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81-567: Sima Yi ( pronunciation 司馬懿 ; 179 CE – 7 September 251 CE), courtesy name Zhongda , was a Chinese military general, politician, and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He formally began his political career in 208 under the Han dynasty's Imperial Chancellor Cao Cao , and was quickly promoted to higher office. His success in handling domestic and military affairs such as governance and

162-509: A campaign against Shu was proposed and eventually implemented after Cao Rui approved his proposal. In August 230, Cao Zhen led an army from Chang'an to attack Shu via the Ziwu Valley ( 子午谷 ). At the same time, another Wei army led by Sima Yi, acting on Cao Rui's order, advanced towards Shu from Jing Province by sailing along the Han River . The rendezvous point for Cao Zhen and Sima Yi's armies

243-469: A formal and respectful purpose. In traditional Chinese society, using someone’s given name in adulthood was considered disrespectful among peers, making courtesy names essential for formal communication and writing. Courtesy names often reflect the meaning of the given name or use homophonic characters, and were typically disyllabic after the Qin dynasty . The practice also extended to other East Asian cultures, and

324-462: A friend of Sima Yi's elder brother, Sima Lang , once said: "(Sima Yi) is intelligent, decisive, and unique. (Sima Lang) can't be compared to him." Sima Yi and his family used to live in the imperial capital, Luoyang , where his father, Sima Fang , served as a government official. Sima Yi was raised in a strict Confucian manner: He was not allowed to visit his father unless summoned, to speak to his father without being explicitly addressed, and neither

405-464: A narrow defile. Zhang He died after a stray arrow hit him in the right knee. Regardless of this setback, Cao Rui sent an emissary to congratulate Sima Yi on his victory and rewarded him by adding more taxable households to his marquisate. Sima Yi's advisors Du Xi and Xue Ti ( 薛悌 ) told Sima Yi the wheat would be ready for harvest the following year and Zhuge Liang would be sure to come seize it. Because Longyou lacked food supplies, they should transport

486-574: A regular commandery , and it governor was known as "grand administrator" ( 太守 ). In 583, the commandery was abolished. In 607, however, the commandery system was restored and Yong Prefecture ( 雍州 ) was renamed Jingzhao Commandery. In Tang dynasty , Jingzhao was a superior prefecture ( 府 ) created in 713 AD by converting Yong Prefecture ( 雍州 ). It lay north of the Qin Mountains in Shaanxi with Chang'an as its core. A census taken in 742 AD reported

567-508: A retreat towards the eastern side of the Mount Qi ridges, where the Shu army fortified at Lucheng ( 鹵城 ), seizing control of the hills in the north and south, and using the river as a natural barrier while pitching "covering camps" near the riverbank to take complete control of the water passage. Although his subordinates repeatedly urged Sima Yi to attack the enemy, he was hesitant to do so after seeing

648-405: A strong foothold in the province. Cao Cao rejected Sima Yi's idea and said he was already content with having Longyou ( 隴右 ; covering parts of present-day Gansu and Shaanxi ). He then turned his attention to his other key rival Sun Quan . Sun Quan sent an emissary to meet Cao Cao, asking to make peace and expressing his willingness to pledge allegiance to Cao Cao. He also urged Cao Cao to seize

729-607: A total of 362,921 households (population: 1,960,188), while a census taken ca. 813 AD reported only 241,202 households. Chang'an was destroyed during the fall of Tang dynasty. However, the name "Jingzhao" was restored in the Later Tang dynasty. In Song dynasty, the prefecture administered 13 counties: Chang'an ( 長安 ), Fanchuan ( 樊川 ), Hu ( 鄠 ), Lantian ( 藍田 ), Xianyang ( 咸陽 ), Jingyang ( 涇陽 ), Yueyang ( 櫟陽 ), Gaoyang ( 高陽 ), Xingping ( 興平 ), Lintong ( 臨潼 ), Liquan ( 醴泉 ), Wugong ( 武功 ), and Qianyou ( 乾祐 ). The name

810-597: A young age. He was knowledgeable and well-versed in Confucian classics . When chaos broke out in China towards the End of the Han dynasty , Sima Yi often expressed sympathy and concern for the people. Before he reached adulthood around the age of 19, Sima Yi once met Yang Jun, a commandery administrator who was known for spotting talents. Yang Jun described him as an "extraordinary talent". Cui Yan ,

891-661: Is brave enough, he'll move out from Wugong County and head eastward in the direction of the mountains. If he moves west to the Wuzhang Plains , we'll have no worries." Around that time, the Wei emperor Cao Rui became worried and decided to send the general Qin Lang to lead 20,000 infantry and cavalry as reinforcements to join Sima Yi. Courtesy name Unlike art names , which are more akin to pseudonyms or pen names , courtesy names served

