User:Lds/Sandbox/Xun Yu

Xun Yu (163–212), courtesy name Wenruo, was a Chinese statesman who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty and served as an adviser to the warlord Cao Cao. Born in the influential Xun family of Yingchuan Commandery (around present-day Xuchang, Henan), Xun Yu started his career as an official in 189 but resigned and returned home a year later when the warlord Dong Zhuo seized control of the central government. Around 191, he joined the warlord Cao Cao, who regarded him highly and took him as one of his key advisers. In 194, while Cao Cao was away on a campaign in Xu Province, Xun Yu guarded Cao Cao's base in Yan Province, and managed to prevent at least three counties from falling into the hands of a rival warlord, Lü Bu, until Cao Cao returned to deal with the crisis.

In 196, Xun Yu urged Cao Cao to receive Emperor Xian and bring him to his base in Xu (present-day Xuchang, Henan), where the new imperial capital was established. Although the emperor was merely a nominal figurehead ruler under Cao Cao's control, he nonetheless symbolised imperial authority and legitimised Cao Cao's military campaigns against rival warlords. The emperor also appointed Xun Yu as a Palace Attendant and acting Prefect of the Masters of Writing. In the subsequent years leading up to the Battle of Guandu in 200, Xun Yu accurately assessed Cao Cao's strengths and weaknesses vis-à-vis his northern rival, Yuan Shao, and urged Cao Cao to press on during the battle and seize any opportunity to defeat Yuan. For his achievements and contributions, in 203 Emperor Xian, acting on Cao Cao's recommendation, honoured Xun Yu by enfeoffing him as a village marquis. Xun Yu also provided crucial advice to Cao Cao at other pivotal moments in the warlord's life, including dissuading Cao Cao from restoring the Nine Provinces system in 204 and advising Cao Cao on how to conquer Jing Province in 208.

Throughout his two-decade long career as both Cao Cao's adviser and a Han statesman, Xun Yu provided multiple suggestions to Cao Cao on how to restore peace and stability in the Han Empire. Under Xun Yu's patronage, Cao Cao had recruited a number of capable officials, including Xi Zhicai, Xun You, Chen Qun, Zhong Yao, Guo Jia, Du Xi, Xin Pi and Sima Yi. Ironically, as Xun Yu worked painstakingly to revive the declining Han dynasty by assisting Cao Cao, his efforts inadvertently resulted in the Cao clan's rise to power and overshadowing of the Han dynasty. In 212, when some officials asked Emperor Xian to make Cao Cao a duke, Xun Yu interpreted it as a sign that Cao Cao would eventually usurp the Han throne, so he strongly objected to it. Cao Cao was very displeased. Xun Yu died later that year under mysterious circumstances: one account claimed he died in distress after recognising the tragic irony of his actions while another account recorded he committed suicide after receiving an empty box from Cao Cao.

Although historians hold divided views on whether Xun Yu's allegiance was more towards Cao Cao or the Han dynasty, they all noted that he possessed keen foresight and made excellent judgments on people's abilities and talents. Described as a virtuous, brilliant, elegant and refined Confucian gentleman who, despite his achievements and social standing, remained humble and incorruptible, Xun Yu was highly respected and praised by his contemporaries, who compared him to the Confucian sage Yan Hui and the early Western Han dynasty statesman Zhang Liang.

Historical sources on Xun Yu's life
There are two official biographies of Xun Yu. The first is in Volume 10 of the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi), which was written by Chen Shou in the third century. The second is in volume 70 of the Book of the Later Han (Houhanshu), which was written by Fan Ye in the fifth century.

In the fifth century, Pei Songzhi annotated the Sanguozhi by incorporating information from other sources to Chen Shou's original work and adding his personal commentary. Some alternative texts used in the annotations to the Sanguozhi include: the Xun Yu Biezhuan (荀彧別傳; Unofficial Biography of Xun Yu), by an unknown writer; the Xun Shi Jia Zhuan (荀氏家傳; Xun Family Genealogy); the Dianlue (典略), believed to be based on parts of Yu Huan's Weilue; the Cao Man Zhuan (曹瞞傳; Biography of Cao Man), by an unknown writer; the Pingyuan Mi Heng Zhuan (平原禰衡傳; Biography of Mi Heng of Pingyuan), by an unknown writer; the Wei Shi Chunqiu (魏氏春秋; Chronicles of the Ruling Family of Wei), by Sun Sheng; the Xiandi Chunqiu (獻帝春秋; Chronicles of Emperor Xian), by Yuan Wei (袁暐).

Physical appearance
Xun Yu's original biography in the Sanguozhi did not contain any description about his physical appearance, hence Pei Songzhi included excerpts from other sources when he annotated the Sanguozhi. The Dianlue described Xun Yu as "extraordinary and good-looking". When asked to assess Xun Yu, who was good-looking, Mi Heng once said: "Wenruo has the face of a mourner at a funeral." Pan Xu (潘勗), who wrote an epitaph for Xun Yu, also mentioned that Xun Yu had an "extraordinary and talented appearance".

Background and early career
Xun Yu's ancestral home was in Yingyin County (潁陰縣), Yingchuan Commandery (穎川郡), which is in present-day Xuchang, Henan. He came from a highly prestigious family background. When he was still a youth, the scholar He Yong evaluated him and remarked that he was "a talent capable of assisting rulers".

In 189, Xun Yu was nominated as a xiaolian (civil service candidate) and commissioned as a palace guard. Around 190, when the warlord Dong Zhuo came to power and controlled the Han central government, Xun Yu requested to be assigned a post outside the capital Luoyang. He was appointed as the Prefect of Gangfu County (亢父縣; south of present-day Jining, Shandong). However, after leaving Luoyang, he resigned and returned to his hometown in Yingchuan Commandery. Han Rong (韓融), who was also from Yingchuan, had already brought Xun Yu's relatives (numbering over 1,000 households) to take shelter in the hills west of Mi County (密縣; west of present-day Zhengzhou, Henan). Foreseeing that war would soon come to Yingchuan Commandery because of its strategic location, he tried to warn his fellow townsfolk and urged them to leave quickly, but they were reluctant to do so due to their strong emotional attachment to their homeland.

Around the time, Han Fu, the Governor of Ji Province, had sent troops to Yingchuan Commandery to escort anyone who was willing to migrate to Ji Province. No one left except Xun Yu, who brought along his family and relatives as well. By the time Xun Yu reached Ji Province, the warlord Yuan Shao had seized control of Ji Province from Han Fu and replaced him as the Governor. Yuan Shao treated Xun Yu like an honoured guest and took him as an adviser. He also accepted a few others from Yingchuan as his advisers, including Xun Yu's brother Xun Chen, Xin Ping and Guo Tu. Xun Yu clearly expressed his wish to serve the Han dynasty and save it from collapse.

