Pei Qian 裴潛

Pei Qian, courtesy name Wenxing, was a native of Wenxi County in Hedong Commandery. Fleeing the disorder, he went to Jing Province, where Liu Biao treated him with the courtesy due a guest. Pei Qian privately told Wang Can and Sima Zhi, with whom he was close, that Governor Liu did not have the makings of a hegemon yet wished to cast himself as the Lord of the West, so his ruin was not far off. He then went south to Changsha. Records, Wei 23 §66

When Cao Cao pacified Jing Province, he made Pei Qian Army Adviser to the Chancellor, and Pei Qian went out to serve in turn as prefect of three counties before entering the court as Assistant of the Granary Bureau. When Cao Cao asked him how he rated Liu Bei's talent and strategy, since he had earlier been in Jing Province together with Liu Bei, Pei Qian answered that if Liu Bei were placed in the Central Plains he could throw people into disorder but could not govern them, but that if he seized an opportunity and held a strategic stronghold, he was quite capable of becoming the master of a region. Records, Wei 23 §66–67

At that time Dai Commandery fell into great disorder, and Pei Qian was made Administrator of Dai Commandery. The Wuhuan king and his chieftains, three men in all, each called himself chanyu and ran the commandery's affairs as they pleased, and none of the previous administrators had been able to set this right. When Cao Cao wished to give Pei Qian picked troops to suppress them, Pei Qian declined, saying that Dai Commandery was populous, so that those who could draw a bow easily numbered ten thousand, and that the chanyu, having long behaved lawlessly, were uneasy at heart; if he went with many troops they would surely take fright and resist at the border, and if he went with few they would not fear him. He said that they must be dealt with by stratagem and not pressed by military might. Records, Wei 23 §68–69

In the end Pei Qian went to the commandery with a single carriage. The chanyu were surprised and delighted, and Pei Qian calmly pacified them. Everyone from the chanyu down took off their caps, knocked their foreheads on the ground and returned all the women, implements and goods they had plundered at one time or another. Pei Qian investigated and executed more than ten senior officials of the commandery, including Hao Wen and Guo Duan, who had been in collusion with the chanyu, so that the northern frontier was greatly shaken and the people gave him their hearts. Records, Wei 23 §69

After three years in Dai, he returned to become Clerk of the Bureau of Justice under the Chancellor. When Cao Cao praised his achievement in governing Dai, Pei Qian said that he had been lenient with the people but strict with the various barbarians, so his successor would surely judge him to have been too strict and become more lenient; and since they were arrogant by nature, too much leniency would make them slack, and if they were then brought back under the law after growing slack, disputes would arise, so Dai would surely rebel again. Cao Cao deeply regretted having recalled Pei Qian so soon. Several dozen days later, when news came that the three chanyu had rebelled, he made Cao Zhang, Marquis of Yanling, General of Valiant Cavalry and sent him to subdue them. Records, Wei 23 §69–70

Pei Qian went out to become Chancellor of Pei State and was then transferred to Inspector of Yan Province. In the 24th year of Jian'an (219), when Sun Quan attacked Hefei and garrison troops were stationed in all the provinces, Wen Hui, Inspector of Yang Province, told Pei Qian, Inspector of Yan Province, that the enemy here was nothing to worry about, but that he feared some upset on the side of the General Who Subdues the South. With the river rising, he said, Zixiao's (Cao Ren's) army was isolated, and Guan Yu was brave and keen, so if he advanced on the strength of his momentum he would surely become a danger. Before long the affair at Fancheng broke out. Records, Wei 15 §61–62

An edict summoned Pei Qian, Lü Gong, Inspector of Yu Province, and others, but Pei Qian and the rest moved at a leisurely pace. Wen Hui privately told Pei Qian that this was meant to send them hurrying to Xiangyang, which was in danger, so within a day or two a secret letter urging him on his way would arrive, and Zhang Liao and the others would soon be summoned too; if Zhang Liao and the others, though summoned later, arrived first, Pei Qian would be held responsible. Pei Qian accepted his advice, left his baggage behind and set out quickly in light order, and indeed he received an order urging him on. When Cao Cao halted at Mopi, he admired the good order of Pei Qian's army and gave him a special reward. Records, Wei 15 §62–63Records, Wei 23 §71

When Emperor Wen ascended the throne, Pei Qian entered the court as Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary. Going out as Agricultural General of the Household for Wei Commandery and Yingchuan, he memorialised asking that the system of recommendation for office be opened to them on the same footing as the commanderies and kingdoms, and through this the path to official advancement was opened for agricultural officials. He was transferred to Inspector of Jing Province and granted the rank of Marquis Within the Passes. When Emperor Ming ascended the throne, he entered the court as Master of Writing. Records, Wei 23 §71

He went out to become Intendant of Henan, was transferred to Military Adviser to the Grand Commandant and Grand Minister of Agriculture, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Qingyang Village with a fief of two hundred households. Entering the court as Director of the Imperial Secretariat, he memorialised asking that the division of duties be corrected and that names and realities be sorted out and put in order, and more than 150 matters were sent out to be decided by the government offices. On the death of his father he left office, and he was then appointed Grandee of Splendid Happiness. Records, Wei 23 §72

When he died in the 5th year of Zhengshi (244), he was posthumously granted the title of Minister of Ceremonies and given the posthumous name Marquis Zhen, and his son Pei Xiu succeeded him. In his testament Pei Qian directed that he be buried frugally, and in the tomb there was placed only a single seat and a few pieces of earthenware, and nothing else at all. Pei Xiu became Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat in the Xianxi era. Records, Wei 23 §72–73

In his assessment, Chen Shou named in turn He Qia, Chang Lin, Yang Jun, Du Xi, Zhao Yan and Pei Qian, saying that Pei Qian was fair, constant, upright and capable, and that all of them were fine gentlemen of their age. Records, Wei 23 §75