16 Facts About Cui Lin

Cui Lin, courtesy name Deru, was a Chinese politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China.

Cui Lin was known for his scruples in good governance, judgment of character, and for being the first of the Three Ducal Ministers after the end of the Eastern Han dynasty to be enfeoffed as a marquis.

Cui Lin was from Dongwu County, Qinghe Commandery, Ji Province, which is in present-day Zhucheng, Shandong.

In 200, following Cao Cao's conquest of Ji Province, Cui Lin was summoned to be Chief of Wu County, in present-day Shanxi.

Cui Lin drew such a pitiful salary from this position that he could not even afford a horse and carriage.

In 213, Cao Cao was enfeoffed as the Duke of Wei, and Cui Lin was promoted to Palace Assistant Imperial Clerk, a powerful position overseeing correspondence from the provincial inspectors and their subordinates.

When Cao Pi established the state of Cao Wei in 220, Cui Lin was sent out to be the Inspector of You Province on the northeastern frontier.

Cui Lin held this office for one season, then took the office of Administrator of Hejian Commandery.

The base text of the Records of the Three Kingdoms says that Cui Lin voluntarily gave up control of You Province to make way for Wu Zhi to unite the northern frontier forces, which Cui Lin considered a better way of dealing with the non-Han Chinese frontier peoples.

However, Pei Songzhi notes a memorial by Xin Pi stating that Huan Jie, at that time holding the post of Supervisor of the Masters of Writing, felt Cui Lin was incapable as a provincial inspector and demoted him.

In 222, while Cui Lin occupied this post, the King of Kucha sent a son to study under and be sinicised by the Wei court, which richly rewarded the king for sending his son such a long way.

Cui Lin feared some of the envoys sent to collect their princes' ransoms were unreliable, so he stamped and sealed their rewards and attached to their return missions groups of mercantile border people who guarded the treasure the entire road back.

At Dunhuang, Cui Lin had the imperial decrees promulgated, and engraved important stories from Chinese history to ensure their endurance.

Cui Lin enforced honesty in governance, streamlined process, and protected the body politic, earning him lasting acclaim.

In 238, following a strong recommendation from the imperial adviser Meng Kang, Cui Lin was promoted to Minister of Works, one of the Three Ducal Ministers, the highest positions in the civil government.

Cui Lin was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Anyang Village, with a marquisate of 600 taxable households.