Joining Cao Cao
Xun Yu perceived that Yuan Shao would not become successful eventually and wanted to leave him. Around the time, the warlord Cao Cao, who held the appointment of General Who Inspires Martial Might (奮武將軍), was based in the nearby Dong Commandery (東郡; around present-day Puyang County, Henan). In 191, Xun Yu left Yuan Shao and joined Cao Cao. Overjoyed at Xun Yu's arrival, Cao Cao remarked: "This is my Zifang." He appointed Xun Yu, then 28 years old, as an Army Major Who Inspires Martial Might (奮武司馬). In the following year, Xun Yu became Army Major Who Guards the East (鎮東司馬).

Around the time, Dong Zhuo was still in a dominant position and in control of the Han central government. When Cao Cao consulted Xun Yu on the situation, Xun Yu said: "Dong Zhuo's cruelty will bring him nothing but destruction. He won't achieve anything great." Dong Zhuo sent his subordinate Li Jue and others to plunder and pillage the lands east of Hangu Pass until Yingchuan and Chenliu commanderies (around present-day Xuchang and Kaifeng, Henan). Xun Yu's townsfolk who chose to remain in their hometown were killed. In 192, after Cao Cao became the Governor of Yan Province and later General Who Guards the East (鎮東將軍), Xun Yu constantly accompanied him into battle as an Army Major to advise him.

Cao Cao once asked Xun Yu: "Who can replace you as my adviser?" Xun Yu replied: "Xun You and Zhong Yao." When Cao Cao asked him about talented people, Xun Yu first recommended Xi Zhicai (戲志才). After Xi Zhicai died, Xun Yu recommended Guo Jia. Cao Cao knew that Xun Yu made excellent judgments about people's talents. Among those whom Xun Yu recommended to Cao Cao, all of them performed their jobs well except for Yan Xiang and Wei Kang.

Securing Juancheng, Fan and Dong'e counties before Cao Cao's return
In 194, when Cao Cao was away on a campaign against the warlord Tao Qian in Xu Province, Xun Yu remained behind in Juancheng County to guard Cao Cao's base, Yan Province (covering parts of present-day southwestern Shandong and eastern Henan). During this time, two of Cao Cao's subordinates, Zhang Miao and Chen Gong, rebelled and defected to a rival warlord, Lü Bu. Zhang Miao sent a messenger, Liu Yu (劉翊), to trick Xun Yu into providing Lü Bu's forces with supplies by lying to him that Lü Bu had come to help Cao Cao attack Tao Qian. While the others were puzzled by the sudden request for supplies, Xun Yu was well aware that Zhang Miao and Chen Gong had defected to Lü Bu. He ordered his men to strengthen their defences and summoned Xiahou Dun to lead troops from Dong Commandery (東郡; around present-day Puyang, Henan and Liaocheng, Shandong) to defend Yan Province. At the time, many of Cao Cao's subordinates had conspired with Zhang Miao and Chen Gong, responded to Lü Bu's call, and defected to his side. Moreover, Cao Cao had left very few troops to guard his home base when he went to attack Tao Qian. When Xiahou Dun arrived, he killed dozens of defectors in one night and restored stability.

Around the same time, Guo Gong (郭貢), the Inspector of Yu Province, led thousands of troops to Yan Province. Many people thought that he had come to help Lü Bu so they became very fearful. When Guo Gong asked to meet Xun Yu, Xiahou Dun tried to stop him, saying that since Guo Gong's intentions were unclear, Xun Yu would be taking a big risk in meeting him. Xun Yu said: "In the first place, Guo Gong and Zhang Miao aren't close at all. Since Guo Gong has come so hastily, it must be that he hasn't made up his mind yet. I should seize this opportunity – when he's still undecided – to convince him. Even if he's not on our side, I can still try to convince him to remain neutral. If we suspect him, we might provoke him into siding with Zhang Miao." When Guo Gong saw that Xun Yu was unafraid, he believed that Juancheng County would not fall easily, so he withdrew his troops and returned to Yu Province. Xun Yu then discussed with Cheng Yu and sent him to persuade the officials in Fan County (范縣; west of present-day Liangshan County, Shandong) and Dong'e County to remain loyal to Cao Cao. Among all the counties in Yan Province, only these Juancheng, Fan and Dong'e remained firmly under Cao Cao's control. When Cao Cao returned from Xu Province, he attacked Lü Bu in Puyang County and eventually drove Lü Bu eastward.

Dissuading Cao Cao from attacking Tao Qian
In the summer of 195, when Cao Cao's forces were stationed at Chengshi County (乘氏縣; east of present-day Heze, Shandong), a famine broke out and there were reportedly multiple instances of cannibalism. As Tao Qian had died of illness in the previous year, Cao Cao wanted to seize the opportunity to attack Xu Province first, and then turn back later to deal with Lü Bu.

Xun Yu advised Cao Cao, "'In the past, when Emperor Gaozu guarded Guanzhong and Emperor Guangwu occupied Henei, they used these lands as their key foundations for controlling the Empire. They could achieve both offensive and defensive objectives from their bases. That's why they could still eventually succeed despite suffering some setbacks along the way. General, you started your military conquests in Yan Province and pacified Shandong; the people are happy and willing to submit to you. Besides, as the Yellow and Ji rivers cut across Yan Province, this area is thus a strategic location. Even though it has suffered damage, it can still serve as a base of support. Yan Province is your Guanzhong and Henei; you have to stabilise it first. Now that you have defeated Li Feng (李封) and Xue Lan (薛蘭), if you send troops east to attack Chen Gong, he will definitely not dare to bother the west. We can thus send troops to collect the harvest and stock up supplies in preparation for a decisive strike against Lü Bu. We can also form an alliance with Liu Yao of Yang Province and attack Yuan Shu together, and then capture the lands around the Huai and Si rivers. If you ignore Lü Bu and attack Xu Province, you will face a shortage of manpower: if you leave behind too many troops, you won't have enough men to conquer Xu Province; if you leave behind too few troops, you'll have to conscript civilians to defend your base. You won't get the best out of both. If Lü Bu uses the opportunity to attack us and pillage our lands, the people will be even more terrified. When that happens, we can only retain Juancheng, Fan and Wei counties and lose all the other territories. This is as good as losing the entire Yan Province. Moreover, if you fail to conquer Xu Province, where will you end up? Even though Tao Qian is dead, Xu Province is still not easy to conquer. The people of Xu Province have learnt from their past defeats and will definitely work together more closely out of fear, both within and outside their cities. Now, since the east has already started collecting the harvest, I believe they are adopting a scorched earth strategy and strengthening their defences against our forces. If you fail to conquer Xu Province swiftly and fail to capture sufficient supplies, within ten days your 100,000 strong army will be exhausted and weary before the battle has even started. Furthermore, during your previous campaign in Xu Province, you punished the civilian population harshly. The memories are still fresh in the people's minds, so they will definitely resist you to the death and have not intention of surrendering. Even if you manage to conquer Xu Province, you won't be able to possess it. Trading one thing for another is very common in everyday life. It is possible to trade something big for something small, possible to trade peace for danger, and possible to ignore the peril of having an unstable foundation while forging ahead. There are no gains to be made from either of these three options. I hope you, General, will thoroughly think through again.'"

