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Persons in Chinese History - Xun Yu 荀彧 | ||||
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Xun Yu 荀彧 (163-212), courtesy name Xun Wenruo 荀文若, was an advisor to the Later Han period 後漢 (25-220) politician Cao Cao 曹操. Xun Yu hailed from Yingchuan 穎川 (modern Xuchang 許昌, Henan) and came from an eminent family of state officials. His grand-uncle Xun Shuang 荀爽 had been appointed to one offices of the Three Dukes 三公. Xun Yu was first a follower of the warlord Yuan Shao 袁紹 and later turned his loyalty to Cao Cao. He was famous for his wit and excellent advices and was therefore appointed a district magistrate (xianling 縣令). During Cao Cao's campaign against Tao Qian 陶謙, Xun Yu was installed as temporary governor of the province of Yanzhou 兗州. When Zhang Miao 張邈 rebelled against Cao Cao's growing power, Xun Yu was entrusted with, together with Cheng Yu 程昱, to suppress Zhang's uprising. Xun Yu was a great supporter of Cao Cao's plans to shift the capital from Chang'an 長安 (modern Xi'an 西安； Chang'an that had become capital again after Dong Zhuo's 董卓 devastation of Luoyang 洛陽) to Cao Cao's stronghold in Xuxian 許縣. In this new place, Xun Yu was palace attendant (shizhong 侍中) with the actual function of Director of the Imperial Secretariat (shangshuling 尚書令). He became Cao Cao's most entrusted political and military advisor. Xun Yu suggested hiring Guo Jia 郭嘉 and other competent persons and promoted the campaigns against Lü Bu 呂布 and the rebels Han Sui 韓遂 and Ma Teng 馬騰. During the campaign against Yuan Shao in 200 CE, Cao Cao wanted to redraw his troops on the battlefield of Guandu 官渡 because of lacking supplies, yet Xun Yu claimed not to do so. Cao Cao followed Xun Yu's advice and acheived a major victory that wom him the dominance over the whole of northern China. Three years later, Cao Cao rewarded Xun Yu by enfeoffing him as Marquis of Wansuiting 萬歲亭侯. The rift between Cao Cao and Xun Yu opened when the latter brought forward objections against Cao Cao's self-enfeoffment as Duke of Wei 魏公. The mighty politician thereupon forced his loyal subject to commit suicide by taking poison. Source: Zhu Zongbin 祝縂斌 (1992). "Xun Yu 荀彧", in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史, vol. 3, pp. 1346-1347. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe. |
Important Chinese of the... age of mythology and early history (-11th cent. BCE) Zhou period (11th cent.-221 BCE) and the state of Qin (3rd cent.-206 BCE) Han period (206 BCE-220 CE) age of division (220-581) Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties periods (581-960) Song, Liao and Jin dynasties (960-1279) Yuan period (1279-1368) Ming period (1368-1644) Qing period (1644-1911) Republican period (1911-1949) People's Republic and Taiwan (since 1949) |
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June 25, 2011 © Ulrich Theobald · Mail |