Yan Jun 嚴畯

Yan Jun, courtesy name Mancai, was a native of Pengcheng. In his youth he immersed himself in learning, excelled in the Book of Odes, the Book of Documents and the Three Rites, and was also fond of the Shuowen. Fleeing the disorder, he went to Jiangdong, where he became as famous as Zhuge Jin and Bu Zhi and was on friendly terms with them. Zhang Cheng, too, had been on friendly terms with Zhuge Jin, Bu Zhi and Yan Jun in his youth. Records, Wu 8 §12Records, Wu 7 §20

Yan Jun was upright, simple and sincere by nature, and was intent on being of help to others by giving them loyal counsel and guiding them along the right path. When Zhang Zhao recommended him to Sun Quan, Sun Quan made him Chief Commandant of Cavalry and Attendant Gentleman on his staff. Records, Wu 8 §12

When Lu Su, General Who Spans the River, died, Sun Quan had Yan Jun take Lu Su's place, commanding ten thousand troops and guarding Lukou. Everyone rejoiced for him, but Yan Jun firmly declined again and again, saying, 'I am a plain scholar, not versed in military affairs; if one without the talent occupies the post, blame and regret are sure to follow.' His words became so impassioned that he was moved to tears, and Sun Quan granted his request; the world praised him for knowing how to decline in accordance with the truth of his abilities. Lu Su died in the 22nd year of Jian'an (217). Records, Wu 8 §12–13Records, Wu 9 §53

When Sun Quan became King of Wu and then took the imperial title, Yan Jun, as Minister of the Guards, once went to Shu as an envoy, and Zhuge Liang, the Chancellor of Shu, thought very highly of him. Yan Jun did not hoard his salary and gifts but gave them all away to his relatives and friends, so his household was never well provided for. Records, Wu 8 §13

After Sun Quan took the imperial title, he once asked the Minister of the Guards Yan Jun whether he still remembered the texts he had memorised as a child, and Yan Jun recited the 'Zhongni Was at Leisure' chapter of the Classic of Filial Piety. Zhang Zhao said, 'Yan Jun is a vulgar scholar; let me recite for Your Majesty,' and recited the 'The Gentleman Serves His Superior' chapter, and everyone thought that Zhang Zhao knew what was fit to recite. Records, Wu 7 §10

Liu Ying of Guangling was an old acquaintance of Yan Jun. Liu Ying devoted himself to learning at home and declined Sun Quan's summons on the pretext of illness, but when his younger brother Liu Lüe died in office as Administrator of Lingling, he hurried off to attend the mourning. Sun Quan, realising that he had feigned illness, urgently sent post horses to arrest him, and Yan Jun, too, galloped off to warn Liu Ying and had him go back and apologise to Sun Quan. Sun Quan in his anger dismissed Yan Jun, but Liu Ying was spared punishment. Records, Wu 8 §14

Long afterwards Sun Quan made Yan Jun Director of the Imperial Secretariat, and Yan Jun died after that. The Records do not give the year of his death. Yan Jun wrote a Commentary on the Classic of Filial Piety and a Treatise on Tides, and together with Pei Xuan and Zhang Cheng he also discussed Guan Zhong and Ji Lu; all of these were handed down in the world. Records, Wu 8 §14

In the 4th year of Chiwu (241), in the document he submitted before his death, the heir apparent Sun Deng named Yan Jun, together with Zhuge Jin, Bu Zhi, Zhu Ran, Quan Cong, Zhu Ju, Lü Dai, Wu Can, Kan Ze, Zhang Cheng and Sun Yi (孫怡), as ministers loyal to the state and versed in the essentials of government. Records, Wu 14 §12 · 14

Zhou Zhao of Yingchuan wrote a work praising Bu Zhi, Yan Jun and others. He named 'Minister of the Guards Yan' as one of five gentlemen who had not fallen into the four failings by which worthy officials ruin themselves, and wrote, 'Studying without seeking emolument, with no wish in his heart to gain anything improperly—the Minister of the Guards and General Who Displays Might followed this.' He also wrote that the three men—the Inspector, the Chancellor and the Minister of the Guards—had all been on friendly terms with one another long before, when they were commoners without office. Records, Wu 7 §90–93

In his assessment, Chen Shou called Master Yan Jun, Cheng Bing and Kan Ze the Confucian scholars of their age, and said, 'As for Yan Jun's declining honours and rescuing his old friend, is this not the conduct of an elder of virtue?' Records, Wu 8 §63