魏书十七 · 于禁传

于禁字文则，泰山巨平人也。黄巾起，鲍信招合徒众，禁附从焉。及太祖领兖州，禁与其党俱诣为都伯，属将军王朗。朗异之，荐禁才任大将军。

Yu Jin, courtesy name Wenze, was from Taishan, Juping. When the Yellow Turbans rose, Bao Xin gathered a band of followers, and Yu Jin joined him. After Cao Cao (posthumously honoured as the Grand Progenitor) took command of Yan Province, Yu Jin and his men entered his service. Yu Jin was appointed Commander of a Hundred and placed under General Wang Lang. Impressed by his ability, Wang Lang recommended him as a talent capable of becoming a Grand General.

太祖召见与语，拜军司马，使将兵诣徐州，攻广戚，拔之，拜陷阵都尉。从讨吕布于濮阳，别破布二营于城南，又别将破高雅于须昌。从攻寿张、定陶、离狐，围张超于雍丘，皆拔之。从征黄巾刘辟、黄邵等，屯版梁，邵等夜袭太祖营，禁帅麾下击破之，斩辟、邵等，尽降其众¹。迁平虏校尉。从围桥蕤于苦，斩蕤等四将。

Cao Cao summoned him for an audience and spoke with him. He appointed him Major of the army and sent him with troops to Xu Province, where he attacked and captured Qi. Yu Jin was then appointed Commandant Who Breaks Formations. He then joined the campaign against Lü Bu at Puyang, independently destroying two of Lü Bu's camps south of the city. Later, commanding a separate force, he defeated Gao Ya at Xuchang. Yu Jin also joined the attacks on Shouzhang, Dingtao and Lihu, and the siege of Zhang Chao at Yongqiu; all were taken. Yu Jin then campaigned against the Yellow Turbans Liu Pi, Huang Shao and others, encamping at Banliang. When Huang Shao and his men launched a night attack on Cao Cao's camp, Yu Jin led his troops against them and routed them. Liu Pi, Huang Shao and the others were slain, and all their followers surrendered¹. Yu Jin was promoted to Colonel Who Subdues the Enemies. He later joined the siege of Qiao Rui at Ku, where Qiao Rui and three other generals were slain.

从至宛，降张绣。绣复叛，太祖与战不利，军败，还舞阴。是时军乱，各间行求太祖，禁独勒所将数百人，且战且引，虽有死伤不相离。虏追稍缓，禁徐整行队，鸣鼓而还。未至太祖所，道见十余人被创裸走，禁问其故，曰：「为青州兵所劫。」初，黄巾降，号青州兵，太祖宽之，故敢因缘为略。禁怒，令其众曰：「青州兵同属曹公，而还为贼乎！」乃讨之，数之以罪。

Thereafter, Yu Jin accompanied Cao Cao to Wan and helped secure Zhang Xiu's surrender. Zhang Xiu later rebelled again. Cao Cao fought him but was defeated and withdrew to Wuyin. Amid the ensuing disorder, the troops scattered along separate routes in search of Cao Cao. Yu Jin alone kept the several hundred men under his command in good order, fighting as they withdrew. Though they suffered casualties, they did not break ranks. When the enemy's pursuit slackened, Yu Jin calmly re-formed his column and marched back to the beat of drums. Before reaching Cao Cao, Yu Jin encountered more than ten wounded men fleeing naked along the road. When he asked what had happened, they replied, "The Qing Province troops robbed us." The Qing Province troops were originally surrendered Yellow Turbans. Cao Cao had treated them leniently, and they took advantage of the circumstances to plunder. Enraged, Yu Jin told his men, "The Qing Province troops also serve Lord Cao. Have they now turned bandit?" He then attacked them and called them out for their crimes.

青州兵遽走诣太祖自诉。禁既至，先立营垒，不时谒太祖。或谓禁：「青州兵已诉君矣，宜促诣公辨之。」禁曰：「今贼在后，追至无时，不先为备，何以待敌？且公聦明，谮诉何缘！」徐凿堑安营讫，乃入谒，具陈其状。太祖恱，谓禁曰：「淯水之难，吾其急也，将军在乱能整，讨暴坚垒，有不可动之节，虽古名将，何以加之！」于是录禁前后功，封益寿亭侯。复从攻张绣于穰，禽吕布于下邳，别与史涣、曹仁攻眭固于射犬，破斩之。