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972-575: Is said to have instructed the official to arrest Sima Yi if he dawdled. Sima Yi became afraid and accepted the appointment. Although he was initially assigned to be an attendant to the crown prince, he was later reassigned to other positions, including Gentleman of the Yellow Gate ( 黃門侍郎 ), Consultant ( 議郎 ), Officer in the East Bureau of the Imperial Chancellor's Office ( 丞相東曹屬 ), and Registrar in

1053-552: The Book of Jin and Zizhi Tongjian , Sima Yi, upon hearing Meng Da wished to rebel, wrote a flattering letter to Meng Da to distract and confuse him while preparing to suppress the rebellion. While Meng Da was deciding whether to commit to his rebellion, Sima Yi swiftly assembled his troops and secretly led them to attack Meng Da's base in Shangyong Commandery ( 上庸郡 ; around present-day Zhushan County , Hubei). While heading towards

1134-538: The Book of Rites , after a man reached adulthood, it was disrespectful for others of the same generation to address him by his given name . Thus, the given name was reserved for oneself and one's elders, whereas the courtesy name would be used by adults of the same generation to refer to one another on formal occasions or in writing. Another translation of zi is "style name", but this translation has been criticised as misleading, because it could imply an official or legal title. Generally speaking, courtesy names before

1215-482: The Book of Jin make no mention of a detachment being defeated, and records of the campaign tend to vary and prove unreliable. After defeating the enemy, Zhuge Liang foraged for the early spring wheat that was available in the vicinity. Sima Yi's subordinates feared losing the wheat but Sima Yi stated: "Zhuge Liang thinks too much and makes too few decisions. He'll be fortifying his camp and defences first before coming to harvest

1296-576: The Northern Qi dynasty asserted that whereas the purpose of a given name was to distinguish one person from another, a courtesy name should express the bearer's moral integrity. Prior to the twentieth century, sinicized Koreans , Vietnamese , and Japanese were also referred to by their courtesy name. The practice was also adopted by some Mongols and Manchus after the Qing conquest of China. Intendant of Jingzhao Jingzhao ( Chinese : 京兆 )

1377-499: The Qin dynasty were one syllable, and from the Qin to the 20th century they were mostly disyllabic , consisting of two Chinese characters . Courtesy names were often relative to the meaning of the person's given name, the relationship could be synonyms, relative affairs, or rarely but sometimes antonym. For example, Chiang Kai-shek 's given name ( 中正 , romanized as Chung-cheng) and courtesy name ( 介石 , romanized as Kai-shek) are both from

1458-998: The Records of the Three Kingdoms and Zizhi Tongjian , Zhuge Liang retreated due to a lack of supplies rather than defeat, and the Wei forces pursued him. The pursuit did not go completely smoothly for Wei; Sima Yi had ordered Zhang He to further pursue the enemy in an attempt to capitalise on their momentum. According to the Weilüe , Zhang He initially refused to obey Sima Yi's order and argued according to classical military doctrine, one should refrain from pursuing an enemy force retreating to its home territory. Sima Yi refused to listen and forced Zhang He to carry out this order. Zhang He fell into an ambush at Mumen Trail ( 木門道 ; in Tianshui, Gansu), where Zhuge Liang had ordered crossbowmen to hide on high ground and fire at approaching enemy forces when they entered

1539-665: The Xia , Yin , and Zhou dynasties, the rulers who did not hesitate when they should take the throne were the ones who truly understood Heaven's will. Cao Cao did not usurp the throne from Emperor Xian and remained a subject of the Han Empire until his death. In 216, after Emperor Xian promoted Cao Cao from a duke to a vassal king under the title "King of Wei", Sima Yi became an adviser to Cao Cao's son and heir apparent , Cao Pi , who highly regarded and respected Sima Yi for his brilliance. Along with Chen Qun , Wu Zhi , and Zhu Shuo ( 朱鑠 ), Sima Yi

1620-695: The gallery roads leading into Shu were too damaged for the troops to pass through, and because of constant heavy rain that had lasted for more than 30 days. In 231, Shu forces led by Zhuge Liang attacked Tianshui Commandery , and besieged Wei forces led by Jia Si ( 賈嗣 ) and Wei Ping ( 魏平 ) at Mount Qi ( 祁山 ; the mountainous regions around present-day Li County, Gansu ). Cao Rui ordered Sima Yi to move to Chang'an to supervise military operations in Yong and Liang provinces. Sima Yi then ordered Fei Yao and Dai Ling to protect Shanggui County ( 上邽縣 ; in present-day Tianshui, Gansu) with 4,000 elite troops and set out with