Cao Cao heeded Xun Yu's advice and dropped the idea of attacking Xu Province. He ordered his troops to collect the harvest and prepare for battle against Lü Bu. He also sent separate forces to recover the lost counties and eventually succeeded in driving Lü Bu out of Yan Province.

Urging Cao Cao to receive Emperor Xian
In 196, Cao Cao had defeated the Yellow Turban rebels in Yan Province. Around the time, Emperor Xian had escaped from being held hostage in Chang'an and returned to the ruins of the old capital, Luoyang. Cao Cao wanted to receive the emperor and bring him to his own base in Xu (許; present-day Xuchang, Henan). However, some of Cao Cao's subordinates disapproved of this idea and pointed out that the Shandong region had yet to be pacified. They also said that it might be difficult to deal with the White Wave Bandits (led by Han Xian and Yang Feng) and their ally Zhang Yang, who had provided shelter and protection to Emperor Xian in Luoyang.

Xun Yu advised Cao Cao: "'In the past, when Duke Wen of Jin restored King Xiang of Zhou to the throne, he earned the respect of the other vassal lords. When Emperor Gaozu was attacking Xiang Yu, he ordered his troops to mourn Emperor Yi of Chu and gained popular support. Since the Emperor got into trouble, General, you were the first to raise a righteous army to help the Emperor. However, due to the chaotic situation in Shandong, you were unable to leave Shandong and travel to Hangu Pass to save the Emperor. Nevertheless, you still sent your subordinates to maintain contact with the Imperial Court. You have provided external protection for the Imperial Court, and the Imperial Family is constantly on your mind. This has always been your ambition, General: To uphold the stability of the Empire. Now, the Emperor has returned to the old capital, which is in ruins. Righteous men want to serve the Imperial Court and the people feel sad when they recall the good old days. If you can use this opportunity to follow the people's wishes and revive the Empire, you will earn popular support; if you can win over the other lords through your fairness and impartiality, you will gain a grand strategic advantage; if you can uphold righteousness and attract talents to join you, you will gain a virtuous reputation. There may be rebellious elements out there, but they won't drag the Empire down. Clearly, Han Xian, Yang Feng and the others won't dare to cause trouble. If you don't restore stability now, traitorous sentiments will start brewing throughout the Empire. By the time you decide to support the Emperor, it will be too late already.'"

Cao Cao travelled to Luoyang, received Emperor Xian and escorted him to Xu (許; present-day Xuchang, Henan), where the new imperial capital was established. Emperor Xian appointed Cao Cao as General-in-Chief (大將軍) and Xun Yu as a Palace Attendant (侍中) and acting Prefect of the Masters of Writing (尚書令). He often remained in the capital to manage state affairs while Cao Cao led his forces to attack other warlords. Cao Cao also frequently consulted Xun Yu on important state and military affairs. As he held the appointment of Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Xun Yu was often respectfully referred to as "Xun Lingjun" (荀令君), which roughly means "Gentleman Prefect Xun" or "Lord Prefect Xun".

Evaluation of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao's strengths and weaknesses
After Cao Cao received Emperor Xian and brought him to his own base in Xu (許; present-day Xuchang, Henan), he heard that Yuan Shao was very unhappy about it. At the time, Yuan Shao controlled most of the territories north of the Yellow River and instilled much fear in many people. In the meantime, Cao Cao worried about the threats posed by Lü Bu in the east and Zhang Xiu in the south; he had even lost to Zhang Xiu earlier at the Battle of Wancheng. Yuan Shao became more aggressive and wrote a rudely worded letter to Cao Cao, who turned very furious and behaved differently from his usual self. His subordinates thought that he was still frustrated by his recent defeat at Wancheng. When Zhong Yao asked Xun Yu for his opinion, Xun Yu said: "Lord Cao is intelligent and wise. He won't dwell on the past. He must have something else bothering him." When Xun Yu met Cao Cao, the latter showed him Yuan Shao's letter and said: "I want to attack this unrighteous man, but I am worried that my military power is weaker than his. What should I do?"

Xun Yu replied: "'Throughout the history of war, those who are truly capable will eventually become powerful even though they may initially be weak; those who are incapable, no matter how powerful they initially were, would eventually become weak. We see this in the Chu–Han Contention between Xiang (Yu) and Liu (Bang). As of today, only Yuan Shao can compete with you. Yuan Shao seems like an open and accommodating person, but he is actually very jealous and insecure, and he constantly doubts his subordinates' loyalty towards him. You are wise, understanding and not bothered by petty issues. You promote people on the basis of merit. You win Yuan Shao in openness. Yuan Shao is hesitant, indecisive and slow to act; you are decisive, quick-thinking and not restricted by formalities. You win him in strategy. Yuan Shao has an ill-disciplined army and is unclear in giving orders; despite having more troops, he won't be able to use them to great effect. You have a well-disciplined army which you control by rule of law; you may have less troops but they are all willing to fight to the death for you. You win him in military power. Yuan Shao comes from an elite background and gained his reputation by using a couple of small tricks; many people who lack talent decide to join him because of his fame. You are benevolent and respectful; you don't yearn for personal glory; you have good self-discipline; you are very generous in rewarding the deserving. This is why the loyal, righteous and truly talented are willing to join you. You win Yuan Shao in virtue. With these four advantages and your support for the Emperor, who dares to oppose you when you uphold righteousness and attack those who don't submit? What use will Yuan Shao's power be to him?'"

Cao Cao was pleased. Xun Yu continued saying: "Even if you decide not to attack Lü Bu first, Hebei is still not easy to conquer." Cao Cao said: "Yes. What I am worried about is that Yuan Shao will attack Guanzhong and incite the Qiang people to cause trouble for me, and then induce Shu and Hanzhong commanderies to support him. If that happens, I won't be able to resist five-sixths of all the armies in the Empire with only Yan and Yu provinces under my control. What should I do?" Xun Yu replied: "There are tens of warlords in Guanzhong but they are not united. Only Han Sui and Ma Chao are the most powerful ones. When they see that the east is engulfed in war, they will try to preserve their own power by staying away. If you can send emissaries to pacify them and maintain friendly ties with them, you might not be able to achieve a lasting peace, but you can still ensure that they won't cause trouble for you before you pacify Shandong. You can put Zhong Yao in charge of the affairs in the west. Then you can continue with your conquests without any worries."

