Su Ze 蘇則

Su Ze, courtesy name Wenshi, was a native of Wugong County in Fufeng. From his youth he was known for his learning and conduct; he was recommended as Filial and Incorrupt and as Flourishing Talent and was also summoned by the offices of the Excellencies, but he took up none of these. He began his official career as Administrator of Jiuquan and was transferred to Anding and Wudu, and wherever he went he had a reputation for authority. Records, Wei 16 §8

When Cao Cao, on his campaign against Zhang Lu, passed through his commandery, he was pleased on seeing Su Ze and made him the army's guide. After Zhang Lu was defeated, Su Ze pacified the various Di tribes of Xiabian and opened the road to Hexi, and was then transferred to Administrator of Jincheng. In the wake of the turmoil the people had scattered and the population had greatly declined, and Su Ze cared for them with great diligence. Outside the commandery he won over the Qiang and Hu with conciliation, obtaining their cattle and sheep to support the poor and the old, and he shared his grain with the people; within ten days to a month the wandering people had all returned, and he gained several thousand households. Records, Wei 16 §9

He then clearly established prohibitions, executing at once those who violated them and always rewarding those who followed his instructions. He personally taught the people to farm, and that year there was a great harvest, so that those coming to submit grew more numerous by the day. When Li Yue rebelled in Longxi, Su Ze led the Qiang and Hu to besiege him, and Li Yue at once asked to submit. Records, Wei 16 §10

When Cao Cao died, Qu Yan of Xiping rebelled and styled himself Colonel Protector of the Qiang. Su Ze put his troops in order and marched against him, and Qu Yan in fear begged to surrender. Emperor Wen, in recognition of his merit, gave Su Ze the additional post of Colonel Protector of the Qiang and granted him the rank of Marquis Within the Passes. Records, Wei 16 §10

Later Qu Yan again allied with the neighboring commanderies to stir up rebellion. Zhang Jin of Zhangye seized the Administrator Du Tong, and Huang Hua of Jiuquan refused to accept the Administrator Xin Ji; both styled themselves Administrator and rose in response to Qu Yan. In addition, the Hu of the three tribes of Wuwei raided together and cut off the roads, and Guanqiu Xing, Administrator of Wuwei, reported the emergency to Su Ze. At that time the powerful families of Yong and Liang Provinces were all driving the Qiang and Hu to follow Zhang Jin and the others, so the people of the commandery all thought Zhang Jin could not be withstood. Records, Wei 16 §11

The generals Hao Zhao and Wei Ping had earlier been garrisoned at Jincheng and had received an edict forbidding them to cross to the west. Su Ze met with the senior officials of the commandery, Hao Zhao and the others, and the Qiang chieftains, and said that the enemy were a newly assembled host, some of them following under coercion, so that if struck while there was an opening they would surely split apart; but if they waited for the main army, the good people would have nowhere to turn and would join with the wicked. He added that even though there was an edict, disobeying it to act as circumstances required was something they could decide on their own authority. Hao Zhao and the others followed him and sent out troops to relieve Wuwei, forced the Hu of the three tribes to surrender, and then attacked Zhang Jin at Zhangye together with Guanqiu Xing. Records, Wei 16 §12–13

Hearing of this, Qu Yan came with 3,000 infantry and cavalry to meet Su Ze, claiming he had come to aid the army, but in fact he intended to stage a coup. Su Ze lured him into a meeting, beheaded him on the spot, and paraded his head before the army, whereupon his followers all scattered and fled. Su Ze then besieged and broke Zhangye together with the other armies, beheading Zhang Jin and his partisans, and the rest all surrendered. Huang Hua, in fear, released the people he had seized and begged to surrender, and Hexi was pacified. Su Ze returned to Jincheng, and his title was raised to Marquis of a Chief Village with a fief of 300 households. Records, Wei 16 §13–14

The Annals of Emperor Wen record that around the 5th month of the 1st year of Yankang (220), when Huang Hua, Zhang Jin and others seized their Administrators and rebelled, Su Ze, Administrator of Jincheng, beheaded Zhang Jin and Huang Hua surrendered. The Biography of Zhang Ji says that because Zhang Ji advanced his troops and supported Su Ze's momentum, Su Ze was able to achieve his success, and the account of Zhang Gong in the Biography of Yan Wen records that Huang Hua, fearing Zhang Gong's troops to the west, went to Su Ze, Administrator of Jincheng, and surrendered. Records, Wei 2 §2 · 6–7Records, Wei 15 §47Records, Wei 18 §89

Su Ze was summoned to court and appointed Palace Attendant, serving in the same office as Dong Zhao. When Dong Zhao lay down with his head on Su Ze's knee, Su Ze pushed him off, saying, 'Su Ze's knee is no pillow for a flatterer.' Earlier, when Su Ze and Cao Zhi, Marquis of Linzi, heard that the Wei had replaced the Han, both had put on mourning and wept in grief; Emperor Wen had heard of Cao Zhi doing so but not of Su Ze. When the emperor remarked that he had received the abdication at Luoyang, yet there were some who wept, and asked why, Su Ze, thinking the question was directed at him, bristled to the ends of his beard and was about to answer with a forthright argument. The Palace Attendant Fu Xun pinched Su Ze and said, 'He did not mean you,' and he stopped. Records, Wei 16 §15

When Emperor Wen asked whether more could be obtained by again purchasing great pearls an inch across, such as Dunhuang had presented, Su Ze replied that if His Majesty's civilizing influence spread throughout the Central States and his virtue flowed out to the deserts, such things would come of themselves without being sought, and that what was obtained by seeking was not worth prizing. The emperor fell silent. Records, Wei 16 §16

Later, when Su Ze accompanied the emperor on a hunt, a stake of the enclosure fence was pulled out and a deer escaped; the emperor, in great anger, drew his sword and had all the supervising officials arrested, intending to behead them. Su Ze knocked his head on the ground and, saying that the sage kings of old did not harm men for the sake of beasts, pleaded at the risk of his life. The emperor said, 'You are an upright minister,' and pardoned them all, but Su Ze was regarded warily because of this. In the 4th year of Huangchu (223) he was demoted to Chancellor of Dongping, and before reaching his post he fell ill and died on the road; he was given the posthumous name Marquis Gang. His son Su Yi succeeded him, and when Su Yi died without a son, his younger brother Su Yu inherited the fief. Records, Wei 16 §16–17

In his assessment, Chen Shou said, 'Su Ze quelled disorder with his authority; not only was he good at government, he was also resolute and upright, and his bearing and achievements are worthy of praise,' and he called them all, together with Ren Jun, Du Ji, Zheng Hun and Cang Ci, famous Administrators of the Wei era. Records, Wei 16 §98