Cui Lin
| Cui Lin | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Cao Wei | |
| Born | (Unknown) |
| Died | 244 |
| Names | |
| Traditional Chinese | 崔林 |
| Simplified Chinese | 崔林 |
| Pinyin | Cuī Lín |
| Wade–Giles | Ts'ui Lin |
| Courtesy name | Deru (Chinese: 德儒; pinyin: Dérú; Wade–Giles: Te-ju) |
| Posthumous name | Marquis Xiao (Chinese: 孝侯; pinyin: Xiào Hóu; Wade–Giles: Hsiao Hou) |
Cui Lin (died 244), courtesy name Deru, was a high government official of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period. He was known for his scruples in good governance, judgment of character, and for being the first of the Three Ducal Ministers after the end of the Han dynasty to be enfeoffed as a noble. He was born in Dongwu County, Qinghe Commandery, Ji Province (present-day Zhucheng, Shandong).
Although Cui Lin was a member of the influential Cui family of Qinghe Commandery, his extended family was not well-acquainted with him, and only his cousin Cui Yan thought him exceptional. In 200, following Cao Cao's conquest of Ji province, Cui Lin was summoned to be Chief of Wu County (鄔縣), in present-day Shanxi. He drew such a pitiful salary from this position that he could not even afford a horse and carriage.
Zhang Zhi (張陟), the inspector of Bing province, recommended Cui Lin to Cao Cao as the village chief whose governance was the most virtuous. As a result, Cui Lin was promoted to higher offices in the central administration of Ji Province, and shortly thereafter transferred to Cao Cao's office.
In 213, Cao Cao was enfeoffed as the Duke of Wei (魏公), and Cui Lin was promoted to Palace Assistant Imperial Clerk (御史中丞), a powerful position overseeing correspondence from the provincial inspectors and their subordinates. When Cao Pi established the state of Cao Wei in 220, Cui Lin was sent out to be inspector of You province on the northeastern frontier. He held this office for one season, then took the office of Administrator of Hejian Commandery (河閒郡). The base text of Records of the Three Kingdoms says Cui Lin voluntarily gave up control of You Province to make way for Wu Zhi to unite the northern frontier forces, which Cui Lin considered a better way of dealing with the non-Han Chinese frontier peoples. However, Pei Songzhi notes a memorial by Xin Pi stating that Huan Jie, at that time holding the post of Supervisor of the Masters of Writing, felt Cui Lin was incapable as a provincial inspector and demoted him.
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