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Xu Yi 徐奕

Dec 30, 2015 © Ulrich Theobald

Xu Yi 徐奕, courtesy name Jicai 季才, was a high official of the warlord Cao Cao 曹操 during the late Eastern Han period 東漢 (25-220 CE).

He hailed from Dongguan 東莞 (modern Yishui 沂水, Shandong), and fled to southeast China during the Yellow Turban rebellion 黃巾起義. The local potentate, Sun Ce 孫策, offered him a post, but Xu refused. When he returned, he became a follower of the warlord Cao Cao 曹操 and took part in the campaigns of Cao's general Ma Chao 馬超.

Cao Cao appointed him aide to the Counsellor-in-chief (chengxiang zhangshi 丞相長史), a position in which he was responsible for the defense of the Western Capital Chang'an 長安 (Xi'an 西安, Shaanxi), when Cao Cao undertook a campaign against Sun Quan 孫權.

Later on Xu was made regional inspector (cishi 刺史) of the province of Yongzhou 雍州, but then demoted to governor (taishou 太守) of the commandery of Weijun 魏郡, then returned to the capital as Director of the Imperial Secretariat (shangshu ling 尚書令) and was finally made commandant of the palace (zhongwei 中尉), with the honorific title of Grand Master of Remonstrance (jianyi dafu 諫議大夫).

Xu Yi was famous for his loyalty and sincerity. He withdrew from office when he fell ill, and died soon.

Sources:
Huang Huixian 黄惠賢, ed. (1997). Ershiwushi renming da cidian 二十五史人名大辭典 (Zhengzhou: Zhongzhou guji chubanshe), Vol. 1, 113.
Xiong Tieji 熊鐵基, Yang Youli 楊有禮, eds. (1994). Zhongguo diwang zaixiang cidian 中國帝王宰相辭典 (Wuhan: Hubei jiaoyu chubanshe), 534.
Zhang Huizhi 張撝之, Shen Qiwei 沈起煒, Liu Dezhong 劉德重, eds. (1999). Zhongguo lidai renming da cidian 中國家歷代人名大辭典 (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe), Vol. 2, 1933.
Zhang Shunhui 張舜徽, ed. (.1992), Sanguozhi cidian 三國志辭典 (Jinan: Shandong jiaoyu chubanshe), 361.