Qi Xi 祁奚 (www.chinaknowledge.de)

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Zhou Dynasty

Oct 25, 2012 © Ulrich Theobald

Qi Xi 祁奚, also written 祁傒 or 祈傒, personal name Ji Xi 姬奚, courtesy name Huangyang 黃羊, was a high minister in the state of Jin 晉 during the Spring and Autumn period 春秋 (770-5th cent. BCE) and a member of the house of Qi 祁.

Qi Xi served Duke Dao 晉悼公 (r. 573-558) as commander in the Central Army (zhongjun wei 中軍尉). When he was old and decided to retire he recommended to the Duke his own adversary Jie Hu 解狐 as successor. Asked by the Duke, why he recommended his own enemy, Qi Xi replied that Jie Hu was a competent person, which was a much more important matter than personal feelings. Yet shortly after Jie Hu died, and Qi Xi thereupon recommended his own son Wu 午 as his successor. This decision was likewise motivated by competence and not by personal ties.

Sources:

Yi Xingguo 衣興國, ed. (1988). Shiyong Zhongguo mingren cidian 實用中國名人辭典 (Changchun: Jilin wenshi chubanshe), 46.

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. 1, 735.

Zhang Ke 張克, Huang Kangbo 黃康白, Huang Fangdong 黃方東, ed. (1991). Shiji renming cidian 史記人物辭典 (Nanning: Guangxi renmin chubanshe), 105.