Xun Yu (163–212),

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 Theo ...

Wenruo, was a Chinese military official and politician who served as an adviser to 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 of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the dynasty's final years. As one o ...

during the late

Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...

of China.

Early life

Xun Yu was from Yingchuan Commandery (around present-day

Xuchang Xuchang (; postal: Hsuchang) is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pi ...

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is a ...

), and was born in a family of government officials. He was described in historical records as a tall and handsome gentleman. His grandfather, Xun Shu, served as a local governor and had eight sons who were nicknamed the "Eight Dragons of the Xun Family"; an uncle of Xun Yu, Xun Shuang, served as one of the Three Ducal Ministers, while Xun Yu's father Xun Fan was the chancellor of the principality of Jibei. Xun Yu proved to be a talented youth, and was evaluated by the scholar He Yong as "someone capable of assisting kings" (). In 189, he was nominated as a '' xiaolian'' (civil service candidate) and began his career in the civil service. When the warlord Dong Zhuo seized control of the capital

Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyan ...

, Xun Yu feared for his safety and resigned, returning to

Ji Province Ji Province, also known by its Chinese name Jizhou, was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China. It is referenced in Chinese historical texts such as the '' Tribute of Yu'', ''Erya'' and '' Rites of Zhou''. Rites of Zhou,Offices of Summer (� ...

(present day

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, and ...

). In the subsequent years, warlords quickly rose in each region; Xun Yu first served

Yuan Shao Yuan Shao (, ; died 28 June 202), courtesy name Benchu (), was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil wars that occurred t ...

, whose power base was in

, but later left him and went to serve

in 191. Cao Cao recognised Xun Yu's talent and he exclaimed, "Here comes my Zifang!"Zifang" was the

Zhang Liang Zhang Liang is the romanization of common names like 張良, 張亮 and 張梁. 張良 * Zhang Liang (Western Han) (died 189 BC), early Han dynasty strategist ** Zhang Liang, an animation character from the animated TV series ''The Legend of Qin'' ...

, a prominent advisor to Emperor Gao. Zhang Liang contributed greatly to the founding of the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...

." when Xun Yu arrived, and he appointed Xun as an army commandant.

Service under Cao Cao

Xun Yu's contributions to Cao Cao's forces and administration are immense. On one hand he recommended many other men of calibre to Cao Cao, including

Xun You Xun You (157–214), courtesy name Gongda, was a statesman who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China and served as an adviser to the warlord Cao Cao. Born in the influential Xun family of Yingchuan Commandery (around present- ...

(his second cousin-nephew),

Chen Qun Chen Qun (died 7 February 237), courtesy name Changwen, was a Chinese politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He initiated the Nine-rank system for civil service nomination in Wei. Following the death of th ...

Zhong Yao Zhong Yao (151 – April or May 230), also referred to as Zhong You, courtesy name Yuanchang, was a Chinese calligrapher and politician who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of China. He served in the state of ...

, Guo Jia and

Sima Yi Sima Yi ( ; 179 CE – 7 September 251 CE), courtesy name Zhongda, was a Chinese military general, politician, and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He formally began his political career in 208 un ...

, creating a body of advisors around Cao; at the same time he participated in several battles and major events of the era, often giving timely advice to his lord. Cao Cao, in turn, respected Xun Yu greatly and placed great store in his advice. In 194, as Cao Cao led a campaign against Tao Qian in

Xu Province Xuzhou as a historical toponym refers to varied area in different eras. Ordinarily, it was a reference to the one of the Nine Provinces (China), Nine Provinces which modern Xuzhou inherited. History Pre-Qin era Xuzhou or Xu Province was one ...

, his home base at

Yan Province Yan Province or Yanzhou was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China. During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), it covered roughly present-day southwestern Shandong, eastern Henan, and the northwestern corner of Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ...

was suddenly attacked by

Lü Bu Lü Bu () (died 7 February 199), courtesy name Fengxian, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of Imperial China. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betr ...

