Xun You 荀攸

Xun You, courtesy name Gongda, was the nephew of Xun Yu. His grandfather Xun Tan was Administrator of Guangling. When Xun Tan died, his former subordinate Zhang Quan asked to keep watch over his tomb; Xun You, then thirteen years old, told his uncle Xun Qu that the man's countenance was out of the ordinary. When they questioned him, he turned out indeed to be a fugitive who had killed someone. Records, Wei 10 §51

When He Jin held power and summoned more than twenty renowned scholars from across the realm, Xun You came and became Gentleman of the Yellow Gate. When Dong Zhuo moved the capital to Chang'an, Xun You plotted with the Consultants Zheng Tai and He Yong, the Palace Attendant Chong Ji, the Colonel of Elite Cavalry Wu Qiong and others to stab Dong Zhuo to death and so make amends to the people. When the plan was on the verge of success it was discovered, and He Yong and Xun You were thrown into prison. He Yong took his own life, but Xun You spoke, ate and drank as calmly as ever, and was released when Dong Zhuo happened to die. Records, Wei 10 §52–53

Xun You left office and went home, and was later transferred to be Chancellor of Rencheng but did not take up the post. Regarding the lands of Shu and Han as rugged and secure, he asked to become Administrator of Shu Commandery, but the roads were cut off and he could not get there, so he stayed in Jing Province. After Cao Cao received the Son of Heaven and made Xu the capital, he sent Xun You a letter asking whether, at a time when wise men should be exerting their minds, he had not spent too long merely watching events unfold from Shu and Han. Xun You was then summoned and became Administrator of Runan, and then entered the court as Imperial Secretary (shangshu). Records, Wei 10 §53–54

Cao Cao talked with him and was greatly pleased, telling Xun Yu and Zhong Yao, "Gongda is no ordinary man. If I can plan affairs with him, what worry need I have for the realm?" and he made him his Military Adviser. Records, Wei 10 §54–55

In the 3rd year of Jian'an (198), when Cao Cao attacked Zhang Xiu, Xun You said that since Zhang Xiu, with a roving army, relied on Liu Biao for food, the two were bound by circumstance to split apart, and he advised slowing the advance so as to lure Zhang Xiu in. Cao Cao did not follow this advice but advanced to Rang and gave battle, and Liu Biao did indeed come to Zhang Xiu's rescue, so the fighting went badly. Cao Cao said, "It has come to this because I did not use your words," and fought again, crushing them. In the same year, when Cao Cao failed to take Lü Bu at Xiapi and wished to withdraw, Xun You, together with Guo Jia, persuaded him that Lü Bu was brave but lacked strategy and Chen Gong was wise but slow, so they should attack swiftly before Lü Bu's spirit recovered. They then diverted the Yi and Si rivers to flood the city; the city collapsed, and Lü Bu was captured. Records, Wei 10 §55–57

In the 5th year of Jian'an (200), when Cao Cao went to relieve Liu Yan at Baima, Xun You devised the plan by which Yan Liang was beheaded. According to the Annals of Emperor Wu, Xun You had the army make as if to cross the river at Yanjin and get behind Yuan Shao, drawing Yuan Shao's troops west, and then had light troops make a surprise attack on Baima. When they were returning from Baima and Yuan Shao crossed the Yellow River in pursuit, the generals urged a return to camp, but Xun You said, "This is exactly the way to capture the enemy," and Cao Cao looked at him and laughed. Using the baggage train as bait, they threw the enemy ranks into disorder and beheaded Yuan Shao's cavalry commander Wen Chou. Records, Wei 10 §58–59Records, Wei 1 §58 · 60–61

While Cao Cao was facing Yuan Shao at Guandu and his army's food was running out, Xun You said that Yuan Shao's supply wagons were about to arrive and that their commander Han Meng was fierce but held his enemies lightly, so he could be attacked, and he recommended Xu Huang. Xu Huang and Shi Huan defeated him. When Xu You came over and proposed attacking Chunyu Qiong and the others, everyone was doubtful; only Xun You and Jia Xu urged it, and Cao Cao left Xun You and Cao Hong to hold the camp while he went himself and beheaded Chunyu Qiong and all the others. When Yuan Shao's generals Zhang He and Gao Lan came to surrender, Cao Hong was suspicious and did not dare accept them, but Xun You had them accepted, saying that Zhang He had come in anger because his plans had not been used. Records, Wei 10 §59–60

In the 7th year of Jian'an (202) he followed Cao Cao in attacking Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang at Liyang. The following year, when Cao Cao was about to attack Liu Biao, Yuan Tan sent Xin Pi to offer surrender and ask for help. Most of the ministers said that Liu Biao should be subdued first, but Xun You said that Liu Biao had no ambition to expand in any direction, whereas the Yuan family held the lands of four provinces and an army of a hundred thousand, and that now that the brothers had become enemies, Cao Cao should take advantage of their disorder and seize it. Cao Cao agreed to make peace with Yuan Tan, then turned back and crushed Yuan Shang. Records, Wei 10 §61–62

Later, when Yuan Tan rebelled, they beheaded him at Nanpi. When Ji Province was pacified, Cao Cao submitted a memorial saying, "The Military Adviser Xun You has assisted me from the very beginning and has never failed to accompany me on campaign; our victories over the enemy, early and late, were all due to Xun You's plans," and Xun You was enfeoffed as Marquis of Lingshu Village. In the 12th year of Jian'an (207), when merits were assessed on a grand scale and fiefs granted, Cao Cao named Xun Yu as the one who had been loyal and upright, laid careful plans and brought peace within and without, and said, "Gongda comes next." Xun You was transferred to Military Adviser of the Central Army, and when the state of Wei was first established he became Director of the Imperial Secretariat. Records, Wei 10 §63

Xun You was deep and meticulous in his thinking; he always laid his plans within the command tent, and neither his contemporaries nor even his own sons and nephews knew what he had said. Cao Cao praised him: "Gongda appears foolish outwardly but is wise within, appears timid outwardly but is brave within, appears weak outwardly but is strong within." Cao Cao told Cao Pi, then in the Eastern Palace, that Xun You was a model for all men and that he should treat him with the utmost courtesy and respect, and when Xun You fell ill, the heir came to ask after him and alone bowed at the foot of his bed. Only his friend Zhong Yao knew the twelve extraordinary stratagems he had devised over the years; Zhong Yao was compiling them but died before finishing, so the world never heard them all. Records, Wei 10 §64–65

Xun You died on the way while accompanying the campaign against Sun Quan, and whenever Cao Cao spoke of him he shed tears. Zhong Yao looked after the family of Xun You, who had died before him, and married off his concubine. His eldest son Xun Ji died young, and his second son Xun Shi succeeded him but had no son, so the line was cut off; during the Huangchu era his grandson Xun Biao inherited the title. During the Zhengshi era he was posthumously named Respectful Marquis (Jinghou), and in the 11th month of the 5th year of Zhengshi (244) an edict had him enshrined as an attendant in the temple courtyard of Taizu. Records, Wei 10 §65–66Records, Wei 29 §40Records, Wei 4 §14–16

In his assessment, Chen Shou named Xun You and Jia Xu together, saying that their calculations left scarcely a plan overlooked and that they mastered principle while excelling at adapting to circumstances, so that they were second only to Zhang Liang and Chen Ping. Records, Wei 10 §91