Mao Jie 毛玠

Mao Jie 毛玠, courtesy name Xiaoxian 孝先, was a high official of the warlord Cao Cao 曹操 during the late Eastern Han period 東漢 (25-220 CE).

He hailed from Pingqiu 平丘 (today's Fengqiu 封丘, Henan) in the princedom of Chenliu 陳留 and served as a small local official. He was known for his righteous conduct of administration, and decided to serve the warlord Cao Cao 曹操, who made him vice head of a clerical section (zhizhong congshi 治中從事), then clerk in the eastern bureau of the Counsellor-in-Chief (chengxiang dongcao tuan 丞相東曹掾), being responsible for recommending talented men for official service. His standards were very high and followed moral principles. The powerful families, whose sons formerly entered imperial service for their descent, had now less chances to rose into high positions. Mao Jie was therefore feared and hated, and no one dared to surpass the boundaries of his own office.

Mao Jie suggested to Cao Cao to take care for the desolated young Emperor Xiandi 漢獻帝 (r. 189-220) and so to become a hegemonial lord (ba 霸). For the internal administration of the warlord's territories himself, he took care for the promotion of agriculutre and the storage of grain to supply Cao Cao's armies. Mao was therefore constantly promoted, first to right commander of the army (you junshi 右軍師), then vice director of the Imperial Secretariat (shangshu puye 尚書仆射). Yet Mao Jie was shocked by his master's decision to kill his excellent advisor Cui Yan 崔琰 out of minor reasons, criticized the powerful man, was therefore dismissed and imprisoned, but soon released. He died at home.