1701-416: The yù (豫) hexagram 16 of I Ching . Another way to form a courtesy name is to use the homophonic character zi ( 子 ) – a respectful title for a man – as the first character of the disyllabic courtesy name. Thus, for example, Gongsun Qiao 's courtesy name was Zichan ( 子產 ), and Du Fu 's was Zimei ( 子美 ). It was also common to construct a courtesy name by using as the first character one which expresses

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1782-671: The Central States are not adept in naval warfare, hence they dare to live in Dongguan . When we attack an enemy, we should always block its throat and strike its heart. Xiakou and Dongguan are the enemy's heart and throat. If we can move our land forces to Wan to lure Sun Quan to advance east, then take advantage of his absence from Xiakou by sending our navy to attack it, it will be like an army from Heaven descending to attack, victory assured." Cao Rui agreed with Sima Yi's view and ordered him to return to his post at Wan. Around August 228, during

1863-501: The Eastern Han dynasty, and declared himself emperor of the newly established state of Wei . Cao Pi first appointed Sima Yi as a Master of Writing ( 尚書 ) but later reassigned him as an Army Inspector ( 督軍 ) and Palace Assistant Imperial Clerk ( 御史中丞 ). He promoted Sima Yi from a village marquis to a district marquis under the title "District Marquis of Anguo" ( 安國鄉侯 ). In 221, Sima Yi was removed from his post as an Army Inspector, and

1944-464: The Governor of Nanyang Yang Jun (楊俊) under whose authority the city fell, was arrested. Sima Yi, among other officials, was on good terms with Yang Jun, whom he had met during his youth (they were both from Henei Commandery) and considered capable and intelligent, and pleaded on his behalf; knocking his forehead on the ground until it started bleeding, but Cao Pi dismissed the appeal. Yang Jun, admitting he

2025-527: The Han Empire and his descendants had lived there since. Sima Jūn ( 司馬鈞 ), an eighth-generation descendant of Sima Ang and the great-great-grandfather of Sima Yi, served as a general of the Han Empire, holding the position General Who Conquers the West ( 征西將軍 ). Sima Jūn's son Sima Liang ( 司馬量 ) held the position Grand Administrator of Yuzhang , and Sima Liang's son Sima Jùn ( 司馬儁 ) served as Grand Administrator of Yingchuan . Sima Jùn's son Sima Fang served as

2106-573: The Imperial Chancellor's Office ( 丞相主簿 ). In 215, Sima Yi accompanied Cao Cao on his campaign against the warlord-pope Zhang Lu , whom Cao Cao defeated at the Battle of Yangping in Hanzhong Commandery . Afterwards Sima Yi urged him to capitalise on the momentum and attack his rival Liu Bei , who was in the neighboring Yi Province . Sima Yi said because Liu Bei had only recently seized control of Yi Province from Liu Zhang , he had yet to establish

2187-709: The Inspector of Jing Province and the Administrator of Nanxiang Commandery ( 南鄉郡 ; in Jing Province) at the time. Sima Yi said Hu Xiu was violent and Fu Fang was arrogant, and that neither should not be entrusted with the responsibility of guarding the border at Jing Province, but Cao Cao ignored him. In 219, during the Battle of Fancheng , while Cao Cao's general Cao Ren was besieged by Liu Bei's general Guan Yu in Fancheng , Cao Cao ordered Yu Jin to lead reinforcements to lift

2268-546: The Prefect of Luoyang ( 洛陽令 ), Intendant of Jingzhao , and later as Cavalry Commandant ( 騎都尉 ) towards the end of the Eastern Han dynasty . Sima Yi was Sima Fang's second son. Sima Yi had one elder brother Sima Lang (Boda) and six younger brothers. The eight Sima brothers were collectively known as the "Eight Da s" because their courtesy names all ended with da ( 達 ). Sima Yi displayed intelligence and great ambitions at

2349-403: The Wei forces to Yumi County ( 隃麋縣 ; east of Qianyang County , Shaanxi) and stationed there. When Zhuge Liang heard of the Wei army's arrival, he led his troops to Shanggui County to collect the harvest. Without good coordination, Sima Yi's subordinates defied his order to defend their positions; a detachment of the Wei army went to attack the Shu forces but were defeated, although accounts from

2430-457: The Wei imperial court to mobilise farmers from Ji Province to Shanggui County and put them under the jurisdiction of Jingzhao , Tianshui , and Nan'an ( 南安 ) commanderies. By 233, Sima Yi's agricultural plan came to fruition and became a source of food supplies for the three commanderies. In March or April 234, Zhuge Liang led up to 100,000 Shu troops out of the Xie Valley ( 斜谷 ) and camped at