, and two of Cao's officials,

Chen Gong Chen Gong () (died 7 February 199), courtesy name Gongtai, was an adviser to the warlord Lü Bu in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. However, he had started his career under another warlord, Cao Cao, before defecting to Lü Bu. He was exec ...

and Zhang Miao, chose to defect to Lü Bu. At that time Xun Yu was in charge of the defences of Juancheng (), and his firm actions saved the city from capture, allowing Cao Cao's armies to return and drive away Lü Bu. Subsequently, on the death of Tao Qian, Cao Cao was tempted to turn around and move on Xu Province before returning to deal with Lü Bu; it was Xun Yu who dissuaded him from this, reminding him that Yan Province was his heartland and power base and should be secured first before launching campaigns abroad. It was also at Xun Yu's suggestion that Cao Cao chose to escort Emperor Xian, who was then living in the ruins of

, to his own base at Xu (present-day

, Henan) in 196, taking on the role of protecting the emperor. Xun Yu's plan was to "control the insubordinate in the name of the emperor" (); the 14th-century historical novel ''

Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD ...

'' subtly distorts this to "hold the emperor hostage to control the nobles" (). In the long run, this strategy would give Cao Cao a considerable political advantage over his rivals, allowing him to legitimise his actions by taking them in the name of the emperor. In 200, Cao Cao was locked in a stalemate against

at the

Battle of Guandu The Battle of Guandu was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Yuan Shao in 200 AD in the late Eastern Han dynasty. Cao Cao's decisive victory against Yuan Shao's numerically superior forces marked the turning point in their war. The victo ...

for months, eventually exhausting his food supply; while contemplating retreat he sent a letter to Xun Yu (who was then defending Xu) for advice. Xun Yu dissuaded Cao Cao with a letter, highlighting several advantages that his army held over Yuan Shao's forces and urging him to stand fast; the eventual result was a decisive victory for Cao Cao, which was crucial to his domination of northern China.

Death

In 211, Dong Zhao and a group of Cao Cao loyalists submitted a memorial to Emperor Xian proposing that Cao should be granted the title of a duke. This proposal was significant as it would allow Cao Cao to set up a self-contained feudal state within the Han dynasty. Up to this point, Cao Cao's political legitimacy was only underpinned by his position as the

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

. Xun Yu, whose ideals were for Cao Cao to continue being the protector of the Han dynasty, opposed Dong Zhao's proposal. Knowing that Dong Zhao was probably a conduit for Cao Cao, when approached by the former for his support, Xun Yu told Dong that Cao's personal mission was one of restoring the Han dynasty and would not approve of such a move – thus possibly hinting to Cao that he should abandon the idea. Xun Yu's remarks greatly displeased Cao Cao. Following this, Xun Yu was sent to Qiao to reward the soldiers who took part in a military campaign against

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 ...

. While there, Xun Yu was said to have fallen sick and brought to Shouchun (寿春; present-day

Shou County Shou County or Shouxian () is a county in the north-central part of Anhui Province, China, and is located on the southern (right) bank of the Huai River. It is the southernmost county-level division of the prefecture-level city of Huainan. Its ...

Anhui Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze Riv ...

) for treatment and recuperation. He died in the following year in 212. The circumstances of his death aroused great suspicion and is a matter of debate as it came closely after his opposition towards Cao Cao's ascension to duke.

Family

*Grandfather: Xun Shu (), served as Prefect of Langling *Father: Xun Gun (), served as Chancellor of Jinan *Uncles: **Xun Jian () **Xun Jing () **Xun Dao () **Xun Wang () ** Xun Shuang (), served as Chancellor of Pingyuan, Minister of the Household, and Excellency of Works **Xun Su () **Xun Fu () *Siblings: **Xun Yan (), third brother **

Xun Chen Xun Chen, courtesy name Youruo, was an official who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Born in the influential Xun family of Yingchuan Commandery (around present-day Xuchang, Henan), he was the fourth brother of Xun Yu and a ...

