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Yu Si
Yu Si
虞汜
Inspector of Jiao Province (交州刺史)
	In office; 270–c.271
Monarch	Sun Hao
Succeeded by	Tao Huang
Champion General (冠軍將軍)
	In office; ?–?
Monarch	Sun Hao
Personal details
Born	218; Guangzhou, Guangdong
Died	Unknown, probably in or after May 271
Parent	Yu Fan (father);
Occupation	Military general, politician
Courtesy name	Shihong (世洪)
Peerage	Marquis of Yuyao (餘姚侯)

Yu Si (218 - c.May 271^[2]), courtesy name Shihong, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China.^[1]

Life

Yu Si was the fourth son of Yu Fan,^[3] an official who served under Sun Quan, the founding emperor of Eastern Wu, and under Sun Quan's predecessor, Sun Ce. His ancestral home was in Yuyao County (餘姚縣), Kuaiji Commandery,^[4] which is in present-day Yuyao, Zhejiang. However, he was born in Nanhai Commandery (南海郡; around present-day Guangzhou, Guangdong) in Jiao Province because his father was exiled there by Sun Quan for showing disrespect on several occasions.^[5] Yu Si was 15 years old when his father died. After Yu Fan's death, Sun Quan freed his family from exile and allowed them to return to Yuyao County and bring Yu's remains back there for burial.^[6]

In 258,^[7] the Wu regent Sun Chen deposed the emperor Sun Liang and replaced him with Sun Xiu, the Prince of Langya (琅邪王). Before Sun Xiu arrived at the palace for the coronation, Sun Chen wanted to enter the palace first and behaved in a manner as if he was going to usurp the throne. He then summoned the court officials for a meeting. All of them looked fearful except for Yu Si, who appeared calm and composed. Yu Si told Sun Chen: "My lord, you hold an important position in the state just like Yi Yin and the Duke of Zhou in the past. You also wield the authority to depose and enthrone emperors. You will be bringing peace to the spirits of the past rulers and bringing benefits to the people. Everyone is very excited about this. It is as if Yi Yin and Huo Guang have returned from the dead. However, now, you wish to enter the palace before the Prince's arrival. This will cause instability and make everyone feel suspicious of you. This isn't the way for you to establish a good reputation as a loyal and filial subject." Sun Chen felt unhappy after hearing Yu Si's words, but he nonetheless honoured Sun Xiu as the new emperor.^[8]

After Sun Xiu ascended the throne, he appointed Yu Si, He Shao, Wang Fan and Xue Ying as Central Regular Mounted Attendants (散騎中常侍)).^[9] Later, during Sun Hao's reign, in December 269 or January 270,^[10] Yu Si was appointed as an Ambassador-Inspector of the Army (監軍使者) and was ordered to lead Wu forces to attack the Fuyan barbarians (扶嚴夷). For his success in the campaign, he was promoted to Champion General (冠軍將軍), appointed as the Inspector (刺史) of Jiao Province, and enfeoffed as the Marquis of Yuyao (餘姚侯). He died of illness in an unknown year,^[11]^[12] but it is likely that he died soon after his appointment as Inspector of Jiao Province.

Family

Yu Si had 10 brothers.^[13] Among them, the notable ones were his fifth brother Yu Zhong, sixth brother Yu Song, and eighth brother Yu Bing.

Notes

^ The Kuaiji Dianlu recorded that Yu Si was 16 years old (by East Asian age reckoning) when his father Yu Fan died in 233. By calculation, Yu Si's year of birth should be 218.

References

^ ^a ^b de Crespigny (2007), p. 994.
^ While the Kuaiji Dianlu recorded that Yu Si was made Inspector of Jiao Province after the campaign against the Fuyan barbarians, Tao Huang's biography in Book of Jin recorded that Tao was made Inspector of Jiao Province after the Jiaozhi campaign. (珝、璜遂陷交阯。吴因用璜为交州刺史。) Jin Shu, vol.57. If both records are correct, then Yu Si must have died shortly after his appointment, and Tao Huang succeeded him as Inspector of Jiao Province. In addition, Emperor Wu's biography in Book of Jin indicated that Yu Si was still alive during the 4th month of the 7th year of the Tai'shi era as he was recorded to have engaged Dong Yuan (then the Administrator of Jiuzhen) in battle during that month; the month corresponds to 27 Apr to 26 May 271 in the Julian calendar. ([泰始七年]夏四月，九真太守董元为吴将虞氾所攻，军败，死之.) Jin Shu, vol.03
^ (翻有十一子，第四子汜最知名， ...) Sanguozhi vol. 57.
^ (虞翻字仲翔，會稽餘姚人也， ...) Sanguozhi vol. 57.
^ (權積怒非一，遂徙翻交州。) Sanguozhi vol. 57.
^ (會稽典錄曰：汜字世洪，生南海，年十六，父卒，還鄉里。) Kuaiji Dianlu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 57.
^ Sima (1084), vol. 77.
^ (孫綝廢幼主，迎立琅邪王休。休未至，綝欲入宮，圖為不軌，召百官會議，皆惶怖失色，徒唯唯而已。汜對曰：「明公為國伊周，處將相之位，擅廢立之威，將上安宗廟，下惠百姓，大小踴躍，自以伊霍復見。今迎王未至，而欲入宮，如是，羣下搖蕩，衆聽疑惑，非所以永終忠孝，揚名後世也。」綝不懌，竟立休。) Kuaiji Dianlu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 57.
^ (孙休即位，与贺邵、薛莹、虞汜俱为散骑中常侍...) Sanguozhi vol. 65. This account was found in Wang Fan's biography and thus his name was not mentioned.
^ According to Sun Hao's biography in Sanguozhi, Yu Si and his fellow commanders Xue Xu and Tao Huang set off from Jing province for the Jiaozhi campaign in the 11th month of the 1st year of the Jianheng era. This corresponds to 11 Dec 269 to 8 Jan 270 in the Julian calendar. [(建衡元年)十一月...。遣监军虞汜、威南将军薛珝、苍梧太守陶璜由荆州，监军李勖、督军徐存从建安海道，皆就合浦击交阯.] Sanguozhi, vol.48
^ (... 永安初，從選曹郎為散騎中常侍，後為監軍使者，討扶嚴，病卒。) Sanguozhi vol. 57.
^ (休初即位，汜與賀邵、王蕃、薛瑩俱為散騎中常侍。以討扶嚴功拜交州刺史、冠軍將軍、餘姚侯，尋卒。) Kuaiji Dianlu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 57.
^ (翻有十一子， ...) Sanguozhi vol. 57.