In 198, Cao Cao defeated Zhang Xiu and Lü Bu, and pacified Xu Province. Two years later, he engaged Yuan Shao in a power struggle when Yuan led his forces to attack Cao Cao and attempt to conquer Xu (許; present-day Xuchang, Henan). Many people were terrified by the massive size of Yuan Shao's army. Kong Rong told Xun Yu: "Yuan Shao has many territories and strong armies. He also has intelligent strategists such as Tian Feng and Xu You to advise him. He has loyal followers such as Shen Pei and Pang Ji. Courageous generals such as Yan Liang and Wen Chou lead his armies. It's difficult to win him!" Xun Yu replied: "'Yuan Shao may have a lot of troops but they are poorly disciplined. Tian Feng, with his headstrong character, is likely to offend his superiors. Xu You is corrupt and self-indulgent. Shen Pei craves power but lacks strategic thinking; Pang Ji is decisive but highly self-opinionated. With these two men in charge of his home base, if a member of Xu You's family breaks the law, they won't let him off. When that happens, Xu You will definitely rebel. As for Yan Liang and Wen Chou, they possess nothing more than just courage. They can be easily captured in battle.'"

Urging Cao Cao to press on during the Battle of Guandu
Around September 200, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao clashed at the Battle of Guandu. Cao Cao had retreated to Guandu (官渡; northeast of present-day Zhongmu County, Henan), which Yuan Shao laid siege to. When Cao Cao ran out of supplies, he wrote to Xun Yu, who was guarding his base in Xu (許; present-day Xuchang, Henan), to discuss his plan for retreating to Xu and distract Yuan Shao. Xun Yu replied: "Your army may be lacking supplies, but your situation now is not as bad as the Han forces' situation was during the battles of Xingyang and Chenggao. At the time, neither Liu Bang and Xiang Yu wanted to withdraw his forces because they knew that whoever pulled out first would be disadvantaged. You have only a tenth of the total number of troops the enemy has, yet you managed to hold your ground and prevent the enemy from advancing further for about half a year. The enemy's weaknesses are starting to show and they are growing weary. The situation is about to change. This is a crucial opportunity to exploit the element of surprise; you shouldn't abandon it." Cao Cao thus decided to continue to resist Yuan Shao at Guandu.

In November 200, Cao Cao sent a separate force to launch a surprise attack on one of Yuan Shao's camps and killed Chunyu Qiong, one of Yuan's officers. Yuan Shao lost the Battle of Guandu and retreated. In the meantime, Shen Pei had arrested Xu You's family for breaking the law. In anger, Xu You betrayed Yuan Shao and defected to Cao Cao. Yuan Shao's generals Yan Liang and Wen Chou were also killed in action earlier. Tian Feng was also executed. Everything that happened was just as Xun Yu foresaw earlier when he spoke to Kong Rong.

Advising Cao Cao to continue attacking Yuan Shao after the Battle of Guandu
In early 201, when Cao Cao and his troops were collecting grain in Dongping State (東平國; around present-day Dongping County, Shandong), he realised that he lacked food supplies for a prolonged campaign in northern China. Thus, he wanted to make use of the time while Yuan Shao recovered from his recent defeat at Guandu, to launch an attack on Liu Biao in the south. Xun Yu advised him against it by saying: "Yuan Shao has recently been defeated and his subordinates have lost faith in him. You should use this opportunity, when they are weary, to conquer them. Supposing you leave Yan and Yu provinces and embark on a long-distance campaign to Jiangnan and Hanzhong, if Yuan Shao manages to reassemble his forces and seize the opportunity to attack us while you are away, your achievements will be gone." Cao Cao thus decided to press on the campaign against Yuan Shao.

Enfeoffment as a marquis
In 203, Cao Cao submitted a memorial to the Han imperial court, describing Xun Yu's contributions and asking Emperor Xian to award Xun Yu the title "Marquis of Wansui Village" (萬歲亭侯). In his memorial, Cao Cao wrote: "'[...] Palace Attendant and acting Prefect of the Masters of Writing Xun Yu has rendered meritorious service. Despite suffering setbacks, he still maintained his loyalty to, and yearned to serve, the Empire. Since I raised an army of righteousness and embarked on military campaigns, he has worked closely with me, and provided appropriate and timely advice which worked to great effect. [...] With Your Majesty's permission, Xun Yu has served as my close adviser. He has served with loyalty and faithfulness, and performed his duties carefully, conscientiously, thoroughly and effectively. The stability of the Empire owes it to him. I recommend that Your Majesty bestows upon him a title of nobility to honour him for his contributions.'"

Xun Yu initially declined the honour as he felt that he was undeserving since he did not fight on the battlefield. However, Cao Cao wrote a letter to him as follows: "Since I started working with you, I have reestablished the Imperial Court. You have made numerous contributions by supporting the Empire, by recommending talents, by offering advice, and by planning strategies. You don't necessarily need to contribute by fighting on the battlefield. I hope you won't decline the honour." Xun Yu thus accepted the title.

Dissuading Cao Cao from restoring the Nine Provinces system
In 204, Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shang at the Battle of Ye and assumed the appointment of Governor of Ji Province. Someone advised him to restore the Nine Provinces system to expand Ji Province's jurisdiction and hence help him gain more territories, and at the same time force the other regional warlords to submit to him.

Just when Cao Cao was about to implement this suggestion, Xun Yu said: "'If you do so, Ji Province will cover Hedong, Pingyi, Fufeng, Hexi, You and Bing; you will control much territory and people. In the past several days, you had defeated Yuan Shang, captured Shen Pei, and sent shockwaves throughout the Empire. Many warlords are already worried about being unable to keep their territories and private armies. If you force them to cede control of their territories to Ji Province's jurisdiction, you will cause more fear and panic. As of now, many people have been urging the warlords west of Tong Pass to fortify their defences. When they hear that you want to restore the Nine Provinces, they will perceive it as you wanting to grab their territories. When chaos break out, even those who harbour no animosity towards you will be forced to turn against you. Yuan Shang will then be able to prolong his existence and Yuan Tan will start rebelling against you. Liu Biao will be able to keep the Jiang and Han regions under his control. It will be even more difficult for you to pacify the Empire. I hope you can quickly send your troops to pacify Hebei, rebuild the old capital Luoyang, and then launch a southern campaign against Liu Biao to punish him for not sending tribute to the Imperial Court. Only then will everyone understand your intentions and feel more at ease. After the Empire is pacified, then we can discuss restoring the Nine Provinces system. This is to the long term stability and benefit of the Empire.'"

After hearing Xun Yu's advice, Cao Cao said: "If you didn't stop me, I would have had a lot to lose." He heeded Xun Yu's advice and cast aside the idea of restoring the Nine Provinces.

