You Ziyuan

You Ziyuan (fl. 4th century) was a minister and military general of Han Zhao during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He helped Liu Yao defeat a major rebellion in 320 when the non-Xiongnu tribes in the Guanzhong region rose up against him.

You Ziyuan
游子遠
Grand Minister Over the Masses (大司徒)
In office
320 (320) – 326 (326)
MonarchLiu Yao
Personal details
BornUnknown
DiedUnknown
In this Chinese name, the family name is You.

Life

Nothing much is known about You Ziyuan's background except that he was from the Dali tribe (大荔) of the Rong barbarians. He appear to have served Han Zhao for quite some time, as by 320, he was already the Household Counselor With Golden Tassel. That year, a group of conspirators led by Jie Hu (解虎) and Yin Che (尹車) plotted to rebel and overthrow Liu Yao. They allied themselves with the Ba people but they were quickly discovered by Liu Yao and imprisoned. Jie Hu and Yin Che were executed first.[1]

Liu Yao imprisoned the Ba leaders involved in the plot including Gou Xu (句徐) and She Peng (厙彭). He also wanted to execute all of them but You Ziyuan remonstrated him, "The sage ruler is judicious with the application of justice. You should only execute the actual leaders of the plot. Do not indulge in further killings." You Ziyuan and Liu Yao argued over this matter to the point it was said that Ziyuan kowtowed till his head started bleeding. In the end, Liu Yao grew tired of Ziyuan's opposition and had him imprisoned for what Liu Yao saw as Ziyuan conspiring with the rebels.[2]

Liu Yao had the dozens of Ba leaders killed and had their bodies up for display in the market and thrown into the river. The Ba people were angry because of this and acclaimed Gou Quzhi (句渠知) as their leader. Gou declared himself King of Great Qin and swore to conquer Zhao. To make matters worse, the Di, Qiang, Jie and other Ba tribes in the Guanzhong region rose up in support of Gou, reaching up to 300,000 rebels all placing Chang'an under siege.[3]

You Ziyuan started a petition from prison offering more opposition to Liu Yao's plans. This only made Liu Yao scorn him more, and he began considering on executing him. However, Liu Yao ministers including Zhu Ji and Huyan Yan defended Ziyuan, pleading his innocence and loyalty. In the end, Liu Yao pardoned Ziyuan and welcomed him back into the government.[4]

After Ziyuan's release, Liu Yao was about to lead his forces against Gou Quzhi. You Ziyuan stopped him, offering himself instead to take charge. Ziyuan advised him that he should instead grant an amnesty first, pardoning those involved in the plot and their family members to convince the rebels to lay down their weapons. He also told him to give him only five thousand weak soldiers to campaign against the rebel. Liu Yao listened to his advice and handed over command to him by appointing him Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry and as Commander of expeditionary forces in Yongzhou and Qinzhou.

You Ziyuan set out to Yongcheng (雍城, in modern Baoji, Shaanxi) and then to Anding, where he received the surrender of thousands of rebels. Gou Quzhi and his family holed themselves up at Yinmi (陰密, in modern Pingliang, Gansu), where You Ziyuan marched his troops and destroyed them. Although Gou Quzhi had been defeated, one of the rebel leaders, Xuchu Quanchu (虛除權渠) declared himself as the new King of Qin at Longyou (隴右, in modern Haidong Prefecture, Qinghai). You Ziyuan defeated him multiple times but, although Quanchu now wanted to surrender, his son Xuchu Yiyu (虛除伊餘) persuaded him to continue the fight.[5]

Xuchu Yiyu went out and defended the ramparts from You Ziyuan. Ziyuan worried about Xuchu Yiyu as he observed him to be a powerful general. Ziyuan camped in his defenses and refused to give him any fight. You Ziyuan waited throughout the night and in the dawn, the wind made the surroundings hazed with dust. You Ziyuan launched a surprise attack and captured Xuchu Yiyu and his army. Afraid, Xuchu Quanchu surrendered to Ziyuan. Liu Yao was pleased with Ziyuan. He gave Xuchu Quanchu and Yiyu positions in the government while awarding You Ziyuan the positions of Grand Minister Over The Masses and chief of the affairs of the Masters of Writing.[6]

In 322, Liu Yao built a new massive tomb to relocate his deceased father and mother. The building took sixty thousand workers and was completed after a hundred days of hard grueling labour. You Ziyuan tried to get Liu Yao to stop the project but he refused to listen.[7]

