promised that he would spare Zhong Yu's family if Zhong Hui really did commit treason. Appraisal Chen Shou Chen Shou, who wrote Zhong Hui's biography in the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi), praised him as "elite and skilled with numerous strategies", then lumped Zhong Hui together with Wang Ling, Guanqiu Jian, and Zhuge Dan in his criticism: "They were famous for their various talents, which helped them rise to high positions. It was a pity that they were overly ambitious, had morally crooked ideas, and failed to recognise the hidden pitfalls around them. These resulted in their downfalls and the extermination of their families. Can it be any more fatuous than this?" Xiahou Ba The Shiyu recorded that when the Wei general Xiahou Ba defected to Shu, the Shu officials asked him, "What does Sima Yi do best?" Xiahou Ba replied, "Solidifying his family's position in Wei." They asked him again, "Who are the talents in the Wei capital?" Xiahou Ba replied, "There's one Zhong Shiji. Wu and Shu should be worried if he's in charge of the Wei government." The Han Jin Chunqiu mentioned that the Shu general Jiang Wei also asked Xiahou Ba, "Now that Sima Yi is in control of the Wei government, is he still planning to launch any campaigns against Shu and Wu?" Xiahou Ba replied, "He focuses on strengthening his family's control of the Wei government and doesn't have time to bother about external affairs. However, there's one Zhong Shiji. He may be young, but he'll definitely become a threat to Wu and Shu in the future. Despite so, even the most extraordinary people can't control him." Xiahou Ba was proven right 15 years later because Zhong Hui was one of the key figures in the Wei conquest of Shu. Pei Songzhi added the Shiyu account to support what Xi Zuochi wrote in the Han Jin Chunqiu. In popular culture Zhong Hui is first introduced as a playable character in the seventh instalment of Koei's Dynasty Warriors video game series. See also Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms Notes References Citations from the Sanguozhi Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi). Citations from the Sanguozhi zhu Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu). Other sources Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian. External links 225 births 264 deaths Artists from Luoyang Cao Wei calligraphers Cao