2511-473: The Wu invaders, defeated Zhuge Jin, and killed Zhang Ba and more than 1,000 Wu soldiers. In recognition of Sima Yi's efforts, Cao Rui promoted him to General of Agile Cavalry ( 驃騎將軍 ). In July 227, Cao Rui ordered Sima Yi to garrison at Wan , and put him charge of the military affairs of Jing and Yu provinces. During Cao Pi's reign, Sima Yi had warned Cao Pi Meng Da , a former Shu general who had defected to Wei,

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2592-408: The administration. Sima Yi declined, presumably on grounds of illness, with the Book of Jin more specifically mentioning that he, seeing that the Han Empire's future was bleak, declined and lied by supposedly saying that he suffered from paralysis ; staying at home, with Cao Cao's spies reporting that they saw Sima Yi lying motionless in bed. One day—in a story that may be apocryphal—while Sima Yi

2673-414: The bearer's birth order among male siblings in his family. Thus Confucius , whose name was Kong Qiu ( 孔丘 ), was given the courtesy name Zhongni ( 仲尼 ), where the first character zhong indicates that he was the second son born into his family. The characters commonly used are bo ( 伯 ) for the first, zhong ( 仲 ) for the second, shu ( 叔 ) for the third, and ji ( 季 ) typically for the youngest, if

2754-543: The central government in Luoyang. Sima Yi again encountered Zhuge Liang, this time east of Shanggui County at Hanyang ( 漢陽 ) but no direct engagement occurred; Sima Yi drew in his troops and put them into formation while waiting, finding protection in the nearby defiles ; concurrently he sent Niu Jin to lead a lightly armed cavalry detachment to lure the enemy to Mount Qi, who in the process briefly engaged in battle with Shu vanguard commander Ma Dai and inflicted some losses on

2835-494: The city from eight directions for over two weeks. On the sixteenth day, Meng Da's nephew Deng Xian ( 鄧賢 ) and subordinate Li Fu ( 李輔 ) opened the city gates and surrendered to Sima Yi. Meng Da was captured and executed, and his head was sent to the capital Luoyang ; more than 10,000 captives were taken and Sima Yi returned to Wan in triumph. While he was in charge of Jing and Yu provinces, Sima Yi encouraged and promoted agriculture, and reduced wastage of public funds. The people of

2916-422: The city." Cao Pi ignored Sima Yi's advice, and had Cao Ren burn and abandon Xiangyang and Fancheng. As Sima Yi predicted, Sun Quan did not attack afterwards, and Cao Pi regretted not listening to him. Throughout 220, Sima Yi served as one of the leading officials in court to urge Cao Pi's seizure of the throne, and was supported by other officials. In late 220, Cao Pi usurped the throne from Emperor Xian , ending

2997-399: The enemy outside Lucheng. The Wei forces suffered an unexpected and large defeat: 3,000 soldiers were killed, and 5,000 suits of armour and 3,100 sets of hornbeam crossbows were seized by the Shu forces but Sima Yi retained a sizable army, which he led back to his camp. Despite his victory, Zhuge Liang could not make use of the momentum to launch a major offensive on the enemy because his army

3078-435: The enemy. Zhuge Liang simultaneously withdrew his forces and Sima Yi thereafter closely followed Zhuge Liang from the rear. Zhang He advised against pursuit on grounds they could effectively station at Mount Qi, combine their forces, and conduct irregular expeditions; Zhuge Liang's provisions were running low and he would soon be forced to retreat, but Sima Yi did not heed this advice and continued his pursuit. Zhuge Liang ordered

3159-404: The family consists of more than three sons. General Sun Jian 's four sons, for instance, were Sun Ce ( 伯符 , Bófú), Sun Quan ( 仲謀 , Zhòngmóu), Sun Yi ( 叔弼 , Shūbì) and Sun Kuang ( 季佐 , Jìzuǒ). Reflecting a general cultural tendency to regard names as significant , the choice of what name to bestow upon one's children was considered very important in traditional China. Yan Zhitui of

3240-518: The form of Shu and Wu forces that had just arrived at Anqiao ( 安橋 ) and Mulan Fort ( 木闌塞 ) in Xicheng ( 西城 ) respectively. Meng Da was taken by surprise, having not expected Sima Yi to appear so quickly at Shangyong Commandery. Meng Da was surrounded on three sides by a river so he set up wooden barriers to defend himself. Sima Yi's forces crossed the rivers, destroyed the barriers, and arrived just outside Shangyong. Sima Yi split up his forces and attacked

