Ying Qu

Historical Record

Ying Qu, courtesy name Xiulian, was a literary man and official of the state of Wei in the Three Kingdoms period. He came from a literary family; his elder brother Ying Yang was also renowned for his writings. Ying Qu himself was broadly learned and talented, skilled at composing essays and letters.^[1]

Under the Cao Wei regime, Ying Qu's official career began in the reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Ming, when he served successively as a Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary. After Cao Fang, the Prince of Qi, ascended the throne, he was further promoted, serving as Palace Attendant and Chief Clerk to the General-in-Chief.^[1] During the period when Cao Shuang monopolized power, Ying Qu composed poems satirizing his many unlawful acts; his verses struck pointedly at the ills of the time and circulated widely.^[1] Afterward he again served as Palace Attendant and took charge of the office of compilation.^[1]

Ying Qu enjoyed a deep friendship with Liu Jing, the Grand Administrator of Lujiang. In the Huangchu era, Liu Jing was promoted from Gentleman of the Yellow Gate to Grand Administrator of Lujiang, and later held such posts as Grand Administrator of Henei, Master of Writing, and Intendant of Henan. When Liu Jing served as Intendant of Henan, Ying Qu wrote him a letter greatly praising his governance. The letter mentioned that while serving in the capital, Liu Jing had devoted himself to the arts of enriching the people, so that their lives steadily improved; and that in governing the locality, he had strictly guarded against bandits, undertaken irrigation works, secured agricultural production, and extended relief to the widowed, the orphaned, and the solitary. Ying Qu held that Liu Jing's administrative methods could scarcely be matched even by the rule of Zhao, Zhang, and the Three Kings of antiquity.^[2] This letter not only displayed Ying Qu's affirmation of his friend's achievements but also reflected, from the side, his own views on statecraft.

Ying Qu died in the fourth year of the Jiaping era, and the state of Wei posthumously awarded him the rank of Commandant of the Guards.^[1] His sons Ying Zhen, Ying Chun, and Ying Xiu all achieved distinction in literature and in office. Among them, Ying Zhen, courtesy name Jifu, was renowned for his talent in his youth and skilled in discourse; he won the esteem of Xiahou Xuan and, together with the Grand Commandant Xun Yi, jointly compiled the new ritual code.^[1]

In the Novel

Romance of the Three Kingdoms records very little of Ying Qu, giving virtually no detailed literary treatment of his life and deeds. In the novel, Ying Qu is mentioned only by name, with but a single line of dialogue.^[2] This stands in sharp contrast to the image in historical biography of a learned, talented official who dared to remonstrate through satire. The novel concentrates on depicting the wars and political struggles of the Three Kingdoms period, and typically gives little ink to civil officials who, like Ying Qu, excelled in literature and domestic administration. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, therefore, the image of Ying Qu is blurred, and the literary talent, political insight, and deep friendship with his friend that he displayed in history go unexpressed. The novel's treatment of him may be seen as part of the general simplification of figures who are not principally military or political, greatly diminishing his historical significance.

Key Relationships

* Liu Jing (friend_of): Ying Qu and Liu Jing were close friends. When Liu Jing served as Intendant of Henan, Ying Qu wrote him a letter praising his administrative achievements, saying that his methods of governance rivaled those of the worthy rulers of antiquity.^[2] This letter was both a testament to their friendship and an expression of Ying Qu's high regard for Liu Jing's capacity to govern.
* Ying Yang (sibling_of): Ying Qu's elder brother, likewise renowned for his writings.^[1] The two brothers were both literary men of the Cao Wei period and together formed an important part of the literary world of the time.

Iconic Scenes

* Writing to Liu Jing in praise of his administration: When Liu Jing served as Intendant of Henan, Ying Qu wrote praising his able governance, noting that his arts of enriching the people grew daily, that the people's lives were settled, and even holding that his achievements surpassed those of Zhao, Zhang, and the Three Kings of antiquity.^[2] This scene displays both Ying Qu's literary talent and his affirmation of his friend's achievements, as well as his profound understanding of statecraft.
* Composing poems to satirize Cao Shuang: When Cao Shuang held supreme power and committed many unlawful and disorderly acts, Ying Qu dared to compose poems in satire; his words struck pointedly at the ills of the time and circulated widely.^[1] This act displayed Ying Qu's upright and outspoken character and his sense of responsibility as an official, daring to raise his own voice even in the face of a powerful minister—a rare thing indeed in the turbulent political environment of the time.