| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 何颙, 何顒, Hé Yóng |
| Nickname | Courtesy Boqiu (伯求); famed talent-spotter |
| Other name | Hà Ngong |
| Courtesy name | 伯求, 伯求, Bó Qiú, Bo Qiu, tự Bá Cầu |
| INFORMATION | |
| Birth Place | Xiangxiang, Yuzhou (present-day Zaoyang, Hubei) |
| Died | 190 |
| Death Reason | Died amid Luoyang chaos after Dong Zhuo's seizure of power (190 AD) |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Eastern Han; Yuan Shao |
| Battles |
|
Biography & Historical Record
He Yong (何颙, Hà Ngong), courtesy name Boqiu (伯求, tự Bá Cầu), was an Eastern Han scholar-official from Nanyang who became one of the most influential talent-spotters of the late Han. He served under Yuan Shao and held posts including Intendant of Henan and Director of the Secretariat. He Yong died in 190 AD amid the chaos following Dong Zhuo’s seizure of Luoyang — a casualty of the collapsing capital order he had tried to reform through merit-based recommendation.
Historically, He Yong was famed for identifying capable men and for his association with the Prohibition of Partisan Factions (党锢) generation of scholars. He recommended many future Three Kingdoms figures and was especially close to Yuan Shao’s circle. His early recognition of Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo) — that “the one who will pacify the realm is this man” — is preserved in both history and the novel’s opening chapters, making him a symbolic voice of Han decline and rising talent.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Chapter 1 (Three Heroes Swear Brotherhood at Peach Garden; Cao Cao Appears with a Sword): During the novel’s introduction of young Cao Cao, the narrative pauses to record contemporary judgment: He Yong of Nanyang (南阳何颙) sees Cao and declares, “The Han house will perish; the one who will pacify the realm is this man.” The line is paired with Xu Shao’s later “able minister in peace, treacherous hero in chaos” evaluation — two famous early verdicts on Cao Cao that frame the entire novel. He Yong also appears when Yuan Shao (袁绍) and He Jin (何进) mobilize against the Ten Attendants; He Jin brings He Yong among his advisers during the capital crisis of 189 AD.
He Yong (何颙) — Historical & Literary Timeline
c. 150s AD
Nanyang scholar and recommender
From Xiangxiang, Yuzhou; famed for spotting talent and serving the Eastern Han bureaucracy before the Yellow Turban wars.
Chapter 1
Praises young Cao Cao
Named as the Nanyang official who, upon seeing Cao Cao, declares that the Han will fall and Cao will pacify the realm.
189 AD
He Jin’s capital crisis
When Yuan Shao joins He Jin against the Ten Attendants, He Yong appears among He Jin’s advisers in the doomed palace coup arc.
190 AD
Death amid Luoyang chaos
Died during the turmoil after Dong Zhuo’s rise — historical date preserved in catalogs.
For detailed historical records, archives, and official chronicles, explore He Yong on Wikipedia.
Key Relationships
Family
- No spouse or children prominently recorded in the Chapter 1 passage or standard histories.
Friends
- Yuan Shao (袁绍, Viên Thiệu): Lord and patron with whom He Yong served.
- He Jin (何进, Hà Tiến): Grand General who leads the capital coup; He Yong is among his advisers.
- Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo): The man He Yong famously identifies in Chapter 1 as the future pacifier of the realm.
Enemies
- Dong Zhuo (董卓, Đổng Trác): Warlord whose rise contributes to the 190 AD chaos in which He Yong dies.
- Ten Attendants (十常侍): Eunuch faction whose survival triggers He Jin’s fatal coup.
Other
In Novel
Chapter 1
- He Yong (何颙, Hà Ngong): Named as the Nanyang official who, upon seeing Cao Cao, declares that the Han house will perish and that Cao is the man who will pacify the realm.
- He Yong (何颙, Hà Ngong): Appears among He Jin's advisers when Yuan Shao joins the mobilization against the Ten Attendants in 189 AD.
In History
Summary
- He Yong (何颙, Hà Ngong), styled Boqiu, was an Eastern Han official from Nanyang who served Yuan Shao and died in 190 AD.
Year: 190 AD
- Died amid chaos following Dong Zhuo's control of Luoyang.
Historical Record
- Hou Hanshu and Three Kingdoms catalogs; tradition preserves his early praise of Cao Cao.
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