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Xu Yi
Xu Yi
徐奕
Commandant of the Capital
	In office; 219–?
Monarch	Emperor Xian of Han
Chancellor	Cao Cao (from 208)
Director of the Secretariat
	In office; ?–219
Chief Clerk To The Chancellor (under Cao Cao)
	In office; 217–?
Preceded by	Yang Jun
Administrator of Wei
	In office; 216–217
Junior Clerk in the Department of the East
	In office; ?–216
Master of Writing
	In office; 213–?
Inspector of Yong
	In office; ?–?
Chief Clerk To The Chancellor (under Cao Cao)
	In office; after 211 – ?
Personal details
Born	Unknown; Dongguan, Langye commandery
Died	c. 219
Occupation	Official
Courtesy name	Jicai (季才)

Xu Yi (died c. 219), courtesy name Jicai, was a strict official, trusted by the warlord Cao Cao to look after the capital Ye, in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China^[1]^[2]

Life and career

Xu Yi was born in Dongguan in Langye commandery,^[1] present day Yishui in Shandong. In the 190s as the land plunged into civil war, Xu Yi fled across the Jiang river but when the young local warlord Sun Ce sought to recruit him, Xu Yi changed his name and fled back home in disguise.^[3] He later joined the staff of Cao Cao, the Minister of Works, (putting it sometime between 196 and 208) and controller of the Han Emperor. Later he accompanied the now Chancellor Cao Cao in the 211 campaign against Ma Chao and the Liang warlords who had risen up for fear Cao Cao was intending to attack. After Cao Cao's victory, there were concerns that the Land Within the Passes (the territory around the Western Han dynasty capital Chang'an) was unsettled and not yet secure. So Xu Yi was made Chief Clerk and placed in Chang'an to help secure the area.^[4] Earning praise there, Xu Yi was promoted to Inspector of Yong. When Cao Cao became Duke of Wei in 213, Xu Yi was recalled to Cao Cao's capital and joined his Secretariat as a Master of Writing.^[5]

Over time, Xu Yi became an enemy of the powerful official Ding Yi and despite advice to show him respect, Xu Yi refused to defer to Ding Yi. Xu Yi made no response to Ding Yi's accusations, as he was confident Cao Cao would see through Ding Yi's attempts against him and trusted in his own abilities to protect himself.^[6] Influential Attendant Huan Jie acted to protect Xu Yi^[7] and in 216^[1] Cao Cao moved Xu Yi away from his court position as Junior Clerk in the Department of the East. Leading Cao Wei and Jin commentator Fu Xuan to remark that Cao Cao showed limits to his wisdom as, due to Ding Yi's influence, he had turned against two good officials: demoting Xu Yi and forcing the death of senior official Cui Yan.^[8] However, though Xu Yi was moved out of Ye itself, his new appointment to the post of Administrator of Wei Commandery, given it covered Cao Cao's capital of Ye and his ducal seat, was still a position of some trust and import.^[9]

The next year when Cao Cao went to attack Sun Quan at Ruxu he made Xu Yi Chief Clerk and had him look after his capital at Ye while Cao Cao was away on campaign. Cao Cao praised Xu Yi's loyalty and integrity, knowing he could trust his affairs to Xu Yi's hands but urged him to be less strict,^[10] Xu Yi would later rise to head the Secretariat.

In 219, Xu Yi went west with Cao Cao as part of an army to reinforce the defenders at Hanzhong against the future Shu Han Emperor Liu Bei's attack. But news reached Cao Cao of the well-connected Wei Feng's failed plot back in Ye. Yang Jun as Commandant of the Capital began an investigation, drawing up a list of punishments and impeached himself, Cao Pi displeased with Yang Jun for taking matters into his own hands had Yang Jun moved to Pingyuan^[11] meaning a replacement was required back in Ye. Cao Cao sighed that he had nobody in Ye who could have discovered Wei Feng's plan^[12] (the plot leaked due to Chen Yi, a senior member of the plot, getting nervous and informing Cao Pi).^[13] Huan Jie recommended Xu Yi and Cao Cao hand wrote an order for Xu Yi to go to Ye to be the new Commandant. However, after several months, Xu Yi became gravely ill and resigned. He was appointed to the court in a consultant role but died soon after.

When Cao Pi became King after the death of his father, he rewarded families of dead officers like Xu Yi in memory of their loyal service ^[14] and since Xu Yi had no son, he gave position to Xu Tong, son of a cousin, and had Xu Tong continue Xu Yi's line. Cao Pi as Emperor of the new Cao Wei dynasty is said to have regularly sighed during meetings with his ministers and reflected approvingly on Xu Yi's conduct.^[15]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c De Crespigny, Rafe. A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23-220 AD. Leiden: Brill. p. 915. ISBN 9789004156050.
^ Sanguozhi vol. 12.
^ 避難江東，孫策禮命之。奕改姓名，微服還本郡。Sanguozhi vol.12.
^ (時關中新服，未甚安，留奕為丞相長史，鎮撫西京，西京稱其威信。) Sanguozhi vol.12
^ Weishi Chunqiu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 1.
^ (或謂奕曰：「夫以史魚之直，孰與蘧伯玉之智？丁儀方貴重，宜思所以下之。」奕曰：「以公明聖，儀豈得久行其偽乎！且姦以事君者，吾所能禦也，子寧以他規我。」) Weishu annotation in Sanguozhi, vol.12.
^ 又毛玠、徐奕以剛蹇少黨，而為西曹掾丁儀所不善，儀屢言其短，賴階左右以自全保. 其將順匡救，多此類也。遷尚書，典選舉 Sanguozhi vol. 22.
^ 武皇帝，至明也。崔琰、徐奕，一時清賢，皆以忠信顯於魏朝；丁儀閒之，徐奕失位而崔琰被誅。Fu zi annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 12.
^ Rafe De Crespigny commentary in Zizhi Tongjian vol. 67.
^ 君之忠亮，古人不過也，然微太嚴。昔西門豹佩韋以自緩，夫能以柔弱制剛彊者，望之於君也。今使君統留事，孤無復還顧之憂也 Sanguozhi vol.12.
^ 太祖征漢中，魏諷反於鄴。俊自劾詣行在所。俊以身方罪免，牋辭太子。太子不悅，曰：「楊中尉便去，何太高遠邪！」遂被書左遷平原太守 Sanguozhi vol.23.
^ 「諷所以敢生亂心，以吾爪牙之臣無遏姦防謀者故也。安得如諸葛豐者，使代俊乎！」Sanguozhi vol.12.
^ Shiyu annotation in Sanguozhi vol.1.
^ Wei shu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 2.
^ 文帝每與朝臣會同，未嘗不嗟歎，思奕之為人。奕無子，詔以其族子統為郎，以奉奕後。Wei shu annotation in Sanguozhi vol.12.