He Qia, courtesy nameYangshi, was a high-ranking official of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was known for his austere lifestyle.
Early life
He Qia was born in Xiping County, Runan Commandery, Yu Province, which is present-day Xiping County, Henan. In the 190s, the warlordYuan Shao sent ambassadors to Runan Commandery inviting the gentry and nobility to join his cause. Yu Province was an area of contention between Yuan Shao and his half-brother Yuan Shu, so He Qia feared staying, but he did not want to serve under a man such as Yuan Shao, whose ambition He Qia felt exceeded his capability. Instead, He Qia brought his family south to Jing Province to serve the provincial governorLiu Biao, whom He Qia considered to be a kind lord without higher ambition. Crossing the Yangtze river, he settled in at Wuling Commandery in present-day Changde, Hunan.
In the late 190s, Cao Cao gained control over parts of Jing Province, and He Qia found employment in his administration. In this early stage of his career, he spoke out against the elevation of officers based on their following an ascetic, deliberately impoverished lifestyle, and against seeing these men as more pure than officers who displayed their salary outwardly. In 213, after Emperor Xian enfeoffed Cao Cao as the Duke of Wei, He Qia served as a Palace Attendant in Cao Cao's dukedom. He unsuccessfully defended Mao Jie against rumours that Mao slandered Cao Cao. Correspondence on the matter between He Qia and Cao Cao has survived until the present-day and has been preserved in the Records of the Three Kingdoms. Due to these rumours, Mao Jie was forced to commit suicide in 216.
Later career
He Qia received successive promotions under Cao Cao and Cao Pi, rising to the position of Minister of the Household, the most important personnel manager of the Wei court. Under Cao Rui, he was granted 200 taxable households in his marquisate as the Marquis of Xiling District. Late in life, He Qia reversed his position on asceticism and began living a greatly curtailed lifestyle. After he was promoted to the prestigious position of Minister of Ceremonies under Cao Rui, he gave so freely of his salary that he was forced to liquidate his real estate in order to support himself. Cao Rui granted him grain and silk so He Qia could avoid total insolvency. His modest lifestyle is reflected in his posthumous name, Marquis Jian.
Family
He Li, He Qia's elder son and successor
He You, He Qia's younger son, served as Minister of Justice and Secretary of Personnel in Wei
