Huan Huo
Huan Huo (320-377), courtesy name Langzi, was a Chinese military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). He was the brother of Huan Wen and Huan Chong. Although not as influential as his two brothers, Huan Huo was one of the members of the Huan clan who held control over a province in Jingzhou after the death of Huan Wen. His sons such as Huan Shiqian and Huan Shixiu were also important members of the clan who earned merits under Huan Wen and Huan Chong's leadership. He fought against Former Qin forces expanding into Jin's western territories before dying in 377.
Huan Huo | |
|---|---|
| 桓豁 | |
| Inspector of Jingzhou (荊州刺史) | |
| In office 365–377 | |
| Monarch | Emperor Fei of Jin/Emperor Jianwen of Jin/Emperor Xiaowu of Jin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 320 |
| Died | 377 |
| Relations | Huan Wen (brother) Huan Chong (brother) |
| Children | Huan Shiqian Huan Shixiu Huan Shimin Huan Shisheng Huan Shisui Huan Shikang 14 unnamed sons One unnamed daughter |
| Parent |
|
| Courtesy name | Langzi (朗子) |
| Posthumous name | Jing (敬) |
Early career
Huan Huo was the third son of the Eastern Jin general Huan Yi, who died when Huo was only 8 years old. He first served as an Assistant Officer of the Household to the regent Sima Yu and later his libulang (吏部郎). Huan Huo resigned from the government due to illness but later returned to office when Huan Wen became Gentleman of the Yellow Gate in 361. Huan Huo became Chief Controller of seven commanderies along the Mian River as well as Administrator of Xinye and Yicheng. Shortly after this, Huan Huo attacked Xuchang and captured it from Former Yan.[1]
In 365, Huan Huo was further promoted to Chief of military affairs in Yicheng commandery of Jingzhou and Yangzhou, and Jingzhao commandery in Yongzhou, and acting Inspector of Jingzhou. He was also gifted staffs of authority together with his brother Huan Chong.[2]
The following year in 366, Huan Huo quelled the rebellion of the Inspector of Liangzhou, Sima Xun. Later, he led troops against a raiding Former Qin army in Jingzhou led by Wang Meng, Yang An and Yao Chang. He was unable to reach them before they retreated and lost a portion of the people living along the Han River who were relocated to Qin. The general Zhao Yi (趙億) also rebelled at Wan that year, so Huan Huo and Luo Chong (羅崇) campaigned against him in 367. Huan Huo drove out Zhao Yi and captured the Yan general, Zhao Pan (趙盤).[3]
After Huan Wen's death
For the next six years, Huan Huo's brother Huan Wen schemed his way to claim the imperial throne, first through a failed campaign in Yan and then forcing Emperor Fei of Jin to abdicate. In 373, Huan Wen died, never becoming emperor but leaving behind a state dominated by his clan. Huan Wen's domain were divided into three between Huan Chong, Huan Huo and Huo's son Huan Shixiu. Huan Huo was made General Who Conquers The West and Chief Controller of Jingzhou, Yangzhou, Yongzhou, Jiaozhou, and Guangzhou after his brother's death while the rest of the clan also received important positions.[4]
Although the Huan clan now controlled most of southern China, it now faced a threat from Former Qin, whose ruler Fu Jian wanted to unify the whole of China. Qin forces invaded Yizhou and Liangzhou shortly after Huan Wen's death. Huan Huo attempted to save the provinces by sending Zhu Yao (竺瑤) but Zhu Yao could not advance after hearing that his ally Zhao Zhang (趙長) had already been killed. As a result, the provinces were swiftly taken by Qin in 373.[5]
In 376, Huan Huo was promoted to Senior General Who Attacks the West and given the privilege of Separate Office, allowing him to appoint anyone without the court's permission. However, it was around this time that Huan Huo wanted to resign, stating his failure in saving Yizhou and Liangzhou for his reasoning, but the court denied. In 377, Huan Huo appointed Zhu Xu Inspector of Liangzhou and stationed him at Xiangyang. Huan Huo died not long after the same year and his titles were all given to his brother Huan Chong. He was posthumously named as 'Jing'.[6]
Anecdotes
Naming of sons
Huan Huo had a practice of naming his children with two-syllable names, all starting with the word 'stone' (shí, 石). This was due to a children's song around the time, which included the lyrics "Who is spoken of as strong, a stone will strike and smash (誰謂爾堅石打碎。)." The word 'strong' (jiān, 堅) is the same as Fu Jian's given name. Thus, Huan Huo prophesied that by naming his sons with 'shí', Fu Jian's demise would be certain. As a result, all 20 of his sons had the word 'shí' in their names, although only six were recorded. They were Huan Shiqian, Huan Shixiu, Huan Shimin, Huan Shisheng (桓石生), Huan Shisui (桓石綏) and Huan Shikang (桓石康).[7]
Huan Huo's myna
Huan Huo was once presented a myna during his time as Inspector of Jingzhou. Following the customs of Chu, he cut the tip of its tongue on the fifth day of the fifth month and taught it how to mimic human speech. Eventually, it was able to name objects and respond to people. Huan Huo presented it to his staff members during a banquet and made it imitate whatever the guests were saying. The bird perfectly imitated the guests except for one, whose nose was stuffed from a cold that day. His nasal sound was too deep for the bird, but the myna was able to imitate him in the end after it placed its head inside an urn to mimic his voice.
