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Hua Yi
Hua Yi
華軼
Inspector of Jiang province (江州刺史)
	In office; ?–311
Monarch	Emperor Huai of Jin
Personal details
Born	Unknown; Yucheng, Shandong
Died	311
Relations	Hua Xin (great-grandfather)
Children	Seven unnamed children
Parent	Hua Tan (father);
Courtesy name	Yanxia (彥夏)

Hua Yi (died late July 311^[1]), courtesy name Yanxia, was an official of the Jin dynasty (266–420). He was the Inspector of Jiang province and an early adversary to the Prince of Langya and future Emperor Yuan of Jin, Sima Rui. Maintaining his loyalty to the imperial court in Luoyang, Hua Yi refused to take any orders from Sima Rui, prompting the prince to send an army to defeat and kill him in 311.

Life

Early career

Hua Yi was a member of the Hua clan of Pingyuan Commandery. His great-grandfather, Hua Xin, was a high-ranking minister under the Cao Wei dynasty, while his grandfather, Hua Biao, was a Palace Counsellor and his father, Hua Tan (華澹) was the Intendant of Henan. He was famous for his talents from his young age, and praised for his generosity and maganimity. He was first appointed as an Academician before being promoted to a Regular Mounted Attendant.^[2]

When the Prince of Donghai, Sima Yue became Governor of Yan province in 308, Hua Tan was invited to serve as a Chief Clerk of the Detached Staff. Afterwards, he was appointed as the General Who Inspires Might and Inspector of Jiang province. When the War of the Eight Princes (291–307) was happening, Hua Yi remained strongly adherent to Confucianist ritual etiquette and manners. He proposed the creation of the Scholar Libationer office to further promote Confucianism.^[3]

Administration of Jiang province

In Jiang province, Hua Yi governed the region with benevolence and prestige and was on friendly terms with the local nobility. Thus, many exiles displaced by the ongoing chaos in the empire flocked to join him. When Sima Yue requested him for reinforcements to fight against bandits, Hua Yi sent Tao Kan as the General Who Spreads Martial Might to station at Xiakou (夏口; present-day Hankou, Hubei) with 3,000 soldiers to act as reinforcements.^[4]

While Jin authority in the north was collapsing day by day, Hua Yi remained loyal to the imperial court and diligently sent tribute to the capital, Luoyang every year as proof of his vassalhood. If the roads to Luoyang were blocked, he delivered the tribute to the Prince of Langya, Sima Rui at Jianye instead, acting on behalf of the Sima clan. Although he was expected to answer to whoever controlled Shouchun, Hua Yi retained a keen sense of loyalty to Luoyang, as he had previously been appointed through their envoy, and refused to take orders from Sima Rui. Many people from his counties and commanderies tried to dissuade him, but Hua Yi refused to listen and only replied, "I only want to see the imperial edict."^[5]

Likewise, Sima Rui was suspicious of Hua Yi and sent his general, Zhou Fang to camp at Pengze with 1,200 soldiers in anticipation of his attack. However, Zhou Fang respected Hua Yi's efforts in helping the people of his province, so he only moved to Eling County (鄂陵; in present-day Caishan, Hubei) in Xunyang (尋陽; southwest of present-day Huangmei County, Hubei) to prevent further military escalation.^[6]

Death

After Luoyang fell in the Disaster of Yongjia on 14 July 311, the Jin provisional government under Xun Fan issued a call to arms and appointed Sima Rui to lead their alliance. Rui exercised his new imperial authority by changing around the chief officials, but Hua Yi, along with the Inspector of Yu province, Pei Xian (裴宪; son of Pei Kai^[7]), still refused to obey. The prince thus ordered his general, Wang Dun to lead Gan Zhuo, Zhou Fang, Song Dian (宋典), Zhao You and others to attack him. Hua Yi sent his Attendant Officer, Chen Xiong (陳雄) to defend Pengze while he organized a navy to provide support. The administrator of Wuchang, Feng Yi (馮逸), sided with Hua Yi and garrisoned himself at Penkou (湓口, in modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi), but was defeated by Zhou Fang.^[8]

