Wei Zhen 衞臻

Wei Zhen, courtesy name Gongzhen, was a man of Xiangyi County in Chenliu Commandery. His father Wei Zi had great integrity and did not respond to the summons of the Three Excellencies. When Cao Cao first came to Chenliu, Wei Zi said that the man who would pacify the realm would surely be this man, and Cao Cao, also thinking him remarkable, visited him many times to discuss great affairs. Wei Zi joined the campaign against Dong Zhuo and died fighting at Xingyang, and whenever Cao Cao passed through Chenliu Commandery he sent an envoy to sacrifice to him. Records, Wei 22 §76

When Xiahou Dun became Administrator of Chenliu, he recommended Wei Zhen as Accounts Clerk; when Xiahou Dun had his wife come out to attend a banquet, Wei Zhen said it was a custom of a degenerate age and not proper ritual. Xiahou Dun angrily seized Wei Zhen but soon released him. Later Wei Zhen became Gentleman of the Yellow Gate of the Han. When Zhu Yue of Dong Commandery plotted rebellion and implicated Wei Zhen, Cao Cao issued an order saying that he had never believed Zhu Yue's words from the start, and that the letter from Director Xun had made Wei Zhen's loyalty entirely clear. Records, Wei 22 §77

When Wei Zhen came bearing an imperial edict to present the betrothal gifts for taking Honored Ladies into the Wei court, Cao Cao memorialized to keep him and made him Military Adviser to the Chancellor. Recording his father's former merit, Cao Cao granted him the rank of Marquis Within the Passes and transferred him to Clerk of the Bureau of Households. When Emperor Wen became King, Wei Zhen became Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary, and when Emperor Wen took the imperial throne he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Anguo Precinct. At that time the officials all praised the virtue of Wei and largely disparaged the former dynasty, but Wei Zhen alone made clear the meaning of the abdication and extolled the excellence of the Han, and Emperor Wen, looking at Wei Zhen several times, said, 'The treasures of the realm should be shared with the Duke of Shanyang.' Records, Wei 22 §78

He was transferred to Master of Writing and then became Palace Attendant and Master of Writing for Personnel. When Emperor Wen visited Guangling, Wei Zhen accompanied him as acting Central Commander of the Army. When Cao Xiu, General-in-Chief Who Conquers the East, memorialized that according to surrendered enemies Sun Quan was already at Ruxu Mouth, Wei Zhen said that Sun Quan relied on the Yangtze and did not dare meet them head-on, so this must be a lie made up out of fear; on investigation it was indeed a fabrication by the commander of the garrison. According to the Biography of Bao Xun, when Emperor Wen was about to execute Bao Xun, the Master of Writing Wei Zhen, together with Zhong Yao, Hua Xin, Chen Qun, Xin Pi, Gao Rou and others, asked that his punishment be reduced because Bao Xun's father Bao Xin had rendered merit to Cao Cao, but Emperor Wen did not allow it. Records, Wei 22 §79Records, Wei 12 §75–76

When Emperor Ming took the throne, Wei Zhen was advanced to Marquis of Kangxiang; later he was transferred to Right Deputy Director of the Imperial Secretariat in charge of selecting officials, with the additional post of Palace Attendant as before. When Jiang Ji, Central Protector of the Army, wrote to him that even commoners in cloth or servants could rise to be kings and dukes, so why must men be employed only after being tested according to rule, Wei Zhen replied that the ancients always examined men's achievements before dismissing or promoting them, and that if a path to irregular promotion were opened, everyone in the realm would rush to race for it. The Biography of Liu Ye records that when Emperor Ming had the posthumous honoring of his ancestors discussed, the Master of Writing Wei Zhen agreed with Liu Ye, and it was carried out accordingly. Records, Wei 22 §80Records, Wei 14 §103–107