Declining honours and promotions
In 207, Cao Cao wrote a memorial to Emperor Xian describing how Xun Yu provided crucial advice to him during the Battle of Guandu in 200 CE and dissuaded him from attacking Liu Biao in 201. He also mentioned that Xun Yu's advice came at very decisive moments and stopped him from making decisions with potentially disastrous consequences. Cao Cao thus recommended to Emperor Xian to honour Xun Yu for his contributions by awarding him an additional 1,000 taxable households in his marquis fief. The total number of taxable households in Xun Yu's marquis fief thus became 2,000. Xun Yu strongly refused to accept but Cao Cao insisted.

Cao Cao had also wanted to nominate Xun Yu to serve as one of the Three Ducal Ministers, but Xun Yu firmly declined and asked his second cousin-nephew, Xun You, to reject the offer as well. Cao Cao initially insisted and tried multiple times to persuade Xun Yu to accept the nomination, but eventually relented when Xun Yu strongly refused. The Houhanshu recorded that Xun Yu was nominated for promotion from acting Prefect of the Masters of Writing (尚書令) to full Prefect of the Masters of Writing instead of a Ducal Minister. Nevertheless, Xun Yu similarly repeatedly refused to accept.

Advising Cao Cao on the campaign against Liu Biao
Around 208, when Cao Cao was preparing for a southern campaign against Liu Biao, he consulted Xun Yu again for advice. Xun Yu said: "Now that the Central Plains have been pacified, the southerners know that they are in trouble. You can pretend to send troops to attack Wan (宛) and Ye (葉) counties while secretly sending lightly armed forces to attack Liu Biao via another route and catch him off guard." Cao Cao heeded his advice. Around the same time, Liu Biao died of illness before Cao Cao attacked him. Cao Cao conquered Wan and Ye counties and succeeded in forcing Liu Biao's son and successor, Liu Cong, into surrendering Jing Province to him.

Death
In 212, Dong Zhao and others believed that Cao Cao was worthy of being enfeoffed as a duke, hence they prepared the nine bestowments and other ceremonial equipment. They then secretly approached Xun Yu and sought his opinion. Xun Yu disapproved and said: "'Since Lord Cao raised troops to save the Empire and restore peace and stability, he has remained faithful, loyal and sincere, and has maintained his honour by withdrawing and yielding; a gentleman shows his love for others by virtuous advice, so I must speak out now. We shouldn't act like this.'"

Cao Cao became unhappy when he heard that Xun Yu opposed his enfeoffment.

In the winter of 212–213, when Cao Cao led his forces to attack the warlord Sun Quan, he wrote a memorial to Emperor Xian and proposed sending Xun Yu as a special emissary to Qiao County (譙縣; present-day Bozhou, Anhui) to encourage the troops stationed there. Emperor Xian approved.

Xun Yu was then appointed Palace Attendant (侍中), Household Counsellor (光祿大夫) with imperial authority, and Army Adviser to the Chancellor (參丞相軍事). The third appointment, however, removed Xun Yu from the imperial court and placed him directly under Cao Cao's control. As Cao Cao and his troops headed towards Ruxu (濡須; the eastern bank of the Chao Lake, Anhui) to engage Sun Quan's forces, Xun Yu, who had fallen sick, remained behind in Shouchun (壽春; present-day Shou County, Anhui). Xun Yu died in distress not long later at the age of 50 (by East Asian age reckoning). Emperor Xian deeply mourned Xun Yu's death and awarded him the posthumous title "Marquis Jing" (敬侯; literally "respected marquis"). The following year, Cao Cao was enfeoffed by Emperor Xian as the Duke of Wei (魏公).

Wei Shi Chunqiu and Houhanshu accounts
The Wei Shi Chunqiu and Houhanshu provided an alternative account of Xun Yu's death. They mentioned that Cao Cao had sent a box containing food to Xun Yu. When Xun Yu opened it, he saw it was empty. He then committed suicide by consuming poison. The Wei Shi Chunqiu further mentioned that in 265, the state of Cao Wei posthumously awarded Xun Yu the appointment of Grand Commandant (太尉).

Xiandi Chunqiu account
The Xiandi Chunqiu provided another account of Xun Yu's death. After Dong Cheng was executed, Empress Fu wrote to her father Fu Wan (伏完), accusing Cao Cao (then the Minister of Works) of causing Dong Cheng's death and saying that Emperor Xian was very frustrated by the incident. Fu Wan showed Xun Yu the letter, and Xun Yu was so disgusted by it that he did not say anything about it for a long time after that. Fu Wan then showed the letter to his brother-in-law Fan Pu (樊普), who secretly sent a copy to Cao Cao. Cao Cao became more wary of Empress Fu and Fu Wan after that. When Xun Yu learnt that Cao Cao had seen the letter, he immediately rushed to Ye City to meet Cao Cao and tried to persuade him to marry his daughter to Emperor Xian.

Cao Cao said: "How can my daughter compare to the current Empress Fu? I gained my status and position through my own merit and contributions; why do I need to rely on my daughter to gain the Emperor's favour?" Xun Yu then said: "Empress Fu has no son. She is of vile character. She often writes to her father and uses offensive language to describe you. You should depose her." Cao Cao then asked: "Why didn't you talk about this previously?" Xun Yu replied: "I did often remind you about this." Cao Cao then said: "This is such an important issue! How can I not remember you mentioning it?" Xun Yu replied: "Alright, I actually didn't tell you. When you were at war with Yuan Shao at Guandu, I was concerned that bringing up this issue would lead to internal chaos, hence I kept quiet." Cao Cao asked: "Then why didn't you talk about it after Guandu?" Xun Yu had nothing to say so he left. Cao Cao secretly bore a grudge against Xun Yu because of this conversation even though he appeared open and receptive towards Xun Yu. No one knew about this incident until later, when Dong Zhao and others suggested to Emperor Xian to enfeoff Cao Cao as a duke. Xun Yu disapproved and wanted to talk to Cao Cao about it.

Just before Xun Yu was sent to Qiao County to comfort the troops stationed there, he asked to speak to Cao Cao. Cao Cao knew that he wanted to dissuade him from becoming a duke, so he quickly sent Xun Yu away before Xun could say anything. After Xun Yu died in Shouchun, a defector from Shouchun went to meet Cao Cao's rival, Sun Quan, and told him that Cao Cao had ordered Xun Yu to murder Empress Fu but Xun Yu refused and committed suicide. Sun Quan spread the news to Liu Bei, who exclaimed: "There will be chaos and troubles as long as (Cao Cao) doesn't die."

