Xin Pi 辛毗 Zuozhi 佐治

Contents

Biography

Origins and service under the Yuan family

Xin Pi was from Yangdi, Yingchuan (present-day Yuzhou, Henan). His ancestors had moved east from Longxi during the Jianwu era of Emperor Guangwu of Han.

His courtesy name was Zuozhi. He first followed his elder brother Xin Ping in serving Yuan Shao. When Cao Cao was Minister over the Masses he invited Xin Pi to take office, but Xin Pi did not accept.

Envoy to Cao Cao and fall of Ye

In 202, Yuan Shao died and his sons Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang contended for power. When Yuan Shang attacked Yuan Tan at Pingyuan and Yuan Tan was hard pressed, Yuan Tan sent Xin Pi as envoy to Cao Cao to ask for help and a rapprochement.

Cao Cao was then planning to campaign against Jing Province. When he heard Xin Pi’s message he was pleased, but at first considered finishing the southern campaign and letting the two Yuans fight each other. Xin Pi argued that the best time to destroy Yuan Shang and the remnants of the Yuan house was now: if they waited and Yuan Shang grew stronger, the chance would be lost. He persuaded Cao Cao to strike first at Hebei. The following year Cao Cao attacked Ye, which was held by Yuan Shang’s forces under Shen Pei.

When Ye fell (204), the families of Xin Pi and Guo Tu were able to leave the city; Xin Ping’s family alone was arrested. Shen Pei, from the corner tower, saw Cao Cao’s troops enter and, hating Xin Ping and Guo Tu for having “ruined Jizhou,” sent men to the Ye prison to execute Xin Ping’s household. Xin Pi was with the army; when the gates opened he ran to the prison to try to save his brother’s family, but they had already been killed. That day Shen Pei was captured and brought before Cao Cao. Xin Pi and others struck his head with horsewhips and reviled him. Cao Cao was inclined to spare Shen Pei for his loyalty, but Xin Pi and others wept and insisted on his execution; Cao Cao then had him put to death.

Cao Cao appointed Xin Pi Gentleman Consultant. Xin Pi thereafter served Cao Cao.

Under Cao Cao and Cao Pi

Xin Pi later took part in the campaign at Xiabian (Hanzhong theatre) with Cao Hong and Cao Xiu. Cao Cao told them that in former times Gaozu had had faults of greed and lust corrected by Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, and that the burden on “Zuozhi and Wenlie” was no light one. After the campaign Xin Pi was made Long History of the Chancellor’s Office.

In 220, Cao Pi succeeded as King of Wei. Xin Pi was appointed Palace Attendant and granted Marquis Within the Passes. When Cao Pi took the imperial title, Xin Pi remained Palace Attendant.

When the court debated changing the calendar and colour of the dynasty, Xin Pi held that Wei had received the mandate through abdication like Shun and Yu, so there was no need to change as Tang and Wu had after conquest. Cao Pi agreed.

Cao Pi once planned to move one hundred thousand soldier households from Jizhou to Henan. The court objected because of repeated drought, locusts, and famine. Cao Pi was determined. The officials asked for an audience; Cao Pi knew they would remonstrate and received them with a stern face. No one dared speak until Xin Pi asked what plan the Emperor had for the migration. Cao Pi said, “Do you think I am wrong?” Xin Pi said, “I do think it wrong.” Cao Pi said, “I will not discuss this with you.” Xin Pi said that the Emperor had placed him in the inner circle to plan and advise—how could he not discuss it? He was speaking for the state, not for himself. Cao Pi did not answer, rose, and went inside. Xin Pi followed and caught his sleeve; Cao Pi shook him off and did not return for a long time. When he came out he said, “Zuozhi, why do you press me so?” Xin Pi said that to move the people now would lose their hearts and there was not enough grain to feed them, so he had to insist. Cao Pi finally reduced the move to fifty thousand households. This incident became known as “Xin Pi pulling the robe” (辛毗引裾).

On another occasion Cao Pi went out to shoot pheasants and said to the officials, “Shooting pheasants is such fun!” Xin Pi said, “For Your Majesty it is fun; for your subjects it is hard.” Cao Pi was silent and afterwards went hunting less often.

When Cao Pi planned to campaign against Wu, Xin Pi advised against it, saying the time was not right. Cao Pi did not listen and the expedition achieved nothing.

In 222, when the Supreme General Cao Zhen led the campaign against Zhu Ran at Jiangling, Xin Pi served as his Army Adviser. On their return Xin Pi was enfeoffed as Marquis of Guangping.

Under Cao Rui: Wuzhangyuan

When Cao Rui succeeded as Emperor Ming, Xin Pi was advanced to Marquis of Ying (Yingxiang), with three hundred households, and later appointed Minister of the Palace.

In 234, Zhuge Liang led a major Shu invasion and camped at Wuzhangyuan. The Grand General Sima Yi led the defence. Zhuge Liang repeatedly challenged; Sima Yi held back. Zhuge Liang sent women’s headgear to Sima Yi to provoke him. Sima Yi asked the court for permission to fight. Cao Rui sent Xin Pi as Army Adviser to the Grand General, holding the imperial staff (持節), to restrain the army. Sima Yi tried several times to go out and fight; each time Xin Pi refused with the authority of the staff, so the Wei army did not give battle. The Shu officer Jiang Wei said to Zhuge Liang that with Xin Zuozhi holding the staff, the enemy would not come out. Zhuge Liang said that Sima Yi had never intended to fight—he had asked for permission only to show his officers he was willing—and that if he could really defeat them he would not be requesting orders from a thousand li away.

Zhuge Liang died in camp; the Wei army withdrew. Xin Pi returned to his post as Minister of the Palace. He died in 235 and was given the posthumous title Marquis Su. His son Xin Chang succeeded to his marquis title.

Personality and family

Xin Pi was straightforward and repeatedly remonstrated with Cao Pi. He valued integrity: when the Directors of the Secretariat Liu Fang and Sun Zi were in favour and controlled policy under Cao Rui, most officials sought their goodwill. Xin Pi did not. His son Xin Chang advised him to yield a little and “join the dust,” or he would be slandered. Xin Pi said that even if it cost him the rank of one of the Three Ducal Ministers, he would not abandon his principles for them.

When Cao Pi was confirmed as heir and in his joy clasped Xin Pi by the neck and said, “Do you know how happy I am?”, Xin Pi told his daughter Xianying. She sighed and said that the heir was the one who would take the ruler’s place over the altars; to do that one should be anxious and cautious, not joyful—and that Wei might not long flourish. The remark was later remembered for Xianying’s foresight.

Historical evaluations

Chen Shou paired him with Yang Fu as “resolute, bright, and impartial, remonstrating without regard for themselves, close to Ji An’s high character,” and noted that he was one of the four Yingchuan names “Xin, Chen, Du, Zhao” with Chen Qun, Du Xi, and Zhao Yan.
Bi Gui recommended Xin Pi for Director of the Masters of Writing, saying he was more capable than Wang Si; Liu Fang and Sun Zi said Xin Pi was upright but “stiff and overbearing,” and Cao Rui made him Minister of the Palace instead.

References

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Volume 25, Biography of Xin Pi
Records of the Three Kingdoms, Volume 23, Biography of Zhao Yan
Records of the Three Kingdoms, Volume 5, Biography of Empress Zhen (Xin Xianying)