Zhu Yi

Historical Record（史载）

Zhu Yi, styled Jiwen, was a native of Wu County in Wu Commandery; his father was the General of Agile Cavalry, Zhu Huan. Zhu Yi entered service as a Gentleman through his father's privilege ^c:2364. From his youth he displayed exceptional talent and daring. According to the Biographies of Men of Letters, Zhu Yi, together with Zhang Chun, the son of Zhang Dun, and Zhang Yan, when they were young, once paid a visit to the General of Agile Cavalry, Zhu Ju. To test the talents of the three, Zhu Ju ordered each of them to compose a piece on some object. Zhu Yi composed on the crossbow, saying: "The shaft from Mount Nanyue, the bronze from Zhongshan; responding to the trigger it hits the mark, taking the falcon on the high wall." His diction was exquisite, and Zhu Ju greatly admired it ^c:2364.

Zhu Yi was later appointed Cavalry Commandant and took over command of his father Zhu Huan's troops. In the fourth year of Chiwu (241), he accompanied Zhu Ran in attacking Fancheng in Wei, offered a plan to break through its outer fortifications, and upon returning in triumph was promoted to Subordinate General ^c:2364. The Wei Grand Administrator of Lujiang, Wen Qin, set up numerous stockades at Lu'an, taking in fugitives and rebels, posing a threat to Wu's border. Zhu Yi personally led two thousand of his own men in a surprise attack, breaking seven of Wen Qin's stockades at a stroke and beheading several hundred, and was therefore promoted to General Who Spreads the Martial. When Sun Quan discussed military matters with him, Zhu Yi answered fluently, and won Sun Quan's great esteem. Sun Quan said to Zhu Yi's uncle Zhu Ju, "I knew Jiwen was bold and steady, but seeing him exceeds what I had heard." ^c:2364 This shows that Zhu Yi's daring and military talent were already widely recognized at the time.

In the first year of Jianxing (252), Zhu Yi was promoted to General Who Guards the South. In that same year, the Wei generals Hu Zun, Zhuge Dan, and others led troops out to Dongxing, and Zhu Yi directed the naval forces to break the pontoon bridge, and the Wei army was crushed ^c:2364. However, Zhu Yi's official career was not always smooth. When he accompanied Zhuge Ke in besieging Xincheng, because the city held out long and could not be taken, Zhu Yi and others advised withdrawing the troops to Yuzhang and raiding the Stone City. Zhuge Ke would not adopt his advice, and Zhu Yi, in anger, flung his letter to the ground and spoke in vehement terms; as a result he was stripped of his command by Zhuge Ke and demoted back to Jianye ^c:2369.

In the second year of Taiping (257), Zhu Yi was given the staff of authority and served as Grand Chief Commander, leading troops to relieve Shouchun, which was besieged by the Wei army, but he was unable to lift the siege. After he withdrew his army, he was killed by the powerful minister Sun Chen ^c:2364. According to the Book of Wu, Sun Chen summoned Zhu Yi, and Zhu Yi, heedless of Lu Kang's dissuasion, believed that Sun Chen was a kinsman and should not be suspected. However, Sun Chen ordered his strongmen to seize him. Before his death Zhu Yi cried aloud, "I am a loyal subject of the state of Wu—what crime is mine?" and was in the end pulled apart and killed ^c:2364.

In the Novel（演中）

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhu Yi appears mainly in chapters 111 and 112, his image differing somewhat from the historical record and focusing more on his identity as a military general and his ultimate tragic end ^c:5650. In the Romance, Zhu Yi's appearance comes during the period of Sun Chen's regency. The Wei general Zhuge Dan rebelled and sought aid from Eastern Wu. Sun Chen sent the great generals Quan Yi and Quan Duan as chief commanders, Zhu Yi and Tang Zi as vanguard, and Wen Qin as guide, leading an army of seventy thousand in three divisions to Shouchun to support Zhuge Dan ^c:5650.

