Xu Yun

Historical Record

Xu Yun, courtesy name Shizong, came from a prominent family; his father Xu Ju had served as Colonel of Agriculture and as a commandery governor. In his early years Xu Yun was equally renowned with Cui Zan of the same commandery in Jizhou, and was later summoned into the army. In the Ming Emperor's reign he served as Selection Director in the Department of State Affairs, and was once arrested and imprisoned together with Yuan Kan over an official matter. At the time the imperial edict was severe, and there was fear that someone might lose his life over it. Xu Yun said to Yuan Kan: "You are the son of a meritorious minister; by law you have the privilege of the Eight Deliberations, so you need not fear for your life." Grasping his meaning, Yuan Kan took the chief responsibility upon himself. After serving his sentence, Xu Yun was reinstated and made a commandery governor, then gradually rose to Palace Attendant, Master of State Affairs, and Commander of the Central Army. ^c:3357

In the autumn of the sixth year of Jiaping (254 CE), Xu Yun, Commander of the Central Army, was on good terms with Li Feng and Xiahou Xuan. Earlier there had been a forged-edict affair intended to appoint Xiahou Xuan as Grand General and Xu Yun as Grand Commandant, jointly directing the affairs of the Department of State Affairs. Before dawn someone rode up and delivered the edict tablet to Xu Yun's gatekeeper, announcing "There is an edict," then galloped off. Xu Yun immediately burned the edict and did not report it to Sima the Prince of Jing (Sima Shi). Later, when Li Feng and the others were exposed and arrested, Xu Yun was transferred to General Who Guards the North, with the authority of the Staff to oversee military affairs in the region north of the He. Before he could take up the post, however, he was charged with privately distributing official goods and grain to entertainers and subordinate officers, and was arrested by the Commandant of Justice. In the end his sentence was reduced from death to banishment to the frontier, and he was exiled to Lelang. Xu Yun was banished in the autumn of the sixth year of Jiaping; his wife and children were not permitted to follow, and on the road of exile, before reaching his destination, he died that very winter. ^c:3357

Xu Yun's wife, Lady Ruan, was wise and worthy but plain in appearance. When Xu Yun first saw her he was rather startled, and after completing the marriage bows had no wish to enter the inner chamber again. Lady Ruan sent a maid to find out who was present, and learning that there was a guest surnamed Huan, she knew it was Huan Fan who had come to persuade him. Huan Fan did indeed come to persuade him, and Xu Yun went in but, after a moment, made to rise and leave; Lady Ruan caught hold of his robe. Xu Yun turned and asked his wife: "A woman has the Four Virtues — how many do you possess?" Lady Ruan answered: "What this new bride lacks is only appearance. But a gentleman has the Hundred Conducts — how many do you possess?" Xu Yun claimed, "All of them." Lady Ruan retorted: "Of the gentleman's Hundred Conducts, virtue comes first. You love beauty and not virtue — how can you say you possess them all?" Hearing this, Xu Yun was ashamed, recognized that she was no ordinary woman, and from then on treated her with high regard and affection. They had two sons, Xu Qi and Xu Meng, both of good repute. After Xu Yun died, his disciple ran to tell Lady Ruan; she was weaving, and her expression did not change — she only said, "I knew it would be so." The disciple wished to hide her sons, but Lady Ruan said, "This matter has nothing to do with the children." Later she moved to dwell by the grave. Sima the Prince of Jing sent Zhong Hui to look in on them, intending that if Xu Yun's sons matched their father in talent, virtue, and ability, they should be arrested. Lady Ruan instructed her sons: "Though you have talent, your endowment is not great. Better to speak frankly and openly with Zhong Hui, and you will have no trouble; do not grieve overmuch — when Zhong Hui stops his questions, you stop. Also, you may ask much about affairs of the court." The sons did as she said. When Zhong Hui returned to report, he reported truthfully, and Xu Yun's sons thereby escaped calamity — all owing to Lady Ruan's instruction. Though Zhong Hui surpassed others in discernment, he did not match the wisdom of this worthy woman. Xu Yun's heirs did indeed receive good fortune, and his descendants came to be granted posthumous honors. ^c:3357

