Historically, the evaluation of Xun Yu was very controversial because it ultimately dissuaded Cao Cao from becoming a duke, and Pei Songzhi and Sima Guang both made their own evaluations of Xun Yu in the "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms: Note" and "Zizhi Tongjian".

【Xun Yu's Comment】

According to the record of "Offering the Emperor Spring and Autumn": Dong Chengzhi's punishment, after finishing the book with his father, he killed Dong Cheng in the air, and the emperor avenged his grievances. After finishing the book to show it, Yu was evil, and it was hidden for a long time without saying anything. After showing his wife and brother Fan Pu, Pufeng was presented to Taizu, and Taizu Yin was prepared. Yu Hou was afraid of things, and wanted to spontaneously, because he begged to make Zhicheng, and persuaded Taizu to match the emperor with a woman. Taizu said: "Now that the court has an ambush, how can my daughter be matched, I have seen the record with my micro merits, and I am the prime minister, how can I rely on my daughter's favor!" Yu said: "After the Fuhou has no children, his sex is fierce and evil, and he usually writes with his father, and his words are ugly, but he can be abolished because of this." Taizu said: "Why don't you do it in the past? Yu Yang exclaimed: "In the past, it has been a public statement." Taizu said: "I forgot about this trivial matter!" Yu exclaimed again: "Cheng Wei is evil! The former duke held on to Yuan Shao in Guandu, fearing that he would increase his thoughts of inwardness, so he did not say anything. Taizu said: "Why didn't Guandu say anything afterwards? "Yu is right, thank you. Taizu hated Yu with this, and he contained it on the outside, so the world did not know. As for Dong Zhao's proposal to establish the Duke of Wei, Yu had different intentions and wanted to say it to Taizu. and the book of the seal to the army, after the drinking and feasting, Yu stayed in the room. Taizu knew that Yu wanted to say something, so he sent it, but Yu couldn't say anything. Yu died in Shouchun, the deceased of Shouchun sued Sun Quan, and said that Taizu made Yu kill the ambush, Yu did not obey, so he committed suicide. The right to dew cloth in Shu, Liu Bei heard it, and said: "The old thief is not dead, and the disaster is not over." ”

However, Pei Songzhi of later generations was quite controversial about some of the remarks here, and he believed that Yuan Ye's record of Xun Yu in "Offering the Emperor Spring and Autumn" was not true, and his specific record was:

In the case of Chen Song, Emperor Chunqiu Yunyu wanted to ambush the future and begged to make Zhicheng, and Fang falsely accused Taizu Yun of "having tasted words in the past". There is no sign of words, and the risk of returning to the official crossing, between the pitches, the resignation is abrupt, although it is a mediocre person, it is still not here, how can it be defiled by the sages! All the clouds and clouds are out of slang, and they can be said to be those who slander the gentleman with our words. Yuan Ye is reckless and the like, this is the worst.

Chen Shou's final evaluation of Xun Yu was: Xun Yu is delicate and elegant, with the style of Wang Zuo, but he has the foresight and fails to fulfill his ambition.

Here Pei Songzhi also gave his own opinion: the world's commentators ridicule Yu Xiegui Wei to tilt Han Zuo; The transposition of monarchs and ministers is the reason for the real situation. Although the late festival is different, there is no rescue and migration; Merit is not only contrary to righteousness, but also guilty. Chen's comment is also the same as the world's knowledge. Chen Songzhi thought that he was a work of words, and he did not get his lofty ambitions. Don't you know that Wei Wu's ambition is not the chastity of the declining Han? When the royal road is slight, the cross-current has been extreme, the heroic and tiger-eyed, the people have different hearts, there is no capital to stir up chaos, and the strategy of the battle is smooth, then the death of the Han family is ignored, and the head of the Qian. The husband wants to praise Shiying, a Kuang Tunyun, who is with the people of Fes? Therefore, Jinglun is suddenly ill, if you save your head, use your energy to move in the mountains, as for the tycoon, Cangsheng Mengzhou's voyage, Liu Zongyan's Zuo of the second era, isn't it Xunsheng's original picture, and the far-reaching benevolence and forgiveness? And to the hegemony of the industry is long, the traces of the Han Dynasty, and then the death of the martyrdom, in order to declare the Su Qing, the whole Dazheng in that year, the sincerity of the hundred generations, can be said to be a long way to go, the ambition is righteous. It is said that it is not full, and it is false!

From this, we can see that Pei Songzhi still admires Xun Yu a lot, and he is unique, and Sima Guang, another great historian in later generations, also praised Xun Yu in "Zizhi Tongjian".

