RRepeatedly spoke of the faults of Mao Jie and Xu Yi and tried to harm Xu YiWei 22 §5Wei 12 §37
NNo direct record — estimated from his careerCh. 79 §11
Ding Yi 丁儀
| Occupation | ROfficial · Clerk of the Western Bureau | Faction | Wei |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | Book of Wei |
| Born | R? N? Unverified | Native place | Pei Commandery |
| Died | R220 N(same) Unverified | Place of death | |
| Cause of death | RExecuted NExecuted Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R17 |
Profile
Ding Yi (丁儀) was a man of Pei State who served as Clerk of the Western Bureau (xicao yuan). He was counted among the men of literary talent, and when Cao Cao's son Cao Zhi received special favor for his talent, he became one of Cao Zhi's wings together with Ding Yi (丁廙), Yang Xiu and others. Records, Wei 21 §24Records, Wei 22 §5Records, Wei 19 §14
As Clerk of the Western Bureau he disliked Mao Jie and Xu Yi and repeatedly spoke of their faults. After Cao Pi was settled as heir and took the throne as King of Wei in the 25th year of Jian'an (220), Ding Yi was put to death together with Ding Yi (丁廙) and even the men of their households. Records, Wei 22 §5Records, Wei 19 §15 · 18Records, Wei 2 §1
The Records have no separate biography of him; his name appears in various places in Records of Wei 19, 21, 22 and 12, and it is absent from Chen Shou's assessments. In the Romance he appears only in Chapter 79, and his name is not in the chapter title. The Romance depicts him drinking with Cao Zhi and hurling abuse at Cao Pi's envoy, then being seized by Xu Chu and put to death first, together with Ding Yi (丁廙). Records, Wei 19 §14 · 69Records, Wei 21 §24 · 99Records, Wei 22 §5 · 108Records, Wei 12 §37 · 99Romance, Ch. 79 §8 · 10–11
In the Records
Ding Yi was a man of Pei State. After naming seven men of letters, Chen Shou wrote that Handan Chun and Fan Qin of Yingchuan, Lu Cui of Chenliu, Ding Yi and Ding Yi (丁廙) of Pei State, Yang Xiu of Hongnong, Xun Wei of Henei and others also had literary talent but were not ranked among those seven. Liu Yi wrote several dozen pieces, and the writings in which he and Ding Yi discussed punishment and ritual were all handed down in the world. Records, Wei 21 §24 · 60
Mao Jie and Xu Yi were upright and unbending and seldom formed factions, and so they incurred the dislike of Ding Yi, the Clerk of the Western Bureau. Ding Yi repeatedly spoke of their faults, but thanks to Huan Jie's help at their side the two were able to keep themselves safe. The Biography of Xu Yi also records that Ding Yi and others, who enjoyed favor at the time, together tried to harm Xu Yi, but Xu Yi was never shaken. Records, Wei 22 §5Records, Wei 12 §37
Cao Cao's son Cao Zhi was enfeoffed as Marquis of Pingyuan in the 16th year of Jian'an (211) and as Marquis of Linzi in the 19th year (214). As Cao Zhi received special favor for his talent, Ding Yi, Ding Yi (丁廙), Yang Xiu and others became his wings, and Cao Cao, wavering, several times came close to making him crown prince. The Biography of Xing Yong also records that when the crown prince had not yet been decided and Cao Zhi, Marquis of Linzi, enjoyed favor, Ding Yi and others together praised his excellence and supported him. Records, Wei 19 §14Records, Wei 12 §62
At the time when Cao Cao had long left the crown prince unappointed and held the Marquis of Linzi in special esteem, Ding Yi and the others who had become Cao Zhi's wings urged Wei Zhen as well to ally himself with Cao Zhi, but Wei Zhen refused, citing the great principle of right. Records, Wei 22 §86
Cao Zhi, however, acted as he pleased, did not discipline himself, and drank without restraint. Cao Pi handled matters with artifice, restrained his feelings and kept up appearances, and as the palace women and attendants all spoke well of him, he was at last settled as heir. Worried about upheaval in the future, Cao Cao charged Yang Xiu, who had talent and strategy and was a nephew of the Yuan clan, with a crime and put him to death, and Cao Zhi grew all the more uneasy at heart. Records, Wei 19 §15–16
When Cao Cao died, Cao Pi succeeded him as Chancellor and King of Wei and changed the 25th year of Jian'an to the 1st year of Yankang (220). On taking the throne as king, Cao Pi put to death Ding Yi and Ding Yi (丁廙) together with the men of their households, and Cao Zhi went to his fief along with the other marquises. Records, Wei 2 §1Records, Wei 19 §18
In the Romance
In Chapter 79 of the Romance, after changing the era name to the 1st year of Yankang, Cao Pi, at Hua Xin's request, sends envoys to call to account Cao Zhi, Marquis of Linzi, and Cao Xiong, Marquis of Xiaohuai, who have not come to the mourning. The envoy who went to Linzi reports that the Marquis of Linzi drinks himself drunk every day with the two brothers Ding Yi and Ding Yi (丁廙), and that when the envoy arrived he sat upright and did not stir. Ding Yi cursed, saying that the late king had originally wished to make their lord his heir but had been thwarted by slandering ministers, and asked why, with the king's mourning not yet long past, Cao Pi was already calling his own flesh and blood to account; Ding Yi (丁廙) too rebuked the court's ministers for failing to recognize talent; and Cao Zhi, in anger, had the envoy beaten with clubs and driven out. Romance, Ch. 79 §4 · 7–9
