Mufu (Chinese: 幕府), a secretariat, was a system for hiring able advisers and military staff, the muliao (幕僚), by and for the imperial Chinese provincial officials.

It dates back to 229 BC, and was used at various times chiefly for organizing a command structure for military officers during campaigns and to serve as a strategic council or think-tank. Notable examples include Li Guang and Wei Qing's mufu during the Han dynasty's campaign against Xiongnu, and Cao Cao's tent government, which included advisers like Guo Jia and Xun You and generals like Xu Huang and Cao Ren during his military campaigns. Luo Guanzhong, the writer of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms was also speculated to have worked as part of Zhang Shicheng's staff.

The system was also adopted in Japan by the shōgun. The Chinese characters (kanji) for mufu (幕府) are pronounced in Japanese as bakufu.

The first Chinese character mu (幕) denotes curtain, and tent, and the second character fu (府) denotes home or government, hence mufu means "tent government". The liao (僚) in muliao denotes bureaucrat, official.

Mufu were generally staffed by private hires, and headed by the official who was responsible for their salaries, bypassing the selection process for personnel from the central government. The salaries would still sometimes be provided by the central government, but can also be depended on the provincial official. Often the official did not have to report to the central government, unless directly called upon or he wanted to promote one of the members in his mufu to a regular position within the government bureaucracy.

While the mufu is beholden to the authority of the central imperial government, it has also led to separatism of the local military governors, later turned warlords, at various points in history when the central government loses its hold on power. Examples include the various power-struggles and coups in the Northern and Southern dynasties and with Tang dynasty's jiedushi. It was also extensively used in the Qing dynasty.

Many shidafu-literati who sought to join often saw the mufu as an alternative way to achieving fame and a successful political career, when other systems like the imperial examination doesn't allow for it. Potentially an able adjutant could leave a name in history as an meritorious and talented official, particularly in times of war and disorder. Li Bai famously served briefly as staff adviser to Prince Yon under his tent for these purposes.

As early as the Warring States Period, it referred to the temporary residence of a general commanding in the field. Examples include Li Mu, who was given power to appoint officials and gather local taxes to prepare the soldiers during the Zhao-state's war against the Xiongnu.