The Qing Province Troops hastened to Cao Cao to plead their case. When Yu Jin arrived, he first established a fortified camp rather than meeting Cao Cao immediately. Someone said to him, "The Qing Province troops have already accused you. You should hasten to the lord and defend yourself." Yu Jin replied, "The enemy is behind us and may catch us at any moment. Unless we first prepare our defences, how are we to meet them? Besides, the lord is discerning. What can slanderous accusations accomplish?" He calmly finished digging the ditches and securing the camp, then went in to pay his respects and gave a full account of what had happened. Cao Cao was delighted. He said to Yu Jin, "In the crisis at the Yu River, I was sorely pressed. Yet amid the chaos, you restored order, chastised the violent, and secured the defences, showing a steadfastness that nothing could shake. Even the renowned generals of old could not have surpassed you!" Cao Cao then reviewed Yu Jin's accumulated merits and enfeoffed him as Neighbourhood Marquis of Yishou. Yu Jin later accompanied Cao Cao in attacking Zhang Xiu at Rang and capturing Lü Bu at Xiapi. In a separate operation, Yu Jin also joined Shi Huan and Cao Ren in attacking Sui Gu at Shequan, where they defeated and beheaded him.

太祖初征袁绍，绍兵盛，禁愿为先登。太祖壮之，乃选步骑二千人，使禁将，守延津以拒绍，太祖引军还官渡。刘备以徐州叛，太祖东征之。绍攻禁，禁坚守，绍不能拔。复与乐进等将步骑五千，击绍别营，从延津西南缘河至汲、获嘉二县，焚烧保聚三十余屯，斩首获生各数千，降绍将何茂、王摩等二十余人。

When Cao Cao first campaigned against Yuan Shao, Yuan Shao's forces were formidable, and Yu Jin volunteered to lead the assault. Admiring his courage, Cao Cao selected two thousand infantry and cavalry, placed them under Yu Jin's command, and ordered him to defend Yanjin against Yuan Shao while the main army return to Guandu. When Liu Bei rebelled in Xu Province, Cao Cao marched east against him. Yuan Shao attacked Yu Jin, but Yu Jin held firm and could not be defeated. Yu Jin then joined Yue Jin and others in leading five thousand infantry and cavalry against Yuan Shao's outlying camps. Advancing south-west from Yanjin along the Yellow River as far as the counties of Ji and Huojia, they burnt more than thirty fortified encampments. They also killed several thousand men and captured several thousand more, and secured the surrender of more than twenty of Yuan Shao's commanders, including He Mao and Wang Mo.

太祖复使禁别将屯原武，击绍别营于杜氏津，破之。迁裨将军，后从还官渡。太祖与绍连营，起土山相对。绍射营中，士卒多死伤，军中惧。禁督守土山，力战，气益奋。绍破，迁偏将军。兾州平。

Cao Cao again sent Yu Jin to lead a separate force to garrison Yuanwu. There he attacked and routed Yuan Shao's detached camp at Dushijin. Yu Jin was promoted to Assistant General, and later followed Cao Cao back to Guandu. Cao Cao and Yuan Shao drew up their camps opposite each other, each raising earthen mounds. Yuan Shao's forces shot into Cao Cao's camp, killing and wounding many soldiers and spreading fear through the army. Yu Jin directed the defence of the mounds and fought with ever greater valour. After Yuan Shao's defeat, he was promoted to Adjunct General, and Ji Province was pacified.

昌豨复叛，遣禁征之。禁急进攻豨；豨与禁有旧，诣禁降。诸将皆以为豨已降，当送诣太祖，禁曰：「诸君不知公常令乎！围而后降者不赦。夫奉法行令，事上之节也。豨虽旧友，禁可失节乎！」自临与豨决，陨涕而斩之。是时太祖军淳于，闻而叹曰：「豨降不诣吾而归禁，岂非命耶！」益重禁。

Chang Xi rebelled again, and Cao Cao sent Yu Jin against him. Yu Jin advanced swiftly and attacked. Chang Xi, who had a prior acquaintance with Yu Jin, came to him and surrendered. The other generals all thought that, since Chang Xi had surrendered, he should be sent to Cao Cao. Yu Jin said, "Do you not know our lord's standing order? Those who surrender only after being surrounded are not pardoned. To uphold the law and carry out orders is the proper duty of one who serves his lord. Chang Xi may be an old friend, but can I abandon that duty?" Yu Jin personally went to bid Chang Xi farewell and, shedding tears, had him executed. Cao Cao was then encamped at Chunyu. On hearing of this, he sighed: " Chang Xi surrendered, yet instead of coming to me, placed himself in Yu Jin's hands. Is this not fate?" Thereafter, he held Yu Jin in even greater esteem.

