Shi Xie faction 士燮

The Shi family were originally from Wenyang in the state of Lu, but fled to Jiao Province during the disorder of Wang Mang and lived there for six generations. Shi Xie's father, Shi Ci, was Administrator of Rinan in the time of Emperor Huan, and Shi Xie, a native of Guangxin County in Cangwu Commandery, studied the Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals in the capital in his youth and, after serving as Gentleman of the Masters of Writing and Prefect of Wu County, became Administrator of Jiaozhi. Records, Wu 4 §35

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 his younger brother Shi Yi, who had returned home during Dong Zhuo's rebellion, 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. Chen Shou wrote that Shi Xie and his brothers held commanderies side by side and became the leaders of an entire province, so that in that remote place ten thousand li away their power and dignity were unsurpassed, and all the barbarian tribes submitted in awe, to a degree that even Wei Tuo could not surpass. Shi Wu died of illness first. Records, Wu 4 §36–37 · 40

Because Shi Xie humbly deferred to scholars, the scholars of the Central Plains who went to him to escape the disorder numbered in the hundreds. Xu Jing, who had fled to Jiao Province when Sun Ce crossed the river, was treated by Shi Xie with deep respect, and he made Cheng Bing, who had studied under Zheng Xuan, his Chief Clerk. Yuan Hui of Chen State, living in Jiao Province, wrote in a letter to the Director of the Imperial Secretariat Xun Yu that amid great disorder Shi Xie had kept a whole commandery intact, so that for more than twenty years there had been no trouble on its borders and the people had not lost their livelihoods. Records, Wu 4 §38Records, Shu 8 §5Records, Wu 8 §18

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. The Han court issued Shi Xie an edict under the imperial seal, saying that the rebel Liu Biao had sent Lai Gong to spy on the southern lands, and made Shi Xie General of the Household Who Pacifies the South to supervise seven commanderies, continuing to hold the post of Administrator of Jiaozhi as before. When Shi Xie, amid turmoil in which the roads were cut off, sent his officer Zhang Min to present tribute, the court further appointed him General Who Pacifies Distant Lands and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Longdu Village. Records, Wu 4 §41–42

Later Wu Ju fell out with Lai Gong and drove him back to Lingling. 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, and Bu Zhi invited Wu Ju, who outwardly complied but inwardly defied him, to a meeting and beheaded him on the spot. The Biography of Bu Zhi records that Shi Xie and his brothers led one another in obeying orders, and that the submission of the southern lands began from this time. 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 to court 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 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 through contact with Shi Xie asked to submit. Sun Quan promoted Shi Xie to General of the Guards and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Longbian, and made Shi Yi Lieutenant General and Marquis of a Chief District. Each time Shi Xie sent envoys to Sun Quan he presented assorted incenses and fine kudzu cloth by the thousands; treasures such as pearls, tortoiseshell, rhinoceros and elephant and fruits such as bananas, coconuts and longans arrived every year, and Shi Yi also at times presented horses by the hundreds. Records, Wu 4 §43–45Records, Wu 7 §72

Shi Xie died in the 5th year of Huangwu (226) at the age of ninety, after more than forty years in his commandery. Because Jiaozhi was distant, Sun Quan divided off the region north of Hepu as 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, raised the troops of his clan to resist Dai Liang, and had Huan Lin, an officer who remonstrated that he should welcome Dai Liang, flogged to death. 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 and guarded Haikou. Records, Wu 4 §45–46Records, Wu 15 §36

Lü Dai, having received an edict to execute Shi Hui, hurried day and night from Guang Province and sent Shi Yi's son Shi Kuang, an old acquaintance of his, to persuade Shi Hui to admit his guilt and submit. When Shi Hui's elder brother Shi Zhi and his younger brothers Shi Gan, Shi Song and others, six in all, came out bare-shouldered to welcome him, Lü Dai put up curtains the next day, had them come in one by one, read out the edict, enumerated their crimes, executed them all and sent their heads to Wuchang. The Biography of Lü Dai records that afterwards Shi Hui's chief commanders Gan Li, Huan Zhi and others led officials and commoners to attack Lü Dai but were heavily defeated. Sun Quan made Shi Yi, Shi Wei, Shi Kuang and the hostage Shi Xin commoners, but a few years later Shi Yi and Shi Wei were caught breaking the law and executed. Records, Wu 4 §47–49Records, Wu 15 §38

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, and wrote that it was generally a mediocre talent enjoying wealth and rank and relying on rugged terrain that made it so. Records, Wu 4 §51