Wang Yu 王愉

Wang Yu 王愉 (d. 404), courtesy name Maohe 茂和, was an eminent official of the late Eastern Jin period 東晉 (317-420).

He hailed from Jinyang 晉陽 in the commandery of Taiyuan 太原. He was a son of Wang Tanzhi 王坦之 (330-375) and the older brother of Wang Guobao 王國寶 (350-397). Wang was commandant of cavalry (piaoji sima 驃騎司馬) and regional inspector (cishi 刺史) of the province of Jiangzhou 江州, and finally Commander-in-chief (dudu 都督) of Yuzhou 豫州. When Yin Zhongkan 殷仲堪 (d. 399) and Huan Xuan 桓玄 (369-404) rose in rebellion, Wang Xun fled to Linchuan 臨川, but was captured by Huan Xuan, who made him Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat (shangshu puye 尚書僕射), when he usurped the throne of the Jin dynasty.

When Liu Yu 劉裕 (363-422; the eventual founder of the Liu-Song dynasty 劉宋, 420-479) raised troops, he was appointed General of the Front (qian jiangjun 前將軍). As Wang Yu was the son-in-law of Huan Xuan, and both he and his father had enjoyed favor and high status, he had once treated Liu Yu with contempt. Now feeling uneasy at heart, he secretly plotted rebellion with the regional inspector of Sizhou 司州, Wen Xiang 溫詳, against Liu Yu, but the plot was revealed, and Wang Yu was executed.