Shi Xie (simplified: 士燮, traditional: 士燮, pinyin: Shì Xiè), courtesy name Weiyan (威彥 Wēiyàn), was Governor of Jiao Province (交州) in the far south. He held the region for decades, maintaining order and attracting scholars and refugees from the north. When Sun Quan extended Wu’s power south, Bu Zhi was sent to Jiao Province; Shi Xie submitted to Wu and was confirmed in his position and enfeoffed. He died in 226 at about ninety. After his death, Lü Dai was sent to consolidate Wu’s control; Shi Xie’s sons and brother Shi Hui resisted and were killed. Shi Xie’s long rule made Jiao Province a relatively stable and cultured enclave during the civil wars.
Biography
Rule in Jiao Province
Shi Xie was from Cangwu in the south. He was appointed Administrator of Jiaozhi and later exercised authority over much of Jiao Province. He sent tribute to the Han court and later to Cao Cao and Sun Quan. Many scholars fled the north to his territory; he patronised learning and the classics. His domain was one of the few peaceful regions in the late Han and early Three Kingdoms.
Submission to Wu
When Sun Quan sought to bring Jiao Province under Wu, he sent Bu Zhi. Shi Xie accepted Wu’s overlordship and was enfeoffed as a marquis. He continued to govern until his death in 226. His submission gave Wu control of the far south. After his death, conflict between his heirs and Wu’s representatives led to Lü Dai’s campaign and the elimination of the Shi family’s local power.
Legacy
Shi Xie is remembered as the ruler who kept Jiao Province stable and literate during the turmoil of the late Han and as the figure who submitted to Wu through Bu Zhi, bringing the south into the Three Kingdoms orbit.