Song Yi (Qin dynasty)

Song Yi (died 207 BC) was a Chinese official who served in the insurgent Chu kingdom during the final years of the Qin dynasty.

Song Yi joined the insurgent Chu kingdom around 209 BC when rebellions broke out throughout China to overthrow the Qin dynasty. In 208 BC, Xiang Liang found Xiong Xin, a descendant of the royal family of Chu, and installed him on the throne of Chu as King Huai II.

After engaging Qin forces in various battles, Xiang Liang began to grow contemptuous of the enemy due to the small amount of resistance that he encountered. Song Yi warned Xiang Liang that his overconfidence and his troops' inattentiveness would lead to their defeat at the hands of Qin forces.^[1] At that time, the Lord of Gaoling (高陵君), an envoy from the insurgent Qi kingdom, was travelling to Chu and he encountered Song Yi along the way. Song Yi told him to slow down his pace because he was sure that Xiang Liang would meet his downfall. Song Yi's prediction was right as Xiang Liang was killed in action against Qin forces led by Zhang Han at the Battle of Dingtao.

The Lord of Gaoling met King Huai II later and recommended Song Yi to the king, saying that Song Yi "may indeed be said to understand the art of warfare."^[2] The king summoned Song Yi and discussed strategic issues with him, after which he put Song Yi in charge of Chu's military forces, with Xiang Yu (Xiang Liang's nephew) and Fan Zeng serving as his deputies. Song Yi was ordered to lead reinforcements to help the insurgent Zhao kingdom fend off attacks from Qin forces.

In 207 BC, Song Yi and his troops reached Anyang (安陽; southeast of present-day Cao County, Shandong), where they stopped and waited for 46 days without making further movement.^[3] As the Zhao capital Handan was under siege by Qin forces, Xiang Yu suggested they cross the Yellow River immediately to attack Qin forces, but Song Yi ignored him, preferring to move after Zhao and Qin forces were exhausted from fighting each other. Song Yi then gave an order that any man who was "fierce as a tiger, recalcitrant as a ram, greedy as a wolf, so headstrong they will not submit to orders" should be decapitated, hinting that the assassination of Xiang Yu would be agreeable to him.^[4] He sent his son, Song Xiang (宋襄), to the Qi kingdom, and accompanied his son to a drinking party at Wuyan (無鹽; east of present-day Dongping County, Shandong).

Xiang Yu was so angry with Song Yi that he gave a speech to the other Chu commanders, decrying Song Yi's extravagance and lacklustre attitude towards war. The next morning, when Xiang Yu was meeting Song Yi to deliver a routine morning report, he took Song Yi by surprise, killed him, and seized command of the Chu forces. Xiang Yu then accused Song Yi of committing treason, saying that the latter had been plotting with Qi forces against Chu, and that Song Yi's assassination had been approved by King Huai II.^[5]

Sima Qian (1993). Records of the Grand Historian: Han Dynasty I, translated by Burton Watson. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-08165-0.