, fourth brother, served

, persuaded Han Fu to surrender, fate unknown after the

*Spouse: Lady Tang (), daughter of Tang Heng () *Sons: **Xun Yun (), served as Rapid as Tigers General of the Household, married Cao Cao's daughter Princess Anyang, died at a young age **Xun Yu (), served as Palace Assistant Imperial Clerk **Xun Shen (), served as General-in-Chief's Assistant Officer, died at a young age ** Xun Yi (), rose to the position of Grand Commandant during the Jin dynasty, posthumously honoured as Duke Kang of Linhuai **

Xun Can Xun Can ( 209–237), courtesy name Fengqian, was a Chinese ''xuanxue'' philosopher of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was a son of Xun Yu. Family background Xun Can's ancestral home was in Yingchuan Commandery ( ...

(), a scholar and ''

xuanxue Xuanxue (), sometimes called Neo-Daoism (Neo-Taoism), is a metaphysical post-classical Chinese philosophy from the Six Dynasties (222-589), bringing together Taoist and Confucian beliefs through revision and discussion. The movement found its scri ...

'' philosopher, married Cao Hong's daughter *Son-in-law:

, served the state of Wei, initiator of the

nine-rank system The nine-rank system, also known as the nine-grade controller system, was used to categorize and classify government officials in Imperial China. Created in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms, it was used until the Song dynasty, and ...

*Second cousin-nephew:

, one of Cao Cao's advisors *Grandsons: **Xun Han (), oldest son of Xun Yun, granted title of Marquis of Guangyangxiang, died at the age of 30 **Xun Yi (), second son of Xun Yun, married Sima Yi's daughter Princess Nanyang (), served as a general, posthumously granted title of Marquis of Zhen **Xun Yu (), son of Xun Yu (), served as Imperial Secretary during the Jin Dynasty ** Chen Tai (), son of Chen Qun, participated in counterattackst Jiang Wei's campaigns *Great-grandsons: **Xun Jun (), son of Xun Han, served as Right Inspector of the Feathered Forest Imperial Guard, died at a young age **Xun Dan (), oldest son of Xun Yi (), served as Minister Steward **Xun Kai (), second son of Xun Yi (), served as General Who Conquers the West during the Jin Dynasty **Xun Kui (), third son of Xun Yi (), served as Protector General of the Army, posthumously appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry **Xun Yu (), son of Xun Yu (), served as Imperial Secretary *Descendants: **Xun Song (), son of Xun Jun, served as a Household Counsellor *** Xun Guan (), daughter of Xun Song *** Xun Xian (), son of Xun Song, served as North General of the Household, and Governor of Xu and Yan provinces ****Xun Bozi (), grandson of Xun Xian, served as a Palace Assistant Imperial Clerk during the

Liu Song dynasty Song, known as Liu Song (), Former Song (前宋) or Song of (the) Southern Dynasty (南朝宋) in historiography, was an imperial dynasty of China and the first of the four Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties ...

, author of the ''Xun Family Records'' ()

In popular culture

Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its ''Dynasty Warriors'' games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based on p ...

's video game '' Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires'', fans voted in the

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dust ...

and

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

poll for one of the new officers to have the name Xun Yu. Xun Yu became a playable character in

's '' Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires''. In Koei's '' Kessen II'', Xun Yu plays a prominent role, although the character is portrayed as a woman who harbours a requited love for

. In the

visual novel A , often abbreviated as VN, is a form of digital semi-interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with and used in the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with sta ...

and

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

series ''

Koihime Musō is a series of Japanese adult visual novels and strategy video games primarily developed and published by BaseSon for the Windows and is based on the classic 14th century Chinese novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' by Luo Guanzhong. ...

'', Jun'iku (Xun Yu's Japanese name) also serves as a strategist to Sōsō (Cao Cao) and has a huge crush on her.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Chen, Shou (3rd century). ''

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� ...

'' (''Sanguozhi''), Volume 10. * Pei, Songzhi (5th century). ''

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 ...

'' (''Sanguozhi zhu''). {{DEFAULTSORT:Xun, Yu 163 births 212 deaths 2nd-century Chinese people 3rd-century Chinese people Han dynasty politicians from Henan Officials under Cao Cao Officials under Yuan Shao Politicians from Xuchang