Yu Song (234 - 280),

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

Shilong, was an official of the

Jin dynasty Jin may refer to: States Jìn 晉 * Jin (Chinese state) (晉國), major state of the Zhou dynasty, existing from the 11th century BC to 376 BC * Jin dynasty (266–420) (晉朝), also known as Liang Jin and Sima Jin * Jin (Later Tang precursor) ...

of China. He previously served in the state of

Eastern Wu Wu (Chinese language, Chinese: 吳; pinyin: ''Wú''; Middle Chinese *''ŋuo'' < Eastern Han Chinese: ''*ŋuɑ''), known in historiography as Eastern Wu or Sun Wu, was a Dynasties of China, dynastic state of China and one of the three major sta ...

during the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from AD 220 to 280 following the end of the Han dynasty. This period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and followed by the Jin dynasty (266–420), Western Jin dyna ...

period. He wrote the ''Qiong Tian Lun'' (穹天論), an essay on astronomy.

Life

Yu Song was the sixth son of

Yu Fan Yu Fan ( zh, t= , , ; 164–233), courtesy name Zhongxiang, was a Chinese essayist, politician, and writer of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Initially a minor officer under Wang Lang, the Administrator of ...

, an official who served under

Sun Quan Sun Quan (; 182 – 21 May 252), courtesy name Zhongmou (), posthumous name, posthumously known as Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu, one of the Three Kingdoms of China. He inherited control of the warlord regime established by hi ...

, the founding emperor of Eastern Wu, and under Sun Quan's predecessor,

Sun Ce Sun Ce () () (175 – 5 May 200), courtesy name Bofu, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was the eldest child of Sun Jian, who was killed during the Battle of Xian ...

. His

ancestral home An ancestral home is the place of origin of one's extended family, particularly the home owned and preserved by the same family for several generations. The term can refer to an individual house or estate, or to a broader geographic area such as a ...

was in Yuyao County (餘姚縣),

Kuaiji Commandery Kuaiji Commandery ( Chinese: t , s , p ''Kuàijī Jùn''), formerly romanized as K'uai-chi Commandery, was a former commandery of China in the area of Hangzhou Bay. When first established, its capital was at Wu (present-d ...

, which is in present-day

Yuyao Yuyao () is a county-level city in the northeast of Zhejiang province, China. It is under the jurisdiction of the sub-provincial city of Ningbo. It is located west of central Ningbo, east of Hangzhou, bordering Hangzhou Bay in the north. Yuyao ...

Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...

. He was known for being honest, unpretentious and courteous. While he was in Wu, he assumed the following appointments: Colonel of Striding Cavalry (越騎校尉), Minister of Justice (廷尉), and Administrator (太守) of Xiangdong (湘東) and Hejian (河間) commanderies. In 280, after Wu was

conquered Conquest involves the annexation or control of another entity's territory through war or coercion. Historically, conquests occurred frequently in the international system, and there were limited normative or legal prohibitions against conquest ...

by the

, he went on to serve in the Jin government and was appointed as the Chancellor (相) of Hejian Principality (河間國). Sima Yong, the Prince of Hejian (河間王), had heard of Yu Song before and he treated him respectfully. Whenever he met and interviewed potential candidates to join the civil service, he did so in plain and simple buildings instead of in his office. Wang Qi (王岐), who was a friend of Yu Song's fifth brother Yu Zhong, tried to make things difficult for Yu Song by saying that elegant people possessed great talent. In response to Wang Qi's remark, Yu Song wrote to his nephew Yu Cha (虞察), "Those who recruit others to serve in the government had never ventured as far as into the countryside or society to search for talents. The ones who succeed are those they favour, while the ones who fail are those they do not favour. This is exactly what I always lament about." Yu Song also strongly disapproved of lavish spending on funerals. When his eighth brother

Yu Bing Yu Bing (234 – 280), courtesy name Shiwen, was an official of the Jin dynasty (265–420), Western Jin dynasty of China. He previously served in the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. Life Yu Bing was the eighth son of Yu ...

died, he offered only a lamb and some food and wine as sacrifices at his brother's funeral. His family and relatives followed this practice.

Family

Yu Song had 10 brothers. Among them, the notable ones were his fourth brother

Yu Si Yu Si (218 - May 271), courtesy name Shihong, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Life Yu Si was the fourth son of Yu Fan, an official who served under Sun Quan, t ...

, fifth brother Yu Zhong, and eighth brother

. The Jin-era scholars Yu Xi and Yu Yu were his clan juniors.(虞喜族祖河间相耸又立穹天论云：....) ''Book of Jin'', vol.11; (虞预，字叔甯，征士喜之弟也，...) ''Book of Jin'', vol.82

References

* Chen, Shou (3rd century). ''

Records of the Three Kingdoms The ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' is a Chinese official history written by Chen Shou in the late 3rd century CE, covering the end of the Han dynasty (220 CE) and the subsequent Three Kingdoms period (220–280 CE). It is regard ...

'' (''Sanguozhi''). * Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). ''

Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty (266–420), Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, ...

'' (''Jin Shu''). * Pei, Songzhi (5th century). ''

Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms ''Annotated Records of the Three Kingdoms'' () by Pei Songzhi (372–451) is an annotation completed in the 5th century of the 3rd century historical text ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'', compiled by Chen Shou. After the fall of the Eastern Jin ...

'' (''Sanguozhi zhu''). {{DEFAULTSORT:Yu, Song Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown Eastern Wu government officials Jin dynasty (266–420) government officials Politicians from Ningbo Jin dynasty (266–420) writers

Life

Family

See also

References