[ Yellow Scarves commander. Captured Runan after the Yellow Scarves rebellion.
Officer Details
Wade-Giles: Ho I
Simplified Chinese: 何仪
Pronunciation: He2 Yi2
Cantonese (Yale): Ho Yi
Cantonese (Jyutpin): Ho Ji
Min-Nan: Ho Gi
Birthplace: Unknown
Rank and Titles
Yellow Scarves Commander
Family and Relationships
Liu Bi, Huang Shao, He Man (Associates)
Fact vs. Fiction
Differences Between Fact and Common Fiction
- He Yi’s division of Yellow Scarves formerly aided Yuan Shu and Sun Jian. [SGZ: 1] Defeated by Cao Cao, they again intended to surrender to Yuan Shu. [ZZTJ: 62]. No mention of them having served as vassals.
- He Yi was never captured by Xu Chu. In AD 196 his force was defeated by Cao Cao and he surrendered. It is not mentioned what became of him after this.
- Was not executed by Cao Cao in AD 195. [ZZTJ: 62]
Literary Appearances
Romance of the Three Kingdoms: 12
Sanguozhi: Wei 1
Zizhi tongjian: 62
Biography
He Yi was a Yellow Scarves commander from Yu province. Earlier in his career his band of Yellow Scarves aided Yuan Shu and also operated in association with Sun Jian (a subordinate of Yuan Shu). In AD 196, apart from Yuan Shu, He Yi operated withh Huang Shao and He Man, also the Runan and Yingzhuan commanderies in Yu province. In February AD 196 Cao Cao led a punitive expedition against them. They were defeated and Huang Shao and He Man were both executed. He Yi surrendered with what remained of his force (1). (2)
(1): It is unclear what happened to He Yi at this point, though it is most likely he was received into Cao Cao’s forces. If executed, it would probably have been described as such.
(2): Zizhi tongjian: 62, translation by de Crespigny, Rafe, To Establish Peace I. SGZ: Wei 1, biography of Cao Cao, translation by Adrian Loder.
In the novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, describing a fictional event, He Yi flees but is captured by the unknown commander Xu Chu. Dian Wei catches up with them and they have a confrontation. It is through this confrontation that Xu Chu is introduced to Cao Cao. Upon receiving He Yi, Cao Cao orders his execution along with Huang Shao. (3)
(3): In the novel these events take place in AD 195.