Shi Xie 士燮

Shi Xie, courtesy name Weiyan, was a native of Guangxin County in Cangwu Commandery. His ancestors were originally from Wenyang in the state of Lu, but fled to Jiao Province during the disorder of Wang Mang; six generations later his father, Shi Ci, became Administrator of Rinan in the time of Emperor Huan. In his youth Shi Xie went to study in the capital, serving Liu Ziqi of Yingchuan and studying the Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals. Nominated as Filial and Incorrupt, he became Gentleman of the Masters of Writing but was dismissed over an official matter; after completing mourning for his father he was nominated as Abundant Talent and appointed Prefect of Wu County, and was then transferred to Administrator of Jiaozhi. Records, Wu 4 §35

His younger brother Shi Yi, while Investigator of the commandery, diligently escorted the Inspector Ding Gong on his return to the capital, and was later summoned by Ding Gong when Ding Gong became Minister over the Masses. By the time Shi Yi arrived Ding Gong had already been dismissed, but his successor as Minister over the Masses, Huang Wan, treated him with great courtesy, and when Dong Zhuo raised his rebellion Shi Yi returned home. When Zhu Fu, Inspector of Jiao Province, was killed by barbarian bandits and the province and its commanderies fell into disorder, Shi Xie memorialized to have Shi Yi concurrently hold the post of Administrator of Hepu, his next brother Shi Wei, Prefect of Xuwen, that of Administrator of Jiuzhen, and Shi Wei's younger brother Shi Wu that of Administrator of Nanhai. Records, Wu 4 §36–37

Shi Xie was generous and magnanimous in character and humbly deferred to scholars, so the scholars of the Central Plains who went to him to escape the disorder numbered in the hundreds. When Xu Jing reached Jiaozhi, Shi Xie treated him with deep respect, and he made Cheng Bing, who had studied under Zheng Xuan, his Chief Clerk. Shi Xie greatly delighted in reading the Spring and Autumn Annals and wrote a commentary on it. Records, Wu 4 §38Records, Shu 8 §5Records, Wu 8 §18

Yuan Hui of Chen State wrote to the Director of the Imperial Secretariat Xun Yu that Lord Shi of Jiaozhi was broad in learning and also versed in government, and that amid great disorder he had kept a whole commandery intact for more than twenty years, with no trouble on its borders and the people not losing their livelihoods, so that even Dou Rong's holding of Hexi could not surpass it. He also said that Shi Xie was especially precise in the Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals and versed in both the old-text and new-text versions of the Book of Documents. Chen Shou wrote that such was the praise he received. Records, Wu 4 §38–39

Shi Xie and his brothers all held commanderies side by side and became the leaders of an entire province, and in that remote place ten thousand li away their power and dignity were unsurpassed. When they came and went, bells and chime stones were sounded and music was provided, carriages and horsemen filled the roads, and there were always dozens of Hu people burning incense on either side of the carriage. All the barbarian tribes submitted in awe, to a degree that even Wei Tuo (Zhao Tuo) could not surpass. His younger brother Shi Wu died of illness first. Records, Wu 4 §40

After Zhu Fu's death, the Han sent Zhang Jin as Inspector of Jiao Province, but Zhang Jin was killed by his own general Ou Jing. Liu Biao, Governor of Jing Province, sent Lai Gong of Lingling to replace Zhang Jin, and when Shi Huang, Administrator of Cangwu, died, he sent Wu Ju to succeed him. When the Han court heard that Zhang Jin had died, it issued Shi Xie an edict under the imperial seal, saying that since the rebel Liu Biao had sent Lai Gong to spy on the southern lands, Shi Xie was made General of the Household Who Pacifies the South to supervise seven commanderies, continuing to hold the post of Administrator of Jiaozhi as before. Later, when Shi Xie sent his officer Zhang Min to the capital to present tribute, the court, noting that he had not neglected his duty of tribute even though the realm was in turmoil and the roads cut off, issued another edict appointing him General Who Pacifies Distant Lands and enfeoffing him as Marquis of Longdu Village. Records, Wu 4 §41–42

