Ancient China · Official

Yi 益

Legendary antiquity

Passages: 10
Chapters: 3
Histories: 2

Overview

Yi was an official.

Life and dates

Attested activity

legendary antiquity
Directly stated · Book of Han 98, passage 169; Records of the Grand Historian 2, passages 27, 208, 210

Key source chapters

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 2 Annals of Xia 8 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 76 Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo 1 passage
Book of Han, Chapter 98 Volume 87a: Yang Xiong 1 1 passage

Career and standing

administrator of government 任之政
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 2, passage 208
warden of marshes 虞
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 98, passage 169

Events and relationships

Distributed rice
Agriculture · Distributor
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 2, passage 33
Yielded to
Succession · Withdrawer · With Qi (啟) · At south of Mount Ji 箕山之陽
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 2, passage 211
Relation Subordinate of · Person Yu the Great (大禹)
Directly stated · Book of Han 98, passage 169

Source notes

Historicity legendary
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 2, passage 2

References in the histories

Search passages

History

10 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 1 passage

譬若以周、邵為丞相，孔丘為御史大夫，太公為將軍，畢公高拾遺於後，弁嚴子為衛尉，皋陶為大理，後稷為司農，伊尹為少府，子贛使外國，顏、閔為博士，子夏為太常，益為右扶風，季路為執金吾，契為鴻臚，龍逢為宗正，伯夷為京兆，管仲為馮翊，魯般為將作，仲山甫為光祿，申伯為太僕，延陵季子為水衡，百里奚為典屬國，柳下惠為大長秋，史魚為司直，蘧伯玉為太傅，孔父為詹事，孫叔敖為諸侯相，子產為郡守，王慶忌為期門，夏育為鼎官，羿為旄頭，宋萬為式道候。」 Imagine the Duke of Zhou and the Duke of Shao as your chancellors; Confucius as chief censor; the Grand Duke as commander; Duke Bi Gao as court remonstrant; Bian Zhuangzi as captain of the guard; Gao Yao as chief judge; Hou Ji as minister of agriculture; Yi Yin as palace treasurer; Zigong as foreign envoy; Yan Hui and Min Ziqian as court scholars; Zixia as master of rites; Yi as western capital intendant; Zilu as capital commandant; Xie as master of guest ceremonies; Guan Longpeng as keeper of the imperial genealogy; the minister Boyi as metropolitan governor; Guan Zhong as northern capital intendant; Lu Ban as chief engineer; Zhong Shanfu as palace chamberlain; the Earl of Shen as master of the horse; Prince Jizi of Yanling as keeper of parks and waters; Baili Xi as commissioner for dependent peoples; Liuxia Hui as chamberlain to the empress; Shi Yu as censor of conduct; Qu Boyu as grand tutor; Kong Fu as supervisor of the heir apparent's household; Sunshu Ao as chancellor to the feudal lords; Zichan as commandery governor; Prince Qingji as a palace gate guard; Xia Yu as cauldron officer; Yi the Archer as vanguard officer; and Song Wan as road-clearing scout."

Book of Han, Chapter 98Volume 87a: Yang Xiong 1 · 1 passage

昔者禹任益虞而上下和，草木茂； When Yu put Yi in charge of the wilds, harmony reigned and vegetation flourished.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 2Annals of Xia · 8 passages

禹乃遂與益、后稷奉帝命，命諸侯百姓興人徒以傅土，行山表木，定高山大川。 Yu, with Yi and Hou Ji, carried out the Son of Heaven's orders, mobilized nobles and commoners to shift soil, blazed trails along ridges and marked timbers, and charted every major height and watercourse.

令益予眾庶稻，可種卑溼。 He told Yi to distribute rice seed for the people to sow in the wet lowlands.

與益予眾庶稻鮮食。 With Yi, I gave the people grain and fresh meat from the marshes.

而后舉益，任之政。 Later he raised Yi and entrusted him with administration.

以天下授益。 He left the realm to Yi.

三年之喪畢，益讓帝禹之子啟，而辟居箕山之陽。 After the mourning Yi yielded to Yu's son Qi and withdrew south of Mount Ji.

及禹崩，雖授益，益之佐禹日淺，天下未洽。 Though Yu had named Yi, Yi had served at Yu's side too briefly to win the people's trust.

故諸侯皆去益而朝啟，曰：「吾君帝禹之子也」。 So the lords left Yi and went to court with Qi, saying, "Our lord is the son of Emperor Yu."