Yue Jin (died 218) was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty of China. He was noted as much for his short stature as for his valor and ferocity on the battlefield. Yue Jin participated most of Cao Cao's early to middle wars, and gained multiple successes in campaigns against Lü Bu, Liu Bei and remnants of the Yellow Turbans and Yuan clan of northern China. He was particularly praised as a capable vanguard, but his most famed accomplishment came with his supporting role in the defense of Hefei against the advances of Sun Quan's forces in 208.

Chen Shou, author of the Records of Three Kingdoms, considered Yue Jin among the Five Elite Generals, along with Zhang Liao, Yu Jin, Zhang He and Xu Huang, and referred to him as the most ferocious of all Cao Cao's generals.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Yue Jin was originally a local of the Yangping Commandery (阳平卫国, present day county of Qingfeng, Henan), and little was known about him before he joined Cao Cao's army. Being a small-framed youth, he was initially made a clerk who handled paperworks in a camp. When Cao raised troops to join the coalition against Dong Zhuo, he was tasked to recruit soldiers for Cao's camp, in which he brought back 1,000 men from his hometown. For his effort, Yue was put into test as an acting Marshal and Formation Breaking Commandant.^[1] Thereafter, Yue assumed military positions and followed Cao in his futile war with Dong Zhuo. Although being defeated, Yue's physical strength and bravery earned him much trust from Cao, who would use him as the vanguard from time to time.

Solidifying Cao Cao's position[link]

The famed warrior, Lu Bu, stormed Cao Cao's base, Yan Province, when the latter was on his expedition against Tao Qian. Yue was assigned as the vanguard with Cao Hong for the returning army. The two forces fought several bitter battles around Poyang (濮陽), resulting in largely Cao's defeat, but Yue's merit in those battles was still recognized by his supervisor. Later, Lu Bu led his elite troops away for food when a large-scaled famine broke out around the area, and Yue took the opportunity to attack Lu's ally and subordinates, Zhang Chao (張超) at Yong Slope (雍丘) and Qiao Long (橋曨) at Ku (苦). He acted as the vanguard and was the first to break the enemy's defense in both battles; he was thus granted a title of Marquis, and highly valued in Cao's camp (Yue was the first among the five top generals of Wei to receive a Marquis title).^[2]

In AD 198, Yue followed Cao to subdue Zhang Xiu, who feigned surrender and wreaked havoc for Cao Cao when the latter was sleeping with Zhang's aunt. Much hardships were experienced during the campaign, but Yue, along Yu Jin, was recorded to earn merit during the battles. Due to the fact that Zhang was backed by Liu Biao of Jing Province, Cao realized Zhang could not be taken care of within a short period of time. Under the rationale that Liu Bei was asking for help in Xiaopei to fight Lu Bu, Cao finally relinquished his war against Zhang Xiu, and sent envoys to ask the latter to form an alliance, which Zhang agreed upon the term that a marriage be arranged between the two families. During the siege of Xiapi, Yue led a separate command and defeated Lu's deputy general outside the city before he joined the encirclement.

After Lu's demise, Cao focused on preparation to the upcoming war with Yuan Shao (who was still Cao's ally), and Yue Jin was assigned to the border. When the warlord of Bing Province, Zhang Yang, vacillated on the predicament upon choosing Cao or Yuan as ally, his subordinate, Yang Chou murdered him and took his head to Cao; but another general, Sui Gu (眭固), vindicated his lord when Yang was on his way to Xuchang. In order to merge Zhang Yang's remnants, Yue intercepted Sui when the latter attempted to go back north, and successfully hunted down his prey and took control of the Bing Province troops. He then brought his troops to join Cao's eastern campaign against the traitor, Liu Bei, who just usurped and killed the Governor of Xu Province. Within a very short time, Liu Bei was defeated, and his aide, Guan Yu, was captured alive.