Pei Songzhi, in his annotations to Xun Yu's biography in the Sanguozhi, disputed the Xiandi Chunqiu account and pointed out that there was no evidence to support it. He argued that given Xun Yu's loyal stance towards the Han dynasty, it made no sense for him to advise Cao Cao to depose the empress. Pei Songzhi then accused Yuan Wei (袁暐), who wrote the Xiandi Chunqiu, of fabricating lies to smear men of good moral character like Xun Yu.

Historians' views on Xun Yu's divided loyalties
Historians have different interpretations of the circumstances surrounding Xun Yu's death which vary according to these historians' political sympathies. Those who hold favourable views of Cao Cao believed that Xun Yu died of natural causes and his death could have been aggravated by the anxiety he felt over his conflicting loyalties to Cao Cao and the Han dynasty. Other historians pointed to how Xun Yu, realising that he had lost Cao Cao's trust after he opposed Cao's enfeoffment as a duke, chose to end his life.

Rafe de Crespigny's views
On whether Xun Yu's opposition to Cao Cao's enfeoffment was meant to prevent Cao Cao from usurping the Han throne or simply a well-meaning cautionary note, Rafe de Crespigny wrote: "'We cannot assess Xun Yu's full intention, and he may not have been clear on the matter himself, but Cao Cao was no longer sure of Xun Yu's loyalty. Given the tensions within the warlord regime, the potential political damage from punishing one of his closest associates, who was also a minister of Han and had acted as a patron to many of his officers, was too great for Cao Cao to take direct action. He made his feelings very clear, however, and though Xun Yu's death was something of an embarrassment and spawned many hostile rumours, it did solve the problem.'"

Pei Songzhi and Fan Ye's views
Although historians generally agree that Xun Yu possessed great ability and had good intentions in helping Cao Cao revive the declining Han dynasty, some earlier commentators believed that Xun Yu had failed to foresee the consequences of his support for Cao Cao and suffered from a crisis of conscience when he was confronted with the reality that the Cao family's usurpation of the Han dynasty was inevitable. However, historians such as Pei Songzhi and Fan Ye viewed Xun Yu positively; Pei Songzhi admired Xun Yu as a man of foresight who accepted death for the sake of personal integrity while Fan Ye put him on par with Duanmu Ci, a disciple of Confucius.

Du Mu's views
The Tang dynasty poet Du Mu wrote a short essay titled Ti Xun Wenruo Zhuan Hou (題荀文若傳後; Note after reading the Biography of Xun Wenruo). In the essay, Du Mu pointed out two instances where Xun Yu had compared Cao Cao to the Han dynasty emperors: In 195, during the Battle of Yan Province, Xun Yu compared Cao Cao to Emperor Gao and Emperor Guangwu when he dissuaded Cao Cao from attacking Tao Qian; in 200, Xun Yu compared Cao Cao to Emperor Gao again when he urged Cao Cao to press on during the Battle of Guandu. In Du Mu's view, Xun Yu owed his true loyalty to Cao Cao because he had regarded Cao Cao as a man who would become emperor, and that his death was due to his mistake in dithering about the rights of the Han dynasty.

Sima Guang's views
In the Zizhi Tongjian, the Song dynasty historian Sima Guang defended Xun Yu against claims that he lacked Confucian virtues, and compared him with Guan Zhong: "'Confucius described ren [love for humanity] as the matter of utmost importance. From ... the highest of his followers, to the ... worthy grandees of the feudal lords, none qualified for that description. Only Guan Zhong did he praise for ren, and surely this was because Guan Zhong, assistant to Duke Huan of Qi, gave such great relief to living people. The conduct of Duke Huan resembled that of a dog or a pig, yet Guan Zhong was not ashamed to act as his Chancellor. It is obvious that he saw Duke Huan as the only way to bring aid to the people. In the great disorders at the end of the Han dynasty, the people were in utmost misery, and only a man of exceptional ability could bring them help. Had Xun Yu left Cao Cao, whom should he have served? In the time of Duke Huan of Qi, though the Zhou dynasty was weak, the position was still not so bad as the situation of the Han dynasty at the beginning of the Jian'an era. At that time the whole world was in turmoil and overturned, and the Han dynasty had not a foot of ground nor a single man under its command. Xun Yu assisted Cao Cao to bring about a restoration. He promoted worthy men and gave work to the able; he trained soldiers and drilled troops; he seized opportunities and he developed plans; he fought and was successful in every direction; and so he was able to turn weak into strong and change disorder into good government. Of the ten parts of the Empire, [the state of Wei] had eight. In what respect does the achievement of Xun Yu fall short of that of Guan Zhong. Guan Zhong did not die for Lord Jiu, but Xun Yu died for the Han dynasty. His sense of ren was superior to that of Guan Zhong.'"

In response to Du Mu's criticisms of Xun Yu, Sima Guang wrote: "'... I recall Confucius's saying: 'Literature over reality, that is a scribe.' Whenever a historian records a man's words, he always adds a literary touch. So the comparison of Cao Cao with Emperor Gao and with Emperor Guangwu ..., that is no more than an embellishment by some historian. How can we know Xun Yu really spoke that way? This is criticising him for a fault which is not his. Moreover, if Cao Cao had become emperor, then Xun Yu would have received much of the credit for bringing it about, and he could expect the same rewards as Xiao He had received from Emperor Gao. Xun Yu, however, took no advantage from his situation. On the contrary, he was prepared to give his own life in order that the Han dynasty might receive the benefit. Surely this is exceptional conduct?'"

Yi Zhongtian's views
Yi Zhongtian, a history professor from Xiamen University, discussed Xun Yu's death in one episode of his Pin San Guo lecture series on the CCTV programme Lecture Room. He pointed out that Xun Yu's role as an adviser to Cao Cao was similar to that of a lawyer's duty to his/her client, as he was expected to act in Cao Cao's best interests. However, he was an exception because, unlike many other advisers of his time, he held on firmly to his own political ideals and ethical principles even if it meant going against his lord's interests. As Xun Yu's dream was to revive the declining Han dynasty, he chose to work with Cao Cao and help him pacify and restore stability to the Han Empire. However, when Cao Cao became increasingly powerful and ambitious, Xun Yu began to worry that Cao would usurp the Han throne one day. He found it particularly unacceptable that Cao Cao would be enfeoffed as a duke, with his own dukedom independent from the Han central government's control. At the point in time, his hopes and dreams of reviving the Han dynasty were shattered because he realised the tragic irony of his actions, and knew very well that he could neither support nor oppose Cao Cao since either way would eventually lead to the end of the Han dynasty. Yi Zhongtian said it was extremely heartbreaking for a person like Xun Yu, who had strong ideals and principles of his own, to see his hopes and dreams destroyed, hence he chose to end his life. Yi Zhongtian also believed that one reason why Cao Cao ultimately never usurped the Han throne was that he had been deeply affected by Xun Yu's death.

