appears only in Chapter 119, appearing in 1 of its 120 chapters; he urges Sima Zhao to make his eldest son Sima Yan his heir, and when Sima Zhao dies he says that the Heir Apparent should first be made King of Jin. Records, Wei 12 §99Romance, Ch. 119 §32 · 35
In the Records
He Zeng's father He Kui was a man of Yangxia County in Chen Commandery (陳郡). When the state of Wei was established he became Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat, and later, after serving as Junior Tutor and then Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent, he was transferred to Minister Coachman. When Emperor Wen came to the throne he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Chengyang Village, and after his death he was given the posthumous name Marquis Jing. His son He Zeng succeeded him, and in the Xianxi era became Minister over the Masses. Records, Wei 12 §41 · 53–56
The Biography of Yuan Huan records that Yuan Huan's younger cousin Yuan Ba was known in his time along with He Kui of the same commandery, and that Yuan Ba's son Yuan Liang and He Kui's son He Zeng, together with Yuan Huan's son Yuan Kan, in turn won equal renown and were good friends. Records, Wei 11 §13
According to the Annals of the Three Young Emperors, on the day dingchou of the 3rd month of the 1st year of Xianxi (264), the Minister of Works Wang Xiang became Grand Commandant, the General Who Conquers the North He Zeng became Minister over the Masses, and the Left Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat Xun Yi became Minister of Works. Records, Wei 4 §128
On the day xinmao of the 8th month of the 2nd year of Xianxi (265), the Chancellor of State and King of Jin (Sima Zhao) died, and the next day the Heir Apparent of Jin, Sima Yan, inherited his fief and succeeded to his position. After a general amnesty on the day yiwei of the 9th month, on the day wuwu the Minister over the Masses He Zeng became Chancellor of Jin, and on the day guihai the General of Agile Cavalry Sima Wang became Minister over the Masses. In the 12th month of that year, Cao Huan, the Son of Heaven of Wei, abdicated in favor of the heir King of Jin. Records, Wei 4 §148–150
Chen Shou's main text does not record He Zeng's courtesy name, the year of his birth or the year of his death. In the assessment at the end of volume 12, Chen Shou said only that Xu Yi, He Kui and Xing Yong valued and esteemed sternness and became renowned figures of their age, and did not assess He Zeng separately. Records, Wei 12 §55–56 · 99
In the Romance
In Chapter 119 of the Romance, Sima Zhao, now enfeoffed as King of Jin, wants to make his second son Sima You, whom he had made the heir of his elder brother Sima Shi, his own heir. When Shan Tao remonstrates that setting aside the eldest to install a younger son is contrary to ritual and inauspicious, Jia Chong, He Zeng and Pei Xiu also remonstrate that the eldest son is intelligent and divinely martial, with talents surpassing his age, and does not have the look of a man who will be another's subject. When even the Grand Commandant Wang Xiang and the Minister of Works Xun Yi remonstrate, Sima Zhao at last makes his eldest son Sima Yan his heir. Romance, Ch. 119 §31–33
In the same chapter, when Sima Zhao suddenly suffers a stroke and loses his speech, and his illness becomes critical the next day, the Grand Commandant Wang Xiang, the Minister over the Masses He Zeng and other high ministers enter the palace to ask after him. Sima Zhao points at the Heir Apparent Sima Yan with his hand and dies. Romance, Ch. 119 §34
That day was the day xinmao of the 8th month. He Zeng says, 'The great affairs of the realm all rest with the King of Jin; the Heir Apparent should be made King of Jin, and only then should the sacrifices and burial be held.' Sima Yan, who takes the throne of the King of Jin that day, makes He Zeng Chancellor of Jin, Sima Wang Minister over the Masses, Shi Bao General of Agile Cavalry and Chen Qian General of Chariots and Cavalry. Romance, Ch. 119 §35
Where the Romance differs