Sima Guang believes: "Confucius attached great importance to the evaluation of benevolence. Even the outstanding disciples such as Zilu, Ran Qiu, and Gong Xichi, so that Yin Ziwen and Chen Wenzi, the virtuous doctors of the princes, are not qualified enough, and only praise Guan Zhong's benevolence, isn't it because he assists Duke Qi Huan and has great kindness to the people? Qi Huan Gong behaved like a pig and a dog, but Guan Zhong did not feel ashamed and assisted him, because he knew that without Qi Huangong, the people could not be saved. At the end of the Han Dynasty, the world was in turmoil, and the people suffered great disasters, and if they did not have the ultimate talent, they could not save the people. Since this is the case, then who else can Xun Yu assist if he gives up Cao Cao?

In the era of Duke Huan of Qi, although the royal family of the cycle had declined, it was not like the royal family of the Han Dynasty in the early days of Jian'an. In the early days of Jian'an, the whole country was in turmoil, and the court of the Han Dynasty did not even have a foot of land and a single citizen. Xun Yu assisted Cao Cao and made him rise, recommended and appointed capable talents, trained the army, adjudicated secrets, formulated strategies, conquered the Quartet, and won successively. So he turned the weak into strong, turned chaos into governance, and occupied eight-tenths of the world, isn't Xun Yu's credit as good as Guan Zhong! Guan Zhong did not die for Zijiao, but Xun Yu died for the royal family of the Han Dynasty, and his benevolence is above Guan Zhong again! ”

However, Du Mu believed: "When Xun Yu persuaded Cao Cao to capture Yanzhou, he compared him to Gaozu Liu Bang and Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu; During the battle of Guandu, Cao Cao was not allowed to retreat back to Xudu, which was compared to the struggle between Chu and Han. When the big thing was completed, Xun wanted to leave a reputation for loyalty in the Han Dynasty. It's like teaching a thief to dig up walls and break cabinets without sharing the spoils with the thief, can you say that he is not a thief? Confucius said, "Literature is better than quality, then history." "All those who write history embellish the words of historical figures when they record them. So, comparing Cao Cao to Liu Bang, Liu Xiu, and Chu and Han rivalries, etc., are just the words of historians, how can they be all the words of Xun Yu! To belittle Xun Yu according to these words is to wrongfully accuse people. Moreover, if Cao Cao is proclaimed emperor, then Xun Yu will become the greatest founding hero and will receive the same reward as Xiao He. Xun Yu is not greedy for such wealth, but sacrifices his life in exchange for fame, is it human nature! ”

【Xun Yu's Confusion】

No matter how much Pei Songzhi and Sima Guang admired Xun Yu, there is one thing that is undeniable, Xun Yu chose to help the emperor of the Han family, and finally stood on the opposite side of Cao Cao.

However, Xun Yu is very puzzling to do this, Xun Yu is different from others, he is a veteran who has been following Cao Cao since Cao Cao occupied Dongjun, and can be said to be one of the founders of Cao Wei, his position in the Cao Wei group for a long time can be said to be second only to Cao Cao, from this level Xun Yu has no reason to stand on the opposite side of Cao Cao, Cao Cao was named the Duke of Wei, Xun Yu should be sincerely happy.

And with Xun Yu's talent, it is impossible for him not to know that the decline of the Han family has become a foregone conclusion, Cao Cao is crowned the duke, and the king is also the trend of the times, but Xun Yu chose to go the opposite way and confront the general trend, so he offended Cao Cao and finally died.

So what is the reason why Xun Yu is so loyal to the Han Dynasty and Emperor Xian?

Personally, I think this problem lies in the "center", after Cao Cao moved the capital to Xuchang, he often led troops to fight outside, and the internal government affairs and the management of the imperial court were handed over to Xun Yu, and this just led to Xun Yu and Emperor Xian of the Son of Heaven for a long time, because Xun Yu was Cao Cao's spokesman at that time, and Emperor Xian was the nominal leader of the country, and there must be communication between them.

And how long is that? From the first year of Jian'an (196) to the death of Xun Yu in the seventeenth year of Jian'an (212), he stayed with Emperor Xian for almost twenty years, how could Emperor Xian have no impact on Xun Yu for such a long time, because of getting along with the Son of Heaven day and night, Xun Yu had sympathy for the Son of Heaven, which is no problem externally, but internally, Xun Yu may not be able to give priority to Cao Cao's interests.

In the end, when Cao Cao was a direct threat to the imperial power, Xun Yu was forced to break with Cao Cao, which was a tragedy for both Cao Cao and Xun Yu.