Bu Zhi
| Bu Zhi | |
|---|---|
| Politician of Eastern Wu | |
| Born | (Unknown) |
| Died | 247 |
| Names | |
| Traditional Chinese | 步騭 |
| Simplified Chinese | 步骘 |
| Pinyin | Bù Zhì |
| Wade–Giles | Bu Chi |
| Courtesy name | Zishan (Chinese: 子山; pinyin: Zǐshān; Wade–Giles: Tzu-shan) |
Bu Zhi (died 247), courtesy name Zishan, was an official of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. He was a scholar from the Wu region and served as an advisor to the warlord Sun Quan in the late Eastern Han dynasty before the founding of Eastern Wu. He held several military posts from time to time, and was noted in his successful subjugation of the lords and barbarians in the south. After he became famous and influential within the regime, he started to actively engage himself in the central government's politics, and was one of those accounted for leading to the destructive result of the crown prince case in Wu's history. As a consequence, he was relocated to Xiling; during his tenure there, he established his clan as an unrivaled local power. He was later called back to Jianye to be the chancellor, but died soon on the post.
When Bu Zhi was young, he befriended Wei Jing of Guangling, and they were farming tenants for a landlord called Jiao Zhengqiang in Kuaiji. It is said that Bu did not feel shameful when Jiao treated him and Wei Jing badly because of his poverty, while Wei felt disgusted out of pride. After Sun Quan inherited Jiangdong from his brother Sun Ce, Bu Zhi was summoned by Sun Quan as a secretary, but he left his office before the battle of Red Cliffs and traveled within the realm of Jiangdong.
In 210, Bu Zhi returned to the Sun Quan's camp, and was granted a military post and led a special force consisting of one thousand elite archers to go southward. In the following year, he was privileged with the authority to execute lower to middle-ranked officers without court approval, which enabled him to decide provisions on his own. When Bu Zhi arrived in the city of Cangwu, he requested a meeting with Grand Administrator of Cangwu, Wu Ju. Though Wu Ju appeared cooperative, he was hiding evil thoughts in his heart, and was ready to cause trouble; during the banquet, Bu Zhi beheaded Wu Ju in front of the officers attending the party. As a consequence, Bu Zhi's name was recognized and feared by many lords in the south, and among them, the most influential Shi Xie, led his men to pledge loyalty to the Wu court, which signaled Eastern Wu's successful consolidation of the south.
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