Life

Yu Song was the sixth son of Yu Fan, an official who served under Sun Quan, the founding emperor of Eastern Wu, and under Sun Quan's predecessor, Sun Ce. His ancestral home was in Yuyao County (餘姚縣), Kuaiji Commandery, which is in present-day Yuyao, Zhejiang. He was known for being honest, unpretentious and courteous. While he was in Wu, he assumed the following appointments: Colonel of Striding Cavalry (越騎校尉), Minister of Justice (廷尉), and Administrator (太守) of Xiangdong (湘東) and Hejian (河間) commanderies.

In 280, after Wu was conquered by the Jin dynasty, he went on to serve in the Jin government and was appointed as the Chancellor (相) of Hejian Principality (河間國). Sima Yong, the Prince of Hejian (河間王), had heard of Yu Song before and he treated him respectfully. Whenever he met and interviewed potential candidates to join the civil service, he did so in plain and simple buildings instead of in his office. Wang Qi (王岐), who was a friend of Yu Song's fifth brother Yu Zhong, tried to make things difficult for Yu Song by saying that elegant people possessed great talent. In response to Wang Qi's remark, Yu Song wrote to his nephew Yu Cha (虞察), "Those who recruit others to serve in the government had never ventured as far as into the countryside or society to search for talents. The ones who succeed are those they favour, while the ones who fail are those they do not favour. This is exactly what I always lament about."

Yu Song also strongly disapproved of lavish spending on funerals. When his eighth brother Yu Bing died, he offered only a lamb and some food and wine as sacrifices at his brother's funeral. His family and relatives followed this practice.

Family

Yu Song had 10 brothers. Among them, the notable ones were his fourth brother Yu Si, fifth brother Yu Zhong, and eighth brother Yu Bing.

生平

在吳國時曾任越騎校尉、湘東郡太守，入晉以後，為河間國相。

學術成就

創立並著述《穹天論》。認為「天形穹隆如雞子，幕其際，周接四海之表，浮于元氣之上。譬如覆奩以抑水，而不沒者，氣充其中故也。日繞辰極，沒西而還東，不出入地中，天之有極，猶蓋之有斗也。天北下于地三十度，極之傾在地卯酉之北亦三十度，人在卯酉之南十餘萬里，故斗極之下不為地中，當對天地卯酉之位耳。日行黃道繞極，極北去黃道百一十五度，南去黃道六十七度。二至之所舍以為長短也。」（《晉書·天文志》上。《宋書·天文志》一，《隋書·天文志》上。）