The "New Language of the World" introduces a Famous Wei and Jin scholar named Xiahou Xuan, praising him as "as loud as the sun and the moon". The meaning of this sentence is that Xiahou Xuan looks dignified and talented, and his appearance is as warm and comfortable as the sun and the moon shining in his arms. From this evaluation, you can imagine Xiahou Xuan's dashing appearance.
Xiahou Xuan was a famous man, his uncle was Xiahou Yuan, his father was xiahou Shang, the general of Zhengnan, and his cousin was the great general Cao Shuang. Judging from his origins, he was the top nobleman of that era. Xiahou Xuan liked to study Confucian classics and Lao Zhuang thought, and when he fused the two, he formed the "metaphysics" of the Wei and Jin dynasties.
In essence, metaphysics is a philosophical thought. According to Lao Tzu's view, Xuan has a profound meaning. Therefore, metaphysics can be simply understood as a doctrine for the study of profound and distant problems. Xiahou Xuan was a titan in the field of metaphysics, he was knowledgeable and knowledgeable, and even Sima Yi praised him for his true talent and practical learning.
This master of metaphysics is not a vain name, and he has a pragmatic research side in him. According to the history books, Sima Yi asked Xiahou Xuan for advice on the selection of dispatched officials. Xiahou Xuan gave three suggestions, namely, the selection of judges, the removal of heavy officials, and the change of uniform system.
The selection of judges is the meaning of assessing and hiring officials. Cao Cao wrote two "Short Songs" that summoned the talents of the world. Cao Cao emphasized his thirst for talents and expressed his determination to unify the world. The wishes are good, the reality is harsh. The system of electing officials is an obstacle to the selection of talents, such as nobles such as Xiahou Xuan, who will not worry about displaying their talents, and they will naturally become officials by virtue of their birth. Therefore, Xiahou Xuan proposed that those responsible for selecting officials could only examine the moral character of officials, and the performance of officials should be uniformly evaluated by the imperial court. Clarifying the details of the official assessment, Xiahou Xuan can be described as a sharp point.
Eliminating heavy officials means eliminating redundant officials. Xiahou Xuan put forward the policy of streamlining institutions and improving efficiency. If his opinion could really be adopted, the Cao Wei regime would really have a chance to dominate the world. Changing the uniform system is to strive for simplicity and oppose extravagance and waste. Officials' clothing, carriages, and horses must be clearly restricted, and they cannot be enjoyed beyond their ranks, thus increasing the burden on the people. Sima Yi was scheming, and felt that as long as Xiahou Xuan was there, his ambitions could not be easily exposed.
There is also a story in "The New Language of the World" that praises Xiahou Xuan for being calm and calm, not panicking in the face of events, and having the ability to command the overall situation. Xiahou Xuan was writing against the pillar, and suddenly it rained. A bolt of lightning fell, hitting the pillar behind Xiahou Xuan. Only to see that Xiahou Xuan's clothes were all burned, he remained calm and unhurried, and he could not see the slightest nervousness and fear.
After Sima Yi's death, Sima Shi had the intention of plotting rebellion. Xiahou Xuan had a premonition that Sima Shi would not let him go. Sure enough, soon after, Xiahou Xuan was involved in a coup d'état to murder Sima Shi. The coup failed, and Xiahou Xuan was sentenced to beheading. According to the historical records, before the execution, Xiahou Xuan's appearance remained unchanged and he calmly went to his death.