Mi Heng

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Mi Heng (彌衡) (?-200 A.D) was a great scholar of the Three Kingdoms period. He was a close friend of Kong Rong, who recommended Mi Heng to Cao Cao. Lord Cao summoned Mi Heng to the capital of Xuchang but did not offer Mi Heng a seat. Indignant at this Mi Heng sighed “In all this world, I can see not a single man!”, Cao Cao overheard this, and named many officers in his command who he believed to be great heroes. Mi Heng scoffed at these men not believing them to be great heroes:

"The men you have mentioned are all known to me, only too well. Xun Yu is good for attending funeral ceremonies or the bedridden, Xun You for guarding graveyards. Cheng Yu would show remarkable talent in service as a gatekeeper, and Guo Jia’s real talent lies in reading prose and reciting verse. Zhang Liao is equal to the task of tapping chimes and drums, Xu Chu for tending cattle and horses. Yu Jin can be employed carrying blocks and constructing walls, Xu Huang slaughtering pigs and dogs. Xiahou Dun should have the title ‘Unscathed General’ and Cao Ren ‘Well-bribed Governor’. The rest are so many clothes racks, rice sacks, wine casks, meat sacks…".

When Mi Heng was questioned about his talents he replied "I have mastered the patterns of heaven and the contours of the land. I know well the Three Religions and the Nine Systems of Philosophy. With virtual equal to that of Confucius and his dear disciple Yan Yuan, I could make my prince rival of Kings Yao and Shun. Think you I can discuss these things on even turn with common people?”.

At this Cao Cao made Mi Heng a drum master to play at the imperial court. The previous drum master warned Mi Heng to turn up dressed in fresh attire, however Mi Heng arrived dressed in shabby robes and played Triple Tolling of Yuyang, so beautifully that the guests were reduced to tears. Half way through the piece, a court attendant asked why he hadn't changed his clothes, Mi Heng stripped naked, angering Cao Cao. Kong Rong fearing for his friend's life as well as his own, pleaded with Cao Cao to spare Mi Heng, so Cao Cao sent Mi Heng to Jingzhou, promising that if Mi Heng could win Liu Biao's support, he would be made a high ranking official.

At Jingzhou Mi Heng sung praise of Liu Biao in a tone so ironic that Liu Biao was angered. Liu Biao sent Mi Heng to his friend Huang Zu, who executed Mi Heng after Mi Heng compared him to a temple god — much praised but practically useless. Liu Biao, deeply upset at Mi Heng's death, recovered his body and had him buried at Parrot Island near Yingwu. It is reported that Cao Cao rejoiced at the death of Mi Heng calling him a "rotten bookworm".

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms game series, he is one of the sages wandering China. He is depicted in the game as insulting and arrogant.