生平

吾彥出身寒微，起初任通江縣吏，後任大司馬陸抗部下小將。陸抗欣賞吾彥的勇氣和謀略，想提拔他，但害怕其他部眾不服，於是在一次與諸將的大會中命人發狂地揮刀跳進來，其他將領見此都害怕得拔足逃走，唯獨吾彥不逃，更舉起小几擋刀，於是眾人都佩服他的勇敢，及後陸抗提拔都沒有不滿。之後更隨陸抗參加西陵之戰。

後來吾彥轉任建平太守。此時，西晉益州刺史王濬正奉命建造戰船，打算征伐東吳，造船時產生的木屑隨著長江水流到建平郡，吾彥於是撈起木屑上呈孫皓，認為西晉正建造戰船，打算伐吳，要求孫皓增派守軍到建平防守，稱只要建平不失陷，西晉都無法渡江進攻。但孫皓不聽。吾彥唯有製造鐵鎖鏈，在險要之處放下橫斷長江；又製作大鐵錐，暗置在江水之中，都用以阻止西晉戰船東進。天紀四年（即晉太康元年，280年），王濬率軍壓境，沿江城池守將多數都望風而降，或者很快被攻破，但吾彥卻領軍堅守建平，無法攻下，唯有繞過。此時因建平守軍不足，無力防守建平對出江面，王濬又以大木筏移走江中的鐵錐，又用火燒斷鐵鎖鏈，令水軍成功通過建平郡。

東吳覆亡後，吾彥才歸降，吾彥被任命為金城太守。後改任敦煌太守，甚有威望及恩德。後又任雁門太守。吾彥後又任順陽國內史，當時順陽王司馬暢驕橫放縱，以前數任內史者被他誣陷，但吾彥是清官，以身作則，整肅當地官員，令眾人都畏懼他；而司馬暢亦不能誣陷他，反而推薦他，希望盡快將他送走。後遷任員外散騎常侍。

交州刺史陶璜死後，吾彥出任南中都督、交州刺史。陶璜死後九真郡的戍兵使作亂，更驅逐九真太守，叛軍首領趙祉又圍困郡城；吾彥上任後領兵將叛軍一一平定。後任交州太守二十多年，令交州安定。吾彥此時自表請求朝廷派人接替他，於是徵召他為大長秋。吾彥最終在任內逝世。

家庭

• 子吾咨，威遠將軍。

性格特徵

• 史載吾彥身高八尺，兼有文武才幹，而他臂力十分強，能夠徒手與猛獸搏鬥。

• 東吳亡後，司馬炎問薛瑩孫皓為甚麼亡國，薛瑩答孫皓親近小人，妄行刑罰，不信任官員將領，令人人憂慮恐懼，各人都不心安。總結是孫皓自己令國家滅亡的。但問吾彥時，吾彥則認為孫皓英明而臣下賢明，滅亡只是天命所歸，讓東吳亡於西晉，不在於人事。張華即質問為何吾彥在吳任將多年仍然寂寂無聞，不受英明的孫皓重用。吾彥大聲說這只是張華不知孫皓知道自己的才能。可見吾彥雖然已投效西晉，但都不忘敬重舊主，沒有毫無忌諱地批評舊主的行為。

逸事

• 吾彥任通江縣吏時，遇到將軍薛珝杖節領領南征，軍容盛大，吾彥見後非常仰慕感慨。一個叫劉札的人，擅於觀人，此時向吾彥說：「以你的相貌，未來就應該會成將領了，現在不必仰慕。」

• 吾彥上任交州刺史後，送了厚禮給陸抗的兒子，陸機和陸雲；陸機打算接受但陸雲指吾彥出身微賤，因陸抗提拔才有此地位，但認為吾彥當日回應司馬炎，說陸喜道德名望較陸抗好的言論不友善，不應接受他的禮物。陸機於是打消念頭，更多次歸謗吾彥。長沙孝廉尹虞則對陸機說：「自古發蹟自微賤身世的人連皇帝也有，又何止公卿。何楨、侯史光、唐彬、張惲都是出身寒微，都曾在朝中侍帝和出外鎮守，沒有人會譏笑他們。你現在以吾彥回應皇帝的話有點不友善就不斷謗毀他，我恐怕你這會失盡南方人民的心，將你孤立了。」陸機聽後才消了氣，漸漸都沒有再謗毀吾彥。

延伸閱讀

Service in Eastern Wu

Wu Yan was from Wu County in Wu Commandery and came from a poor background. The Book of Jin describes him as 8 chi tall (6 ft 2 in) and capable of fighting beasts with his bare hands. He began serving Wu as a minor official in Tongjiang County. In December 269, Wu Yan saw the general Xue Xu leading a large army in order to attack Jiaozhi Commandery, which caused Wu Yan to sigh out of frustration. A face reader named Liu Zhe (劉劄) examined Wu Yan's face and told him "Sir, based on your appearance, you too will reach the same height in your career one day. There is no need to yearn."

Wu Yan received his first military role under the Grand Marshal of Wu, Lu Kang. Lu Kang appreciated Wu Yan's talents, but because he had plucked him from obscurity, he could not promote him further out of fear that the other generals would disapprove. Lu Kang devised a plan to gather the generals together. Secretly, he had asked someone to pretend to be crazy and surprise the generals while swinging his sword. The generals fled in fear when they saw the supposed madman, but Wu Yan remained calm and even defended himself with a small desk. The generals present all praised his bravery, so Lu Kang was finally able to promote Wu Yan to important positions.

