Overview
Yu Li was an official and Scholar.
IdentityHistorical · Male
Other names
| Type | English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|
| Courtesy name |
Shanpi |
山披 |
Shanpi |
| Posthumous name |
Dezi |
德子 |
Dezi |
Life and dates
Death
Age
Attested activity
AD 548 to AD 552 侯景之亂
AD 561 天嘉二年
AD 559 文帝嗣位
Family
Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.
Career and standing
crown prince attendant 太子中庶子
Appointed
Forest of Scholars academician 士林學士
Appointed
grand institute for writing 大著作
Headed
Palace Attendant 侍中
Posthumous
Lifelong
Vegetarian plain cloth mourning
Places and affiliations
Chen 陳
Relation Served
Chen 陳
Relation Served
Liang 梁
Relation Served
- At Yuyao in Kuaiji 會稽餘姚
Events and relationships
Presented stratagems
Political · Counselor
- Relation Colleague of · Person Gu Xie (顧協)
Assessments and attributes
- Assessment counsel deep and loyalty complete; benefited the enlightened age · Mode historian-judgment
- Assessment pure and retiring · Mode historian-judgment
References in the histories
No matching passages.
Book of Chen, Chapter 19Volume 19: Shen Jiong; Yu Li; Ma Shu · 24 passages
沈炯 虞荔 弟寄 馬樞
Shen Jiong; Yu Li; younger brother Ji; Ma Shu
虞荔字山披，會稽餘姚人也。
Yu Li, styled Shanpi, came from Yuyao in Kuaiji.
荔幼聰敏，有志操。
Li was clever and keen in youth, with firm will and conduct.
年九歲，隨從伯闡候太常陸倕，倕問五經凡有十事，荔隨問輒應，無有遺失，倕甚異之。
At nine, he accompanied his father's elder cousin Chan on a visit to Chamberlain for Ceremonials Lu Chui. Chui asked him ten questions on the Five Classics; Li answered each without error, and Chui marveled at him.
又嘗詣徵士何胤，時太守衡陽王亦造焉，胤言之於王，王欲見荔，荔辭曰：「未有板刺，無容拜謁。」
He once visited the recluse He Yin. The Prince of Hengyang, then administrator, also came; Yin spoke of Li to the prince, who wished to see him. Li declined: "I have no visiting tablet and cannot pay respects."
王以荔有高尚之志，雅相欽重，還郡，即辟為主簿，荔又辭以年小不就。
The prince, seeing Li's lofty aims, honored him deeply. Back in his commandery he summoned Li as chief clerk; Li again declined as too young.
梁武帝於城西置士林館，荔乃製碑，奏上，帝命勒之于館，仍用荔為士林學士。
Emperor Wu of Liang set up the Forest of Scholars west of the city. Li composed a stele and submitted it; the emperor had it carved in the hall and made Li an academician there.
時左右之任，多參權軸，內外機務，互有帶掌，唯荔與顧協淡然靖退，居于西省，但以文史見知，當時號為清白。
Close attendants then mostly shared the power axis; inner and outer affairs were split among them—only Li and Gu Xie stayed calm and retired in the western secretariat, known for literature and history; the age called them pure.
及侯景之亂，荔率親屬入臺，除鎮西諮議參軍，舍人如故。
When Hou Jing rebelled Li led kin into the Terrace City and was made staff adviser to the pacifier of the west, secretariat gentleman unchanged.
張彪之據會稽也，荔時在焉。
When Zhang Biao held Kuaiji, Li was there.
及文帝平彪，高祖遺荔書曰：「喪亂已來，賢哲凋散，君才用有美，聲聞許、洛，當今朝廷惟新，廣求英雋，豈可栖遲東土，獨善其身？
When Emperor Wen pacified Biao, the Founder wrote: "Since the chaos, worthies have scattered. Your talent is fine and your fame heard in Xu and Luo. The court is newly ordered and seeks heroes widely—how can you linger in the east and keep goodness to yourself?
高祖崩，文帝嗣位，除太子中庶子，仍侍太子讀書。
When the Founder died and Emperor Wen succeeded, Li was made crown prince attendant and still tutored the crown prince.
初，荔母隨荔入臺，卒於臺內，尋而城陷，情禮不申，由是終身蔬食布衣，不聽音樂，雖任遇隆重，而居止儉素，淡然無營。
Earlier his mother had followed him into the Terrace City and died there; soon the city fell and rites could not be observed—therefore for life he ate vegetables and plain cloth and heard no music; though honored in office, his dwelling was spare and he had no designs.
荔性沉密，少言論，凡所獻替，莫有見其際者，故不列于後焉。
Li by nature was deep and close, seldom debated; whatever he offered in counsel none saw its inner workings—therefore he is not listed in what follows.
時荔第二弟寄寓於閩中，依陳寶應，荔每言之輒流涕。
At the time Li's second younger brother Ji was staying in Min under Chen Baoying; whenever Li spoke of it he wept.
荔因以感疾，帝數往臨視。
Li fell ill with grief; the emperor visited him in person several times.
令荔將家口入省，荔以禁中非私居之所，乞停城外，文帝不許，乃令住於蘭臺，乘輿再三臨問，手敕中使，相望於道。
He ordered Li to bring his household into the secretariat; Li said the forbidden precinct was no private home and begged to stay outside the walls. Emperor Wen refused and had him stay at Orchid Terrace; the imperial carriage visited again and again; hand-edicts and inner envoys lined the road.
又以荔蔬食積久，非羸疾所堪，乃敕曰：「能敦布素，乃當為高，卿年事已多，氣力稍減，方欲仗委，良須克壯，今給卿魚肉，不得固從所執也。」
Because Li's vegetable diet had long continued and was not what a wasting illness could bear, an edict said: "To keep plain cloth is indeed lofty; you are advanced in years and your strength has declined—just when I wish to rely on you I need you hale; I now give you fish and meat—you must not stubbornly hold to your vow."
荔終不從。
Li in the end did not obey.
文帝甚傷惜之，贈侍中，諡曰德子。
Emperor Wen grieved deeply, posthumously made him palace attendant, posthumous name Dezi.
帝謂寄兄荔曰：「此頌典裁清拔，卿家之士龍也。
The emperor told Ji's elder brother Li: "This eulogy is clear and lofty—your family's Shilong.
侯景之亂，寄隨兄荔入臺，除鎮南湘東王諮議參軍，加貞威將軍。
During Hou Jing's rebellion, Ji followed his elder brother Li into the Terrace City. He was appointed advisory aide to the Prince of Xiangdong, general who guards the south, and was additionally made resolute-prestige general.
自流寓南土，與兄荔隔絕，因感氣病，每得荔書，氣輒奔劇，危殆者數矣。
After he was stranded in the south, cut off from his brother Li, he suffered from a breathing disorder; each letter from Li brought on violent fits and several times nearly killed him.
虞荔之獻籌沈密，盡其誠款，可謂有益明時矣。
Yu Li's counsel was deep and thorough and his loyalty complete—he truly served a bright age.