courtesy name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...
Jicai, was a strict official, trusted by the warlord
Cao Cao
Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate Grand chancellor (China), grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the End of ...
Eastern Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
Yishui
Yishui County () is a county of south-central Shandong province, People's Republic of China, located in the foothills region of the province. It is the northernmost county-level division of the prefecture-level city of Linyi
Linyi () is a ...
in
Shandong
Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region.
Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilizati ...
. In the 190's as the land plunged into civil war, Xu Yi fled across the Jiang river but when the young local warlord
Sun Ce
Sun Ce () () (175–200), courtesy name Bofu, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was the eldest child of Sun Jian, who was killed during the Battle of Xiangyang w ...
sought to recruit him, Xu Yi changed his name and fled back home in disguise. He later joined the staff of Cao Cao, the Minister of Works, (putting it sometime between 196 and 208) and controller of the Han Emperor. Later he accompanied the now Chancellor Cao Cao in the 211 campaign against
Ma Chao
Ma Chao () (176–222), courtesy name Mengqi, was a Chinese military general and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. A descendant of the general Ma Yuan, Ma Chao was the eldest son of Ma ...
and the Liang warlords who had risen up for fear Cao Cao was intending to attack. After Cao Cao's victory, there were concerns that the Land Within the Passes (the territory around the Western Han dynasty capital
Chang'an
Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi ...
) was unsettled and not yet secure. So Xu Yi was made Chief Clerk and placed in Chang'an to help secure the area. Earning praise there, Xu Yi was promoted to Inspector of Yong. When Cao Cao became Duke of Wei in 213, Xu Yi was recalled to Cao Cao's capital and joined his Secretariat as a Master of Writing.
Over time, Xu Yi became an enemy of the powerful official Ding Yi and despite advice to show him respect, Xi Ui refused to defer to Ding Yi. Xu Yi made no response to Ding Yi's accusations, as he was confident Cao Cao would see through Ding Yi's attempts against him and trusted in his own abilities to protect himself. Influential Attendant
Huan Jie
Huan Jie ( 190s–220s), courtesy name Boxu, was a Chinese official who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and served under the warlord Cao Cao. After the fall of the Eastern Han dynasty, he briefly served in the state of Cao Wei during ...
acted to protect Xu Yi and in 216 Cao Cao moved Xu Yi away from his court position as Junior Clerk in the Department of the East. Leading Cao Wei and Jin commentator
Fu Xuan
Fu Xuan (217–278), courtesy name Xiuyi, was a Chinese historian, poet, and politician who lived in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period and later under the Jin dynasty. He was one of the most prolific authors of ''fu'' poet ...
to remark that Cao Cao showed limits to his wisdom as, due to Ding Yi's influence, he had turned against two good officials: demoting Xu Yi and forcing the death of senior official
Cui Yan
Cui Yan (165–216), courtesy name Jigui, was a Chinese politician serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. In his early life, he served briefly in the local district office before leaving home to study und ...
. However, though Xu Yi was moved out of Ye itself, his new appointment to the post of Administrator of
Wei Commandery
Wei Commandery ( zh, 魏郡) was a historical commandery of China, located in modern southern Hebei and northern Henan.
The commandery was created during Emperor Gaozu of Han's reign, with its seat at Ye. In late Western Han, it administered 18 ...
, given it covered Cao Cao's capital of Ye and his ducal seat, was still a position of some trust and import.
The next year when Cao Cao went to attack
Sun Quan
Sun Quan (, Chinese: 孫權) (183 – 21 May 252), courtesy name Zhongmou (), posthumously known as Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of the Eastern Wu dynasty, one of the Three Kingdoms of China. He inherited control of the warlord regime es ...
at Ruxu he made Xu Yi Chief Clerk and had him look after his capital at Ye while Cao Cao was away on campaign. Cao Cao praised Xu Yi's loyalty and integrity, knowing he could trust his affairs to Xu Yi's hands but urged him to be less strict, Xu Yi would later rise to head the Secretariat.
In 219 Xu Yi went west with Cao Cao as part of an army to reinforce the defenders at
Hanzhong
Hanzhong (; abbreviation: Han) is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Shaanxi province, China, bordering the provinces of Sichuan to the south and Gansu to the west.
The founder of the Han dynasty, Liu Bang, was once enfeoffed as the ...
against the future
Shu Han
Han (; 221–263), known in historiography as Shu Han ( ) or Ji Han ( "Junior Han"), or often shortened to Shu (; pinyin: ''shŭ'' <
Liu Bei
Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period and became its first ruler. Although he was a distant relative of the H ...
's attack. But news reached Cao Cao of the well-connected
Wei Feng
Wei Feng (died September or October 219), courtesy name Zijing, was a government official who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.
Life
The ''Shiyu'' (世語) claimed that Wei Feng was from Pei Commandery (沛郡; around present-day ...
's failed plot back in Ye. Yang Jun as Commandant of the Capital began an investigation, drawing up a list of punishments and impeached himself,
Cao Pi
Cao Pi () ( – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the eldest son ...
displeased with Yang Jun for taking matters into his own hands had Yang Jun moved to Pingyuan meaning a replacement was required back in Ye. Cao Cao sighed that he had nobody in Ye who could have discovered Wei Feng's plan (the plot leaked due to Chen Yi, a senior member of the plot, getting nervous and informing Cao Pi). Huan Jie recommended Xu Yi and Cao Cao hand wrote an order for Xu Yi to go to Ye to be the new Commandant. However, after several months, Xu Yi became badly ill and resigned. He was appointed to the court in a consultant role but died soon after.
When Cao Pi became King after the death of his father, he rewarded families of dead officers like Xu Yi in memory of their loyal service and since Xu Yi had no son, he gave position to Xu Tong, son of a cousin, and had Xu Tong continue Xu Yi's line. Cao Pi as Emperor of the new
is said to have regularly sighed during meetings with his ministers and reflected approvingly on Xu Yi's conduct.文帝每與朝臣會同，未嘗不嗟歎，思奕之為人。奕無子，詔以其族子統為郎，以奉奕後。''Wei shu'' annotation in ''Sanguozhi'' vol.12.
Records of the Three Kingdoms
The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220– ...
Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms
Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms () by Pei Songzhi (372-451) is an annotation completed in the 5th century of the 3rd century historical text ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'', compiled by Chen Shou. After leaving his native land, Pei ...