ChinaKnowledge.de -
An Encyclopaedia on Chinese History and Literature
Bi Gui 畢軌 (died 249 CE), courtesy name Bi Zhaoxian 畢昭先, was a high official in the empire of Wei 曹魏 (220-265), one of the Three Kingdoms 三國 (220-280).
He came from Dongping 東平 (modern Dongping, Shandong) and was as a young man famous for his talents, and therefore became the tutor of Prince Cao Rui 曹叡. When the Prince mounted the throne as Emperor Ming 魏明帝 (r. 226－239 CE), Bi Gui was appointed gentleman of the Palace Gate (huangmen lang 黃門郎). He was made regional inspector (cishi 刺史) of the province of Bingzhou 幷州. Later on he was made army supervisor (zhonghujun 中護軍), then palace attendant (shizhong 侍中), Director of the Imperial Secretariat (shangshu ling 尚書令) and then metropolitan commandant (sili xiaowei 司隷校尉).
In this decisive position he planned with Prince Cao Shuang 曹爽, regent for the infant emperor Cao Fang 曹芳 (r. 239-254), to make an end to the power of the family Sima by killing their head, general Sima Yi 司馬懿. But the plot was reveiled, and Bi Gui was executed, and his family extinguished. Sima Yi's grandson Sima Yan 司馬炎 (Emperor Wu of the Jin 晉武帝, r. 265-289) would eventually overthrow the Wei and found the Jin dynasty 晉 (265-420).