RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a close associate of Sima WenwangWei 22 §53
NCiting Shu's internal affairs, argued for a campaign instead of an assassin, and was heededCh. 115 §32
Xun Yi 荀顗
| Occupation | RNOfficial · Minister of Works | Faction | Wei |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Yingchuan Commandery Yingyin County Unverified | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R16 |
Profile
Xun Yi was a son of Xun Yu of Wei. He has no biography of his own in Chen Shou's main text of the Records; his name appears at the end of the Biography of Xun Yu together with his elder brothers Xun Yun, Xun Yu (荀俁) and Xun Shen. His elder brothers all died young (Xun Yu (荀俁) and Xun Shen were well known), and Xun Yi became Minister of Works during the Xianxi era. Records, Wei 10 §45
During the Zhengshi era, as Regular Mounted Attendant, he recommended Hu Zhao together with several other ministers, and the General-in-Chief Sima Wenwang (Sima Zhao) spoke to Xun Yi in praise of Chen Tai over his relief of Didao. In the 3rd month of the 1st year of Xianxi (264) he rose from Left Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat to Minister of Works. Chen Shou's main text does not record what happened to him afterwards or his death. Records, Wei 11 §107Records, Wei 22 §53Records, Wei 4 §128Records, Wei 10 §45
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 114 as a Master of Writing and the maternal uncle of Chen Tai, and he appears in 4 of the 120 chapters, though no chapter has his name in its title. In Chapter 115 he recommends Deng Ai and Zhong Hui as the generals to attack Shu, and in Chapter 119, as Minister of Works, he admonishes Sima Zhao not to make a younger son his heir. Romance, Ch. 114 §15Romance, Ch. 115 §33Romance, Ch. 119 §32–33
In the Records
Xun Yi was a son of Xun Yu of Yingyin County in Yingchuan Commandery. Xun Yu's marquisate passed to his son Xun Yun, who rose to General of the Household Rapid as Tigers but died young. Xun Yun's younger brother Xun Yu (荀俁) was Palace Assistant Imperial Clerk, and his younger brother Xun Shen was Attendant Officer to the General-in-Chief; both were well known but died young. Xun Shen's younger brother was Xun Yi. Records, Wei 10 §2 · 45
During the Zhengshi era, while serving as Regular Mounted Attendant, Xun Yi joined the General of Agile Cavalry Zhao Yan, the Masters of Writing Huang Xiu and Guo Yi, the Regular Mounted Attendant Zhong Yu, the Minister Coachman Yu Yi, the Administrator of Hongnong He Zhen and others in successively recommending Hu Zhao. They said that Hu Zhao was lofty and pure by nature, grew ever more steadfast with age and had the integrity of Bo Yi and the Four Greybeards, so that he ought to be summoned to encourage public morals. In the 2nd year of Jiaping (250) he was specially summoned by official carriage, but Hu Zhao died just then. Records, Wei 11 §107–108
When the General Who Conquers the West Chen Tai held command over the armies of Yong and Liang provinces, Jiang Wei defeated the Inspector of Yong Province Wang Jing and besieged Didao, and Chen Tai advanced day and night to relieve it. Chen Tai always kept his reports to the throne few and brief, and the General-in-Chief Sima Wenwang said to Xun Yi: 'Xuanbo is calm, brave and decisive. Bearing the heavy charge of a regional commander, he relieved a city on the point of falling without asking for more troops, and he kept his reports few and brief because he was certain he could deal with the enemy. Is this not how a commander-in-chief and great general ought to be!' Records, Wei 22 §42 · 44 · 52–53
On the dingchou day of the 3rd month of the 1st year of Xianxi (264), the Minister of Works Wang Xiang became Grand Commandant and the General Who Conquers the North He Zeng became Minister over the Masses, while the Left Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat Xun Yi became Minister of Works. The end of the Biography of Xun Yu likewise records that he became Minister of Works during the Xianxi era. This is the last record of Xun Yi in Chen Shou's main text, and his death is not recorded. Records, Wei 4 §128Records, Wei 10 §45
In the Romance
In Chapter 114 of the Romance, after Cao Mao is stabbed to death by Cheng Ji's halberd, Sima Zhao summons the ministers to a council, and only the Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat Chen Tai fails to come. Sima Zhao sends Chen Tai's maternal uncle, the Master of Writing Xun Yi, to fetch him, and Chen Tai weeps bitterly, saying: 'People used to compare me with my uncle, but now I see that my uncle truly falls short of me.' Romance, Ch. 114 §13 · 15
In Chapter 115, when Sima Zhao receives Deng Ai's memorial reporting that Jiang Wei is running military farms at Tazhong and calls Jiang Wei an affliction in his very heart and belly, Jia Chong proposes sending an assassin to stab him to death. The Attendant Officer Xun Yi opposes this, saying that because Liu Shan, the lord of Shu, is sunk in wine and women and trusts Huang Hao, the great ministers all seek to avoid disaster, and Jiang Wei's farming is itself a plan to avoid disaster; if a great general were sent to attack, victory would be certain, so why use an assassin? Asked who could serve as general, he replies that if Deng Ai is given Zhong Hui as his deputy, the great undertaking will succeed, and Sima Zhao, saying that this matches his own thinking, summons Zhong Hui. Romance, Ch. 115 §31–33
