Yu Song 虞松
| Occupation | ROfficial · Prefect of the Palace Secretariat NOfficial · Registrar | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Chenliu Commandery | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R4 |
Profile
Yu Song is a figure who appears in Chapter 108 of the Romance as a Registrar of Wei. When word reaches Luoyang that Zhuge Ke of Wu has surrounded Xincheng, he advises Sima Shi that the Wu army has come from afar with many men and little grain, so it will run away of its own accord when its grain runs out, and that if they wait until it is about to flee and then strike, they will surely win a complete victory. He adds, however, that they must prepare against the danger of the Shu army crossing the border, and Sima Shi agrees with him. Romance, Ch. 108 §20–21
Of the Romance's 120 chapters he appears only in Chapter 108, and no chapter has his name in its title. He does not appear in Chen Shou's main text and is recorded only in Pei Songzhi's notes. The Annals of the Three Young Emperors in Chen Shou's main text states that in the 5th month of the 5th year of Jiaping (253), when the Wu Grand Tutor Zhuge Ke surrounded the New City of Hefei, an edict ordered the Grand Commandant Sima Fu to resist him, and that Zhuge Ke withdrew in the 7th month, in autumn. Romance, Ch. 108 §20Records, Wei 4 §35
In the Romance
In Chapter 108 of the Romance, Zhuge Ke, victorious at Dongxing, proposes to advance on the Central Plain while Sima Zhao's army is retreating in defeat; he sends a letter to Jiang Wei of Shu asking him to attack the north of Wei, and raises a great army of 200,000. As they set out, a white vapor blocks the three armies, and Jiang Yan tries to stop him, calling it an omen of losing troops, but Zhuge Ke demotes him to commoner and advances. Following Ding Feng's advice that, since Wei treats Xincheng as the key pass for all routes, they should take this city first, Zhuge Ke goes straight to Xincheng, and the General of the Standard Zhang Te, who is defending the city, shuts the gates and holds fast. Romance, Ch. 108 §18–20
When a swift courier brings word of this to Luoyang, the Registrar Yu Song advises Sima Shi. He says that although Zhuge Ke is now surrounding Xincheng, they should not fight yet; the Wu army has come from afar with many men and little grain, so it will run away of its own accord when its grain runs out, and if they wait until it is about to flee and then strike, they will surely win a complete victory. He adds, however, that they cannot fail to prepare against the danger of the Shu army crossing the border. Sima Shi agrees with him and has Sima Zhao lead a body of troops to help Guo Huai resist Jiang Wei, while Guanqiu Jian and Hu Zun hold off the Wu army. Romance, Ch. 108 §20–21
Zhuge Ke attacks Xincheng for months without taking it; Zhang Te sends an eloquent scholar to deceive him by promising to surrender if he will wait just a few days, repairs the collapsed sections in the meantime, and when Zhuge Ke attacks the city again he is struck in the forehead by an arrow. As many of his men fall sick in the sweltering heat and the Commander Cai Lin defects to Wei, Zhuge Ke pulls back his troops to return to Wu, but Guanqiu Jian, informed by spies, raises his whole great army and falls upon him from behind, and he is badly defeated. In the Romance Yu Song appears only in the scene where he offers this plan. Romance, Ch. 108 §22–26 · 20
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
There is no record in the main text of Chen Shou’s Records, so only the Romance score is given.
- LEA35
- STR31
- INT68
- POL45
- CHA38
- VIR45
- ADP45
- SCH45
- DIP50
- DIS40
Evidence by ability
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as RegistrarCh. 108 §20
NNo direct record — estimated from his being a civil official serving as RegistrarCh. 108 §20
NPointed out the Wu army's lack of grain, advising to wait and strike and to prepare against ShuCh. 108 §20Ch. 108 §21
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as RegistrarCh. 108 §20
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as RegistrarCh. 108 §20
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as RegistrarCh. 108 §20
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as RegistrarCh. 108 §20
NNo direct record — estimated from his being a civil official serving as RegistrarCh. 108 §20
NSima Shi agreed with his words and followed themCh. 108 §21
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as RegistrarCh. 108 §20
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)
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