During the banquet, one of the masters of ceremonies was stealing from Huan Huo's camp and was seen by the myna. The myna notified Huan Huo's men but though they noticed, they did not report it to Huan Huo. The thief soon came back to steal some beef. The myna caught him again and alerted the soldiers. This time the soldiers demanded proof, so the myna said "The man wrapped the beef with fresh lotus leaves, and hid it behind the folding screen." The soldiers went to inspect, and found the beef. The thief's stolen goods were confiscated, and he was punished. The thief hated the myna because of this, so he had it boiled alive. Huan Huo became depressed, and his men urged him to kill the thief. However, Huan Huo said, "For the crimes inflicted on the myna, he should compensate it with his own life. But in the end, we must not forsake the law and punish one by death over a bird." Instead, Huan Huo imprisoned him for five years.[8]
References
- (夏四月，太尉桓溫鎮宛，使其弟豁將兵取許昌。) Book of Jin, Volume 8
- (二月乙未，以右將軍桓豁監荊州揚州之義城雍州之京兆諸軍事、領南蠻校尉、荊州刺史；桓沖監江州荊州之江夏隨郡豫州之汝南西陽新蔡潁川六郡諸軍事、南中郎將、江州刺史，領南蠻校尉，並假節。) Book of Jin, Volume 8
- (荊州刺史桓豁、竟陵太守羅崇攻宛，拔之。趙億走，趙盤退歸魯陽。豁追擊盤於雉城，擒之，留兵戌宛而還。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 101
- (庚戌，加右將軍、荊州刺史桓豁征西將軍，督荊、楊、雍、交、廣五州諸軍事。以江州刺史桓沖為中軍將軍、都督揚、豫、江三州諸軍事、揚、豫二州刺史，鎮姑孰；竟陵太守桓石秀為寧遠將軍、江州刺史，鎮尋陽。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 103
- (荊州刺史桓豁遣江夏相竺瑤救梁、益；瑤聞廣漢太守趙長戰死，引兵退。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 103
- (豁以威略不振，所在覆敗，又上疏陳謝，固辭，不拜開府。尋卒，時年五十八。贈司空，本官如故，諡曰敬。贈錢五十萬，布五百匹，使者持節監護喪事。豁時譽雖不及沖，而甚有器度。但遇強寇，故功業不建。) Book of Jin, Volume 74
- (初，豁聞符堅國中有謠云：「誰謂爾堅石打碎。」有子二十人，皆以「石」為名以應之。唯石虔、石秀、石民、石生、石綏、石康知名。) Book of Jin, Volume 74
- (晉司空桓豁在荊州，有司空翦五月五日鴝鵒舌，教令學語，遂無所不名，與人相問。顧參軍善彈琵琶，鴝鵒每立聽移時。又善能效人語笑聲。司空大會吏佐，令悉效四座語，無不絕似。有生齆鼻，語難學，學之不似，因內頭於甕中以效焉，遂與齆者語聲不異。主典人於鴝鵒前盜物，參軍如廁，鴝鵒伺無人，密白主典人盜某物，將軍銜之而未發。後盜牛肉，鴝鵒復白，參軍曰：「汝雲盜肉，應有驗。」鴝鵒曰：「以新荷裹著屏風後。」檢之，果獲，痛加治，而盜者患之，以熱湯灌殺。參軍為之悲傷累日，遂請殺此人，以報其怨。司空教曰：「原殺鴝鵒之痛，誠合治殺，不可以禽鳥故，極之於法。」令止五歲刑也。) You Minglu, Volume 3
- Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). Book of Jin (Jin Shu).
- Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.