3321-468: The front line. Zhuge Liang's movements, however, were quicker than Cao Rui anticipated; only a portion of the wheat produce in Shanggui County was left after the Shu army's harvesting. The Wei general Guo Huai then asserted his influence over local nomadic tribes and forced them to hand over food supplies for the Wei army. The Wei army was thus able to gain access to food supplies without assistance from

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3402-501: The funeral cortège to Ye , earning the respect of officials within and outside the central government. After Cao Pi succeeded his father as the vassal King of Wei and Imperial Chancellor of the Han Empire in early 220, he enfeoffed Sima Yi as Village Marquis of Hejin ( 河津亭侯 ) and appointed him as his Chief Clerk ( 長史 ). Later, when Sun Quan led his forces to attack Cao Pi's territories in Jing Province , some officials rejected

3483-594: The good people, we might cause them to feel distressed and unwilling to return to our side." Cao Cao heeded Sima Yi's advice. The people affected by the Battle of Fancheng reverted to their original livelihoods after the battle. When Cao Cao died in Luoyang in March 220, there was apprehension in the imperial court. Sima Yi supervised the funerary arrangements to ensure everything would be carried out in an orderly fashion, and accompanied

3564-443: The government by holding local office, possibly as a clerk in charge of the records, and in 202 he was sent as a Reporting Officer ( 上計掾 ) to the capital. Around the same year, he married a woman named Zhang Chunhua , possibly at the instigation of his father. At the same time, the warlord Cao Cao , who then held the position of Minister of Works in the Han imperial court, heard of Sima Yi's talent and wanted to recruit him to serve in

3645-431: The idea of resisting Sun Quan because Fancheng and Xiangyang lacked food supplies. Cao Ren , who was defending Xiangyang, had been reassigned from Fancheng to defend Wan . Sima Yi said; "Sun Quan has recently defeated Guan Yu. At this time, he will want to be tying up his own business, and will not dare cause us trouble. Xiangyang's land and water routes are crucial to its defences against enemy attacks, so we cannot abandon

3726-438: The imperial capital in his absence, as well as providing reinforcements and supplies for his armies at the frontline. Before departing, Cao Pi issued a decree; "I am deeply concerned about my posterity. This is why I entrust you with this responsibility. Even though Cao Shen made many contributions on the battlefield, Xiao He played a more important role than him. Would that I could but be free of looking back over my shoulder at

3807-432: The layout of the Shu camps in the hills. He relented when his subordinates criticised and mocked him by saying he would become a laughing stock if he refused to attack. Sima Yi sent Zhang He to attack the southern Shu camps that were guarded by Wang Ping while he led a frontal assault on Lucheng from the central avenue. In response, Zhuge Liang ordered Wei Yan , Wu Ban , and Gao Xiang to lead troops to engage and resist

3888-463: The location, Sima Yi's subordinates suggested they observe Meng Da's actions first before advancing but Sima Yi replied, "[Meng] Da is not a trustworthy person. Now that he is hesitating due to suspicions, we should seize this opportunity to get rid of him." The marching speed was quickened and, covering 2,200 li , Sima Yi arrived within eight days and ordered his subordinates to lead separate detachments to intercept and block Meng Da's reinforcements in

3969-586: The next target of Sima Yi's crackdown on traitorous officials. After Sima Yi had suppressed Meng Da's rebellion, many regional officials came to present gifts and congratulate him. Sima Yi sent a messenger to provoke Shen Yi and lure him into a trap. When Shen Yi went to confront Sima Yi, he was captured and sent to the imperial capital. Sima Yi relocated to You Province with more than 7,000 households from Shangyong Commandery. The Shu military officers Yao Jing ( 姚靜 ), Zheng Tuo ( 鄭他 ), and others later brought more than 7,000 men with them to surrender to Sima Yi. Among

4050-454: The population was 682,468, in 195,702 households. By the end of the Han dynasty, Nanling, Fengming and Chuansikong counties were abolished and Hu and Huayin became part of Hongnong Commandery , while 5 new counties – Changling ( 長陵 ), Yangling ( 陽陵 ), Shangluo ( 上雒 ), Shang ( 商縣 ), and Yinpan ( 陰盤 ) – were added from other commanderies. In the Cao Wei dynasty, Jingzhao became

4131-638: The positions of Official Who Concurrently Serves in the Palace ( 給事中 ) and Manager of the Affairs of the Masters of Writing ( 錄尚書事 ), a promotion from his prior office. When Sima Yi declined to accept these appointments, Cao Pi told him; "I have been busy with the affairs of state all day into the night, with no moment to rest. This isn't a commendation: just sharing the burden." The next year, Cao Pi led his armies to attack Sun Quan, and left Sima Yi behind to defend and govern

