Yue Jin 樂進

Yue Jin 樂進 (d. 218), courtesy name Wenqian 文謙, was a general of the warlord Cao Cao 曹操 in the last decades of the Eastern Han period 東漢 (25-220 CE).

He hailed from Chengping 陽平 (today's Daming 大名, Hebei) and was first a small official in the headquarters of Cao. When Cao Cao was defeated in the battle of Xingyang 滎陽, Yue Jin asked to be allowed to return home to organize a local army, Cao appointed him vice commander of cavalry and commander subduing the phalanx (xianzhen duwei 陷陣都尉). Yue returned to the side of the warlord in the campaign against Zhang Xiu 張繡 and launched successful attacks on Lü Bu 呂布 and Liu Bei 劉備. He was able to reduce the territorial power of the tyrant Yuan Shao 袁紹 substantially and was rewarded with the title of General Breaking Through (zhechong jiangjun 折沖將軍).

When Cao Cao thus controlled the largest part of northern China, Yue Jin was entrusted with securing the southeastern area that was controlled by Sun Quan 孫權. Using Cao Cao’s absence during a campaing in the region of Hanzhong 漢中 (today in northwestern Hubei), Sun attacked Hefei 合肥 with a large army. Only heroic resistance and decisive counter-attacks threw back the army of Sun. Yue was rewarded with the title of General to the Right (you jiangjun 右將軍) and was given the title of Neighbourhood Marquis of Guangchang 廣昌亭侯. His posthumous title is Marquis Wei 廣昌威侯.