Huo Jun
Huo Jun (178–217), courtesy name Zhongmiao, was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Liu Bei thought very highly of Huo Jun and in a letter to Zhuge Liang praised him as a great warrior with many achievements. When Huo Jun died, Liu Bei deeply mourned him, led his officials during his burial and stayed overnight at his tomb which was a great honor.[2]
Huo Jun | |
|---|---|
| 霍峻 | |
| Administrator of Zitong (梓潼太守) (under Liu Bei) | |
| In office 214–217 | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Major-General (裨將軍) (under Liu Bei) | |
| In office 214–217 | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| General of the Household (中郎將) (under Liu Bei) | |
| In office 208–214 | |
| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 178[1] Zhijiang, Hubei |
| Died | 217 (aged 39)[1] Zitong County, Sichuan |
| Resting place | Chengdu, Sichuan |
| Relations |
|
| Children | Huo Yi |
| Occupation | General |
| Courtesy name | Zhongmiao (仲邈) |
Life
Huo Jun was from Zhijiang County (枝江縣), Nan Commandery (南郡), Jing Province, which is in present-day Zhijiang, Hubei. His elder brother, Huo Du (霍篤), rallied a few hundred men from their hometown to form a militia. After Huo Du's death, Liu Biao, the Governor (牧) of Jing Province, put Huo Jun in command of the militia. When Liu Biao died in late 208, Huo Jun led his followers to join the warlord Liu Bei, who previously took shelter under Liu Biao. Liu Bei appointed Huo Jun as a General of the Household (中郎將).[3]
Around 211, Liu Bei led an army from Jing Province to Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) to assist the provincial governor Liu Zhang in countering a rival warlord, Zhang Lu, in Hanzhong Commandery. In 212, when conflict broke out between Liu Bei and Liu Zhang, the former led his forces from Jiameng (葭萌) to attack the latter, leaving behind Huo Jun to defend Jiameng. At the same time, Zhang Lu sent his general Yang Bo (楊帛) to entice Huo Jun to defect to Zhang Lu, by offering to defend Jiameng together with him. Huo Jun replied to Yang Bo, "You can take a xiaoren's head but not a fortress." Yang Bo therefore retreated.[4]
Later, Liu Zhang sent his officers Fu Jin (扶禁), Xiang Cun (向存) and others to lead an army of ten thousand soldiers to attack Jiameng. Huo Jun had only a few hundred troops with him but he managed to hold his position for a year. When he saw that the enemy was weak and negligent, he selected elite soldiers from among his men and launched a counterattack on Liu Zhang's forces, greatly defeated them and beheading Xiang Cun in battle.[5]
In July 214, Liu Zhang surrendered to Liu Bei, after which Yi Province came under the latter's control. In recognition of Huo Jun's contributions during the campaign, Liu Bei partitioned a new commandery, Zitong (梓潼), from the original Guanghan Commandery (廣漢郡), and appointed Huo Jun as the Administrator (太守) of Zitong. Huo Jun was also promoted to the rank of a Major-General (裨將軍). He held office for three years before dying at the age of 40 (by East Asian age reckoning).[1] His body was transported to Chengdu (the capital of Yi Province) for burial. Liu Bei deeply lamented Huo Jun's death and personally led his subjects to offer sacrifices and attend Huo's funeral.[6]
Family
Huo Jun's son, Huo Yi, continued serving Liu Bei and became a general in the state of Shu Han (founded by Liu Bei) during the Three Kingdoms period.
References
- The Sanguozhi mentioned that Huo Jun was appointed as the Administrator of Zitong Commandery around 214, and he died after holding office for three years at the age of 40 (by East Asian age reckoning). Quote from Sanguozhi vol. 41: (先主定蜀，嘉峻之功，乃分廣漢為梓潼郡，以峻為梓潼太守、裨將軍。在官三年，年四十卒， ...) Assuming he died in 217, by calculation, his year of birth should be around 178.
- (先主甚悼惜，乃詔諸葛亮曰：「峻既佳士，加有功於國，欲行酹。」...因留宿墓上，當時榮之。) Sanguozhi vol. 41.
- (霍峻字仲邈，南郡枝江人也。兄篤，於鄉里合部曲數百人。篤卒，荊州牧劉表令峻攝其衆。表卒，峻率衆歸先主，先主以峻為中郎將。) Sanguozhi vol. 41.
- (先主自葭萌南還襲劉璋，留峻守葭萌城。張魯遣將楊帛誘峻，求共守城，峻曰：「小人頭可得，城不可得。」帛乃退去。) Sanguozhi vol. 41.
- (後璋將扶禁、向存等帥萬餘人由閬水上，攻圍峻，且一年，不能下。峻城中兵纔數百人，伺其怠隙，選精銳出擊，大破之，即斬存首。) Sanguozhi vol. 41.
- (先主定蜀，嘉峻之功，乃分廣漢為梓潼郡，以峻為梓潼太守、裨將軍。在官三年，年四十卒，還葬成都。...遂親率群僚臨會弔祭，) Sanguozhi vol. 41.
- Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).