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4212-640: The posthumous title Emperor Xuan of Jin and the temple name Gaozu . He was also the last common ancestor of all emperors of the Jin dynasty; while emperors of the Western Jin descended from Sima Zhao (his son with wife Zhang Chunhua ), emperors of the Eastern Jin descended from Sima Zhou (his son with concubine Lady Fu). Sima Yi's ancestral home was in Xiaojing ( 孝敬里 ), Wen County , Henei Commandery . His ancestor

4293-708: The primary authority in Wei, although in June 251 he faced some opposition from Wang Ling 's rebellion , which he swiftly dealt with. Sima Yi died on 7 September 251, at the age of 71 or 72, and was succeeded by his eldest son Sima Shi . For the remainder of Wei's history, state power was increasingly vested in the Sima clan, which led to the establishment of the Jin dynasty , which was founded by Sima Yi's grandson Sima Yan in February 266. After Sima Yan became emperor, he honoured his grandfather with

4374-504: The promotion of agriculture, serving as an adviser, repelling incursions and invasions led by Shu and Wu forces, speedily defeating Meng Da 's Xincheng Rebellion , and conquering the Gongsun-led Liaodong commandery , garnered him great prestige. He is perhaps best known for defending Wei from a series of invasions that were led by Wei's rival state Shu between 231 and 234. In 239, along with another co-regent Cao Shuang , he

4455-616: The rest of his men westward to relieve the mountainous battlefield. Zhang He wanted to take a detachment and station it at Yong and Mei counties but Sima Yi reasoned: "If the vanguard is able to face the enemy alone, your words are right; but should they not be able to do so, the dividing of the forces into vanguard and rear would be unwise; in this manner the Three Armies of Chu were captured by Qing Bu ." After making preparations for battle, Sima Yi, with Zhang He, Fei Yao , Dai Ling ( 戴陵 ), and Guo Huai serving as his subordinates, led

4536-432: The siege on Fancheng. The reinforcements were killed in a flood and Yu Jin surrendered to Guan Yu. As Sima Yi foresaw, Hu Xiu and Fu Fang defected to Guan Yu, placing Cao Ren in a more perilous situation. Upon learning of Yu Jin's defeat, Cao Cao felt the Han imperial capital Xuchang was too near enemy territory so he considered moving the capital further north into Hebei . Sima Yi and Jiang Ji said; "Yu Jin's defeat ...

4617-670: The siege on Fancheng." Cao Cao heeded their advice and Sun Quan later sent his general Lü Meng to attack Gong'an County and invade Jing Province in the winter of 219–220. Sun Quan's forces captured and executed Guan Yu. Cao Cao wanted to relocate residents in Jing Province and Yingchuan Commandery further north as he felt they were too close to enemy territory in the south. Sima Yi, however, advised him against doing so and said; "The Jing and Chu regions are unstable. The people are easy to move but hard to pacify. As Guan Yu has been recently defeated, bad people will go into hiding. If we move

4698-578: The south hall of Chonghua Palace ( 崇華殿 ), where he ordered them to assist his son Cao Rui after his death. Cao Pi also told Cao Rui; "There may be those who would alienate these Three Excellencies from you, but be careful and do not doubt them". After Cao Rui became Emperor of Wei, he elevated Sima Yi from the status of a district marquis to a county marquis under the title "Marquis of Wuyang". Around that time, Sun Quan attacked Jiangxia Commandery and sent his generals Zhuge Jin and Zhang Ba ( 張霸 ) to attack Xiangyang . Sima Yi led Wei forces to resist

4779-533: The southern bank of the Wei River near Mei County . Sima Yi's subordinates wanted to station their camp north of the Wei River but Sima Yi said: "Many civilians have gathered at the south of the Wei River. That is certain to be a hotly contested location." Sima Yi then led his troops across the river, took up his position with his rear facing the river, and began constructing fortifications. He also said: "If Zhuge Liang

4860-471: The southern lands were happy and showed their support for him. Shen Yi, a former subordinate of Meng Da, had remained in Weixing Commandery ( 魏興郡 ; around present-day Ankang , Shaanxi) and had become deeply entrenched there. Shen Yi had been illegally using the Wei emperor's name to carve official stamps and seals, and giving them to others. After hearing of Meng Da's fall, he became worried he would be

4941-587: The thousands of people who migrated to Wei from Shu, many were unregistered residents whom the Wei government wanted to register as citizens of Wei. The Wei emperor Cao Rui summoned Sima Yi back to Luoyang and sought his opinion on this issue. Sima Yi said: "The enemy seized these people through deception and now abandoned them. If we acknowledge their position in our great apparatus of state, they will naturally feel happy and at ease." Cao Rui then asked him which of Wei's two rival states (Wu and Shu) they should attack first. Sima Yi replied: "The people of Wu know that we in

