Xin Xianying
Xin Xianying | |
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Born | 191[a][2] |
Died | 269 (aged 78)[a][2] |
Spouse | Yang Dan |
Children |
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Parent |
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Relatives |
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Xin Xianying[3] (191–269)[2] was a Chinese noblewoman, aristocrat and advisor who lived during the Three Kingdoms period. She was a daughter of Xin Pi, an official of the state of Cao Wei. The only extant historical source about her life is her biography written by her maternal grandson, Xiahou Zhan (
Family background
[edit]Xin Xianying's ancestral home was in Yangzhai County (
Xin Xianying's father, Xin Pi, served as an official under the warlord Cao Cao, who controlled the central government and the figurehead Emperor Xian in the final decades of the Eastern Han dynasty. After the fall of the Eastern Han, Xin Pi continued serving in the Cao Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period and his highest appointment was Minister of the Guards (
Xin Xianying married Yang Dan (
Reaction towards Cao Pi's joy at becoming crown prince
[edit]In 217,[8] after Cao Cao's son Cao Pi won the succession struggle against his younger brother Cao Zhi and became the heir apparent to their father's vassal kingdom, he was so elated that he hugged Xin Pi and said: "Sir, don't you know how happy I am?"[9]
When Xin Pi told his daughter about it, she sighed and said: "A crown prince will succeed a ruler and inherit his kingdom one day. How can he succeed his father without feeling sad? How can he rule a kingdom without feeling intimidated? If he expresses joy instead of sadness and fear, how can his kingdom last long? How can Wei prosper?"[10][2]
Xin Xianying was essentially implying that Cao Pi should express sadness because his father must die before he can become the next ruler, and that he should feel intimidated by the fact that he would have to shoulder the heavy responsibility of ruling a kingdom. If Cao Pi accepted his role more solemnly, then it was more likely that he would turn out to be a serious and wise ruler.
Advising Xin Chang during the Incident at Gaoping Tombs
[edit]Xin Xianying's younger brother Xin Chang served as an adviser to the Wei general Cao Shuang, who served as regent to the third Wei emperor Cao Fang. On 5 February 249,[11] when Cao Shuang accompanied Cao Fang on a visit to the Gaoping Tombs, his co-regent Sima Yi took advantage of his absence to stage a coup d'état and seize control of all the armed forces in the imperial capital Luoyang. Lu Zhi (魯芝), a major under Cao Shuang, prepared to lead his men to fight their way out of Luoyang and regroup with Cao Shuang. When Lu Zhi asked Xin Chang to follow him,[12] a fearful Xin Chang turned to his sister for advice: "The Emperor is away. The Grand Tutor (Sima Yi) has ordered the city gates to be shut. People say that this won't be of any good to the State. What do you think will happen?"[13]
Xin Xianying replied: "We won't know what will happen. However, from what I observe, the Grand Tutor has no choice but to do this. Before Emperor Ming died, he held the Grand Tutor close and entrusted him with state affairs. Many officials in the imperial court still remember this. Although Cao Shuang too was entrusted with this responsibility along with the Grand Tutor, he has been monopolising power and acting autocratically. He is disloyal towards the Emperor and therefore doesn't have the moral high ground. The Grand Tutor simply wants to get rid of him."[14]
When Xin Chang asked her if he should follow Lu Zhi, she replied: "How can you not go? It is righteous for one to perform his duty. When others are in trouble, we ought to help them. If you work for someone and you don't do what you need to do, then that isn't a good sign. If you are a close aide (of Cao Shuang), then you should fulfil your loyalty towards him and sacrifice your life for him if you have to. However, in this incident, (you aren’t a close side of Cao Shuang and so) you just need to follow the crowd." Xin Chang heeded her advice and followed Lu Zhi out of Luoyang to join Cao Shuang.[15]
Cao Shuang eventually surrendered to Sima Yi and relinquished his powers as regent. He was subsequently charged with treason and executed along with his extended family, his close aides and their families. After Cao Shuang had suffered death, Jiang Ji said to Sima Yi, “Xin Chang and Lu Zhi and others who had been of his party had forced the gate and joined the rebels. Yang Zong had opposed the surrender of the seal of the late minister. They deserve punishment.” However, no action was taken against them. “They are righteous people who serves their master faithfully,” said Sima Yi, and he even confirmed these men in their offices. Xin Chang sighed, “Had I not listened to the advice of my sister, I would have walked in the way of unrighteousness.” [16]
A poet has praised Xin Xianying saying:
“You call him lord and take his pay,
Then stand by him when danger nears
Thus to her brother spoke Xin Xianying
And won fair fame though endless years.”