When Zhuge Liang invaded Tianshui, Wei Zhen memorialized that a surprise force should be sent into the San Pass to cut his supply line. He was then made General Who Conquers Shu, granted the tally of authority and put in command of the armies, and when he reached Chang'an Zhuge Liang withdrew. On his return he resumed his post with the addition of Grand Master of Splendid Happiness. At this time Emperor Ming was absorbed in building palaces, and Wei Zhen remonstrated earnestly many times; when the Supervisor of the Palace Halls arbitrarily arrested a Clerk of the Orchid Terrace, he memorialized that the matter be investigated. He also memorialized on the abuse of the inspectors encroaching on the duties of other offices, saying he feared that the various offices would overstep their duties and finally fall into decline. Records, Wei 22 §81–82

When Zhuge Liang came out again through the Ye Valley, the General Who Conquers the South reported that the army of Zhu Ran of Wu and others had already passed Jingcheng. Wei Zhen said that Zhu Ran would surely go downstream to join Sun Quan and was merely making a show of force to pin down the General Who Conquers the South. Sun Quan did indeed call Zhu Ran into Juchao and advanced to attack Hefei. When Emperor Ming wanted to campaign east in person, Wei Zhen said that Sun Quan was outwardly pretending to respond to Zhuge Liang but inwardly watching how things went, and that the city of Hefei was strong, so there was no need for the emperor to campaign in person. When Emperor Ming reached Xunyang, Sun Quan withdrew after all. Records, Wei 22 §82–83

When Guanqiu Jian, Inspector of You Province, memorialized that Liaodong could be pacified with soldiers of no use elsewhere, Wei Zhen said this was a petty trick of the Warring States, not the business of a true king. Gongsun Yuan had held that land beyond the sea for three generations, he said, and the idea that a single detached army could arrive in the morning and sweep it up by evening was empty talk; Guanqiu Jian's expedition did in the end turn out unfavorably. Records, Wei 22 §84–85

In the 6th month of the 1st year of Jingchu (237) he went from Right Deputy Director of the Imperial Secretariat to Minister of Works, and in the 11th month of the 2nd year of Jingchu (238) he was transferred to Minister over the Masses. In the Zhengshi era he was advanced to Marquis of Changyuan with a fief of 1,000 households, and one of his sons was enfeoffed as a full marquis. Earlier, when Cao Cao for a long time did not set up a Crown Prince and especially favored the Marquis of Linzi, Ding Yi and others, who were the Marquis's supporters, urged Wei Zhen to ally himself with him, but Wei Zhen refused on grounds of principle. After Emperor Wen took the throne and Cao Lin, Prince of Donghai, was in favor, Emperor Wen asked him what he thought of the Marquis of Pingyuan; Wei Zhen only praised his bright virtue and in the end said nothing else. Records, Wei 3 §49 · 51 · 61 · 63Records, Wei 22 §86

When Cao Shuang assisted in the government, he sent Xiahou Xuan to convey his wishes, seeking to draw Wei Zhen in as acting Prefect of the Masters of Writing and asking for a marriage alliance for his younger brother, but Wei Zhen refused everything and insisted on asking to resign. The Annals of the Three Young Emperors record that on the jiawu day of the 3rd month of the 9th year of Zhengshi (248) the Minister over the Masses Wei Zhen resigned and returned home as a marquis. An edict told him not to begrudge his frank words and good counsel, granted him a residence and the rank of Specially Advanced, and set his salary equal to that of the Three Excellencies. On his death he was posthumously made Grand Commandant, with the posthumous title Marquis Jing. His son Wei Lie succeeded him and became Superintendent of the Imperial Household in the Xianxi era. Records, Wei 22 §87–88Records, Wei 4 §27

In his assessment Chen Shou said that in the Wei period the business of government was concentrated in the Imperial Secretariat, so that the Masters of Writing held the duties of the Six Ministers of old; Chen Jiao, Xu Xuan, Wei Zhen and Lu Yu long held these posts, and Wei Zhen and Lu Yu governed with integrity through their sense of rule and discernment, none of them disgracing their office. Records, Wei 22 §108