Remonstrance over the heir: In Chapter 119 of the Romance, He Zeng, together with Jia Chong and Pei Xiu, urges Sima Zhao to make his eldest son Sima Yan his heir. Chen Shou's main text has no record of He Zeng remonstrating over this, and the Annals of the Three Young Emperors says only that in the 1st year of Xianxi (264) Sima Yan was made Heir of Jin. Romance, Ch. 119 §32Records, Wei 4 §144
His words after Sima Zhao's death: In Chapter 119 of the Romance, when Sima Zhao dies, He Zeng says that the Heir Apparent should first be made King of Jin and the sacrifices and funeral held afterwards. The Annals of the Three Young Emperors says only that the King of Jin died on the day xinmao of the 8th month and that the next day, renchen, the Heir Apparent Sima Yan inherited his fief, and has no words from He Zeng. Romance, Ch. 119 §35Records, Wei 4 §148
The day he became Chancellor: In Chapter 119 of the Romance, Sima Yan makes He Zeng Chancellor of Jin on the very day he becomes King of Jin. In the Annals of the Three Young Emperors, after a general amnesty on the day yiwei of the 9th month, the Minister over the Masses He Zeng became Chancellor of Jin on the day wuwu. Romance, Ch. 119 §35Records, Wei 4 §148–149
How he became Minister over the Masses: The Annals of the Three Young Emperors in the Records records that in the 3rd month of the 1st year of Xianxi (264), the General Who Conquers the North He Zeng became Minister over the Masses. In Chapter 119 of the Romance, He Zeng is only called Minister over the Masses, and neither his having been General Who Conquers the North nor how he became Minister over the Masses is mentioned. Records, Wei 4 §128Romance, Ch. 119 §34
Family: In the Records, He Zeng was He Kui's son and succeeded him, and the Biography of Yuan Huan records that he won equal renown with Yuan Liang and Yuan Kan. The Romance mentions neither his father nor his family. Records, Wei 12 §56Records, Wei 11 §13Romance, Ch. 119 §32–35
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
Records total444 / 1000Rank 392 of 996 · Top 40%Romance total441 / 1000Rank 275 of 1,113 · Top 25%
Romance adaptation index−3Romance total − Records total
- LEA4535−10
- STR3531−4
- INT4545±0
- POL5550−5
- CHA4540−5
- VIR4540−5
- ADP5058+8
- SCH4240−2
- DIP4050+10
- DIS4252+10
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Minister over the MassesWei 4 §128
NUrged naming Sima Yan as heir, citing his bearingCh. 119 §32
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Minister over the MassesWei 4 §128
NJudged that Sima Yan did not have the look of a man who would be another's subjectCh. 119 §32
7 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as General Who Conquers the NorthWei 4 §128
NNo direct record — estimated from his being a civil ministerCh. 119 §34
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Minister over the MassesWei 4 §128
NNo direct record — estimated from his part in the debate over the heirCh. 119 §32
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Minister over the MassesWei 4 §128Wei 12 §56
NNo direct record — estimated from his posts as Minister over the Masses and ChancellorCh. 119 §35
RNo direct record — estimated from his being He Kui's successorWei 12 §56
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Minister over the MassesCh. 119 §35
RNo direct record — estimated from his being He Kui's successorWei 12 §56
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Minister over the MassesCh. 119 §35
RNo direct record — estimated from his career rising through Minister over the Masses to Chancellor of JinWei 4 §149
NWhen Sima Zhao died, urged that the Heir Apparent be made King of Jin at onceCh. 119 §35
RNo direct record — estimated from his family of meritorious officialsWei 12 §56
NNo direct record — estimated from his being a civil ministerCh. 119 §32
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (1)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Wei · Records · Records vol. 12 「正元中爲司隸校尉」
Family
| Parents | He Kui Records |
|---|---|
| Children | He Shao(何劭) Unverified Records |
Based on Wikidata items for the historical and Romance figures. Relations without the Unverified badge were also confirmed in the Records.