Cao Cao's northern campaign[link]

Skirmishes[link]

Yue Jin had also participated in the pivotal Battle of Guandu, in which Cao Cao pitched his forces against those of rival warlord, Yuan Shao. Before Cao led the main army to the frontline, Yue was assigned several thousand soldiers to reinforce Yu Jin at Yan Ford (延津; north of modern-day Yanjin, Henan). After joining up with Yu, they selected 5,000 elite soldiers composed of infantry and cavalry, and raided Yuan Shao's detached encampments along the Yellow River southwest from Yan fortress. They snaked up as far as Ji (汲; 25 li southwest of modern Weihui, Henan), and crossed the river to raid Huojia (獲嘉; southeast of modern Huojia, Henan) to the north.^[3] In all, they had set fire to some thirty enemy camps, decapitated several thousand heads, captured several thousand men alive, and forced the surrender of some 20 generals including He Mao (何茂) and Wang Mo (王摩).

Major engagements[link]

However, the war was far from over because the ones that Yue destroyed were just some expendable pawns of the powerful northern regime of Yuan. Cao Cao then ordered Yu Jin to camp at Yuanwu (原武; modern-day Yuanyang, Henan), and summoned Yue Jin back to his side. A series of battles were fought, and several famed generals of Yuan had been killed, but the latter still possessed a huge army, which applied much pressure to Cao. The war had been dragging on for months, and Cao's supplies nearly depleted. When Cao thought about relinquishing resistance, he received a piece of intelligence concerning the whereabouts of his enemy's food storage, guarded by Yuan's most prominent general, Chunyu Qiong. Determined to bet on the information, he picked Yue Jin as his van in this desperate mission, and sneaked their way to Wuchao (烏巢; in modern Yanjin, Henan) with a 5,000-strong mixed force composed of mainly horsemen. Under the cover of night, they were unopposed until they arrived the enemy encampment, where they set a fire upon. Chuyu attempted to fight back with his larger force, but was slain by Yue Jin in the chaos. The success of this raid in Wuchao enabled Cao to overcome his archrival when Yuan was out of stock.

After the ultimate defeat and subsequent death of Yuan Shao, Cao Cao marched his troops northwards into Ji Province (冀州) and You Province (幽州) to stamp out Yuan Shao's heirs and supporters. Cao's progress was checked at Liyang (黎陽, northeast of present day Xunxian County, Henan), where the war entered a stalemate when the two forces fought on the open field.^[4] Yue Jin then targeted the unit of Yuan's general, Yan Jing (嚴敬), and had it routed. The defeat of Yan frightened the Yuan brothers, who went back into the city and fled during the night. Yue was promoted to Guerilla General (游擊將軍). He then followed Cao to besiege Ye city, and had it breached. During the battle of Nanpi, Yuan Tan personally led a counteroffensive, and inflicted considerable damage to the elite mounted force of Cao Cao – the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. Nevertheless, Yue climbed the city and opened the east gate, and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry took its revenge by taking Yuan's head. For his efforts in the northern campaign, Yue Jin was promoted to General Who Breaks Conflicts (折冲将军).

Winding-up[link]

When a local gentry and relative to the Yuans, Gao Gan reneged on his surrender and revolted, Yue Jin was dispatched to cleanse the rebellion. He outflanked Gao by adopting a circuitous route to the north of Gao's position.^[5] However, Gao outmaneuvered his opponent by retreating to Hu Gate (壺關), where he relied on its strong defense. Several battles were fought on the field, resulting in defeats on Gao's side, but Hu Gate remained defiant, and Yue was unable to take it alone. When the reinforcement led by Cao arrived, they breached the fortress and had every defenders killed. Then, Yue, along Li Dian was assigned as vanguards to strike the pirate, Guan Cheng (管承), who was broke by them, and was forced to surrender later.^[6]

War with Sun Quan[link]

After Cao Cao successfully congregated central and northern China, he assembled a grandiose force upon Yangtze river, only to be destroyed by the southeastern warlord, Sun Quan, who formed an alliance with Liu Bei. The result of the Battle of Red Cliffs would lead to the development of the Three Kingdoms.

Battle of Jiangling[link]

As a result of the disastrous defeat at the Red Cliffs, Cao Cao's huge army was scattered around the Northern plain above the Yangtze River. Yue Jin was ordered to station inside the city of Xiangyang, in anticipation of Zhou Yu's counterstrike. When enemy general Guan Yu was attempting to cut the connection between Jiangling and Xiangyang, he was stymied by Yue Jin, who led his army out and defeated him. During Guan's second attempt to block the waterway of Xiangyang, Yue again spiked Guan on the water at Xiukou.

