Xun Yu 荀彧

Xun Yu 荀彧 was an advisor to Cao Cao for the majority of Cao Cao's campaigns.

Biography
Xun Yu was the grandson of Xun Shu, a respected scholar of Later Han. When he was young, Xun Yu was admired for his talents. He Yong said: "Here is talent to aid a king!"

When Dong Zhuo's men were plundering the countryside, Xun Yu was living in Yingchuan. Xun Yu tried to convince the elders to flee, saying: "Yingchuan is exposed to attack on all sides. We should get away quickly." However, the people didn't want to leave their homes, so Xun Yu fled alone with his family to Han Fu. Many of the villagers who remained were later killed by Li Jue 李傕.

Han Fu was in the service of Yuan Shao and Xun Yu was treated as an honoured guest by his host. However, Xun Yu did not think Yuan Shao a capable man and wanted to leave his service.

Xun Yu had heard Cao Cao to be a man of talent, so Xun Yu went to determine this for himself. After speaking, Cao Cao was most pleased with him, and said: "You are my Zifang!" Cao Cao immediately appointed him Major Who Displays Firmness.

Battle of Yan Province
Before the rebellion in Yan province, Cao Cao left Xun Yu in charge of Juancheng when he himself attacked Tao Qian in Xu province. It was Xun Yu who first realised a rebellion was brewing and summoned Xiahou Dun from Puyang to stop it before it began.

During the rebellion, Guo Gong approached Juancheng with his army to assess the situation. When asked what he wanted, Guo Gong said he had come to speak with Xun Yu. May people panicked and Xiahou Dun said: "You are the safeguard for the whole province. If you go you will certainly be in danger. You must not do it."

But Xun Yu believed Guo Gong was undecided and said: "Guo Gong knows almost nothing about Zhang Miao's party, for they have had little to do with each other in the past. He has only recently arrived, and he certainly has not made up his mind what he is going to do. If we talk with him while he is still undecided, then even if we cannot get him to join us, we may at least persuade him to stay neutral. If, on the other hand, we appear to distrust him he will certainly become angry and will decide against us." Because of Xun Yu's level-heading thinking, Juancheng was saved from further disaster.

Shortly after, news of Tao Qian's death reached Cao Cao. Someone suggested to him that he attack Xu again even though Lü Bu was still at large in Yan province. To which, Xun Yu said: "In earlier times, Emperor Gaozu took the land within the passes, and Emperor Guangwu occupied Henei. Both set their control of the empire on deep roots and a secure base. When they advanced they could defeat their enemies, and when they were forced to retreat they could still maintain their ground. They were sometimes defeated, but in the end they achieved the great work and conquered the empire."

"When you were chief in Yan province before, you settled the disturbances east of the mountains and so the people turned to you and were glad to accept your rule. The Yellow River and the Ji, moreover, are strategic points of the empire: though the countryside is now in ruins it is still easy to maintain yourself here. This is your 'land within the passes' and your 'Henei'; you must settle it first."

"Now that you have defeated Li Feng and Xue Lan, if part of your army goes east to attack Chen Gong he will certainly not venture to come west. Then take the opportunity to have your men bring in the harvest, collect food and store grain: by this one move Lü Bu will be defeated. Once you have dealt with Lü Bu, you can make an alliance in the south with [Liu Yao of] Yang province so as to attack Yuan Shu and move towards the Huai and the Si."

"But supposing you leave Lü Bu now and go east [into Xu province]: if you leave any substantial number of men here you will not have sufficient with you to accomplish any-thing; and if you leave only a small defence force behind then the people will keep to the cities, they will not be able to gather the harvest, and Lü Bu will take advantage of their weakness to rob and plunder. The people would become more and more uncertain of their affection for you. Juancheng, Fan and Wei [i.e . Puyang] would hold, but the rest would all be lost to us."

"In that case, you would no longer have Yan province, and if you failed in your plan to take Xu province where could you turn? Furthermore, though Tao Qian is dead, Xu will not be easy. The people have learnt from the defeats of the past: they will be frightened and will join together as closely as a jacket and its lining. Those lands of the east have already taken in the harvest, and they will wait for you with strong walls and empty fields. You will not be able to capture anything, and there will be nothing to plunder. In less than ten days, an army of hundred thousand men would be in trouble before ever it began to fight."

"When you attacked Xu province before, your majestic punishment was applied too harshly. The sons and younger brothers remember the shame of their fathers and elders. They will guard themselves and have no mind to surrender. You might be able to defeat them but you will not be able to hold them."

"In every situation, there comes a time when it is possible to take one thing rather than the other. It is always best to consider the more important matter rather than upon the lesser; it is always best to seek security rather than danger; and it is always best to judge an opportunity carefully and make no move that may risk your base of operations. Your present plan takes no account of these three good principles. Please think it over again."

It's unlikely that Cao Cao would have been foolish enough to ignore Lü Bu and pursue a personal grudge against Tao Qian, but Cao Cao did follow his argument. Cao Cao also followed Xun Yu's advice and collected the harvest in an attempt to starve Lü Bu out of Yan.

Family

 * Grandparents
 * Xun Shu - grandfather
 * Cousins
 * Xun You - first cousin, once removed