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5022-404: The throne from Emperor Xian and declare himself emperor. In response to Sun Quan's suggestion, Cao Cao remarked; "This kid wants me to put myself on top of a fire!" Sima Yi told him: "The Han dynasty nears its end. Your Lordship controls nine-tenths of the Han Empire. You are in a position to take the throne. Sun Quan's submission is the will of Heaven. Previously, during Yu 's time and throughout

5103-597: The time of the Battle of Shiting , records make brief mention of Sima Yi's involvement in the events by stating he led Wei forces into Jiangling . In March 230, Sima Yi was promoted to General-in-Chief ( 大將軍 ), appointed Grand Chief Controller ( 大都督 ) in charge of multiple commanderies, and – in a continuation of an extremely early tradition – bestowed a ceremonial yellow battle axe. The Wei emperor Cao Rui put him and Cao Zhen in charge of defending Wei's western borders from attacks by its rival state Shu, which had been launching invasions since 228. At Cao Zhen's instigation,

5184-488: The warlords Cao Cao and Lü Bu , Sima Lang brought his family out of Liyang Commandery and again returned to their now-ravaged ancestral home in Wen County, Henei Commandery, where Sima Yi and his brothers largely sustained themselves by living as farmers; fending off local groups of bandits while studying diligently during their free time. Around 201, the administrative office of Henei Commandery nominated Sima Yi to serve in

5265-410: The west (referring to Shu Han )!" Cao Pi later returned from Guangling Commandery to Luoyang . He told Sima Yi, "When I am in the east, you will be in charge of the west; when I am in the west, you will be in charge of the east." Sima Yi remained behind to guard Xuchang . In mid 226, when Cao Pi became critically ill, he summoned Sima Yi, Cao Zhen , Chen Qun , and possibly Cao Xiu to meet him in

5346-521: The wheat there that winter. Sima Yi said: "Zhuge Liang advanced towards Mount Qi again and attacked Chencang [ 陳倉 ; east of Baoji , Shaanxi] but lost and withdrew. If he advances again, instead of attacking cities, he will call for a battle in the east of Longyou and not the west. Zhuge Liang feels frustrated whenever there is shortage of grain, so he will stockpile supplies when he returns [to Shu]. I predict he won't attack again without at least three harvests' worth of food supplies." Sima Yi then proposed to

5427-423: The wheat. Two days is sufficient for me [to reach Shanggui County]." He arrived within two days after travelling overnight. When Zhuge Liang and his men heard Sima Yi was marching towards their position, they swiftly retreated instead of giving battle. Initially, the Wei emperor Cao Rui wanted to supply Sima Yi's army with the wheat in Shanggui County and had rejected a proposal to transport grain from Guanzhong to

5508-606: Was Sima Ang the King of Yin ( 殷王 ), who briefly ruled one of the Eighteen Kingdoms during the transition period from the Qin dynasty to the Western Han dynasty before Liu Bang 's general Han Xin conquered his territory, capturing Sima Ang and his capital city Zhaoge . In the early Han dynasty, Sima Ang's former kingdom, which was largely situated in Henei, became a commandery of

5589-696: Was a historical region centered on the ancient Chinese capital of Chang'an . In early Han dynasty , the governor of the capital Chang'an and its vicinities was known as You Neishi ( 右內史 ), and the region was also known by the same name. In 104 BC, the eastern half of You Neishi was changed to Jingzhao Yin (京兆尹, "Intendant of the Capital"), while the western half became You Fufeng . The region included 12 counties: Chang'an ( 長安 ), Xinfeng ( 新豐 ), Chuansikong ( 船司空 ), Lantian ( 藍田 ), Huayin ( 華陰 ), Zheng ( 鄭 ), Hu ( 湖 ), Xiagui ( 下邽 ), Nanling ( 南陵 ), Fengming ( 奉明 ), Baling ( 霸陵 ) and Duling ( 杜陵 ). In 2 AD,

5670-498: Was appointed as a Palace Attendant ( 侍中 ) and Right Supervisor of the Masters of Writing ( 尚書右僕射 ). This was a position of considerable influence, one of the assistant managers of the Imperial Secretariat, responsible for imperial correspondence and edicts. In 222, when Cao Pi visited Wan, either because the city was not celebratory enough or because a local market had failed to produce a type of medicine Cao Pi had requested,

5751-407: Was appointed as an Army Major ( 軍司馬 ), he suggested to Cao Cao to stockpile food supplies and maintain their defences because there were more than 200,000 people who were unable to sustain themselves through farming. Cao Cao accepted his idea and implemented a policy for the people to farm and stockpile grain. Sima Yi warned Cao Cao about Hu Xiu ( 胡修 ) and Fu Fang ( 傅方 ), who respectively served as