The war dragged on and Cao Cao side had had suffered high casualties in the battles. Knowing Cao's position in Nanjun became worse, Yue raised an army in Xiangyang and hurried down to Jiangling, where he attacked and won several skirmishes over the forces of Liu Bei. Yue forced the barbarians of southern Jing Province to surrender, and mimicked Guan's infiltration strategy to attack Liu's Prefect of Linju, Du Pu, and Prefect of Xinyang, Liang Dai. Du and Liang were unable to repel Yue Jin, and were totally routed.^[7] When Cao Ren was ordered to give up Jiangling due to continuous loss of materiel, Yue slithered back to Xiangyang.

Battle of Xiaoyao Ford[link]

After Cao Cao lost the Battle of Jiangling in 208, Sun Quan attacked Hefei, prompting the former to personally led reinforcements to the scene. Yue Jin was specifically granted the staff of authority on the way to Hefei.^[8] Receiving intelligence Cao had come in person, Sun retreated, and Yue, alongside Zhang Liao and Li Dian were left for the defense of Hefei fortress with 7,000 soldiers. Later, Sun led 100,000 naval forces to advance to Hefei. The 300,000 strong army of Xiahou Dun was unable to hinder Sun's progress. Following a direct order from Cao Cao, Xue Ti led a relief force into the city, and also served as a monitoring system to the three generals who were not in good terms with each other. Yue was ordered to stay behind to defend the city with the strategist, Xue Ti (who actually assumed a higher command than Zhang Liao, and was there to enforce the 3 to carry out Cao's orders), while Li and Zhang led a force of 800 men out to meet the enemy. The overconfident Sun Quan lost two generals on the first encounter, but his forces managed to force Zhang and Li back into the fortified citadel.

However, Sun Quan's forces were unable to climb the high walls of the Hefei Castle, and were subsequently infected with a plague. Thus, Sun grudgingly withdrew; in order to avoid being infected, Sun only had 1,000 troops with him on the northern part of Xiaoyao Ford (逍遥津). This news was received by Zhang Liao, who immediately led several thousand elite cavalry to pursue the enemy commander. During the chaos, Sun Quan was nearly killed if not saved by his general, Ling Tong, and the siege of Hefei Castle came to a complete victory for Cao Cao's side. Yue was then promoted to General of the Right (右将军) for his contributions in the miraculous defense of Hefei, along Zhang, they would later be labeled as two of the five top generals of the Kingdom of Wei.

Death[link]

Yue Jin eventually died in 218, but the cause was undocumented in historical records. He was given the posthumous title of Marquis Wei (威侯), literally meaning the awe-inspiring marquis. His son Yue Lin inherited his decisiveness and determination and was eventually promoted to governor of Yangzhou (杨州).

In fiction[link]

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a historical novel by Luo Guanzhong, was a romanticization of the events that occurred before and during the Three Kingdoms era. Yue Jin made his first appearance in Chapter 5, where he joined Cao Cao's camp when the latter was raising an army to join the coalition against Dong Zhuo, the tyrannical warlord who held the emperor hostage in the imperial court.

Unlike historical records, however, Luo Guanzhong had Yue Jin killed in the midst of battle in Chapter 68, shortly after the Battle of Xiaoyao Ford. This was probably because little about the last ten years of Yue Jin's life was documented in the first place.

According to the novel, during a confrontation with Wu troops along the shore of Ruxu River (濡须河), Yue Jin rode out to engage Ling Tong (凌统) in a duel. An arrow fired by Cao Xiu struck Ling Tong's horse, which in pain threw its rider off. Yue Jin was dashing forward to finish off his opponent when he was hit full in the face by an arrow fired by Wu general, Gan Ning.

See also[link]

• List of people of the Three Kingdoms

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Chen Shou (2002). San Guo Zhi. Yue Lu Shu She. ISBN 7-80665-198-5. 
• Luo Guanzhong (1986). San Guo Yan Yi. Yue Lu Shu She. ISBN 7-80520-013-0. 
• Lo Kuan-chung; tr. C.H. Brewitt-Taylor (2002). Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 0-8048-3467-9.