Since then, nothing was recorded of You Ziyuan but one can hypothesize that he passed away some time in 326, as his title of Grand Minister Over the Masses was handed over to Liu Sui (劉綏).[8]

References
  1. (丙辰，趙將解虎及長水校尉尹車謀反，與巴酋句徐、厙彭等相結；事覺，虎、車皆伏誅。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 91
  2. (光祿大夫遊子遠固諫，曜不從。) Book of Jin, Volume 103
  3. (子遠叩頭流血，曜大怒，幽子遠而盡殺庫彭等，屍諸街巷之中十日，乃投之于水。於是巴氐盡叛，推巴歸善王句渠知為主，四山羌、氐、巴、羯應之者三十餘萬，關中大亂，城門晝閉。) Book of Jin, Volume 103
  4. (子遠又從獄中上表諫爭，曜手毀其表曰：「大荔奴，不憂命在須臾，猶敢如此，嫌死晚邪！」叱左右速殺之。中山王雅、郭汜、朱紀、呼延晏等諫曰：「子遠幽囚，禍在不測，猶不忘諫爭，忠之至也。陛下縱不能用，柰何殺之！若子遠朝誅，臣等亦當夕死，以彰陛下之過。天下將皆捨陛下而去，陛下誰與居乎！」曜意解，乃赦之。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 91
  5. (曜敕內外戒嚴，將自討渠知。子遠又諫曰：「陛下誠能用臣策，一月可定，大駕不必親征也。」曜曰：「卿試言之。」子遠曰：「彼非有大志，欲圖非望也，直畏陛下威刑，欲逃死耳。陛下莫若廓然大赦，與之更始；應前日坐虎、車等事，其家老弱沒入奚官者，皆縱遣之，使之自相招引，聽其復業。彼旣得生路，何爲不降！若其中自知罪重，屯結不散者，願假臣弱兵五千，必爲陛下梟之。不然，今反者彌山被谷，雖以天威臨之，恐非歲月可除也。」曜大悅，卽日大赦，以子遠爲車騎大將軍、開府儀同三司、都督雍‧秦征討諸軍事。子遠屯于雍城，降者十餘萬；移軍安定，反者皆降。惟句氏宗黨五千餘家保于陰密，進攻，滅之，遂引兵巡隴右。先是氐、羌十餘萬落，據險不服，其酋虛除權渠自號秦王。子遠進造其壁，權渠出兵拒之，五戰皆敗。權渠欲降，其子伊餘大言於衆曰：「往者劉曜自來，猶無若我何，況此偏師，何謂降也！」帥勁卒五萬，晨壓子遠壘門。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 91
  6. (諸將欲擊之，子遠曰：「伊餘勇悍，當今無敵，所將之兵，復精於我，又其父新敗，怒氣方盛，其鋒不可當也，不如緩之，使氣竭而後擊之。」乃堅壁不戰。伊餘有驕色，子遠伺其無備，夜，勒兵蓐食，旦，值大風塵昏，子遠悉衆出掩之，生擒伊餘，盡俘其衆。權渠大懼，被髮、剺面請降。子遠啓曜，以權渠爲征西將軍、西戎公，分徙伊餘兄弟及其部落二十餘萬口于長安。曜以子遠爲大司徒、錄尚書事。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 91
  7. (曜將葬其父及妻，親如粟邑以規度之。負土為墳，其下周回二里，作者繼以脂燭，怨呼之聲盈于道路。遊子遠諫曰：「臣聞聖主明王、忠臣孝子之于終葬也，棺足周身，槨足周棺，藏足周槨而已，不封不樹，為無窮這計。伏惟陛下聖慈幽被，神鑒洞遠，每以清儉恤下為先。社稷資儲為本。今二陵之費至以億計，計六萬夫百日作，所用六百萬功。二陵皆下錮三泉，上崇百尺，積石為山，增土為阜，發掘古塚以千百數，役夫呼嗟，氣塞天地，暴骸原野，哭聲盈衢，臣竊謂無益於先皇先後，而徒喪國之儲力。陛下脫仰尋堯舜之軌者，則功不盈百萬，費亦不過千計，下無怨骨，上無怨人，先帝先後有太山之安，陛下饗舜、禹、周公之美，惟陛下察焉。」曜不納，乃使其將劉岳等帥騎一萬，迎父及弟暉喪于太原。) Book of Jin, Volume 103
  8. (趙以汝南王咸爲太尉、錄尚書事，光祿大夫劉綏爲大司徒，卜泰爲大司空。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 93
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