东海平，拜禁虎威将军。后与臧霸等攻梅成，张辽、张郃等讨陈兰。禁到，成举众三千余人降。既降复叛，其众奔兰。辽等与兰相持，军食少，禁运粮前后相属，辽遂斩兰、成。增邑二百户，并前千二百户。是时，禁与张辽、乐进、张郃、徐晃俱为名将，太祖每征伐，咸递行为军锋，还为后拒；而禁持军严整，得贼财物，无所私入，由是赏赐特重。然以法御下，不甚得士众心。

Following the pacification of Donghai State, Yu Jin was appointed Mighty Tiger General. He later joined Zang Ba and others in attacking Mei Cheng, while Zhang Liao, Zhang He, and others campaigned against Chen Lan. When Yu Jin arrived, Mei Cheng surrendered with more than three thousand men. Soon Mei Cheng rebelled again, and his troops went over to Chen Lan. Zhang Liao and the others were locked in a standoff with Chen Lan and ran short of provisions. Yu Jin kept grain convoys moving without interruption, enabling Zhang Liao to behead Chen Lan and Mei Cheng. Yu Jin's fief was increased by two hundred households, bringing the total to twelve hundred. At the time, Yu Jin, Zhang Liao, Yue Jin, Zhang He, and Xu Huang were all renowned generals. Whenever Cao Cao went on campaign, they took turns leading the vanguard on the advance and guarding the rear on the return. Yu Jin maintained strict order in his army and never appropriated any captured goods. For this, he received especially generous rewards. Yet Yu Jin governed his men by strict discipline and did not particularly win their hearts.

太祖常恨朱灵，欲夺其营。以禁有威重，遣禁将数十骑，赍令书，径诣灵营夺其军，灵及其部众莫敢动；乃以灵为禁部下督，众皆震服，其见惮如此。迁左将军，假节钺，分邑五百户，封一子列侯。

Cao Cao had long been displeased with Zhu Ling and wished to deprive him of his command. As Yu Jin was a man of formidable authority, Cao Cao sent him with several dozen riders and a written order to go straight to Zhu Ling's camp and take over his troops. Neither Zhu Ling nor his men dared resist. Zhu Ling was then made a subordinate commander under Yu Jin, and all submitted in awe. Such was the fear Yu Jin inspired. Yu Jin was later promoted to General of the Left and appointed Provisional Bearer of the Imperial Tally. Five hundred households were divided from his fief and granted to one of his sons, who was enfeoffed as a Marquis.

建安二十四年，太祖在长安，使曹仁讨关羽于樊，又遣禁助仁。秋，大霖雨，汉水溢，平地水数丈，禁等七军皆没。禁与诸将登高望水，无所回避，羽乘大船就攻禁等，禁遂降，惟庞悳不屈节而死。太祖闻之，哀叹者乆之，曰：「吾知禁三十年，何意临危处难，反不如庞悳邪！」会孙权禽羽，获其众，禁复在吴。

In the twenty-fourth year of Jian'an, the Grand Progenitor was at Chang'an. He sent Cao Ren to campaign against Guan Yu at Fancheng, and despatched Yu Jin to reinforce him. That autumn, torrential rain caused the Han River to overflow, inundating the grounds to a depth of several zhang and overwhelming all seven armies under Yu Jin. Yu Jin and the other generals climbed to high ground and surveyed the flood, but had nowhere to retreat. Guan Yu attacked them in great ships, and Yu Jin surrendered. Pang De alone refused to compromise his integrity and died. When Cao Cao heard, he lamented for a long while, saying, "I have known Yu Jin for thirty years. Who would have thought that, when faced with peril, he would prove inferior to Pang De?" Soon afterwards, Sun Quan captured Guan Yu and seized his forces, and Yu Jin thus fell into Wu's hands.

文帝践阼，权称藩，遣禁还。帝引见禁，须发皓白，形容憔顇，泣涕顿首。帝慰喻以荀林父、孟明视故事，拜为安远将军。欲遣使吴，先令北诣邺谒高陵。帝使豫于陵屋画关羽战克、庞悳愤怒、禁降服之状。禁见，慙恚发病薨。子圭嗣，封益寿亭侯。谥禁曰厉侯。

When Cao Pi (posthumously honoured as Emperor Wen, the Civil Emperor) ascended the throne, Sun Quan declared himself a vassal and sent Yu Jin back. The emperor received Yu Jin in audience. His hair and beard were snowy white, and he looked gaunt and haggard. Yu Jin wept and bowed his head to the ground. The emperor consoled him by citing the precedents of Xun Linfu and Meng Mingshi, then appointed him General Who Pacifies the Distant. Intending to send him as an envoy to Wu, the emperor first ordered him north to Ye to pay homage at Gaoling, the Mausoleum of Cao Cao. The emperor had already commissioned a mural in the mausoleum hall depicting Guan Yu triumphant in battle, Pang De furious and defiant, and Yu Jin submitting in surrender. When Yu Jin saw it, shame and resentment caused him to fall ill, and he died. His son Yu Gui succeeded him and was enfeoffed as Neighbourhood Marquis of Yishou. Yu Jin was posthumously titled Marquis Li, the Harsh Marquis.