In Chapter 119, when Sima Zhao, now King of Jin, wishes to make his second son Sima You his heir, Shan Tao and Jia Chong, He Zeng and Pei Xiu remonstrate. As Sima Zhao hesitates, the Grand Commandant Wang Xiang and the Minister of Works Xun Yi admonish him to think deeply, saying, 'In past ages, setting up a younger son usually threw the state into disorder,' and Sima Zhao at last makes his eldest son Sima Yan his heir. Later, when Sima Zhao suffers a stroke and falls gravely ill, Xun Yi enters the palace with Wang Xiang, He Zeng and others to inquire after him, and Sima Zhao points at Sima Yan with his hand and dies. Romance, Ch. 119 §31–34
In Chapter 120, when Yang Hu submits a memorial proposing an attack on Wu, Sima Yan is overjoyed and orders the troops raised. But Jia Chong, Xun Yi and Feng Dan argue strongly that it cannot be done, so Sima Yan does not proceed, and Yang Hu laments that Heaven is offering Wu and yet it is not taken. Romance, Ch. 120 §21–22
Where the Romance differs
Summoning Chen Tai: In Chapter 114 of the Romance, after Cao Mao's death Sima Zhao sends Chen Tai's maternal uncle Xun Yi to fetch Chen Tai, and Chen Tai weeps, saying that his uncle falls short of him. This incident is absent from the Biography of Chen Tai in Chen Shou's main text of the Records. The only place in Chen Shou's main text where the two appear together is the passage in which Sima Wenwang praises Chen Tai's conduct to Xun Yi, and their relationship as uncle and nephew is not recorded either. Romance, Ch. 114 §15Records, Wei 22 §37–56 · 53
Debate on the attack on Shu: In Chapter 115 of the Romance, the Attendant Officer Xun Yi urges sending a great general instead of an assassin and recommends Deng Ai and Zhong Hui. The Biography of Zhong Hui in the Records states that when Sima Wenwang planned to move against Shu, only Zhong Hui judged that Shu could be taken, and the two of them together weighed the terrain and the situation; Xun Yi does not appear. Romance, Ch. 115 §32–33Records, Wei 28 §102
Office: In Chapter 115 of the Romance, Xun Yi is an Attendant Officer. In Chen Shou's main text of the Records, Xun Yi was Regular Mounted Attendant during the Zhengshi era and, before becoming Minister of Works in the 1st year of Xianxi (264), Left Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat. In the Biography of Xun Yu, the one who served as Attendant Officer to the General-in-Chief was his elder brother Xun Shen. Romance, Ch. 115 §32Records, Wei 11 §107Records, Wei 4 §128Records, Wei 10 §45
Choosing the heir: In Chapter 119 of the Romance, the Minister of Works Xun Yi, together with Wang Xiang, admonishes against setting up a younger son, and Sima Yan becomes heir. The Annals of the Three Young Emperors in the Records state only that in the 8th month of the 1st year of Xianxi (264) the General of the Central Pacifying Army Sima Yan was appointed to assist in the affairs of the Chancellor of State; Xun Yi's remonstrance does not appear. Romance, Ch. 119 §32–33Records, Wei 4 §130
Opposing the attack on Wu: In Chapter 120 of the Romance, Xun Yi joins Jia Chong and Feng Dan in blocking Yang Hu's request to attack Wu. Xun Yi's career in Chen Shou's main text of the Records ends with his becoming Minister of Works in the 1st year of Xianxi (264), and nothing from the Jin period is recorded. Romance, Ch. 120 §22Records, Wei 4 §128Records, Wei 10 §45
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 total445 / 1000Rank 386 of 996 · Top 39%Romance total460 / 1000Rank 195 of 1,113 · Top 18%
Romance adaptation index+15Romance total − Records total
- LEA3131±0
- STR3131±0
- INT4264+22
- POL5848−10
- CHA4540−5
- VIR4832−16
- ADP5058+8
- SCH4540−5
- DIP4050+10
- DIS5566+11
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct recordWei 11 §107
NSent to fetch Chen Tai after Cao Mao's murder, was told he fell short of his nephewCh. 114 §15
RAs Regular Mounted Attendant, recommended the recluse Hu ZhaoWei 11 §107
NCalled Deng Ai a fine talent of the age and recommended Zhong Hui as his deputyCh. 115 §33
RRose from Left Supervisor of the Imperial Secretariat to Minister of WorksWei 4 §128
NNo direct record — estimated from his office of Minister of WorksCh. 119 §34
RNo direct recordWei 22 §53
NUrged setting up the eldest son as heir and strove to block the attack on WuCh. 119 §32Ch. 120 §22
5 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a civil officialWei 4 §128
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a civil officialCh. 115 §32
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a civil officialWei 4 §128
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a civil officialCh. 115 §32
RNo direct recordWei 11 §107
NNo direct recordCh. 119 §32
RNo direct record — estimated from his rise to one of the Three Excellencies under the Sima clanWei 22 §53Wei 4 §128
NKept following Sima Zhao even after the emperor's murder and rose to Minister of WorksCh. 114 §15Ch. 119 §34
RNo direct recordWei 11 §107
NNo direct recordCh. 119 §32
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 (4)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Wei · Records · Records vol. 4 「尚書左僕射荀顗為司空」
Family
| Parents | Xun Yu Records |
|---|---|
| Siblings | Xun Yun Records, Xun Can Records |
Based on Wikidata items for the historical and Romance figures. Relations without the Unverified badge were also confirmed in the Records.