Appraisal
Chen Qun and Kong Rong once had a discussion on famous people from Runan and Yingchuan commanderies. Chen Qun said: "Xun Wenruo (Xun Yu), Gongda (Xun You), Xiuruo (Xun Yan), Youruo (Xun Chen) and Zhongyu (Xun Yue) are unrivalled talents of their time."

The Xun Yu Biezhuan recorded that Xun Yu had produced many writings when he served as acting Prefect of the Masters of Writing (尚書令). However, before his death, he had all of them burnt so many of his ideas and strategies were lost. He once quoted examples from history to advise Cao Cao to promote Confucianism and civil culture to ensure long-term social peace and stability. Cao Cao accepted and implemented and his suggestions.

Xun Yu's high moral character and virtues were well-known throughout the Han Empire and he was often regarded as a role model for scholar-officials. Sima Yi even once remarked that Xun Yu was an example of a rare and virtuous talent who only came by in several decades. Among the people Xun Yu recommended and promoted, there were several outstanding talents such as Xun You, Zhong Yao, Chen Qun, Sima Yi, Chi Lü (郗慮), Hua Xin, Wang Lang, Xun Yue, Du Xi, Xin Pi, Zhao Yan, Xi Zhicai (戲志才), Guo Jia and Du Ji. Cao Cao once commended Xun Yu and Xun You for their excellent judgments about people's talents and said he would never forget them for their contributions. Zhong Yao also once praised Xun Yu and compared him to Yan Hui, one of the Four Sages in Confucianism.

The Fu Zi mentioned that someone, who lived around the same time as Xun Yu and Xun You, once asked if there were any virtuous junzis in their time. He received an answer as follows: "The benevolence of Lord Prefect Xun (Yu) and the intelligence of Military Adviser Xun (You) make them worthy of being called virtuous junzis of our time. Lord Prefect Xun is benevolent and virtuous, he displays wisdom in recommending talents, his personal conduct is flawless, and he is capable of adapting his strategies to suit changes. Meng Ke once said, 'It is a rule that a true royal sovereign should arise in the course of five hundred years, and that during that time there should be men illustrious in their generation.' Lord Prefect Xun is one of such men. As Taizu once said, 'Lord Prefect Xun provides advice and doesn't stop providing advice; Military Adviser Xun eliminates evil and doesn't stop eliminating evil.'"

Chen Shou's appraisal
Chen Shou, who wrote Xun Yu's biography in the Sanguozhi, appraised Xun Yu as follows: "Xun Yu was incorruptible, refined, well-connected and elegant; he had the traits of a great minister to a ruler. Despite being brilliant, insightful and foresighted, these qualities were unable to help him fulfil his ambition." Within Xun Yu's biography, Chen Shou also included some anecdotes to illustrate Xun Yu's character.

Xun Yu was known for being respectful and courteous towards others. When he held office, he behaved responsibly and did not allow his personal interests to affect him from discharging his duties. He also lived a simple and humble life, with only one escort accompanying him when he travelled around. Someone once asked him: "Given your current standing, can you help me get the position of a Consultant (議郎)?" Xun Yu laughed and replied: "Official appointments are given out on the bases of talent and virtue. If I did as you requested, what will everyone think of me?"

Xun Yu and his second cousin-nephew Xun You both occupied highly prestigious positions in society, yet they remained humble and led simple lives. They gave away the material rewards they received from the imperial court to their relatives, friends and acquaintances, and kept no personal wealth for themselves.

Pei Songzhi's appraisal
Pei Songzhi, who annotated Xun Yu's biography, commented that the last line in Chen Shou's appraisal of Xun Yu was unfair and demeaning to Xun Yu. He pointed out that most historians had a negative view of Xun Yu's role in helping the Cao clan bring about the downfall of the Han dynasty. Those historians saw Xun Yu as having played an instrumental role in reversing the ruler–subject relationship between the Han emperor and the Cao clan. They held the view that Xun Yu, in his later life, recognised that he had made a big mistake in helping Cao Cao because he had ended up becoming a subject of the Cao clan rather than what he really wanted: to be a loyal Han subject. The historians believed that Xun Yu tried to atone for his mistake by displaying exemplary loyalty to the Han dynasty before his death, but it was too late and he felt guilty about it and hence died in distress. Pei Songzhi believed that Chen Shou shared the same view as these historians.

Pei Songzhi himself disagreed with this view. He presented his rebuttal points as follows. It was impossible that Xun Yu was unaware that Cao Cao had no intention of becoming a loyal subject of the declining Han dynasty. In its final years, the Han dynasty was already on the verge of collapse, with power-hungry warlords seeking to overthrow it and establish their own power bases. It required someone who possessed the resources, legitimacy and will to save the Han dynasty from collapse. Only Cao Cao fit that description. Since Xun Yu wanted to save the Han dynasty, it made a lot of sense for him to join Cao Cao. Xun Yu worked tirelessly to restore order and stability to the Han dynasty and save the people, and succeeded in prolonging the dynasty's lifespan by about two decades. Xun Yu actually did not deviate from what he set out to do – contrary to what those historians believed. When the Cao family increasingly overshadowed the Han dynasty, and the dynasty showed signs of potential collapse, Xun Yu decided to end his life to achieve two objectives. First, by choosing not to disrupt a peaceful transition of power from the Han dynasty to the Cao family, he managed to maintain the order and stability in the Han Empire that he had painstakingly built up. Second, by choosing to end his life when the transition seemed imminent, he demonstrated a sense of personal honour worthy of praise by later generations and, at the same time, showed that he was a Han subject rather than a subject of the Cao family. Pei Songzhi believed that Xun Yu had indeed fulfilled his ambition, hence Chen Shou had made an unfair and demeaning statement when he said that Xun Yu did not fulfil his ambition.

Fan Ye's appraisal
Fan Ye, a younger contemporary of Pei Songzhi who wrote Xun Yu's biography in the Houhanshu, similarly defended Xun Yu. He noted that Xun Yu was an excellent adviser in times of turmoil, had no intention of overthrowing the Han dynasty, and was well aware of the consequences of his support for Cao Cao. Fan Ye also compared Xun Yu to Duanmu Ci (Zigong), a disciple of Confucius.

Ancestors
Xun Yu's ancestor was the Confucian philosopher Xun Kuang ( third century BC), who is better known as Xun Zi (or "Master Xun").

