Wan Yu

Historical Record

Wan Yu—his courtesy name is unknown, and the years of his birth and death are likewise not clearly recorded. Under the Sun Wu regime he once held the office of Left Commander of the Army. Wan Yu was no stranger to the Marquis of Wucheng, Sun Hao; the two had been on good terms in their early years. When Sun Xiu died, the country was gripped by fear on account of the recent fall of Shu Han and the rebellion in Jiaozhi, and an elder ruler was urgently needed to stabilize the situation. At this juncture Wan Yu played a key role: he strongly recommended Sun Hao to the Chancellor Puyang Xing and the General of the Left Zhang Bu, praising Sun Hao's discernment and decisiveness as comparable to the Lord Huan of Changsha (Sun Ce), and noting that he was studious and observant of the law. ^c:28 At his persuasion, Puyang Xing and Zhang Bu adopted his proposal, and, having convinced the Empress Dowager Zhu, finally enthroned Sun Hao as emperor. After Sun Hao's accession, however, Wan Yu's position did not prove as secure as expected. In the first year of Fenghuang (272), the Right Chancellor Wan Yu was censured and in the end died of melancholy, his sons and brothers exiled to Luling. ^c:29

The *Jiangbiao Zhuan* gives a more detailed account of this event, noting that Sun Hao had long been displeased with old ministers such as Wan Yu, and that because words of a secret plot among Wan Yu, Ding Feng, and Liu Ping were leaked, Sun Hao harbored resentment. Later, at a banquet, Sun Hao bestowed poisoned wine upon Wan Yu; although the wine-bearer secretly reduced the dose of poison, Wan Yu in the end still took his own life. Liu Ping too, after drinking the poisoned wine, was spared by taking an antidote, but ultimately died of grief and indignation as well. ^c:29 This shows that Wan Yu's death was not simply a case of "being censured and dying of melancholy," but the result of Sun Hao's purging of dissenters and consolidating of imperial power. Earlier, Wan Yu, together with Puyang Xing and Zhang Bu, had also been resented by Sun Hao for their later regret over enthroning Hao, which ultimately led to Puyang Xing and Zhang Bu being killed and their three clans exterminated. ^c:30

In the Novel

In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, the figure of Wan Yu largely accords with the historical record, but the plot is simplified and concentrated. He appears chiefly in the decision to enthrone Sun Hao after Sun Xiu's death. In the novel, Sun Xiu, gravely ill, summoned the Chancellor Puyang Xing into the palace, wishing to install the crown prince Sun Wan. However, after Sun Xiu died, when Puyang Xing deliberated with the ministers, Wan Yu clearly proposed: "Wan is young and cannot conduct government alone; better to take the Marquis of Wucheng, Sun Hao, and install him." ^c:6931 The General of the Left, Zhang Bu, also concurred, saying that Sun Hao was "discerning and decisive, fit to be a sovereign." At the urging of Wan Yu and Zhang Bu, Puyang Xing finally persuaded the Empress Dowager Zhu to enthrone Sun Hao as ruler. This episode accords with the historical record of Wan Yu's active recommendation of Sun Hao.

However, the novel treats Wan Yu's end more concisely and dramatically. In Chapter 120 of *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, it is noted that after Sun Hao's accession, he grew daily more savage, sank into wine and lust, and favored fawning sycophants. After Puyang Xing and Zhang Bu were killed for remonstrating, the court ministers fell silent as cicadas in cold weather. Later, Wan Yu, together with the General Liu Ping and the Grand Minister of Agriculture Lou Xuan, seeing Sun Hao's tyranny, remonstrated bitterly and frankly, and as a result "all were killed by him." ^c:31 The novel makes no mention of the poisoned-wine suicide, but directly describes them as killed by Sun Hao, which differs from the historical record of Wan Yu's "being censured and dying of melancholy" and the *Jiangbiao Zhuan*'s account of his "suicide," yet both point to Wan Yu's death from having angered Sun Hao. The novel places Wan Yu's death alongside the fates of loyal ministers such as Lu Kai, emphasizing Sun Hao's cruel rule.

Key Relationships

* Sun Hao (friend_of / serves / victim_of): Wan Yu's relationship with Sun Hao was complex and changeable. Early on, Wan Yu was a close friend of Sun Hao and, after Sun Xiu's death, strongly recommended and enthroned Sun Hao as emperor. ^c:28 However, as Sun Hao's savage nature emerged after his accession, Wan Yu gradually became a victim of his rule. The histories record that Sun Hao harbored resentment over Wan Yu's earlier words of secret plotting, and finally bestowed poisoned wine that drove Wan Yu to take his own life. ^c:29 In the novel, Wan Yu was killed by Sun Hao for remonstrating bitterly and frankly. ^c:31 (unique to the novel)
* Puyang Xing (colleague / ally): Wan Yu and Puyang Xing served at the same court, and in the process of enthroning Sun Hao, Wan Yu actively lobbied Puyang Xing, bringing about Sun Hao's accession. ^c:28 However, both ultimately met misfortune through Sun Hao's suspicion and cruelty, Puyang Xing being killed by Sun Hao a step earlier. ^c:30
* Zhang Bu (colleague / ally): Like Puyang Xing, Zhang Bu was an ally of Wan Yu in enthroning Sun Hao. Wan Yu persuaded Zhang Bu to jointly recommend Sun Hao, bringing about his accession. ^c:28 Zhang Bu too was killed by Sun Hao together with Puyang Xing. ^c:30
* Sun Wu (serves): As an official of Sun Wu, Wan Yu's political career was closely bound to the rise and fall of the Sun Wu regime. He once contributed to Sun Wu's stability, but in the end also became a victim of the tyranny of Sun Wu's last sovereign.

Signature Scenes

* Enthroning Sun Hao: Wan Yu's most signature scene is undoubtedly his active recommendation of the Marquis of Wucheng, Sun Hao, to Puyang Xing and Zhang Bu after Sun Xiu's death, ultimately bringing about Sun Hao's accession as emperor. He praised Sun Hao as "discerning and decisive, of the same kind as Lord Huan of Changsha, and moreover studious and observant of the law." ^c:28 This act directly altered the political course of Sun Wu and also laid the groundwork for his own later tragedy. In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, this scene is simplified to Wan Yu's direct proposal that it was "better to take the Marquis of Wucheng, Sun Hao, and install him," ^c:6931 highlighting his key role.
* Being bestowed poisoned wine / killed for remonstrating: Wan Yu's end is another signature scene of his life. The histories record that Sun Hao, out of old resentment, bestowed poisoned wine that drove Wan Yu to suicide. ^c:29 This event reveals Sun Hao's cruel nature and reflects the darkness of Sun Wu's later politics. In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Wan Yu is instead killed for remonstrating bitterly and frankly against Sun Hao's tyranny. ^c:31 (unique to the novel) Although this episode differs in detail from the historical record, it likewise emphasizes Wan Yu's tragic fate as a loyal minister and Sun Hao's tyrannical rule.