Hu Buwei

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Hu Buwei (胡不为)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Great Kang imperial court; Ministry of Revenue; Hu family 1 5
Occupation/Role	Minister of Revenue, overseeing Great Kang’s finances 1 5
Official Rank	Principal Third Rank 1
Spouse	Yang Hu, also referred to as Madam Hu 5 15
Children	Hu Xiaotian, his only child 5
Status	Alive; still serving at court during preparations for his son’s departure 36 48 49
First Appearance	Chapter 1 1

Background / History

Court Career and the Zhou Family Betrothal

Hu Buwei served two emperors and initially enjoyed the imperial family’s deep trust. His position as Minister of Revenue gave him extensive authority over the empire’s finances, but his third-rank standing still required deference to higher-ranking dignitaries 1.

Before Hu Xiaotian was born, the Hu family arranged a marriage connection with the household of Zhou Ruiyuan, a first-rank statesman and the crown prince’s grand tutor. When Xiaotian was two, the Zhou family canceled the engagement after learning of his intellectual disability. Hu Buwei outwardly accepted the humiliation but retained a bitter grudge. After Crown Prince Long Yelin’s deposition implicated Zhou Ruiyuan, Hu Buwei joined a scathing impeachment that helped bring about Zhou’s dismissal and reduction to commoner status 1.

Xiaotian’s Recovery and the Li Alliance

Hu Buwei was thirty-five when Xiaotian was born. For years, he accepted that his only son would be unable to pursue a distinguished career and planned to support him in safety and comfort. Xiaotian’s sudden recovery after sixteen years revived his father’s ambitions 1 5.

He proposed a marriage between Xiaotian and the daughter of Li Tianheng, the powerful ruler of Western Sichuan and a trusted supporter of Crown Prince Long Yeqing. The alliance was also a safeguard: Hu Buwei had previously offended Long Yeqing, and his attempts to repair their relationship had achieved little. He feared losing his office—or his life—after the prince’s accession. Although he felt guilty about sacrificing Xiaotian’s marital happiness, he considered the connection essential to the Hu family’s future 1 5.

The Tang Qingxuan Dispute

When Tang Wenzheng reported that Xiaotian had abducted his daughter, Tang Qingxuan, Hu Buwei sent Hu Tianxiong ahead to investigate and invited Tang into his carriage. He understood that abducting an official’s daughter could not safely be excused by imperial favor alone 5 6.

At the residence, he first checked that Xiaotian was unharmed, then described the confrontation as a private dispute between families. He rebuked his son without publicly asking what had happened, avoiding an inquiry that might establish damaging facts before the crowd 9.

Xiaotian’s manipulation of Tang Tiecheng’s words into an apparent threat against the imperial court astonished and delighted him. Hu Buwei used the resulting leverage to support private negotiations. He ultimately accepted a settlement, offered to cover the losses, and ordered Xiaotian to apologize without conceding the abduction accusation in the Tang family’s terms 10 11 13.

Afterward, he warned Xiaotian that the same wordplay could be turned against their own household. Concerned that rumors would damage the Li engagement, he sent Hu Tianxiong to Western Sichuan with a letter. He also refused Xiaotian’s request to cancel the marriage, provoking a bitter argument 14.

The Stolen Iron Deed and Succession Crisis

Hu Buwei accompanied the emperor to the Eastern Capital, where he detected signs that the ruler regretted removing Long Yelin as crown prince. This undermined his confidence in Long Yeqing’s succession and, consequently, the value of the Li marriage alliance 15 35.

On returning home, he confirmed that the family’s Iron Deed of Redemption had been stolen. He had never disclosed its hiding place to Hu An, his wife, or his son, making Hu An’s account of the theft suspicious. Hu Buwei subsequently identified the missing steward as the thief and believed an outsider had coerced or bribed him 34 35.

The loss was especially dangerous because the emperor’s health and temperament were deteriorating and Hu Buwei had recently lost favor. He rejected simply reporting the theft, fearing that even a small matter could provoke imperial wrath. News that Xiaotian had nearly been killed in an ambush strengthened his resolve to remove his son from the capital 35.

Arranging the Azure Cloud Posting

Hu Buwei accepted the Li family’s proposal to postpone the wedding by two years. Privately, the delay suited him: it allowed time for the succession struggle to resolve and left room to cancel the alliance if Li Tianheng’s faction fell 36.

Through his friend Shi Buchui, Minister of Personnel, he arranged for Xiaotian to become Azure Cloud County Deputy in Western Sichuan, a lower-grade Principal Ninth-Rank position. He intended to conceal their relationship from local officials and even the Li family, allowing Xiaotian to gain experience without relying on his father’s status 36 48.

After Xiaotian’s clash with Shi Xuedong, Hu Buwei confirmed that departure would take place in three days. The posting was intended to last about two years and served both as training and as a possible path of retreat for the Hu family during the approaching political upheaval 48 49.

