Yu Yi

Biography

Early Years

Yu Yi was striking in appearance and already had designs on the world in his youth. In 327 (the second year of Xianhe), when the revolt of Su Jun broke out, Yu Liang assigned Yu Yi to defend the Stone City with several hundred men in plain (non-official) dress. The next year the rebel Su Jun attacked Jiankang; Yu Liang's resistance failed, and he fled with Yu Yi, Yu Yi, Yu Tiao to Xunyang to join the Governor of Jiangzhou, Wen Qiao.

Not until the revolt was suppressed in 329 (the fourth year of Xianhe) did Yu Yi accept the summons of the Grand Commandant Tao Kan, becoming Adjutant of the Grand Commandant and, after successive promotions, Clerk of the Staff; in the chancellor's office he deliberated with easy dignity. He was soon appointed General Who Rouses Might and Grand Administrator of Poyang, then transferred as General Who Establishes Might and Grand Administrator of Xiyang, comforting the people in office and winning their hearts.

Holding Shicheng

In 339 (the fifth year of Xiankang), as Yu Liang prepared his northern campaign, he appointed Yu Yi Colonel of the Southern Man and concurrent Grand Administrator of Nanjun, with credentials and the title General Who Supports the State, garrisoning Jiangling. That same year the Zhao "Heavenly King" Shi Hu sent troops south to storm the key town of Zhucheng, which fell in the ninth month; the Zhao general Kui An then besieged Shicheng, and Yu Yi repeatedly deployed surprise troops to smuggle grain and supplies into the city. Soon the Grand Administrator of Jingling, Li Yang, defeated Kui An and the siege was raised. For his part in Shicheng's successful defense, Yu Yi was enfeoffed Marquis of Duting.

Succeeding at Wuchang

On the first day of the first month of 340 (the sixth year of Xiankang), Yu Liang died. On the eleventh of the same month the court appointed Yu Yi Commander of All Military Affairs of the six provinces of Jiang, Jing, Si, Yong, Liang, and Yi, General Who Pacifies the West, and Governor of Jingzhou, with credentials, to succeed Yu Liang at Wuchang. Men doubted that so young a man could carry on his brother's work; but Yu Yi governed with all his heart, strict and clear in both military and civil affairs, so that within a few years public and private resources were full and all praised his talent, while the peoples of the Zhao lands south of the Yellow River turned their hearts toward Jin.

In 342 (the eighth year of Xiankang), troubled by frequent portents at Wuchang, Yu Yi thought to move his seat to Lexiang, but was dissuaded by Wang Shu's letter and the court's deliberations. When Yin Xian, Chancellor of Changsha, proved greedy and violent, Yu Bing wrote asking Yu Yi to shield him; Yu Yi replied: "Yin Xian grew arrogant perhaps because of his fine son (Yin Hao), and from human feeling I too have shown him some leniency. But of the twenty-odd commanderies under Jingzhou, Changsha's wickedness is the most notorious—to let such evil escape censure is no different from executing only the granary overseer!" Yu Yi was close friends with Huan Wen, and the two pledged to pacify the realm together. He recommended Huan Wen to Emperor Cheng: "Huan Wen has the talents of a hero. I beg Your Majesty not to treat him with ordinary courtesy nor keep him as an ordinary son-in-law; entrust him with a charge like those of Fang Shu and Zhao Hu under King Xuan of Zhou, and he will surely accomplish deeds to rescue the age."

The Northern Campaign

Yu Yi made destroying the Hu and recovering Shu his mission, sending envoys east to concert with the Yan king Murong Huang and west with the Governor of Liangzhou Zhang Jun to act on a fixed date. Most ministers thought it impracticable, but Yu Bing agreed, as did Huan Wen and the Prince of Qiao, Sima Wuji. In the seventh month of 343 (the first year of Jianyuan), the Zhao Grand Administrator of Runan, Dai Kai, surrendered with thousands of men, and Emperor Kang decreed a court deliberation on the northern campaign. Yu Yi wished to march with all his troops, recommending Huan Xuan as Governor of Liangzhou to advance to Danshui and Huan Wen as vanguard commander to enter Linhuai; he also mobilized the slaves and draught oxen and mules of his six provinces, to the people's groaning.

