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Shi Xie

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Traditional Chinese
  
士燮

Pinyin
  
Shi Xie

Other names
  
Si Nhiep (Vietnamese)

Died
  
226 AD

Simplified Chinese
  
士燮

Wade–Giles
  
Shih Hsieh

Name
  
Shi Xie

Shi Xie kongmingnet10ipc240223ShiXiejpg
Courtesy name
  
Weiyan (Chinese: 威彥; pinyin: Weiyan; Wade–Giles: Wei-yen)

Let's Play RTK13 Fame and Strategy Expansion 016: The Death of Shi Xie and the Birth of Zerftopia


Shi Xie (137–226), courtesy name Weiyan, was an official who lived in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He served as the Administrator of Jiaozhi commandery (present-day northern Vietnam).

Contents

Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi) is a major source of Chinese traditions concerning Shi Xie's life. He was a promoter of Buddhism during his life and after his death various legends and worship were attached to him in Vietnam. He is honoured in some temples as King Si (Vietnamese: Si Vuong) in Vietnam.

Let's Play Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII 053: JG Mystery takes cities from Sun Quan and Shi Xie


Life

Shi Xie served as state secretary at the Han court, from which he later resigned to return home after his father's death. He was assigned magistrate of Wu District in Sichuan Province. In the 180s he was promoted to be the Administrator of Jiaozhi. Shi Xie was the leader of the elite ruling class of Han Chinese families who immigrated to what would later be modern day Vietnam and played a major role in developing Vietnamese civilization.

Shi Xie pledged his loyalty to the warlord Sun Quan (founder of the state of Eastern Wu in the Three Kingdoms period) after the latter had proclaimed his dynasty and regularly sent generous tribute missions as well as an envoy to meet Sun. Shi Xie had been in office for over 40 years. He died at the age of 90 (by East Asian age reckoning) in 226. After Shi Xie's death, Sun Quan thought the Jiaozhi region was too far away and made it an autonomous province. Lu Dai was named Inspector of Jiaozhi and Chen Shi the new Administrator. In response to this, Shi's son, Shi Hui, took his father's position of Administrator. Shi Hui refused to allow Lu Dai and Chen Shi to enter Jiaozhi. However, Lu Dai had an imperial decree that allowed the execution of Shi Hui. Shi Kuang was sent to persuade Shi Hui to allow Lu Dai to enter. The following day, Shi Hui and his accomplices were murdered. Later, the rest of the Shi family was reduced to the status of commoners.

Shi Xie was a scholar who enjoyed reading the Spring and Autumn Annals.

Worship of "King Si", Si Nhiep in Vietnam

Some Chinese heroes were deified in Vietnam after the fall of the Han Dynasty. Among these was Shi Xie who was deified in the 6th century. As one of the officials who ruled northern Vietnam in the 1st century, he was posthumously titled Thien Cam Gia Ung Linh Vu Dai Vuong (善感嘉應靈武大王) by a Tran Dynasty emperor, as recorded in the Dai Viet su ky toan thu (大越史記全書), and History of King Si (Ky Si Vuong).

Shi Xie is still honoured in some temples today as "King Si" (Si Vuong). The Vietnamese history Viet Dien U Linh Tap (越甸幽靈集, c.1400) adds significantly to the traditions of the Chinese records with local Vietnamese traditions.

References

Shi Xie Wikipedia