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Zhi Wuzi 知武子 Xun Ying 荀罃

Nov 1, 2012 © Ulrich Theobald

Zhi Ying 知罃 (also written 智罃, died 560 BCE), also called Xun Ying 荀罃 or Ying Zhi 罃知, courtesy name Ziyu 子羽, posthumous title Zhi Wuzi 知武子 (or 智武子), was a nobleman in the state of Jin 晉 during the Spring and Autumn period 春秋 (770-5th cent. BCE). He was a nephew of Xun Linfu 荀林父 and a son of Xun Shou 荀首, who was made grand master (dafu 大夫) of the land of Zhi 知. Zhi Ying was the founder of the house of Zhi 知. This territorial designation was later used as a kinsname (shi 氏).

In 597, Zhi Ying was captured by the army of Chu 楚 during the battle of Bi 邲, yet Duke Jing 晉景公 (r. 600-581) bought him free for a ransom.

When Duke Li 晉厲公 (r. 581-573) was killed, Zhi Ying managed to enthrone of Prince Zhou 周 who had lived in exile in the royal capital Chengzhou 成周 (Luoyi 雒邑, modern Luoyang 洛陽, Henan). Prince Zhou is known as Duke Dao 晉悼公 (r. 573-558). Zhi Ying served Duke Dao as a high minister and reformed its army so that Jin could gain some strength again.

In 571, he participated in the conference of the regional rulers (zhuhou 諸侯) of Song 宋, Lu 魯, Wei 衛, Cao 曹 and Zhu 邾 in Qi 戚 (near modern Pucheng 濮陽, Henan) in order to engage the state of Zheng 鄭. He also experienced the exilation of the powerful counsellor of Lu, Yang Hu 陽虎, who fled to Jin.

In 570, he attacked the state of Xu 許 because it had sided with Chu 楚, a competitor with Jin for the hegemony (ba 霸) over the regional rulers. Four years later he succeeded Han Jue 韓厥 (Han Xianzi 韓獻子) in the office of counsellor-in-chief.

Sources:
Xiong Tieji 熊鐵基, Yang Youli 楊有禮, ed. (1994). Zhongguo diwang zaixiang cidian 中國帝王宰相辭典 (Wuhan: Hubei jiaoyu chubanshe), 402.
Zhang Huizhi 張撝之, Shen Qiwei 沈起煒, Liu Dezhong 劉德重, ed. (1999). Zhongguo lidai renming da cidian 中國歷代人名大辭典 (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe), Vol. 2, 1495.