suited Cao Zhen and reassigned Xiahou Mao to be a Master of Writing (尚書) in the Wei central government in Luoyang. Around 230, tensions between Xiahou Mao and his wife got worse. Xiahou Mao's two younger brothers, Xiahou Zizang (夏侯子臧) and Xiahou Zijiang (夏侯子江) had earned Xiahou Mao's ire over failing to respect the courtesy's and they feared punishment so they allied with their sister-in-law, writing a memorial on her behalf accusing Xiahou Mao of treason. Xiahou Mao was arrested with Cao Rui going to executed him but Duan Mo (段默) argued Xiahou Mao's bad relations with his wife meant this was slander and that Xiahou Mao had served Cao Pi well. Cao Rui ordered an investigation as to who wrote the memorial and when truth came out, he released Xiahou Mao and restored him as a Master of Writing. Some time later in Cao Rui's reign, Xiahou Mao was appointed as General Who Guards the East (鎮東將軍). It is not known when he died. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms Xiahou Mao's supposed impotence was dramatised in the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. When he was assigned to defend the Wei-Shu border, he was not well respected by his colleagues, who assumed that Xiahou Mao would be unable to fulfil his role. Xiahou Mao reportedly responded to such criticism as follows: His early encounter against Shu turned out badly, and he was forced to flee. After consulting with his generals, he planned a successful ambush against the Shu general Zhao Yun and duelled him for over 50 rounds. Unfortunately for Xiahou Mao, this victory was only temporary, as Shu generals Zhang Bao and Guan Xing both arrived with 10,000 troops to save Zhao Yun; Xiahou Mao's army was utterly routed by nightfall. Xiahou Mao escaped to Nan'an Commandery with just 100 horsemen. He managed to resist a siege for ten days until Zhuge Liang arrived and directed his efforts towards Tianshui Commandery. Cui Liang, a defeated Wei officer who was en route to Tianshui, offered Zhuge Liang to convince the governor of Nan'an, Yang Ling, to turn the city over. In fact, he had no such intention, instead telling Yang Ling what had taken place, and the two of them and Xiahou Mao attempted to lure the Shu army into the city and destroy them. Zhuge Liang saw through the plot and turned it against them.