Due to Xin Xianying's virtuous attitudes, Sima Yi was impressed by her loyalty, so the Xin clan was spared from extermination and later became one of the most loyal maintainers of the Jin dynasty (266-420).
Foreseeing Zhong Hui's downfall
[edit]When the Wei general Zhong Hui was appointed as General Who Guards the West (
When Zhong Hui was about to leave for the campaign against Shu, he wrote to the Wei imperial court to seek permission to bring along Yang Xiu (
In March 264,[17] after successfully conquering Shu for Wei, Zhong Hui started a rebellion against Wei. However, the rebellion failed when some of Zhong Hui's men mutinied against him and killed him. Yang Xiu remained unharmed throughout the rebellion.[22]
Death
[edit]Xin Xianying died in 269 during the reign of Emperor Wu in the Western Jin dynasty. She was 79 (by East Asian age reckoning) at the time of her death.[a][2]
Appraisal
[edit]Since her childhood, Xin Xianying had been studying and reading,[23] which girls in her time did not normally do. She was also known for her intelligence, talent and wisdom.[24]
Xin Xianying was also known for leading a simple and frugal life. When her nephew Yang Hu once sent her a silk blanket as a gift, she found the gift too expensive so she returned it to him.[25]
Relatives and descendants
[edit]Xin Xianying and Yang Dan had at least two sons and a daughter. Their first son, Yang Jin (
Xin Xianying and Yang Dan's second son, Yang Xiu (
Xin Xianying and Yang Dan's daughter married Xiahou Zhuang (
Other notable relatives of Xin Xianying include Yang Hu and Yang Huiyu, her nephew and niece respectively through her marriage to Yang Dan.
In popular culture
[edit]Xin Xianying is first introduced as a playable character aligned with the Jin dynasty faction in the ninth installment of Koei Tecmo's video game series Dynasty Warriors. Her personality is portrayed as a cheerful and intelligent young woman who has excellent insight. Her character voice role is filled by Shino Shimoji.
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c Xin Xianying's biography in the Jin Shu recorded that she died in the 5th year of the Taishi era (265–274) of the reign of Emperor Wu of Jin at the age of 79 (by East Asian age reckoning).[1] By calculation, her year of birth was 191.
References
[edit]- ^ (
泰 始 五 年 卒 ,年 七 十 九 。) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ a b c d e de Crespigny (2007), p. 897.
- ^ According to her biography in vol. 96 of Book of Jin, "Xianying" was her courtesy name. Her given name was not recorded in official histories.
- ^ (...
外孫 夏 侯 湛 為 其傳曰: ...) Shiyu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 25. - ^ (
羊 耽 妻 辛 氏 ,字 憲 英 ,隴西人 ,魏 侍 中 毗之女 也。) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ (其先
建 武中 ,自 隴西東遷 。) Sanguozhi vol. 25. - ^ (
世 語 曰: ... 毗女憲 英 ,適 太 常 泰山 羊 耽 , ...) Shiyu annotation in Sanguozhi, vol. 25. - ^ Sima (1084), vol. 68.
- ^ (
初 ,魏 文 帝 得 立 為 太子 ,抱 毗項謂 之 曰:「辛 君 知 我 喜 不 ?」) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ (毗以
告 憲 英 ,憲 英 歎曰:「太子 ,代 君主 宗廟 社稷 者 也。代 君 不可 以不戚,主 國 不可 以不懼,宜 戚而喜 ,何 以能久 !魏 其不昌 乎?」) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ Sima (1084), vol. 75.
