Yue Xun

Xun Yue (148–209), sometimes listed in older catalogs as Yue Xun, was a Chinese historian, philosopher, and government official of the Eastern Han dynasty. He came from the influential Xun family of Yingchuan and is best known for writing the Annals of Han (Han Ji), a historical work on the Western Han period.

He also wrote the Shenjian, a political and philosophical text that reflects on government, morality, and social order. Modern library and reference records continue to identify him with both works, which is why he appears not only in historical sources but also in translations and academic studies.

Because he lived in the 2nd and early 3rd century, reliable biographical detail is limited compared with modern authors. Still, the broad picture is clear: he was a serious thinker whose writing joined history, ethics, and statecraft in a way that gave him a lasting place in Chinese intellectual history.