Xun Yi[3] (early 200s - 19 June 274[4]), courtesy name Jingqian, was a Chinese politician of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China.
[5] Due to his father's past contributions, Xun Yi was given an appointment as a Palace Gentleman (中郎) in the state of Cao Wei.
He studied the Yijing with Zhong Hui and had philosophical debates with Sima Jun on the Confucian values ren and xiao.
[8] When the regent Cao Shuang was in power from 239 to 249,[9] the official He Yan and others wanted to harm Fu Jia, but Xun Yi saved him.
In the same year,[10] the generals Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin, who opposed Sima Shi's act of changing the emperor, started a rebellion in Shouchun (壽春; around present-day Shou County, Anhui).
Between 257 and 258,[12] when Sima Zhao was on a campaign to suppress a rebellion by Zhuge Dan, he left Xun Yi behind to guard the imperial capital Luoyang in his absence.
In 260,[12] after his maternal nephew Chen Tai died, Xun Yi replaced him as a Supervisor (僕射) and took charge of the Ministry of Personnel.
[15] Xun Yi continued serving under the government of the Jin dynasty, which replaced the state of Cao Wei in February 266.
Later, Xun Yi was concurrently appointed as a Palace Attendant and promoted to Grand Marshal (太尉), putting him in charge of military affairs and in command of 100 of the emperor's close guards.
Although his moral character was considered generally good, it was nonetheless tarnished by his obsequious behaviour towards, and association with, Jia Chong and Xun Xu (荀勗).