He began to work in August 1976 as a rusticated youth performing manual labor in Guihua township.

Following the Cultural Revolution, Yi attended Hunan Normal University and graduated in 1982 with a degree in political economics.

After a few years of teaching, he went on to graduate school at the Shaanxi Normal University to continue studying political economics.

After receiving his master's degree in 1987, Yi was assigned to work at the Hunan Party School, where he taught economics.

In November 2011, he was admitted to the Hunan provincial party standing committee, and a month later took on the office of the secretary-general.