Du Wei ( 190s – 220s), courtesy name Guofu, was a scholar who rejected service, including via faking of poor health, before eventually becoming an official of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China.
Life Du Wei was from Fu County (涪縣), Zitong Commandery (梓潼郡), which is in present-day Mianyang, Sichuan. He was born sometime in the mid- or late Eastern Han dynasty. In his younger days, he studied under the tutelage of Ren An (任安; 124–202), a famous scholar and polymath and like his master would be a scholar recluse.(杜微字國輔，梓潼涪人也。少受學於廣漢任安。) Sanguozhi vol. 42. Liu Zhang, the Governor of Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing), heard about Du Wei and offered him the position of an Assistant Officer (從事) in the provincial government. However, Du Wei claimed that he was ill and declined the offer.(劉璋辟為從事，以疾去官。) Sanguozhi vol. 42. In 214,Zizhi Tongjian vol. 67. after the warlord Liu Bei seized control of Yi Province from Liu Zhang, he wanted to recruit Du Wei to serve in his administration. Du Wei claimed that he could not serve because he was deaf, and stayed at home.(及先主定蜀，微常稱聾，閉門不出。) Sanguozhi vol. 42.
In 224, Zhuge Liang, the Imperial Chancellor of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period, was actively searching for talented and virtuous people to serve in the Shu government. Among the candidates he selected, he appointed Qin Mi as an Assistant Officer (別駕), Wu Liang (五梁) as an Officer of Merit (功曹), and Du Wei as a Registrar (主簿).(建興二年，丞相亮領益州牧，選迎皆妙簡舊德，以秦宓為別駕，五梁為功曹，微為主簿。) Sanguozhi vol. 42.
When Du Wei declined again, Zhuge Liang sent a carriage to his residence to fetch him to the office. Upon Du Wei's arrival, Zhuge Liang came out to welcome him in person. Du Wei thanked Zhuge Liang for the offer but did not accept. As Zhuge Liang heard that Du Wei was deaf, he wrote a note beforehand and passed it to Du Wei when he showed up.(微固辭，轝而致之。旣至，亮引見微，微自陳謝。高以微不聞人語，於坐上與書曰： ...) Sanguozhi vol. 42. The note read:
After reading the note, Du Wei tried to turn down the offer once more, claiming that he was old and feeble and therefore unfit to serve. Zhuge Liang, given his strong admiration for Du Wei,(其敬微如此。) Sanguozhi vol. 42. refused to give up, so he produced another note and showed Du Wei.(微自乞老病求歸，亮又與書荅曰： ...) Sanguozhi vol. 42. It read:
When Du Wei finally relented and agreed to serve in the Shu government, Zhuge Liang appointed him as a Counsellor Remonstrant (諫議大夫) (拜為諫議大夫，以從其志。) Sanguozhi vol. 42. but Du Wei would retire on grounds of health and age.
Chen Shou used Zhuge Liang's recruitment efforts as an example of the regard in which Du Wei was held其敬微如此。
Sanguozhi vol.42. and noted Du Wei as a man who cultivated his virtue in reclusion, like the ideals of old.杜微脩身隱靜，不役當世，庶幾夷、皓之概
Sanguozhi vol.42. J. Michael Farmer notes Chen Shou placing Du Wei as part of a continuation of local intellectual tradition that Chen Shou himself was part of.
See also Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms
Notes
References
Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.