Wei Guan, courtesy name Boyu, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China.
17 Facts About Wei Guan
1.
2.
Wei Guan served under the Jin dynasty after the end of the Three Kingdoms period.
3.
Wei Guan was from Anyi County, Hedong Commandery, which is located west of present-day Xia County, Shanxi.
4.
Wei Guan's father Wei Ji was a high-ranking Wei official and marquis.
5.
Wei Guan inherited his father's peerage, and when he grew older became an official.
6.
Wei Guan knew this, so he surprised Deng Ai in the middle of the night and arrested him.
8.
Later, Wei Guan participated in inciting the soldiers to start a mutiny against Zhong Hui and end the rebellion.
9.
Wei Guan declined a larger fief that Sima Zhao was ready to bestow on him for his accomplishments.
10.
Wei Guan attempted to implement a revised civil service system, where the civil service examiner would have less input on grading officials, and actual job performance would become more important, but while Emperor Wu liked Wei Guan's suggestions, he did not carry them out.
11.
In 271, Wei Guan was transferred to Senior General Who Attacks the North, where he was tasked with defending the northern frontier.
12.
Wei Guan was one of the few officials who dared to openly speak to Emperor Wu about his choice of heir apparent, his son Sima Zhong, who was developmentally disabled.
13.
On one occasion, Emperor Wu, after Wei Guan hinted that Sima Zhong should not be crown prince, sent a number of inquiries to Sima Zhong to have answered.
14.
Sima Wei's assistants Qi Sheng and Gongsun Hong thereafter falsely told Empress Jia that Sima Liang and Wei Guan planned to depose the emperor.
15.
Empress Jia, who had already resented Wei Guan for having, during Emperor Wu's reign, suggested that he change his choice of heir apparent, wanted more direct control over the government, and therefore resolved to undergo a second coup.
16.
In summer 291, Empress Jia instructed Emperor Hui to write an imperial edict to Sima Wei, ordering him to have Sima Liang and Wei Guan removed from their offices.
17.
Wei Guan was a famous calligrapher during his time, being a master of the cursive script.