Wei Zhan (衞展), the former Inspector of Jiang province, hated Hua Yi as he was not respected by him. Hearing of Hua Yi's situation, Wei Zhan colluded with the administrator of Yuzhang, Zhou Guang (周廣), and the two secretly raised troops to attack Hua Yi from behind. The Jin forces defeated Hua Yi, forcing him to flee to Ancheng (安成, in modern Ji'an, Jiangxi). Zhou Yi pursued him there and had him executed alongside his five sons. His head was then sent to Jianye while Pei Xian fled to You province.^[9]

Before his death, a native of Guangling, Gao Kui (高悝) was staying in Jiang province, where Hua Yi invited him to serve as an Assistant Officer in the West Bureau and showed him preferential treatment. After he was killed, Gao Kui secretly hid Hua Yi's wife and two of his kids for many years. Once some time had passed and a general amnesty was granted, only then did Gao Kui brought them before the court. Sima Rui praised them and decided to have them all pardoned.^[10]

References

^ Vol.87 of Zizhi Tongjian dated Hua Yi's death to the 6th month of the 5th year of the Yong'jia era; the month corresponds to 3 to 31 Jul 311 in the Julian calendar. Since Hua Yi died after the fall of Luoyang (13-14 Jul 311), his death must have occurred in late July that year.
^ (華軼，字彥夏，平原人，魏太尉歆之曾孫也。祖表，太中大夫。父澹，河南尹。軼少有才氣，聞於當世，泛愛博納，眾論美之。初為博士，累遷散騎常侍。) Jin Shu, vol.61
^ (東海王越牧兗州，引為留府長史。永嘉中，曆振威將軍、江州刺史。雖逢喪亂，每崇典禮，置儒林祭酒以弘道訓，乃下教曰：「今大義頹替，禮典無宗，朝廷滯議，莫能攸正，常以慨然，宜特立此官，以弘其事。軍諮祭酒杜夷，棲情玄遠，確然絕俗，才學精博，道行優備，其以為儒林祭酒。」) Jin Shu, vol.61
^ (俄被越檄使助討諸賊，軼遣前江夏太守陶侃為揚武將軍，率兵三千屯夏口，以為聲援。軼在州其有威惠，州之豪士接以友道，得江表之歡心，流亡之士赴之如歸。) Jin Shu, vol.61
^ (江州刺史華軼，歆之曾孫也，自以受朝廷之命而爲琅邪王睿所督，多不受其教令。郡縣多諫之，軼曰︰「吾欲見詔書耳。」) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.87
^ (時帝遣揚烈將軍周訪率眾屯彭澤以備軼，訪過姑孰，著作郎干寶見而問之，訪曰：「大府受分，令屯彭澤，彭澤，江州西門也。華彥夏有憂天下之誠，而不欲碌碌受人控禦，頃來紛紜，粗有嫌隙。今又無故以兵守其門，將成其釁。吾當屯尋陽故縣，既在江西，可以捍禦北方，又無嫌於相逼也。」尋洛都不守，司空荀籓移檄，而以帝為盟主。) Jin Shu, vol.61
^ Jin Shu, vol.35
^ (尋洛都不守，司空荀籓移檄，而以帝為盟主。既而帝承制改易長吏，軼又不從命，於是遣左將軍王敦都督甘卓、周訪、宋典、趙誘等討之。軼遣別駕陳雄屯彭澤以距敦，自為舟軍以為外援。武昌太守馮逸次於湓口，訪擊逸，破之。) Jin Shu, vol.61
^ (前江州刺史衛展不為軼所禮，心常怏怏。至是，與豫章太守周廣為內應，潛軍襲軼，軼眾潰，奔于安城，追斬之，及其五子，傳首建鄴。) Jin Shu, vol.61
^ (初，廣陵高悝寓居江州，軼避為西曹掾，尋而軼敗，悝藏匿軼二子及妻，崎嶇經年。既而遇赦，悝攜之出首，帝嘉而宥之。) Jin Shu, vol.61