Liu Yi 劉毅

Liu Yi 劉毅 (d. 412), courtesy name Xile 希樂, was a commander of the Northern Headquarters Army (beifubing 北府兵) in the late Eastern Jin period 東晉 (317-420).

He hailed from Pei 沛 in the commandery of Pengcheng 彭城 (today's Peixian 沛縣, Jiangsu) and was originally adjutant in the palace army (zhongbing canjun 中兵參軍) under Huan Hong 桓弘. In 403, when Huan Xuan 桓玄 (369-404) usurped the title of emperor, Liu Yi, Meng Chang 孟昶 (d. 410), and Liu Daogui 劉道規 (370-412) rose their army in the commandery of Guangling 廣陵 to fight the usurper. Liu Yi killed Huan Hong, who was at the time regional inspector (cishi 刺史) of the province of Qingzhou 青州 and liaised his troops with those of Liu Yu 劉裕 (363-422; the eventual founder of the Liu-Song dynasty 劉宋, 420-479) at Jingkou 京口 (today's Zhenjiang 鎮江, Jiangsu), and they liberated the capital Jiankang 建康 (Nanjing 南京, Jiangsu). Liu Yi was appointed general commanding the troops (guanjun jiangjun 冠軍將軍).

In 410, Liu was defeated by the army of the rebel Lu Xun 盧循 (d. 411) at Sangluozhou 桑落洲 (close to present-day Jiujiang 九江, Jiangxi), and was demoted to the rank of General of the Rear (hou jiangjun 後將軍).

Shortly after, he was appointed as the regional inspector of the province of Jingzhou 荊州, holding control over the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. He joined forces with Liu Yu in suppressing Huan Xuan, but as his contributions were ranked second, he often felt resentful and sought to rival Liu Yu. In 412, Liu Yu received an imperial order to lead a military campaign against Liu Yi. The latter was defeated and hanged himself in Jiangling 江陵.