Life

Su Juns rebellion

Yu Yi was described as handsome and full of tact in his youth. He first appeared in history during Su Jun's rebellion in early 328, when Su was encroaching Yi's brother Yu Liang in Jiankang. Liang sent Yi to Shitou where he was tasked in defending the city from the rebel forces. It was said that Yi fought the rebels bravely, but after Jiankang fell, he had to flee with his brother to Xunyang. After the rebellion was put down in 329, Yu Yi was awarded Marquis of Duting and served as an Army Advisor and Attendant Officer of the Palace Gentlemen. He later became General Who Establishes Might and Prefect of Xiyang. During his tenure, he managed to calm the people which garnered him their appreciation.

Succeeding Yu Liang

In 339, as a part of Yu Liang's plans to lead a northern expedition against Later Zhao, Yi was made Colonel of Southern Man Tribes and acting Administrator of Nan commandery, and was based at Jiangling. The campaign never took off however, as Zhao detected his preparations and sent Kui An to defeat Yu Liang. Yu Liang cancelled the expedition after Zhao had done the damage, and he later died in disgrace on the first month of 340. Yu Yi succeeded to his brother's offices and held command over Jiangzhou, Jizhou, Sizhou, Yongzhou, Liangzhou, and Yizhou. Many were skeptical of Yu Yi's capability as he was still young to hold that much responsibility. He proved his critics wrong as Yi governed his provinces with strictness and dedication, allowing them to prosper in only a few years. With Yi commanding the borders and his brother, Yu Bing controlling state affairs, the brothers continued their family's authority over the state.

In 342, Yu Yi tried to get the court to move his base from Wuchang to Lexiang (樂鄉; northeast of present-day Songzi, Hubei), claiming that he had been witnessing some bizarre sightings near his base. One minister, Wang Shu (王述), protested to the court that Lexiang is too far away from the northern borders and that Yu Yi, being a prominent commander should be responsible in holding a strategic hold such as Wuchang. The court agreed with Wang, so Yi retracted his demands.

Yu Yi was generous to many and loved to help them elevate their statuses, although he despised those who were outwardly pretentious. He once made a pact of friendship with a certain Huan Wen. He would constantly recommend him to the emperor, selling Huan Wen as a hero and that he should be given high positions. However, he disliked the likes of Yin Hao and Du Yi (杜乂), who believed that they only have their use during time of peace. Yu Yi did try to employ Yin Hao a number of times, however, but Yin refused to accept his offers. Yu Yi also disliked Yin Hao's father, Yin Xian (殷羨), who was the Chancellor of Changsha, due to his corruption and cruelty. In 343, he wrote a letter to Yu Bing demanding that he demote him.

Northern expedition (343-344)

Yu Yi always had an ambition to conquer the region of Shu so that he could launch a northern expedition. He sent messengers to Murong Huang and Former Liang to coordinate their moves in Yi's grand strategy. Many of the court officials believed this to be impossible, and only Yu Bing, Huan Wen and Sima Wuji (司馬無忌) agreed with Yu Yi's plans. Opportunity came for Yu Yi in autumn when Zhao's Administrator of Runan, Dai Kai (戴開) defected to Jin with thousands of families under him. An imperial edict was published discussing retaking the Central Plains. Yu Yi petitioned that the veteran general Huan Xuan be made commander in Sizhou, Liangzhou, Yongzhou and four commanderies in Jingzhou before ordering him to rendezvous with Dai Kai. Yu Yi made Huan Wen his Subcommander, and he mobilized soldiers and transportation within his provinces, although this greatly upset the general populace.

Yu Yi wanted to move to Xiangyang, but fearing that the court would not allow it, he sent a petition asking to move his base to Anlu instead. The court told him to stop his advances, but Yu Yi continued on to Xiakou. He attempted to ask the court to move him to Xiangyang from there, and the court permitted it. Yu Yi became Commander of the expeditionary force. However, the expedition only saw its first and only encounter in 344. When 500 cavalries marched out of Fancheng, Yu Yi sent his Champion General Cao Ju (曹據) to pursue them. Cao killed their commander and seized their horses.

Meanwhile, many of the Han Chinese fled to Yu Yi from the north, and Yi treated them kindly while recruiting talented ones under his ranks. He then sent Huan Xuan to attack the Zhao general Li Pi (李羆) at Danshui. Xuan was defeated, and Yu Yi had him demoted. Xuan died of shame shortly after, so Yu Yi had his son, Yu Fangzhi to take his place. He later made his Marshal Ying Dan (應誕) as Administrator of Xiangyang and his Army Advisor Sima Xun as Inspector of Liangzhou.

Decline of the Yu clan

The defeat of Yi's expedition was only the first of the major setbacks that struck the Yu clan in 344. Emperor Kang, who was related to Yu Yi as a nephew, fell deathly ill that year. Thus, Yu Yi and Yu Bing were both pushing for another nephew to the throne, this time Sima Yu. However, the Jin minister He Chong advocated for the emperor's child, Sima Dan, and the emperor chose to listen to Chong. Yi and Bing were left disgusted by He Chong's interference as Emperor Kang's son, Sima Dan ascended the throne as Emperor Mu following Kang's death.

