Huangfu Mi was not particularly famous among later generations, not even as well known as his great-grandfather.
Yes, his great-grandfather was Huangfu Song, who had made a tiny little contribution to putting down the Yellow Turbans Rebellion during the Later Han.
But his family's wealth and distinction had belonged to Huangfu Song's era. Huangfu Song had served as General Who Conquers the West and been appointed Grand Commandant. After him, each generation of the Huangfu Clan had fared worse than the last. Huangfu Mi's grandfather had been no more than a County Magistrate, and had later been dismissed, while his father had only been nominated as Filial and Incorrupt, never holding an important post.
Most of the other clan members were much the same. They could not be called entirely fallen, but they bore none of the hallmarks of a great clan either. Even for a Two Thousand Shi official, they had to rely on relatives by marriage; their own clan could produce, at most, a County Magistrate.
By Huangfu Mi's generation, the family's circumstances had grown still worse, and he had been sent to live with his uncle.
Fortunately, his uncle and aunt were both very good people. In his youth, he had loved amusement, been wild and unrestrained, and hated studying above all else. Everyone looked down on him. Once, Huangfu Mi brought his aunt some fruit he had obtained from somewhere, and she said with deep feeling, "You're already in your twenties, yet you have neither learning nor accomplishments. How can you give me any comfort?"
Her words filled Huangfu Mi with shame, and he began studying.
Huangfu Mi was very gifted when it came to study. After six years of diligent reading, at the age of twenty-six, he drew widely upon the various schools of thought,