Wu Yan was eventually transferred to Jianping where he served as its administrator. In 272, the Inspector of Yi Province, Wang Jun, was tasked with constructing battleships in preparations for the conquest of Wu. Wood wastes from the construction floated down to Wu's territories which caught the attention of Wu Yan. He brought a piece of the wood to the Wu emperor, Sun Hao, as evidence that Jin was planning an invasion, and to persuade him to reinforce the northwestern border. However, Sun Hao ignored his warnings, so Wu Yan instead personally built iron chains as a barrier to prevent an eastward advance through the Yangtze.

In September 272, the Commander of Xiling (西陵; present-day Xiling District, Yichang, Hubei), Bu Chan, rebelled against Wu and surrendered his city to Jin. Upon hearing this, Wu Yan, along with Zuo Yi (左奕) and others, were ordered by Lu Kang to campaign against the rebel. In December, Lu Kang and his generals repelled Jin forces led by Yang Hu and quelled Bu Chan's rebellion.

At the end of 279, Jin initiated their conquest of Wu. The chains that Wu Yan had built caused some inconvenience for the Jin navy at first, but they were dealt with by Wang Jun, who melted them by sending rafts full of dummies soaked in oil and burning them. By 280, all of Wu's territories on the upper Yangtze River were conquered by Jin except Jianping, where Wu Yan continued to resist. Jin sent a large army to subdue Jianping, but Wu Yan managed to hold out in the city. Eventually, the Jin army gave up and retreated to a respectful distance from Jianping. Wu Yan only submitted after Sun Hao surrendered in Jiankang, thus ending the Three Kingdoms.

Service in the Jin dynasty

After the fall of Wu, surviving officials of Wu were sent to the Jin capital at Luoyang. At Luoyang, Wu Yan was appointed by Emperor Wu of Jin as Administrator of Jincheng. Shortly after, Emperor Wu asked another former Wu official, Xue Ying on why Sun Hao failed, to which Xue spoke negatively of his former emperor. Later that day, Emperor Wu asked the same question to Wu Yan, and Wu replied, "The lord of Wu was a brilliant man. His vassals were virtuous and wise." Emperor Wu laughed and said, "If so, then why did Wu perish?" Wu Yan responded, "Only Heaven can decide if one will endure or perish. That was why Your Majesty was able to subdue us. Since this is all Heaven's work, why must mortal doings be to blame?" The minister, Zhang Hua, was nearby when this happened and told Wu Yan, "Sir, you had been a general of Wu for years, yet I had never heard about you. How odd." Wu Yan replied, "Even His Majesty knows about me, so how could you not have?" Emperor Wu was impressed by Wu Yan's remarks and praised him.

Wu Yan went on to serve as Prefect of Dunhuang, and Administrator of Yanmen. He was eventually appointed the Interior Minister of Shunyang (順陽; south of present-day Xichuan County, Henan). The Prince of Shunyang at the time, Sima Chang (司馬暢; son of Sima Jun), was said to be very arrogant and extravagant. Chang had charged many of the previous Interior Ministers before Wu Yan of crimes they had not committed. However, he was unable to do so with Wu Yan, who upheld the law and practised strict punishments on criminals to the point that many feared him. Sima Chang did not dare slander him and instead only recommended him to become a Cavalier In Regular Attendance Without Assignment (散骑常侍) to send him away.

In 290, the Inspector of Jiaozhou and also a former Wu official, Tao Huang died. Wu Yan was appointed Commander of Nanzhong and Inspector of Jiaozhou to replace Tao Huang. Tao's death sparked a rebellion in Jiuzhen Commandery led by Zhao Zhi (趙祉) who ousted the Grand Administrator of Jiaozhou, but Wu Yan managed to quell the revolt. He spent more than twenty years in Jiaozhou, where he maintained the peace around the region. Near the end of his life, Wu Yan requested to be replaced, so he was appointed as the Empress's Chamberlain (大長秋) before he died in office.

His last known activity was in 307, when the general, Li Zhao (李釗) was sent to quell a tribal rebellion in Ningzhou (寧州, modern Yunnan and Guizhou) that had broken out the prior year. Wu Yan sent his son, Wu Zi (吾咨), to assist Li against the tribes.

Anecdote

Animosity from Lu Kangs sons

Emperor Wu once questioned Wu Yan on who was better between Lu Kang and his cousin, Lu Xi (陸喜; son of Lu Mao). Wu Yan remarked, "In moral prestige, Kang is inferior to Xi. In meritorious deeds, Xi does not compare to Kang." After Wu Yan was stationed in Jiaozhou, he sent gifts to Lu Kang's sons, Lu Ji and Lu Yun. Ji wanted to accept them at first, but Yun stopped him, citing his poor upbringing as well as the remark he made about their father. Ji agreed, and the two began speaking lowly about Wu Yan to others. However, one official, Yin Yu (尹虞), admonished the brothers for judging Wu Yan by his circumstances and ruthlessly slandering him for a minor disrespect. The brothers, realizing their mistakes, stopped their criticism of Wu Yan and became friendlier with him.