Dong Yun (died December 246), courtesy name Xiuzhao, was a Chinese general and politician of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. His father, Dong He, also served as an official in Shu. Dong Yun was one of four persons who held positions equivalent to a head of government in Shu from 221 to 253; the other three were Zhuge Liang, Jiang Wan and Fei Yi.
Family background Dong Yun's ancestors were originally from Jiangzhou (江州; in present-day Chongqing), but they migrated to Zhijiang County () in Nan Commandery (), which is present-day Zhijiang, Hubei, and designated Zhijiang as their ancestral home.(董和字幼宰，南郡枝江人也，其先本巴郡江州人。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
Dong Yun's father, Dong He, previously served as an official under Liu Zhang, the Governor of Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing), during the late Eastern Han dynasty before switching allegiance to Liu Bei, the founding emperor of the state of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period.(董允字休昭，掌軍中郎將和之子也。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
As an attendant to the crown prince In 221, after Liu Bei named his son Liu Shan as his crown prince, he appointed Dong Yun as an attendant to the newly anointed heir apparent.(先主立太子，允以選為舍人，徙洗馬。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
Earning praise from Zhuge Liang After Liu Shan became emperor of Shu in 223 following his father's death, he appointed Dong Yun as a Gentleman of the Yellow Gate ().(後主襲位，遷黃門侍郎。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
In 227, Zhuge Liang, the Imperial Chancellor of Shu, mobilised military forces from throughout Shu in preparation for a large-scale campaign against Shu's rival state Wei in the following year. As the troops gathered at the staging area in Hanzhong Commandery, Zhuge Liang was worried that Liu Shan was still young and not mature enough to make good judgments. He thus decided to put Dong Yun in charge of internal affairs in the Shu capital Chengdu because he believed that Dong Yun would perform his duties in a professional and impartial manner.(丞相亮將北征，住漢中，慮後主富於春秋，朱紫難別，以允秉心公亮，欲任以宮省之事。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
In his Chu Shi Biao (literally "memorial on the case to go to war"), Zhuge Liang named Dong Yun, Fei Yi and Guo Youzhi as examples of trustworthy, loyal and competent officials who could provide good advice and assist Liu Shan in governing Shu more effectively.(上疏曰：「侍中郭攸之、費禕、侍郎董允等，先帝簡拔以遺陛下，至於斟酌規益，進盡忠言，則其任也。愚以為宮中之事，事無大小，悉以咨之，必能裨補闕漏，有所廣益。若無興德之言，則戮允等以彰其慢。」) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
As a Palace Attendant Not long later, Zhuge Liang nominated Dong Yun to serve as Palace Attendant, commissioned him as a General of the Household () and put him in command of the huben division of the imperial guards.(亮尋請禕為參軍，允遷為侍中，領虎賁中郎將，統宿衞親兵。) Sanguozhi vol. 39. As his colleague Guo Youzhi, who also held the position of a Palace Attendant, tended to be mild-tempered and non-confrontational when dealing with people, the burden of advising the emperor Liu Shan and speaking up on difficult issues largely rested on Dong Yun's shoulders. Dong Yun performed his duties well and did his best to plan ahead and preempt problems that could possibly arise.(攸之性素和順，備員而已。獻納之任，允皆專之矣。允處事為防制，甚盡匡救之理。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
Objecting to Liu Shan's plan to expand his harem When Liu Shan wanted to have more concubines, Dong Yun pointed out that his imperial harem was already full and reminded him that according to historical precedent a ruler should have no more than 12 women in his harem. He also firmly refused to carry out the emperor's order to search for more women to join the harem. Liu Shan, unable to get what he wanted, resented and feared Dong Yun.(後主常欲采擇以充後宮，允以為古者天子后妃之數不過十二，今嬪嬙已具，不宜增益，終執不聽。後主益嚴憚之。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
Rejecting a peerage Jiang Wan, the Prefect of the Masters of Writing () and Inspector of Yi Province (), once wrote a memorial to Liu Shan to express his wish to step down and let Fei Yi and Dong Yun succeed him. He also wrote: "(Dong) Yun has served in the palace for many years and done his best to support and uphold the dynasty. He should be awarded a peerage to honour him for his contributions." However, Dong Yun declined to accept a peerage.(尚書令蔣琬領益州刺史，上疏以讓費禕及允，又表「允內侍歷年，翼贊王室，宜賜爵土以襃勳勞。」允固辭不受。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
