Ruan Yu

Historical Record

Ruan Yu, courtesy name Yuanyu, was a man of Weishi in Chenliu. In his youth he studied under the famous scholar Cai Yong ^c:4004. During the Jian'an era, Cao Cao's Protector-General Cao Hong wished to make him a registrar in charge of records, but Ruan Yu firmly refused ^c:4004. Later Cao Cao heard of Ruan Yu's fame and summoned him several times; Ruan Yu was at first unwilling to answer the summons, and even fled into the mountains. Cao Cao sent men to set fire to the forest, and only then was Ruan Yu found and brought to him. Cao Cao took him into his staff, and he was ranked, together with Wang Can, Xu Gan, Chen Lin, Ying Yang, Liu Zhen, and Lu Cui, among the "Seven Masters of Jian'an." Cao Cao once appointed Chen Lin and Ruan Yu together as Libationers of the Army's Counsel under the Minister of Works, in charge of the records office ^c:4004. Most of the military and state dispatches and proclamations came from the hands of Chen Lin and Ruan Yu. According to the Dianlüe, Cao Cao once went out on a journey with Ruan Yu in his train and had him write a letter for Han Sui. Ruan Yu composed a draft on horseback, and when the finished letter was presented, Cao Cao took up his brush to amend it but found there was nothing to add or cut ^c:4004. Later Chen Lin was transferred to be Supervisor of the Gate, while Ruan Yu was appointed a subordinate clerk of the Granary Bureau ^c:4004. Ruan Yu died in the seventeenth year of Jian'an (212 CE).

Ruan Yu's son Ruan Ji, courtesy name Sizong, was brilliantly talented and elegantly free-spirited, unrestrained in conduct, of few desires and little ambition, taking Zhuang Zhou as his model ^c:4005. Ruan Ji rose to the office of Colonel of Infantry. Though he did not bind himself to the ordinary rites, he was utterly filial toward his parents, and during mourning nearly ruined his health. Ruan Ji never spoke of the faults of others; he was by nature lofty and aloof, and so was hated by men of ritual propriety such as He Zeng. The Grand General Sima Wenwang (Sima Zhao) often shielded him, and Ruan Ji in the end died a natural death ^c:4005. Ruan Ji's son Ruan Hun, courtesy name Changcheng, was known in the capital for his tranquil simplicity and few desires, and once served as Steward of the Heir Apparent, but died young ^c:4005.

In the Novel

Romance of the Three Kingdoms gives Ruan Yu no independent literary treatment; his deeds are largely consistent with the historical record, or are not mentioned in detail. In the novel, Ruan Yu often appears as one of the "Seven Masters of Jian'an," together with Cao Cao and other men of letters, but is not endowed with any distinctive dramatic episodes or dialogue as some other figures are. For instance, the vivid details recorded in the histories—Cao Cao's burning of the mountain to find Ruan Yu, or Ruan Yu's composing a letter on horseback—are nowhere given prominence in the novel, nor does any invented episode appear that contradicts the historical record ^c:4004. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, therefore, Ruan Yu's image is more that of one of the representative figures of the Cao Wei literary world than a character with an independent plotline. The novel does not, as the histories do, probe deeply into Ruan Yu's personality or the details of his interactions with Cao Cao, nor does it mention his teacher-student relationship with Cai Yong ^c:4004.

Key Relationships

* Cai Yong (Student of): In his youth Ruan Yu took Cai Yong as his teacher and received his instruction ^c:4004. This teacher-student relationship doubtless had an important influence on the formation of Ruan Yu's literary cultivation and thought.
* Cao Wei (Serves): Ruan Yu finally answered the summons into Cao Cao's staff, serving as Libationer of the Army's Counsel under the Minister of Works, subordinate clerk of the Granary Bureau, and so forth, contributing to the documentary work of the Cao Wei regime ^c:4004. Together with Chen Lin and others he was in charge of drafting military and state dispatches and proclamations, an important secretarial aide to Cao Cao.
* Cao Cao (Patron/Lord): Cao Cao greatly admired Ruan Yu's talent and summoned him several times; even though Ruan Yu was at first unwilling to answer, Cao Cao resorted to unconventional means to bring him into his service ^c:4004. Cao Cao's trust in Ruan Yu is reflected in his entrusting him with important documentary work.
* Ruan Ji (Father of): Ruan Yu's son Ruan Ji, courtesy name Sizong, was one of the famous "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove" of the Wei-Jin period, renowned for his expansive, unrestrained spirit and brilliant talent ^c:4005. Ruan Ji inherited his father's literary gifts, but his conduct was even more unrestrained, and he exerted a profound influence on later ages.

Iconic Scenes

* Summoned by the burning of the mountain: Cao Cao, hearing of Ruan Yu's fame, summoned him several times; Ruan Yu, unwilling to answer, fled into the mountains. Cao Cao then sent men to burn the forest, forcing Ruan Yu to show himself, and in the end took him into his staff ^c:4004. This event fully displays both Cao Cao's eager thirst for talent and Ruan Yu's initial lofty reclusiveness.
* Composing a letter on horseback: Cao Cao once had Ruan Yu write a letter for Han Sui. At the time Cao Cao was traveling out with Ruan Yu in his train, and Ruan Yu composed and completed the letter on horseback. When Cao Cao read it, he could not add or cut a single word, ample proof of Ruan Yu's quick wit and remarkable command of the brush ^c:4004. This scene vividly portrays Ruan Yu's outstanding literary talent and his capacity for improvised composition.
* Managing the records office together with Chen Lin: Ruan Yu, together with Chen Lin, was appointed Libationer of the Army's Counsel under the Minister of Works, jointly in charge of the records office and the drafting of military and state dispatches and proclamations ^c:4004. This shows his standing as an important man of letters in the Cao Wei regime and his talent on a par with Chen Lin.
* A son who carried on the father's calling, a free-spirited famous scholar: Ruan Yu's son Ruan Ji was brilliantly talented and unrestrained in conduct, a famous scholar of the Wei-Jin period ^c:4005. The emergence of Ruan Ji not only continued the literary tradition of the Ruan family but, with his distinctive personality and thought, made him one of the representative figures of the Wei-Jin spirit, indirectly reflecting Ruan Yu's cultural legacy as his father.