In the Novel

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Xu Yun's image revolves chiefly around the power struggle between Sima Yi and the Cao Shuang faction after the Incident at the Gaoping Tombs. Together with Chen Tai, he was sent by Sima Yi to persuade Cao Shuang to give up his military authority. ^c:13634 After launching the coup, Sima Yi, fearing Huan Fan might escape, urgently summoned Xu Yun and Chen Tai, instructing them to go to Cao Shuang and convey that Sima Yi had no other intent but to strip the Cao Shuang brothers of their military authority. ^c:13634 Xu Yun and Chen Tai went as ordered and said to the wavering, weeping Cao Shuang: "The Grand Tutor [Sima Yi] only means, since the general's [Cao Shuang's] power is too great, to strip away your military authority, with no other ill intent. The general may return to the city soon." ^c:13634 Their persuasion, together with the Palace Colonel Yin Damu's conveyance of Sima Yi's oath sworn by the Luo River, led Cao Shuang at last to believe in Sima Yi's "goodwill," abandon resistance, and so go to his ruin. ^c:13634 The novel does not detail Xu Yun's life, but places him in this key historical event as one of the executors of Sima Yi's political maneuvering, helping bring about Cao Shuang's final downfall. The historical record of Xu Yun's close ties with Li Feng and Xiahou Xuan, and of his arrest by Sima Shi and death in exile, is nowhere mentioned in the novel. ^c:3357

Key Relationships

* Xiahou Xuan (friend_of): The histories record that Xu Yun was close to Xiahou Xuan; in the forged-edict affair the two were even listed together as candidates for Grand General and Grand Commandant. ^c:3357 (novel only)
* Sima Shi (enemy_of): Although Xu Yun had tried to burn the forged edict and not report it to Sima Shi, he was in the end arrested by Sima Shi on the charge of privately distributing official goods, and died in exile. ^c:3357
* Sima Yi (serves): In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, after the Incident at the Gaoping Tombs, Xu Yun served as Sima Yi's envoy, going with Chen Tai to persuade Cao Shuang to give up his military authority, thus indirectly serving the success of Sima Yi's coup. ^c:13634 In historical fact, Xu Yun in the end died at the hand of Sima Shi; his relationship with Sima Yi was not one of direct "service" but rather that of a victim in the political struggle. ^c:3357
* Lady Ruan (wife): Xu Yun's wife, Lady Ruan, is recorded in the histories as wise and far-sighted, not only offering him sage remonstrance when his career met setbacks, but also, after his death, preserving their two sons by her wisdom. ^c:3357 Her wisdom was even held to surpass Zhong Hui's discernment. ^c:3357

Signature Scene

* Burning the forged edict to avert disaster: At the outset, when someone forged an edict appointing Xu Yun Grand Commandant, Xu Yun, upon receiving it, immediately burned it and did not report it to Sima the Prince of Jing (Sima Shi), thus trying to avoid being drawn into the political maelstrom. ^c:3357 This act shows Xu Yun's caution and self-preservation in a treacherous political environment, though in the end he could not wholly escape calamity.
* The "virtue" debate with his wife Lady Ruan: Xu Yun, on first seeing his wife Lady Ruan, wished to leave because of her plain appearance. With her retorts — "A woman has the Four Virtues, how many do you possess?" and "Of the gentleman's Hundred Conducts, virtue comes first; you love beauty and not virtue, how can you say you possess them all?" — Lady Ruan made Xu Yun feel ashamed and recognize his wife's extraordinary wisdom, treating her thereafter with high regard and affection. ^c:3357 This scene vividly displays Lady Ruan's worth and Xu Yun's eventual acknowledgment of virtue, and was passed down as a tale of merit by later generations.
* Persuading Cao Shuang to surrender (novel only): After the Incident at the Gaoping Tombs, Xu Yun and Chen Tai were ordered by Sima Yi to persuade Cao Shuang to give up his military authority. They told Cao Shuang that Sima Yi's intent was only to reduce his power, with no other thought, and at last led Cao Shuang to believe Sima Yi's promise and abandon resistance. ^c:13634 This is the only important episode in which Xu Yun takes part in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, underscoring his indirect role in the success of Sima Yi's coup.