5832-532: Was at Nanzheng . The army led by Sima Yi passed through Zhuoshan ( 斫山 ) and Xicheng County ( 西城縣 ; present-day Ankang, Shaanxi), sailed along the Mian River to Quren County ( 朐忍縣 ; west of Yunyang County, Chongqing), and arrived at Xinfeng County ( 新豐縣 ; south of Weinan, Shaanxi). He made camp at Dankou ( 丹口 ). Other Wei armies also prepared to attack Shu from the Xie Valley ( 斜谷 ) or Wuwei Commandery . The campaign, however, had to be aborted by October 230 because

5913-549: Was at fault, committed suicide. Sima Yi was greatly saddened at such a loss. Two years later, in September 224, Cao Pi toured the south to inspect his forces near the border between Wei and Wu border. Sima Yi remained behind to defend Xuchang and his marquis title was changed to "District Marquis of Xiang" ( 向鄉侯 ). In early 225, he was appointed General Who Pacifies the Army ( 撫軍將軍 ) and placed in command of 5,000 troops, and also held

5994-509: Was drying his books under the sun, there was a sudden downpour, so he rushed out to grab his books and was seen by a maid. Sima Yi's wife, Zhang Chunhua , feared that the maid would leak out news that Sima Yi was well and get their family into trouble, so she killed the maid to silence her. When Cao Cao became the Imperial Chancellor in 208, he sent an official to recruit Sima Yi to serve as an assistant clerk in his administration, and

6075-663: Was he allowed to be seated in the same room as his father. In 190, when the warlord Dong Zhuo dominated the Han central government and wanted to relocate the imperial capital to Chang'an , Sima Fang ordered Sima Lang to bring the Sima family out of Luoyang and return to their ancestral home in Wen County, Henei Commandery. Some months later, as Sima Lang foresaw that chaos would break out in Henei Commandery, he relocated his family to Liyang Commandery ( 黎陽郡 ; around present-day Xun County , Henan), where they stayed with Sima Lang's kinsman, Zhao Weisun. In 194, when war broke out between

6156-474: Was made to preside as a regent for the young Cao Fang after the death of latter's adoptive father, Cao Rui . Although amicable at first, the relationship soon deteriorated in light of Cao Shuang's corruption, extravagance, and attempts to curtail Sima Yi's political influence. In February 249, after carefully planning and building up support, Sima Yi ousted Cao Shuang from power in a coup d'état and had him and his associates executed. Afterwards, Sima Yi became

6237-490: Was not due to flaws in our defences, nor will it significantly affect us. Moving the imperial capital is showing our weakness to the enemy. It will cause unrest in the regions around the Huai and Mian rivers. Sun Quan and Liu Bei seem close to each other, but they actually don't trust each other. Sun Quan will feel very uneasy upon seeing Guan Yu's victory, so we should incite him to attack Guan Yu's base in Jing Province. This will lift

6318-453: Was one of Cao Pi's close aides and one of his "Four Friends". Before Cao Pi became his father's heir apparent in 216, he was engaged in a power struggle with his younger brother Cao Zhi over the succession. During this time, Sima Yi was believed to have secretly backed Cao Pi and helped him win the position of heir apparent. He was also partly responsible for Cao Zhi's demotion and removal from politics after Cao Pi became emperor. When Sima Yi

6399-469: Was running low on supplies. The Book of Jin said Sima Yi launched an attack on the Shu garrisons at this juncture and captured the Shu "covering camps". Zhuge Liang abandoned Lucheng and retreated in the night but Sima Yi pursued him and inflicted roughly 10,000 casualties on the Shu army. This account from the Book of Jin is disputed by historians and is not included in the Zizhi Tongjian . According to

6480-495: Was sometimes adopted by Mongols and Manchus during the Qing dynasty . The choice of a courtesy name was significant, intended to express moral integrity and respect within the cultural context. A courtesy name is a name traditionally given to Chinese men at the age of 20 sui , marking their coming of age . It was sometimes given to women, usually upon marriage. The practice is no longer common in modern Chinese society. According to

6561-476: Was untrustworthy, but Cao Pi had ignored him. Sima Yi was proven right after Cao Pi's death when in late 227, Sima Yi received news Meng Da was planning to rebel against Wei and return to Shu; according to the Weilüe , he had sent his adviser Liang Ji ( 梁幾 ) to investigate Meng Da's case while urging Meng Da to visit Luoyang to attend to the Wei court, which alarmed the latter, persuading Meng Da to rebel. According to

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