In the Battle of Shouchun, the Romance depicts Zhu Yi and Wen Qin arrayed to left and right, coordinating with Zhuge Dan in sallying forth. When the Wei array was in disorder, Zhuge Dan led his troops in a thrust, with Zhu Yi and Wen Qin as the left and right wings. However, the Wei army had laid an ambush, and the two columns of troops under Shi Bao and Zhou Tai charged out, causing Zhuge Dan a great defeat, and he withdrew into Shouchun to hold it firmly. Sima Zhao then led troops to besiege Shouchun ^c:5651. In the Romance, the details of Zhu Yi's engagement with the Wei army outside Shouchun are relatively brief, and there is no detailed description of his specific tactics or personal showing; he appears more as one member of Zhuge Dan's relief force.

The Romance's description of Zhu Yi's eventual death is broadly consistent with the historical record, but omits his conflict with Zhuge Ke during the siege of Xincheng, as well as the details of his failure to lift the siege of Shouchun. The Romance more directly attributes Zhu Yi's death to Sun Chen's cruelty and suspicion, emphasizing Sun Chen's image of wantonly slaughtering loyal and good men, with Zhu Yi becoming a victim of his tyranny ^c:2364.

Key Relationships

* Zhu Huan (parent_of): Zhu Yi's father, through whose privilege he entered service ^c:2364.
* Zhu Ran (fights_in): Zhu Yi once accompanied Zhu Ran in attacking Fancheng in Wei ^c:2364.
* Wen Qin (rival_of): The Wei Grand Administrator of Lujiang, Wen Qin, once set up stockades to harass the border, and Zhu Yi led troops to break them. Later Wen Qin feigned surrender, and Zhu Yi saw through his stratagem, but Sun Quan still decided to receive him and sent Lü Ju together with Zhu Yi to go and welcome him ^c:2364. In the Romance, the two again served together as vanguard of the Eastern Wu relief force, supporting Zhuge Dan ^c:5650.
* Zhuge Ke (enemy_of): Zhu Yi once, because of a disagreement over military matters, was stripped of his command by Zhuge Ke and demoted back to Jianye ^c:2369.
* Sun Chen (enemy_of): Sun Chen was the powerful minister who brought about Zhu Yi's eventual death. After Zhu Yi failed to lift the siege of Shouchun, he was killed by Sun Chen on a trumped-up charge ^c:2364. In the Romance, Sun Chen sent Zhu Yi to support Zhuge Dan, but in the end it was still Sun Chen's tyranny that brought about Zhu Yi's tragic end ^c:5650.
* Zhuge Dan (fights_in): In the Battle of Shouchun, Zhu Yi, as part of the Eastern Wu relief force, together with Wen Qin supported Zhuge Dan against the Wei army ^c:5651.

Signature Scenes

* Displaying Talent by Composing on the Crossbow in Youth: In his youth Zhu Yi, together with Zhang Chun and Zhang Yan, paid a visit to Zhu Ju, who ordered the three each to compose on some object. Zhu Yi composed on the crossbow, his diction exquisite, displaying his early brilliance and literary gift ^c:2364.
* Surprise Attack on Wen Qin, Breaking Seven Stockades: Zhu Yi led two thousand men in a night assault on seven of Wen Qin's stockades, beheading several hundred, displaying his daring and military command, and winning Sun Quan's praise as one who was "bold and steady" ^c:2364.
* Breaking the Pontoon Bridge at the Battle of Dongxing: Zhu Yi directed the naval forces to break the Wei army's pontoon bridge, contributing to the great victory at Dongxing ^c:2364.
* Relieving Wei at Shouchun (unique to the Romance): In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhu Yi, as vanguard of the Eastern Wu relief force, together with Wen Qin supported Zhuge Dan and took part in the Battle of Shouchun ^c:5650.
* Not Suspecting Sun Chen and Being Wrongly Killed: Zhu Yi, heedless of Lu Kang's dissuasion, went to see Sun Chen, and was in the end wrongfully killed by Sun Chen even as "a loyal subject of the state of Wu," becoming a victim of Sun Chen's domineering tyranny ^c:2364.