Yue Jin
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| Names | |
|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese: | 乐进 |
| Traditional Chinese: | 樂進 |
| Pinyin: | Yuè Jìn |
| Wade-Giles: | Yo Chin |
| Zi: | Wenqian (文谦) |
Yue Jin (? – 218) was a military general under the powerful warlord Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms Period. Noted as much for his short stature as for his valor and ferocity on the battlefield, Yue Jin gained multiple successes in campaigns against Lü Bu, Liu Bei and remnants of the Yellow Turbans. He also played a supporting role in the defense of Hefei against the advances of Sun Quan in 208.
Chen Shou, author of the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms, considered Yue Jin among the five top generals of the Kingdom of Wei, along with Yu Jin, Zhang He, Zhang Liao and Xu Huang.
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[edit] Life
A local of the Yangping Commandery (阳平卫国, present day county of Qingfeng, Henan), little was known about Yue Jin before he joined Cao Cao's camp. Though he was noted for being small-framed, Yue Jin was favored for his extraordinary courage on the battlefield. He took part and performed well in most of the small-scale campaigns undertaken by Cao Cao during the warlord's early struggle to expand his power. These included battles against Lü Bu, Liu Bei and remnants of the Yellow Turbans.
Yue Jin had also participated in the pivotal Battle of Guandu, in which Cao Cao pitched his forces against those of Yuan Shao. The battle had been dragging on for months when Cao Cao learnt the whereabouts of the bulk his enemy's supplies, guarded by Chunyu Qiong. Bringing along Yue Jin, Cao Cao personally led a 5,000-strong mixed force of foot soldiers and horsemen and came for the enemy encampment under the cover of the night. Yue Jin again performed well in the encounter, single-handedly slaying Chunyu Qiong in battle.
After the eventual defeat and subsequent death of Yuan Shao, Cao Cao marched his troops northwards into Jizhou (冀州) and Youzhou (幽州) to stamp out Yuan Shao's heirs and their supporters. Yue Jin earned much credit for himself in these expeditions and was promoted to General Who Breaks Conflicts (折冲将军).
After he lost the Battle of Red Cliffs in 208, Cao Cao left Yue Jin, Li Dian and Zhang Liao in Hefei to defend against the advances of the southern warlord Sun Quan. Following a direct order from Cao Cao, Yue Jin remained behind to reinforced the city defense while Li Dian and Zhang Liao led a force out to meet the enemy at Leisure Ford (逍遥津). The early attack served both to deter the enemy and to buy time for preparation against the ensuing siege, which eventually saw the retreat of the invaders. Yue Jin was promoted to General of the Right (右将军) for his contributions in the defense of Hefei.
Yue Jin eventually died in 218, but the cause was undocumented in historical records. He was given the posthumous title of Marquis Wei (威侯), literally meaning the awe-inspiring marquis. His son Yue Chen inherited his decisiveness and determination and was eventually promoted to governor of Yangzhou (杨州).
[edit] Yue Jin in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a historical novel by Luo Guanzhong, was a romanticization of the events that occurred before and during the Three Kingdoms Period. Yue Jin made his first appearance in Chapter 5, where he joined Cao Cao's camp when the latter was raising an army to join the coalition against Dong Zhuo, the tyrannical warlord who held the emperor hostage.
However, unlike in the historical records, Luo Guanzhong had Yue Jin killed in battle in Chapter 68, shortly after the Battle of Leisure Ford. This was probably because little about the last ten years of Yue Jin's life was documented in the first place.
According to the novel, during a confrontation with Wu troops along the shore of Ruxu River (濡须河), Yue Jin rode out to engage Ling Tong (凌统) in a duel. An arrow fired by Cao Xiu struck Ling Tong's horse, which in pain threw its rider off. Yue Jin was dashing forward to finish off his opponent when he was hit full in the face by an arrow fired by enemy general Gan Ning.
[edit] References
- Chen Shou (2002). San Guo Zhi. Yue Lu Shu She. ISBN 7-80665-198-5.
- Luo Guanzhong (1986). San Guo Yan Yi. Yue Lu Shu She. ISBN 7-80520-013-0.
- Lo Kuan-chung; tr. C.H. Brewitt-Taylor (2002). Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 0-8048-3467-9.