Xun Yu's grandfather, Xun Shu (荀淑), lived through the reigns of Emperors Shun and Huan in the Eastern Han dynasty and was famous for being highly intelligent, knowledgeable, and of high moral character. He was also very well-connected, with acquaintances and close friends such as Li Gu, Li Ying, Li Zhao (李昭), Huang Shudu (黃叔度) and Wang Chang (王暢). He served as the Prefect of Langling County (朗陵縣) and later as a Chancellor to the Marquis of Langling County, and died while serving in office. His contemporaries nicknamed him "Divine Gentleman" (神君). Xun Shu had eight sons, who were nicknamed the "Eight Dragons of the Xun Family" (荀氏八龍). Yuan Kang (苑康), the Prefect of Xihaoli (西豪里), where Xun Shu lived, once compared Xun Shu's eight sons to the eight sons of the mythical emperor Zhuanxu.

Xun Yu's father, Xun Gun (荀緄), was Xun Shu's second son. He served as the Chancellor of the Jinan State (濟南國).

Among Xun Yu's seven uncles, the most notable one was the sixth, Xun Shuang. Xun Shuang started his official career as a commoner and rose through the ranks quickly to become Minister of Works (one of the Three Ducal Ministers) within 95 days. Before reaching that highly prestigious office, Xun Shuang had held the appointments of Chancellor of Pingyuan County (平原縣) and Minister of the Household (光祿勳).

Siblings
Xun You had at least four brothers. Only two of them were mentioned in historical records.


 * Xun Yan (荀衍), courtesy name Xiuruo (休若), was Xun Yu's third brother. He served as a Colonel and Army Inspector (監軍校尉) under Cao Cao, and was put in charge of guarding Ye City after Cao defeated Yuan Shang at the Battle of Ye in 204 and conquered the city. When Cao Cao was away to continue his campaign against Yuan Shang, Yuan Shang's cousin Gao Gan secretly sent troops to launch a sneak attack on Ye city. However, Xun Yan detected their advance and led the defending troops to destroy the enemy. He was awarded a marquis title in recognition of his contributions.
 * Xun Chen, courtesy name Youruo (友若), was Xun Yu's fourth brother.

Immediate family
The Houhanshu mentioned that Xun Yu's father, Xun Gun, arranged for a marriage between his son and the (foster) daughter of a court eunuch, Tang Heng (唐衡). Xun Gun feared the highly influential court eunuchs and wanted to curry favour with them. The Dianlue further mentioned that Tang Heng initially wanted to marry his (foster) daughter to Fu Gongming (傅公明) of Runan Commandery (汝南郡) but Fu Gongming declined. Xun Gun was scorned because he forced his son to marry a court eunuch's (foster) daughter. Pei Songzhi, who annotated Xun Yu's biography in the Sanguozhi, disputed this account. He noted that the Han Ji (漢紀) mentioned that Tang Heng died long before Xun Yu reached a marriageable age, so it was highly unlikely that the marriage took place. Pei Songzhi also argued that Xun Gun would be very unlikely to accept such a marriage because it could potentially harm the Xun family's reputation.

Xun Yu had at least seven sons and one daughter. His daughter married Chen Qun and bore Chen Tai. Only five of his sons are mentioned in history. They lived into the Three Kingdoms period after the end of the Han dynasty in 220 and served in the state of Cao Wei, which was established by Cao Cao's son and successor, Cao Pi. The sixth, Xun Yi, lived into the early Jin dynasty after the fall of Cao Wei in 266.


 * Xun Yun (荀惲), courtesy name Zhangqian (長倩). He inherited his father's title, "Marquis of Wansui Village" (萬歲亭侯), and served as a General of the Household in the Rapid as Tigers Division (虎賁中郎將) of the Imperial Guards. Sometime in the 200s CE, Xun Yun had married one of Cao Cao's daughters, later known as the "Princess of Anyang" (安陽公主). Cao Pi resented Xun Yun because he was close to Cao Zhi and not on good terms with Cao Pi's relative and close friend, Xiahou Shang. Xun Yun died early.
 * Xun Yu (荀俁), courtesy name Shuqian (叔倩). He served as a Palace Assistant Imperial Clerk (御史中丞).
 * Xun Shen (荀詵), courtesy name Manqian (曼倩). He served as an Assistant to the General-in-Chief (大將軍從事中郎) and died early.
 * Xun Yi (荀顗), courtesy name Jingqian (景倩), was Xun Yu's sixth son.
 * Xun Can (荀粲), courtesy name Fengqian (奉倩).

Other notable relatives
Xun Yue, one of Xun Yu's cousins, served as a historian under Emperor Xian and wrote 13 chapters of the historical text Annals of Han (漢紀).

Xun You, a second cousin-nephew of Xun Yu, also served as one of Cao Cao's top advisers, held important appointments such as Central Military Adviser (中軍師) and Prefect of the Masters of Writing (尚書令), and was enfeoffed as the "Marquis of Lingshu Village" (陵樹亭侯) in 202.

Xun Xu (荀勗), a great-grandson of Xun Yu's sixth uncle Xun Shuang, was a prominent politician, musician, scholar and artist in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period and in the early Jin dynasty.

Anecdotes
Cao Cao invented a type of hat, the qia (帢), for casual wear. The qia's original design had no split ends. Xun Yu once wore a qia and was walking along the road when his qia got caught in some tree branches and its ends became split. At the time, many people who admired Xun Yu also started wearing qias with split ends. Since then, wearing qias with split ends became a fashionable trend.

Xi Zuochi's Xiangyang Ji recorded that when Xun Yu visited people's homes, the fragrant scent from the sachets or perfumes he used lingered up to three days. This gave rise to the use of terms such as Linggong Xiang (令公香; "fragrance of the Lord Prefect"), Lingjun Xiang (令君香; "fragrance of the Gentleman Prefect"), Xun Ling Xiang (荀令香; "fragrance of Prefect Xun") to describe elegance, fragrance and beauty. Poets and writers such as Li Duan (李端), Wang Wei, Li Shangyin, Li Qi and Li Baiyao had also made reference to the fragrance in their poems and writings.

The origin of the Chinese idiom jian bi qing ye (堅壁清野; literally "solid walls and cleared fields") has been attributed to Xun Yu when he dissuaded Cao Cao from attacking Tao Qian in the summer of 195. The idiom refers to a scorched earth strategy, where one side fortifies its defences ("solid walls") and moves away all resources and facilities from open areas to behind city walls ("cleared fields") to deny an enemy access to supplies and make it difficult for the enemy to mount an assault. This idiom was referenced in later works such as the Book of Jin and Qin Guan's Xianyu Zijun Xing Zhuang (鮮于子駿行狀).

In popular culture
In Koei's video game Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires, fans voted in the Facebook and Twitter poll for one of the new officers to have the name Xun Yu. Xun Yu became a playable character in Koei's Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires.

In Koei's Kessen II, Xun Yu plays a prominent role, although the character is portrayed as a woman who harbours a requited love for Cao Cao. In the visual novel and anime series Koihime Musō, Jun'iku (Xun Yu's Japanese name) also serves as a strategist to Sōsō (Cao Cao) and has a huge crush on her.