- ^ (
弟 敞 為 大將 軍曹 爽參軍 ,宣 帝 將 誅爽,因 其從魏 帝 出 而閉城門 ,爽司馬 魯芝率 府 兵 斬 關 赴爽,呼 敞 同 去 。) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ (
敞 懼,問 憲 英 曰:「天子 在外 ,太 傅 閉城門 ,人 云 將 不利 國家 ,於事可 得 爾 乎?」) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ (
憲 英 曰:「事 有 不 可知 ,然 以吾度 之 ,太 傅 殆不得 不 爾 。明 皇帝 臨崩,把 太 傅 臂 ,屬 以後 事 ,此言猶 在朝 士 之 耳 。且曹爽與太 傅 俱受寄託 之 任 ,而獨專 權勢 ,於王室 不忠 ,於人道 不 直 ,此舉不 過 以誅爽耳。」) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ (
敞 曰:「然 則 敞 無 出 乎?」憲 英 曰:「安 可 以不出 !職 守 ,人 之 大 義也 。凡人 在 難 ,猶 或 恤之;為 人 執 鞭 而棄其事,不祥 也。且為人 任 ,為 人死 ,親昵 之 職 也,汝 從 眾而已 。」敞 遂 出 。) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ (
宣 帝 果 誅爽。事 定 後 ,敞 歎曰:「吾 不 謀 於姊,幾 不 獲 於義!」) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ a b Sima (1084), vol. 78.
- ^ (其後
鐘 會 為 鎮西 將軍 ,憲 英 謂 耽 從 子 祜曰:「鐘 士 季 何故 西出 ?」祐 曰:「將 為 滅 蜀 也。」) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ (
憲 英 曰:「會 在 事 縱 恣 ,非 持久 處 下之 道 ,吾 畏 其有他 志 也。」) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ (及會
將行 ,請其子 琇為參 軍 ,憲 英 憂 曰:「他日 吾 為國 憂 ,今日 難 至 吾 家 矣。」琇固請於文 帝 ,帝 不 聽。) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ (
憲 英 謂 琇曰:「行 矣,戒之!古 之 君子 入 則 致孝於親,出 則 致節於國;在職 思 其所司 ,在 義 思 其所立 ,不 遺 父母 憂患 而已。軍旅 之 間 可 以濟者 ,其惟仁恕 乎!」) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ (
會 至 蜀 果 反 ,琇竟以全歸 。) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ Peterson (2000), p. 134.
- ^ (
聰 朗 有 才 鑒。) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ (祜嘗送
錦 被 ,憲 英 嫌 其華,反 而覆之 ,其明鑒儉約 如此。) Jin Shu vol. 96. - ^ (
兄 瑾,尚書 右 僕 射 。) Jin Shu vol. 93. - ^ (
羊 玄 之 ,惠 皇后 父 ,尚書 右 僕 射 瑾之子 也。 ... 遷尚書 右 僕 射 ,加 侍 中 ,進 爵為公 。) Jin Shu vol. 93. - ^ (
羊 琇,字 稚 舒,景 獻 皇后 之 從 父 弟 也。父 耽 ,官 至 太 常 。) Jin Shu vol. 93. - ^ (
夏 侯 湛 ,字 孝 若 ,譙國譙人也。祖 威 ,魏 兗州刺史 。父 莊 ,淮南 太守 。 ...淳 ,字 孝 沖 。亦 有 文藻 ,與 湛 俱知名 。官 至 弋陽太守 。) Jin Shu vol. 55. - ^ (
元 夏 侯 太 妃 名 光 姬 ,沛國譙人也。祖 威 ,兗州刺史 。父 莊 ,字 仲 容 ,淮南 太守 、清明 亭 侯 。) Jin Shu vol. 31.
- Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
- de Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23-220 AD. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 9789004156050.
- Fang, Xuanling (648). Book of Jin (Jin Shu).
- Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).
- Peterson, Barbara Bennet (2000). Notable Women of China: Shang Dynasty to the Early Twentieth Century. M.E. Sharpe, Inc.
- Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.