I'm shocked I never posted in this given how much of an opinionated douche I am!
Honorable Mentions: Bei Yan, Chen Zhi, Xi Zheng and Yang Xi.
1: Zhong Hui - Should be remarkably obvious to anyone who knows me. The man was an unparalleled genius from an early age and a political mastermind. The writings we've retained of his are so damn fascinating. He was so heavily admired in his time and even beyond his death to the point of deification long before the trend of most others being elevated. I am fascinated by his entire family and I don't think there is a more interesting human being to ever exist. From his strict childhood to his intellectual sparing matches in his 20s, to his nearly untouchable military record to his last gambit to, in my opinion, save Wei... Zhong Hui is unlike any other figure of the time period. He is the North Star of the Third Century.
2: Zhong Yao - The very writing system of standard script calligraphy can be traced back to him. The literal form of writing. It was known as 鍾体 for a reason! What a marvel. What a legend. What a cultural icon. Whether it was his incredible track record as a military man, his work in restoring the capital region, his political abilities or the fact that he helped shaped the written word: Grand Tutor Zhong is... he just is. That's all there is! How can you find words to truly describe someone THAT important? He has his own Cultural Park for a reason.
3: Jiang Wei - Han's Final General-In-Chief! Having slaved over his SGZ for a long time translating it, looking at various appraisals and all that; I had such a drastic shift on him. Jiang Wei was the ideal loyal subject. Everything he did was for Han till his dying day. He began his career recruiting men loyal to him when he had nothing, and he ended his life standing beside men loyal to him when he lost everything. He inspired more loyalty than Liu Bei. Jiang Wei is a true hero of Han.
4: Chen Shou - My god. What a genius. What a fucking brilliant man. I adore him. Dealing with several historical sources outside of the SGZ, I always come back to marvel at how Chen Shou compiled things. Organization, appraisal, clever political workarounds. What a hero. I agree with Zhang Hua and Xun Xu when they said Ban Gu and Sima Qian weren't his equal. The Sanguozhi is the perfect historical work, and while it may not have a treatise section I'd trade a lack of one for how perfectly put together it is. I love him.
5: Xiahou Xuan - When lightning struck near him, he did not flinch. By merely arriving he strikes fear into the Sima. Zhong Yu shed tears when having to convict him of treason. For attempting to save Wei, he faced bisection without changing his expression. Generations later he was still admired and adored, and many believed the utter destruction of Jin was due to his death. His death was a catalyst for so many things. He truly was the Time's Hope.
6: He Yan - The man who adored the next generation. He Yan spent so much time in office seeking out talented youths and propping them up, casting aside the useless elderly and their conservative nature. Brilliant men like Wang Bi, Zhong Hui, Xun Xu, Pei Xiu and the like were his doing. His writings as well were things studied for generations to come and become the very foundation of Chinese thought until Zhu Xi. A man can change a time, a legend can shape the future.
7: Cao Mao - Purportedly one of the greatest painters of his day, one of the most prolific writers, a man of incredible military mind and political thought. His debates, his beliefs, his memorials are all ingrained in my mind. At nineteen he did something more brave than most other human beings would ever do in their entire lives when he gathered his poorly armed and even worse trained palace guards to stand against the encroaching army of a tyrant seeking to destroy his families legacy. Cao Mao died the Hero that most people believe the likes of his grandfather were. Perception is one thing, actually being it is entirely different.
8: Zhuge Liang - Come on. He's Zhuge Liang. He's Cao Cao without the horrible baggage! The more time I spent translating things from the state of Han, the more I came to understand exactly why he is admired so much. It's one thing to read opinions of modern people, or just come to your own conclusions based off half ass readings of things like the ZZTJ. It's another thing to truly see the words of the contemporaries as they were intended. And more importantly to see his actions. To see how he treated people, how he viewed the world, how he governed, how those of his time and after came to understand him. He isn't some Daoist Wind Sage as fiction portrays and to be let down by this is ridiculous. The true Zhuge Liang, the man so synonymous with the term State Chancellor in China, deserves every bit of respect and admiration thrown at him.
9: Wei Guan - Brilliance. Sheer political brilliance. From avoiding the internal struggles in Wei, to navigating the insanity of Han's fall in 264 to suppress chaos, to doing his damdest to the end to save Jin and guide Sima Liang into a good direction; Wei Guan was incredible. The failures that occurred were not his doing, but on his foolish lord who was too inept to act. Wei Guan was proven right time and time again. I am happy he was rehabilitated. Deng Ai deserved to die btw.
10: Wen Chu - The real Dynasty Warrior. As recorded he personally slew a hundred men. He struck fear into the heart of Sima Shi and caused his wound to reopen, ending his life not long after. His defection from Zhuge Dan sealed the rebellions fate. He helped stall and defeating Tufa Shujineng. He's literally the perfect example of what Dynasty Warriors likes. Although that doesn't explain why he's so worthless in those games... he deserves better. Also stop calling Wen Yang please.
