Wen Hui 溫恢

Wen Hui, courtesy name Manji, was a man of Qi County in Taiyuan Commandery. His father Wen Shu died while serving as Administrator of Zhuo Commandery. At fifteen Wen Hui escorted the coffin back to his home district, and his family had ample wealth. Saying, 'The world is just now in turmoil; what use is it to be rich?', he scattered all his wealth in a single morning to give relief to his kinsmen. The people of the province and his home district esteemed him highly and compared him to Xun Yue. Records, Wei 15 §60

Nominated as Filial and Incorrupt, he served as Chief of Linqiu, Prefect of Yanling and of Guangchuan, and Chancellor of Pengcheng and of Lu, and was praised wherever he went. The biography of Sun Li mentions Wen Hui as Registrar for Investigating Wrongdoing. When Sun Li secretly let Ma Tai, who was due to be executed for breaking the law, escape from prison, then turned himself in and went straight to Wen Hui, Wen Hui admired him and reported everything to Taizu, and both men had their sentences reduced by one degree from death. Records, Wei 15 §60Records, Wei 24 §60

Entering the court, he became Registrar to the Chancellor, and was then sent out as Inspector of Yang Province. Taizu (Cao Cao) said, 'I very much wish to keep you close to me, but I consider nothing more important than the affairs of this province,' and, quoting the Book of Documents, 'How good are the arms and legs! All affairs are at peace!', asked whether he ought not to have Jiang Ji as his Headquarters Attendant Officer. Jiang Ji, then serving as Administrator of Danyang, was sent back to the province. The Biography of Jiang Ji records that when the main army returned from its southern campaign, Wen Hui was made Inspector of Yang Province and Jiang Ji his Mounted Attendant Officer. Taizu also told Zhang Liao, Yue Jin and others that the Inspector of Yang Province was well versed in military affairs and that they should consult with him whether they moved or stayed. Records, Wei 15 §60–61Records, Wei 14 §116

According to the biography of Hu Zhi, when the general Zhang Liao fell out with his Army Protector Wu Zhou, he met the Inspector Wen Hui and asked for Hu Zhi, then the province's Headquarters Attendant Officer, but Hu Zhi declined on the pretext of illness. Records, Wei 27 §15

In the 24th year of Jian'an (219) Sun Quan attacked Hefei, and at this time garrisons were stationed in all the provinces. Wen Hui told Pei Qian, Inspector of Yan Province, that although there were enemies here they were not worth worrying about; rather, he feared that something would go wrong on the side of the General Who Conquers the South. Now the river was rising and Zixiao's (Cao Ren's) army was isolated, with no far-sighted preparations, while Guan Yu was brave and keen, so if he advanced on the strength of his advantage he would surely become a menace. Before long the affair at Fancheng broke out. An edict summoned Pei Qian, Lü Gong, Inspector of Yu Province, and others, but Pei Qian and the others moved at a leisurely pace. Records, Wei 15 §62

Wen Hui told Pei Qian privately that this must be because Xiangyang was in danger and they were wanted to hurry there; the reason they had not been ordered to assemble urgently was a wish not to alarm people far away, so within a day or two a secret letter urging him on his way would surely come, and Zhang Liao and the others would also soon be summoned. Zhang Liao and the others already understood the King's intentions well, he added, so if they were summoned later yet arrived first, Pei Qian would bear the blame. Pei Qian accepted his advice, left his baggage train behind and set out swiftly with light equipment, and indeed received an order urging him on. Zhang Liao and the others were soon each summoned as well, just as Wen Hui had calculated. Records, Wei 15 §63

When Emperor Wen ascended the throne he made Wen Hui Palace Attendant and then sent him out as Administrator of Wei Commandery. Some years later he was transferred to Inspector of Liang Province and, holding the tally of authority, concurrently served as Colonel Protector of the Qiang. He fell ill and died on the way to his post, at the age of forty-five. Emperor Wen issued an edict saying that Wen Hui, with the qualities of a pillar and foundation stone, had served the late emperor with conspicuous merit and diligence and had also been loyal to the royal house in serving him, and so he had been given a charge ten thousand li away; how was it that he could not complete it? The emperor grieved deeply. Wen Hui's son Wen Sheng was granted the rank of Marquis Within the Passes, but Wen Sheng died young and the title lapsed. After Wen Hui's death, Meng Jian of Runan became Inspector of Liang Province. Records, Wei 15 §64 · 66

In his assessment of this volume Chen Shou said that from the end of the Han, inspectors had taken overall charge of several commanderies and conducted government in the provinces, rather than merely observing and inspecting as in earlier times. He went on to say that from the time Taizu laid the foundations until the end of Wei's great enterprise, the men of this volume were all praised and their reputations matched their substance; being thoroughly versed in the subtle signs of affairs and displaying both authority and kindness, they were able to bring order and discipline across ten thousand li and so came to be recorded for later ages. Records, Wei 15 §89