Later Wu Ju and Lai Gong fell out, and Wu Ju drove Lai Gong away. In the 15th year of Jian'an (210), when Sun Quan sent Bu Zhi as Inspector of Jiao Province, Shi Xie led his brothers in accepting his command. Bu Zhi beheaded Wu Ju, who harbored disloyal intentions, and the Biography of Bu Zhi records that from this time Shi Xie and his brothers led one another in obeying orders and the southern lands began to submit. Sun Quan conferred on Shi Xie the additional title of General of the Left. Records, Wu 4 §43Records, Wu 7 §71–72

At the end of the Jian'an era Shi Xie sent his son Shi Xin as a hostage, and Sun Quan made Shi Xin Administrator of Wuchang and appointed all the sons of Shi Xie and Shi Yi who were in the south as Generals of the Household. Shi Xie also induced Yong Kai and other powerful clans of Yi Province to lead the people of their commandery to attach themselves to the east from afar. According to the Biography of Bu Zhi, Yong Kai and the others killed Zheng Ang, the Administrator appointed by Shu, and asked through Shi Xie to submit. Sun Quan, all the more pleased, promoted Shi Xie to General of the Guards and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Longbian, and Shi Yi became Lieutenant General (pian jiangjun) and Marquis of a Chief District. Records, Wu 4 §43–44Records, Wu 7 §72

Each time Shi Xie sent envoys to Sun Quan, he presented assorted incenses and fine kudzu cloth by the thousands, and not a year passed without rare treasures such as pearls, tortoiseshell, rhinoceros and elephant, and exotic fruits such as bananas, coconuts and longans arriving. Shi Yi also at times presented horses by the hundreds, and each time Sun Quan answered with letters and gifts. Shi Xie died in the 5th year of Huangwu (226) at the age of ninety, after more than forty years in his commandery. Records, Wu 4 §44–45

Because Jiaozhi was distant, Sun Quan divided the region north of Hepu into Guang Province with Lü Dai as Inspector, made the region south of Jiaozhi into Jiao Province with Dai Liang as Inspector, and sent Chen Shi to replace Shi Xie as Administrator of Jiaozhi. But Shi Xie's son Shi Hui styled himself Administrator of Jiaozhi and raised the troops of his clan to resist Dai Liang. The Biography of Lü Dai records that Sun Quan made Shi Hui General Who Pacifies Distant Lands and Administrator of Jiuzhen, but Shi Hui did not obey the order. When Huan Lin, an officer Shi Xie had recommended, remonstrated that Shi Hui should welcome Dai Liang, Shi Hui had him flogged to death; Huan Lin's elder brother and son attacked Shi Hui, but after several months they could not take the city and made peace. Records, Wu 4 §46–47Records, Wu 15 §36

Lü Dai, having received an edict to execute Shi Hui, hurried day and night from Guang Province. Since Shi Yi's son, the General of the Household Shi Kuang, was an old acquaintance of Lü Dai, Lü Dai sent him ahead to persuade Shi Hui that if he admitted his guilt and submitted, he would lose his post as administrator but have nothing else to fear. When Shi Hui's elder brother Shi Zhi, his younger brothers Shi Gan, Shi Song and others, six in all, came out bare-shouldered to welcome him, the next day Lü Dai put up curtains and had them come in one by one, then, holding his credentials, read out the edict, enumerated their crimes, executed them all and sent their heads to Wuchang. Sun Quan pardoned Shi Yi, Shi Wei and Shi Kuang and, together with the hostage Shi Xin, made them commoners, but a few years later Shi Yi and Shi Wei were caught breaking the law and executed. Shi Xin died of illness without sons. Records, Wu 4 §47–49

In his assessment, Chen Shou said that Shi Xie, as administrator in Nanyue, lived at ease all his life, but that in his sons' generation, lacking caution, they brought evil disaster upon themselves; it was, he said, generally a mediocre talent enjoying wealth and rank and relying on rugged terrain that made it so. Records, Wu 4 §51