Huan Jie 桓階

Huan Jie, courtesy name Boxu, was a native of Linxiang County in Changsha Commandery. He served the commandery as Officer of Merit and, on the recommendation of the Administrator Sun Jian, was nominated as Filial and Incorrupt and appointed Gentleman of the Masters of Writing. While he was back in his home district mourning his father, Sun Jian, who was attacking Liu Biao in the 3rd year of Chuping (192), surrounded Xiangyang and was killed on Mount Xian by an arrow shot by Huang Zu's soldiers. Huan Jie braved danger to go to Liu Biao and ask for the return of Sun Jian's body, and Liu Biao, commending his righteousness, gave it up. Records, Wei 22 §2Records, Wu 1 §21

Later, when Cao Cao confronted Yuan Shao at Guandu, Liu Biao raised Jing Province in support of Yuan Shao. Huan Jie told Zhang Xian, Administrator of his own commandery, that no one who had undertaken a great enterprise without grounding it in righteousness had ever failed to come to ruin, citing the examples of Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin. The Yuan were doing the opposite, he said, and for Liu Biao to support them was the road to calamity. Asked which way to turn, he said that although Lord Cao was weak, he had risen relying on righteousness, rescued the court from danger and was punishing the guilty on the king's command, so who would not submit? He proposed raising the four commanderies to hold the Three Rivers, waiting for Cao Cao's arrival and acting as his support from within. Records, Wei 22 §2–4

Zhang Xian followed his advice, raised Changsha and the three neighboring commanderies against Liu Biao and sent an envoy to Cao Cao, who was greatly pleased. But Cao Cao, fighting battle after battle with Yuan Shao, could not send troops south, and amid Liu Biao's fierce attacks Zhang Xian died of illness. When the city fell, Huan Jie went into hiding. A long time afterward Liu Biao summoned him as Libationer Attendant Officer and wished to marry him to his wife's younger sister, Lady Cai, but Huan Jie declined, saying he was already married, and withdrew on the pretext of illness. Records, Wei 22 §4

After pacifying Jing Province, Cao Cao heard of the plans Huan Jie had made for Zhang Xian and thought him remarkable; he summoned him as Clerk and Registrar to the Chancellor and transferred him to Administrator of Zhao Commandery. When the state of Wei was first established he became General of the Household Rapid as Tigers and Palace Attendant. At that time the heir had not been settled, and Cao Zhi, Marquis of Linzi, enjoyed favor; Huan Jie repeatedly and earnestly represented, both openly and in private, that Cao Pi was superior in virtue and the elder, and should be made heir. Records, Wei 22 §5

Mao Jie and Xu Yi were upright and kept no faction, and so incurred the dislike of Ding Yi, Officer of the West Bureau. Ding Yi spoke of their faults many times, but thanks to Huan Jie's support at Cao Cao's side they were able to keep themselves safe. When Mao Jie was slandered and imprisoned, Huan Jie, together with He Qia, also spoke up to save him, though Mao Jie was in the end dismissed and died at home. Again, when the Commandant of the Capital Yang Jun was demoted over the plot of Wei Feng and others, and Cao Cao asked for a minister who could guard against treachery, Huan Jie recommended Xu Yi as just the man, and Xu Yi became Commandant of the Capital. Chen Shou wrote that the way Huan Jie supported what was good and corrected and rescued what was wrong was mostly of this kind. Records, Wei 22 §5–6Records, Wei 12 §27 · 34 · 38

He was transferred to Master of Writing and put in charge of the selection of officials. When Cao Ren was besieged by Guan Yu and even the dispatch of Xu Huang did not lift the siege, Cao Cao, intending to go south in person, consulted his ministers. All said that unless he went quickly they would be defeated, but Huan Jie alone, after drawing from Cao Cao the answers that he trusted the judgment of Cao Ren and the others and did not worry that they would spare their efforts, asked why then he meant to go himself. Records, Wei 22 §6–7

When Cao Cao said he feared that the enemy were numerous and the situation of Xu Huang and the others unfavorable, Huan Jie said that the reason Cao Ren and the others held out to the death within the multiple encirclement, without wavering, was that Cao Cao stood far off as their source of support. Men placed on ground of ten thousand deaths would be resolved to fight to the death; since they had that resolve within and strong relief without, it was enough for him to halt the Six Armies and show that he had strength to spare. Cao Cao agreed and in the 24th year of Jian'an (219) halted his army at Mopi, and the enemy at last withdrew. Records, Wei 22 §7Records, Wei 9 §8

When Cao Pi ascended the throne, Huan Jie was transferred to Director of the Imperial Secretariat, enfeoffed as Marquis of Gaoxiang Village and given the additional post of Palace Attendant. When Huan Jie fell ill, Cao Pi visited him in person and said, "I am about to entrust to you an orphan six chi tall and commit to you the fate of the realm. Do your utmost!" His fief was changed to Marquis of Anle District with a fief of 600 households, and his three sons were also given the rank of Marquis Within the Passes. His son Huan You, designated as his heir, was not enfeoffed, and when he died of illness he was posthumously given the rank of Marquis Within the Passes. Records, Wei 22 §8

According to the Biography of the Lord of Wu, when Sun Quan served Wei in name only, Wei intended to send the Palace Attendant Xin Pi and the Master of Writing Huan Jie to conclude a covenant and demand that he send his son as a hostage, but Sun Quan declined and did not accept. In the 9th month, in the autumn of the 1st year of Huangwu (222), Wei at last sent Cao Xiu, Cao Ren, Cao Zhen and others to attack Wu along three routes. Records, Wu 2 §41–42

Later, when Huan Jie's illness became critical, Cao Pi sent an envoy to appoint him Minister of Ceremonies on the spot. When Huan Jie died, Cao Pi wept for him and gave him the posthumous name Marquis Zhen. The Records do not state the year of his death. His son Huan Jia succeeded him, and his younger brother Huan Zuan became Gentleman Cavalier Attendant with the rank of Marquis Within the Passes. Huan Jia married a princess, and in the Jiaping era, as Administrator of Le'an, he fought Wu at Dongguan, where his army was defeated and he was killed. In the 7th month of the 4th year of Zhengshi (243), the Minister of Ceremonies Huan Jie, together with Cao Zhen, Cao Xiu and others, was enshrined as an accompanying sacrifice in the temple court of the Grand Ancestor. Records, Wei 22 §8–9Records, Wei 4 §14

In his assessment, Chen Shou said that Huan Jie saw clearly into success and failure and that his talent was equal to anything in his age. Records, Wei 22 §108