Hu Yuan 胡淵

In Chapter 119 of the Romance, following Jiang Wei's advice, Zhong Hui claims that the testamentary edict left by Empress Dowager Guo contains an order to attack Sima Zhao. At a banquet to which he has invited the generals, he holds up the edict and has each of them sign his name, drawing his sword and declaring that anyone who disobeys will be beheaded. Once the signing is done he confines the generals in the palace under close guard, and when Jiang Wei suggests burying those who will not comply in a pit, Zhong Hui tells him he has already had a pit dug in the palace and several thousand large clubs prepared. Romance, Ch. 119 §8–11

Qiu Jian, a trusted general at Zhong Hui's side, had originally been a subordinate of the Army Protector Hu Lie, and Hu Lie too was then confined in the palace. When Qiu Jian secretly tells him what Zhong Hui has said, Hu Lie is greatly alarmed and says, weeping, that his son Hu Yuan is outside in command of troops, and how could he know that Zhong Hui harbors such intentions; if Qiu Jian, remembering their former bond, would pass on just one message, he could die without regret. Qiu Jian proposes to Zhong Hui that someone be assigned to carry water and food to the confined generals, is put in charge of the guard, and secretly lets a trusted man of Hu Lie's in to collect a secret letter. Romance, Ch. 119 §12–13

That man races to Hu Yuan's camp, explains the matter in detail and presents the secret letter, and Hu Yuan, greatly alarmed, shows it around all the camps. The generals, enraged, flock to Hu Yuan's camp and say that even if they die they cannot follow a rebellious subject, and Hu Yuan proposes a plan to break in suddenly at noon on the 18th day of the 1st month. The Army Supervisor Wei Guan is delighted with Hu Yuan's plan, puts his men and horses in order and has Qiu Jian pass the word to Hu Lie, who informs the generals. Romance, Ch. 119 §14

Just as Zhong Hui has ordered Jiang Wei to lead armed men to kill the Wei generals, Jiang Wei suddenly collapses with a pain in his chest, and with a great shout troops surge in from all sides outside the palace. Zhong Hui has the hall gates shut and sends soldiers onto the roof to hurl tiles, but fires break out on all sides outside the palace and the troops outside smash the hall gates and storm in. Zhong Hui falls struck by a hail of arrows and the generals cut off his head and hang it up, while Jiang Wei cuts his own throat. The Romance does not record anything Hu Yuan himself did in this fight, and he does not appear again afterward. Romance, Ch. 119 §15–17