Keeping Huang Hao in check
As Liu Shan grew older, he started to favour the palace eunuch Huang Hao, who actively fawned on the emperor in a concerted attempt to rise to higher positions and gain greater power in the Shu government.(後主漸長大，愛宦人黃皓。皓便僻佞慧，欲自容入。) Sanguozhi vol. 39. When Dong Yun learnt about this, he openly criticised the emperor for showing favouritism towards Huang Hao and, at the same time, severely reprimanded the eunuch for his behaviour. Huang Hao feared Dong Yun so he did not dare to cause any trouble; he also never made it to any position higher than that of an Assistant of the Yellow Gate () while Dong Yun was still alive.(允常上則正色匡主，下則數責於皓。皓畏允，不敢為非。終允之世，皓位不過黃門丞。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
Treating his colleagues with respect On one occasion, when Dong Yun was about to leave his residence for a casual hang-out with his friends Fei Yi, Hu Ji and others, he heard that a junior colleague, Dong Hui (), had come to visit and consult him. After seeing that Dong Yun already had an appointment and was about to board the carriage, Dong Hui said he would come back again another time and prepared to leave.(允甞與尚書令費禕、中典軍胡濟等共期游宴，嚴駕已辦，而郎中襄陽董恢詣允脩敬。恢年少官微，見允停出，逡巡求去， ...) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
Dong Yun stopped him and said: "I am just hanging out with my friends. I think you made a trip here to share some brilliant ideas with me. It would be rude of me to ignore you just so that i can go out with my friends."(... 允不許，曰：「本所以出者，欲與同好游談也，今君已自屈，方展闊積，捨此之談，就彼之宴，非所謂也。」) Sanguozhi vol. 39. He then got off the carriage. Fei Yi and the others also cancelled their hang-out. Dong Yun earned praise for his courteous and respectful attitude towards his colleagues and people of talent.(乃命解驂，禕等罷駕不行。其守正下士，凡此類也。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
As Prefect of the Masters of Writing Dong Yun was given the additional appointment of General Who Assists the State () in 243.(延熈六年，加輔國將軍。) Sanguozhi vol. 39. In the following year, he was promoted to the position of Prefect of the Masters of Writing () while concurrently holding the appointment of Palace Attendant. He also served as a deputy to Fei Yi, who held the position of General-in-Chief ().([延熈]七年，以侍中守尚書令，為大將軍費禕副貳。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
Death and legacy Dong Yun died in 246. At the time, the people of Shu named Zhuge Liang, Jiang Wan, Fei Yi and Dong Yun as the four heroic chancellors of their state.(華陽國志曰：時蜀人以諸葛亮、蔣琬、費禕及允為四相，一號四英也。) Huayang Guo Zhi annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 39.
After Dong Yun's death, Chen Zhi, whom the Shu emperor Liu Shan favoured, replaced him as Palace Attendant. Chen Zhi then formed an alliance with the eunuch Huang Hao to dominate the political scene in Shu. Both of them shared power until Chen Zhi died in 258, leaving Huang Hao solely in control. Since Chen Zhi became one of his most favoured officials, Liu Shan gradually began to resent Dong Yun and see him as "arrogant and disrespectful". Chen Zhi and Huang Hao also often spoke ill of Dong Yun in front of Liu Shan and make the emperor hate Dong Yun even more.(自祗之有寵，後主追怨允日深，謂為自輕，由祗媚茲一人，皓搆閒浸潤故耳。) Sanguozhi vol. 39. Dong Yun's death marked the beginning of Huang Hao's rise to power and a trend of increasing corruption in the Shu government. The people of Shu longed to return to the times when Dong Yun was in power.(陳祗代允為侍中，與黃皓互相表裏，皓始預政事。祗死後，皓從黃門令為中常侍、奉車騎都尉，操弄威柄，終至覆國。蜀人無不追思允。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
Descendants Dong Yun's grandson, Dong Hong (), served as the Administrator of Baxi Commandery during the Jin dynasty.(允孫宏，晉巴西太守。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
Appraisal Chen Shou, who wrote Dong Yun's biography in the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi), appraised Dong Yun as follows: "Dong Yun rectified his lord when he was in the wrong and righteousness was manifested in his countenance... Along with Dong He, Liu Ba, Ma Liang and Chen Zhen, he was one of the best officials in Shu."(評曰： ... 董允匡主，義形于色， ... 皆蜀臣之良矣。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
See also Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms
Notes
References Citations
Bibliography Chen Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
Pei Songzhi (5th century). Annotated Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).