Huang Hao

Who is Huang Hao?

Huang Hao was a eunuch serving Liu Shan, second and last emperor of the Kingdom of Shu during the Three Kingdoms era in ancient China. Highly favoured by Liu Shan, he was commonly blamed for misguiding the latter into surrendering to the Kingdom of Wei and considered one of the most corrupt and worthless officials in the Three Kingdoms era along with Cen Hun.

Huang Hao entered the service of Liu Shan as a eunuch some time in the 220s. According to the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms, Huang Hao was favoured by Liu Shan as he was shrewd and full of flattering words. While the chief attendant to the emperor Dong Yun was still alive, he often advised Liu Shan on the danger of flattery on one hand, and admonished Huang Hao for misguiding the young emperor on the other.

After Dong Yun died in 246, he was replaced by Chen Qi, who collaborated with Huang Hao to influence court affairs. Henceforth Huang Hao became increasingly powerful. Even the senior ministers such as Zhuge Zhan and Dong Jue could do nothing to remove him. The General-in-Chief, Jiang Wei, once advised Liu Shan to execute Huang Hao since Huang easily fell for a ruse by Wei's Sima Yi to spread false rumours about Jiang wanting to rebel and told the emperor, which resulted in Jiang retreating back into the capital despite the initial victories against Sima Yi. However the emperor denied the request, saying that the eunuch was but a servant who ran errands. Fearing retaliation, Jiang Wei then left the capital of Chengdu to garrison troops at Tazhong. As he had not achieved any significant gain over the Kingdom of Wei for years, Jiang Wei was also almost replaced by the another general Yan Yu, at the suggestion of Zhuge Zhan and Huang Hao, who was close friends with Huang.