Wishing to move his seat to Xiangyang but fearing the court's refusal, he memorialized that he would move to Anlu; the emperor and ministers sent envoys to stop him and Sun Chuo wrote in protest—Yu Yi ignored them all and marched north in defiance of the decree, reaching Xiakou and memorializing again to garrison Xiangyang. With forty thousand men under his command, Emperor Kang finally added the command of all expeditionary affairs, with the General of Chariots and Cavalry Yu Bing at Wuchang as his rear support. At Xiangyang Yu Yi assembled his staff, arrayed banners and armor, and personally drew a bow, saying: "This campaign shall be as this arrow." Thrice he drew and thrice the shaft flew; the soldiers watched, and morale soared. The court advanced him General Who Conquers the West, with the colonelcy of the Southern Man.

When five or six hundred Zhao cavalry sortied from Fancheng, Yu Yi sent the Champion General Cao Ju in pursuit, shattering them north of Naogou at the cost of nearly half their number and a hundred captured horses. He comforted those who came from distant lands, establishing guest houses and a Marshal of Guests to receive them. He ordered Huan Xuan to fight the Zhao general Li Pi at Danshui; Huan Xuan was defeated, Yu Yi demoted him to General Who Establishes Might, and Huan Xuan died soon after of shame and rage. Yu Yi made his eldest son Yu Fangzhi Grand Administrator of Yicheng to take over Huan Xuan's troops, appointed Ying Dan Grand Administrator of Xiangyang, and Sima Xun Governor of Liangzhou garrisoning Xicheng.

Return and Death

In 344 (the second year of Jianyuan), as Emperor Kang lay dying, Yu Bing and Yu Yi wished to enthrone the Prince of Kuaiji, Sima Yu, but the Director of the Central Secretariat He Chong urged the enthronement of the imperial prince Sima Dan, and the emperor followed He Chong—Yu Bing and Yu Yi hated He Chong for it. When Yu Bing died on the ninth day of the eleventh month, Yu Yi, unable to attend to family and state at once, left Yu Fangzhi garrisoning Xiangyang with Mao Mu as his assistant, and returned to Xiakou; the court decreed him also commissioner of Jiangzhou and acting Governor of Yuzhou, which he declined. Still wishing to move to Lexiang and refused, he repaired arms and stores for a future northern campaign and sent the Governor of Yizhou Zhou Fu and Cao Ju against Cheng-Han, defeating its general Li Huan at Jiangyang.

In 345 (the first year of Yonghe), Yu Yi saw in a privy a thing like a fangxiang (exorcist's mask) and soon after developed an ulcer on his back. On the point of death he memorialized recommending his second son Yu Aizhi as acting General Who Supports the State and Governor of Jingzhou, and the Marshal of the Western Campaign Zhu Tao as Colonel of the Southern Man with a thousand men to garrison Baling. Yu Yi died on the third day of the seventh month (August 16), aged forty-one. The court posthumously named him General of Chariots and Cavalry with the posthumous name Su.

Representative Works

Yu Yi was an accomplished calligrapher; the Chunhua Pavilion Catalog preserves his "Letter to a Former Subordinate" (Gu Li Tie), and the Xuanhe Shupu says he "excelled in cursive and clerical scripts and raced neck and neck with Wang Xizhi." His cursive "Step Campaign Letter" (Bu Zheng Tie) and running "Letter on a Glorious Occasion" (Shengshi Tie) are known.

Historical Assessment

• Fang Xuanling: "Zhigong was generous and spirited, and won a heroic name."
• Sima Guang: "Yu Yi was generous in character, loved achievement and fame, and disdained ostentation."
• Hong Mai: "From the crossing of the Yangtze to Taiyuan, over eighty years, only eight men bore the burden of command—Wang Dun, Tao Kan, the Yus Liang and Yi, the Huans Wen, Huo, Chong, and Shimin."
• Xu Jun: "In youth he had plans to order the age; raising Wen and slighting Hao, who could match him? Say not that Yu Liang's name stood highest—he belonged to the first rank of Jiangdong."
• Du Guji ranked his "strategic vision" among the "Eight Gentlemen of Wei and Jin."