Appearance

Hu Buwei has an average stature but a commanding presence; his official clothing emphasizes the difference between his rank and that of lesser officials 9.

• Height: Barely seven chi 9.
• Official robe: Bears a peacock emblem on the chest 9.
• Court hat: Decorated with a ruby beneath carved coral 9.
• Official boots: Have soles seven centimeters thick, noticeably increasing his apparent height 9.

Personality

Hu Buwei is calculating, suspicious, and attentive to the dangers of court politics. He maintains an outwardly composed and courteous manner while considering leverage, retaliation, and escape routes. His grudge against Zhou Ruiyuan lasted for years, and he acted on it when political circumstances made revenge possible 1 5 11.

He treats moral language as something that can serve political ends. Although he insists to Xiaotian that the Li engagement is an inviolable public promise, he privately regards it as an arrangement that can be abandoned if the succession makes it dangerous. He understands his son’s objections but places family standing above the freedom to choose a spouse 14 36.

His affection for Xiaotian is nevertheless genuine. He delights in his son’s intelligence, worries about the permanence of his recovery, and fears for his safety after the assassination attempt. Their relationship mixes stern discipline, affectionate teasing, and disagreements over how much control a father should exercise 9 13 15 35 48.

His practical advice favors self-preservation over idealized loyalty. He warns that sworn brotherhood does not guarantee lasting affection and that even blood brothers can become enemies 49.

Abilities & Skills

Financial Administration

As Minister of Revenue, Hu Buwei controls a broad administrative portfolio rather than merely supervising the treasury 5.

Area	Responsibilities or Institutions
Civil and financial administration	Territories, farmland, household registers, taxes, salaries, and financial affairs 5
Currency	Coinage Hall and Treasure Spring Bureau, responsible for minting money 5
Treasury reserves	Three Treasuries of the Ministry of Revenue 5
Grain logistics	Granary and Transport Office, responsible for storage and grain transport 5

Political Maneuvering

• Defines the Tang confrontation as a domestic matter to limit the Capital Prefecture’s involvement 9.
• Preserves an appearance of impartiality while arranging opportunities for Xiaotian to defend himself 11.
• Keeps Tang Tiecheng’s potentially incriminating words available as leverage against the Tang family 11.
• Reassesses the Li alliance when the emperor’s choice of successor becomes uncertain 35 36.

Risk Assessment and Information Gathering

• Uses Hu Tianxiong as a trusted investigator and messenger 5 14.
• Recognizes that Xiaotian’s pavilion wordplay could expose the Hu household to a similar accusation; the pavilion is subsequently left unreconstructed 14 15.
• Strengthens Xiaotian’s protection after the Tang dispute and again after the assassination attempt 15 36.
• Keeps his son’s appointment quiet to reduce interference from political enemies 36 49.

Relationships

• Hu Xiaotian — Only son and the Hu family’s sole male heir across three successive generations. Hu Buwei initially doubts the permanence of his recovery but comes to respect his reasoning and political wit 1 9 10 35.
• Yang Hu / Madam Hu — Wife and mother of Xiaotian. His feelings for her have remained unchanged; he has never taken a concubine or become romantically involved with another woman 5.
• Hu Tianxiong — Trusted personal guard, investigator, and messenger. He can speak candidly to Hu Buwei about rumors concerning Xiaotian 5 14.
• Hu An — Long-serving household steward whose theft of the Iron Deed of Redemption becomes a bitter betrayal 34 35.
• Li Tianheng — Prospective in-law and political ally. Their marriage agreement connects the central government’s financial authority with Western Sichuan’s regional military power 1 15.
• Long Yeqing — Crown prince whom Hu Buwei once offended. The prince’s continuing dislike is a major reason for seeking protection through Li Tianheng 5.
• Zhou Ruiyuan — Former prospective in-law and target of revenge after canceling Xiaotian’s childhood engagement 1.
• Tang Wenzheng — Lower-ranking official drawn into conflict with him over Tang Qingxuan’s abduction. Their formal courtesy conceals anger and mutual distrust 5 11 13.
• Shi Buchui — Close friend and political associate; helps arrange Xiaotian’s county posting 36 48.
• Xu Zhengying — Vice Minister of Revenue and subordinate. Despite Xu’s repeated efforts to cultivate intimacy, Hu Buwei keeps him at a measured distance 15.
• Wu Jingshan — Minister of Rites and sworn political rival, with whom he repeatedly clashes at court 18 20.

Notable Quotes

“The might of Heaven is unfathomable. Here beneath the emperor's feet, there are things you absolutely must not say carelessly.” 14

“I can't look after you all your life. One day, you'll have to stand on your own.” 35

“Affection can't be measured by whether you've sworn brotherhood, and loyalty and righteousness aren't things that never change.” 49