Cao Pi, enraged, gives Xu Chu 3,000 men of the Tiger Guard and sends him to Linzi. Xu Chu beheads the commander who tries to stop him and goes straight to the hall of the residence, where he binds Cao Zhi, Ding Yi, Ding Yi (丁廙) and the others, who are lying drunk, and escorts them all to Ye. Cao Pi has Ding Yi, Ding Yi (丁廙) and the others put to death first. The Romance gives Ding Yi's courtesy name as Zhengli and Ding Yi (丁廙)'s as Jingli, and records that the two were men of Pei Commandery and men of letters of their time, and that many people lamented their deaths. Romance, Ch. 79 §10–11
Cao Pi's mother, Empress Bian (Wuxuan), hearing that Cao Zhi has been seized and that his followers Ding Yi and the others have already been put to death, is greatly alarmed; she hurries out of the hall, summons Cao Pi, and asks him to spare at least Cao Zhi's life. Romance, Ch. 79 §12
Where the Romance differs
How he died: In Chapter 79 of the Romance, Ding Yi hurls abuse at Cao Pi's envoy, Xu Chu binds the drunken Cao Zhi, Ding Yi, Ding Yi (丁廙) and the others at Linzi and escorts them to Ye, and Cao Pi then puts the two men to death first. The Records state only that when Cao Pi took the throne as king he put to death Ding Yi and Ding Yi (丁廙) together with the men of their households; the abuse of the envoy and the arrest by Xu Chu do not appear. Romance, Ch. 79 §8–11Records, Wei 19 §14–18
The succession struggle: In Chapter 79 of the Romance, Ding Yi says that the late king wished to make Cao Zhi his heir but was thwarted by slandering ministers. The Records state that Ding Yi, Ding Yi (丁廙), Yang Xiu and others became Cao Zhi's wings and Cao Cao several times came close to making Cao Zhi crown prince, but that while Cao Zhi acted as he pleased and could not restrain his drinking, Cao Pi handled matters with artifice and was settled as heir. Romance, Ch. 79 §8Records, Wei 19 §14–15
Mao Jie, Xu Yi and Wei Zhen: In the Records, Ding Yi, as Clerk of the Western Bureau, disliked Mao Jie and Xu Yi and repeatedly spoke of their faults, and he urged Wei Zhen to ally himself with Cao Zhi but was refused. In the Romance Ding Yi appears only in Chapter 79, and these events do not appear. Records, Wei 22 §5 · 86Romance, Ch. 79 §8–12
Courtesy name and character: Chapter 79 of the Romance gives Ding Yi's courtesy name as Zhengli and records that he was a man of Pei Commandery and a man of letters of his time. Chen Shou's main text in the Records says only that he was a man of Pei State who had literary talent but was not ranked among the seven men named before, and does not give his courtesy name. Romance, Ch. 79 §11Records, Wei 21 §24
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
Records total380 / 1000Rank 728 of 996 · Top 74%Romance total409 / 1000Rank 453 of 1,113 · Top 41%
Romance adaptation index+29Romance total − Records total
- LEA3131±0
- STR3131±0
- INT4542−3
- POL4238−4
- CHA4050+10
- VIR2545+20
- ADP2535+10
- SCH6662−4
- DIP4040±0
- DIS3535±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated from the record of his enjoying favorWei 19 §14
NMany people lamented his deathCh. 79 §11
RSided with Cao Zhi in the struggle over the crown prince and was executed with his family after Emperor Wen's accessionWei 19 §14Wei 19 §18
NNo direct record — estimated from his execution by Cao PiCh. 79 §11
7 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his civil post (Clerk of the Western Bureau)Wei 22 §5
NNo direct record — estimated as a man of lettersCh. 79 §11
RNo direct record — estimated as a civil officialWei 22 §5
NNo direct record — estimated as a man of lettersCh. 79 §11
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as one of Cao Zhi's wingsWei 19 §14
NNo direct record — estimated as a man of lettersCh. 79 §11
RNo direct record — estimated from his duties as Clerk of the Western BureauWei 22 §5
NNo direct record — estimated as a man of lettersCh. 79 §11
RHad literary talent, and his writings on punishment and ritual with Liu Yi were handed downWei 21 §24Wei 21 §60
NRecorded as a man of letters of his timeCh. 79 §11
RUrged Wei Zhen to ally himself with Cao Zhi but was refusedWei 22 §86
NNo direct record — estimated as a man of lettersCh. 79 §11
RNo direct record — estimated from his duties as Clerk of the Western BureauWei 22 §5
NNo direct record — estimated from his careerCh. 79 §11
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (1)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Wei · Records · Records vol. 19 「尋闢儀為掾」
Family
| Siblings | Ding Yi(丁廙) Romance |
|---|
Based on Wikidata items for the historical and Romance figures. Relations without the Unverified badge were also confirmed in the Records.