Later that year, Yu Bing would also pass away. He left for Xiakou where he was made Commander of Jiangzhou. He was supposed to be acting Inspector of Yuzhou as well, but he personally turned that down. Furthermore, he made another attempt demanding that he be positioned at Lexiang, but the court once again denied him. He thus went back to training and preparing his army for a future campaign on the barbarian states.

In 345, Yu Yi was suffering from an ulcer on his back. He was unable to perform his tasks, so he entrusted them to Yu Yuanzhi and his marshal Zhu Dao (朱燾). He passed away on August 16, and was posthumously named as Marquis Su of Duting. After his death, there was a revolt among his staff led by Gan Zan (干瓚) who killed Cao Ju, but he was put down by the likes of Zhu Dao, Mao Muzhi, Yuan Zhen and Jiang Bin (江虨). His son, Yuanzhi was supposed to succeed him in his positions in Jingzhou, but He Chong convinced the court to send in Huan Wen to take his place. Yuanzhi gave up without a fight, surrendering his positions to Huan Wen. He and his brother Yu Fangzhi were exiled to Yuzhang (豫章郡; around present-day Nanchang, Jiangxi).

Although the Yu clan had lost most of its power through this event, the clan remained relevant, even having one of its members, Yu Daolian, the daughter of Yu Bing, to marry Emperor Fei of Jin. However, when Huan Wen took over the government in 371, he was wary of the Yu clan and had the family exterminated for being a potential threat.

Works

Yu Yi was famous for being a calligrapher, so much so that his fame equalled to that of his contemporary, Wang Xizhi. Yi excelled at the "chancery script (隸書)" and "grass script (草書)". Two of his works survive today as copies, the first being the "Buzheng tie (步征貼)" and "Shengshi tie (盛事貼)". Apart from calligraphy, he was also a good writer, and has made at least 22 volumes of essays during his lifetime according to the "Quan Jinwen (全晉文)".

生平

庾翼風儀秀偉，少有經綸大略。咸和二年（327年），蘇峻之亂爆發，庾翼被庾亮指派白衣領數百人守備石頭城。但於次年蘇峻進攻建康時庾亮抵抗失敗，於是庾翼與庾懌和庾條隨庾亮逃到尋陽投靠溫嶠。

亂事平定後，受太尉府闢命，轉參軍，後遷任從事中郎。庾翼及後先任振威將軍、鄱陽太守，後轉建威將軍、西陽太守，任內安撫百姓，很得百姓歡心。咸康五年（339年），庾亮打算北伐，庾翼加輔國將軍，轉任南蠻校尉，假節領南郡太守，鎮守江陵。但於同年，後趙天王石虎因庾亮的軍事部署而派兵南侵，重鎮邾城被後趙軍攻陷，更圍困石城。庾翼此時屢設奇兵，偷偷將糧食軍需送入石城支援城內。及後竟陵太守李陽拒擊後趙軍，為石城解圍。庾翼因協助石城固守不失而封都亭侯。

次年，庾亮逝世，庾翼獲授都督江荊司雍梁益六州諸軍事，安西將軍、荊州刺史，假節，接替庾亮鎮守武昌。庾翼接手重任後努力不懈，令軍紀和地方管治都嚴明，數年就令官府和人民都財資充實，人們都稱許其才幹。而且歸心者不獨東晉臣民，連後趙黃河以南領地的人民都有歸附之心，建元元年（343年 ），後趙汝南太守戴開更率數千人請降。當時庾翼亦有北伐的大志，以平滅成漢和後趙為己任。更派使者聯結前燕和前涼預備一起出兵。同時，庾翼打算舉兵北伐，並想移鎮襄陽，但怕朝廷不許，於是在上表稱移鎮安陸。但康帝和朝中大臣多派人阻止，庾翼都不聽。庾翼違詔北行到夏口後再度上表，求鎮襄陽。朝廷最終加庾翼都督征討諸軍事，後更進庾翼為征西將軍，領南蠻校尉。

建元二年（344年），康帝和兄長庾冰先後逝世，庾翼回鎮夏口並接管庾冰的部眾。不久朝廷下詔庾翼再督江州並加領豫州刺史，庾翼於是修繕兵器軍備，積存糧食，準備之後舉兵北伐。後又派益州刺史周撫和西陽太守曹據討伐成漢，在江陽擊敗成漢將領李桓。

庾翼在永和元年（345年）患上背疽，病重時表次子庾爰之行輔國將軍、荊州刺史，代替自己的職位；又表司馬朱燾為南蠻校尉，以一千人守巴陵。七月庚午（8月16日），庾翼逝世，虛歲四十一。朝廷追贈車騎將軍，謚號肅侯。

家庭

夫人

• 劉靜女，高平縣劉綏之女

子女

• 庾方之，長子。桓宣死後任義城太守，統領桓宣部眾。後被桓溫以劉惔領義城太守取代。

• 庾爰之，字仲真，小字園客，次子。有父風，後被桓溫所廢。

• 庾女淑，嫁散騎侍郎陳郡謝攸

• 庾氏，嫁中書侍郎陳郡袁邵