Shi Xie

Shi Xie (137–226), courtesy name Weiyan, was an official who lived in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He served as the Administrator of Jiaozhi commandery (present-day northern Vietnam).

Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi) is a major source of Chinese traditions concerning Shi Xie's life. He was a promoter of Buddhism during his life and after his death various legends and worship were attached to him in Vietnam. He is honoured in some temples as "King Si" Sĩ Vương.

Life
Shi Xie served as state secretary at the Han court, from which he later resigned to return home after his father's death. He was assigned magistrate of Wu District in Sichuan Province. In the 180s he was promoted to be the Administrator of Jiaozhi. Shi Xie was the leader of the elite ruling class of Han Chinese families who immigrated to what would later be modern day Vietnam and played a major role in developing Vietnamese civilization.

Shi Xie pledged his loyalty to the warlord Sun Quan (founder of the state of Eastern Wu in the Three Kingdoms period) after the latter had proclaimed his dynasty and regularly sent generous tribute missions as well as an envoy to meet Sun. Shi Xie had been in office for over 40 years. He died at the age of 90 (by East Asian age reckoning) in 226. After Shi Xie's death, Sun Quan thought the Jiaozhi region was too far away and made it an autonomous province. Lü Dai was named Inspector of Jiaozhi and Chen Shi the new Administrator. In response to this, Shi's son, Shi Hui, took his father's position of Administrator. Shi Hui refused to allow Lü Dai and Chen Shi to enter Jiaozhi. However, Lü Dai had an imperial decree that allowed the execution of Shi Hui. Shi Kuang was sent to persuade Shi Hui to allow Lü Dai to enter. The following day, Shi Hui and his accomplices were murdered. Later, the rest of the Shi family was reduced to the status of commoners.

Shi Xie was a scholar who enjoyed reading the Spring and Autumn Annals.

Worship of "King Sĩ", Sĩ Nhiếp in Vietnam
Some Chinese heroes were deified in Vietnam after the fall of the Han Dynasty. Among these was Shi Xie who was deified in the 6th century. As one of the officials who ruled northern Vietnam in the 1st century, he was posthumously titled Thiên Cảm Gia Ứng Linh Vũ Đại Vương by a Trần Dynasty emperor, as recorded in the Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, and History of King Si (Kỳ Sĩ Vương).

Shi Xie is still honoured in some temples today as "King Si" (Sĩ Vương). The Vietnamese history Việt Điện U Linh Tập (, c.1400) adds significantly to the traditions of the Chinese records with local Vietnamese traditions.