Fei Yi

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Fei Yi ( Chinese  費 禕  /  费 禕 , Pinyin Fèi Huī ), majority name Wenwei ( Chinese  文 偉 , Pinyin Wén Wěi ; * after 200 ; † 253 ), was an official of the Shu Han at the time of the Three Kingdoms in ancient China.

Early career

Fei Yi came from the Jingxia headquarters (today's eastern Hubei ). He lost his father in early childhood and was raised by his uncle Fei Boren (費 伯仁), who was a cousin of the warlord Liu Zhang . Liu Zhang then controlled the Yi Province (today's Sichuan and Chongqing ). At around 211 , Liu Zhang sent messengers to welcome Fei Boren to his country, but Fei did not seem pleased. Instead, he sent his nephew Fei Yi, who stayed in Yi province until Liu Bei conquered it in 214 . Fei Yi became a young scholar . He befriended Dong Yun (董 允) and served with him as an assistant to Liu Shan after Liu Bei had proclaimed himself emperor in 221 and named his son crown prince. When Liu Shan came to the throne in 223 , Fei Yi continued to serve him.

During Zhuge Liang's reign

In what way Zhuge Liang , Liu Shan's Regent, Fei Yi's skills had learned, is not known. But when he returned from his southern campaign against the Guizhou and Yunnan tribes , he thought Fei Yi was the most capable of the young officials. Zhuge Liang often sent him to Wu as an ambassador , and during these missions Sun Quan was also impressed by Fei Yi. Zhuge Liang continued to advance Fei Yi through the office cycle. When Fei was not in Wu as an envoy, he served Zhuge Liang as a strategist.

As an official of Zhuge Liang, Fei Yi was known for his easy-going nature and striving for harmony. When Wei Yan and Yang Yi (楊儀) argued, Fei remained neutral and tried to mediate between them. But he could not prevent the two of them from taking up arms after Zhuge Liang's death ( 234 ) and Wei Yan was killed.

When Zhuge Liang fell ill while preparing for a final campaign against Wei , Liu Shan sent a messenger to ask who would succeed him as regent. Zhuge Liang named Jiang Wan , and Fei Yi, to succeed him. After Zhuge Liang's death, Jiang Wan became the regent and Fei Yi became his main assistant.

During Jiang Wan's reign

As the regent's assistant, Fei Yi dealt mostly with internal measures. He is said to have been so quick to grasp and so quick in his decisions that he only needed the morning for day-to-day political affairs and entertained his guests in the afternoon. He was a passionate Go player.

Jiang Wan had poor health, which is why he 243 transferred most powers to Fei Yi and Dong Yun. When the Wei regent Cao Shuang attacked the important border town of Han Zhong (漢中, today's Hanzhong , Shaanxi ) in 244 , Fei Yi led the troops in defense and won a great victory. After Jiang Wan's death ( 245 ), Fei Yi became regent for Liu Shan.

Own reign

Fei Yi sought an assistant immediately after he took office, but Dong Yun (who had been doing so since 243) died that same year. Fei Yi finally chose General Jiang Wei . But because Fei and Jiang had to deal with military matters, domestic politics soon fell into the hands of the influential eunuch Huang Hao . Due to its corrupt and devious nature, the household soon got into trouble.

As a regent, Fei Yi did not behave as degressively as his predecessor, but he was also unable to build on Zhuge Liang's successes. He only had Jiang Wei carry out periodic raids on the Wei border areas. However, he forbade a major attack.

Fei Yi's easy-going nature, which until now had only won him admiration, should soon be enough to kill him. He also invited former Wei general Guo Xun (郭 循), whom he had captured in 250 and who was still devoted to the Wei, to a feast on his estate . When almost all of the guests were drunk, Guo Xun murdered the host. The historian Yu Xi (虞喜) notes: “Fei Yi was so open, honest and carefree, and he was eventually murdered by Guo Xun, a beaten man. Didn't his ruin come from his virtues? "

Fei Yi was posthumously given the name Jing (wachs = vigilant), which seems very inappropriate.

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