RArgued on three counts of defiance and submission and of strength and weakness that Liu Cong could not hold outWei 6 §92
NPointed out the danger of Liu Qi and Liu Bei calling them to account and put forward a plan of surrenderCh. 40 §19
Fu Xun 傅巽
| Occupation | ROfficial · Palace Attendant NOfficial · Officer of the Eastern Bureau | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Beidi Commandery Niyang County Unverified | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R9 |
Profile
Fu Xun was Officer of the Eastern Bureau under Liu Biao, Governor of Jing Province. Together with Kuai Yue, Han Song and others he urged Liu Cong, the youngest son who had been set up as Liu Biao's heir, to submit to Cao Cao, asking him how he judged himself against Liu Bei. When Cao Cao's army reached Xiangyang, Liu Cong surrendered with the whole province. Records, Wei 6 §91–93
In Wei he became Palace Attendant, and when Emperor Wen, Cao Pi, remarked that some had wept over his receiving the abdication, he pinched Su Ze, who thought the question was directed at him and was about to answer, and stopped him. According to the biography of his nephew Fu Gu, he became Palace Attendant and Master of Writing in the Huangchu era. Records, Wei 16 §15Records, Wei 21 §81
The Records has no biography of Fu Xun; he appears only briefly in the biographies of Liu Biao, Su Ze and Fu Gu, and Chen Shou gives no assessment of him. In the Romance he appears in Chapter 40 as the Officer of the Eastern Bureau who first proposes to Liu Cong that the nine commanderies of Jingxiang be offered to Cao Cao, and he appears in 2 of its 120 chapters, but his name is in no chapter title. Records, Wei 6 §91Records, Wei 16 §15Records, Wei 21 §81Romance, Ch. 40 §19–20
In the Records
The Records has no biography of Fu Xun. According to the biography of Liu Biao, Liu Biao and his wife loved their youngest son Liu Cong and wished to make him heir, and Cai Mao and Zhang Yun became his faction. When the eldest son Liu Qi was sent out as Administrator of Jiangxia, the people at last upheld Liu Cong as heir, and Liu Qi and Liu Cong thereby became enemies. Records, Wei 6 §91
When Kuai Yue, Han Song, the Officer of the Eastern Bureau Fu Xun and others urged Liu Cong to submit to Cao Cao, Liu Cong asked why he could not hold the whole land of Chu together with them, preserve the late lord's enterprise and watch how the realm went. Fu Xun answered that defiance and submission have a broad principle and strength and weakness have a fixed disposition. For a subject to resist his sovereign was defiance, while to hold off the state with a newly made Chu and to oppose Lord Cao with Liu Bei were both beyond their strength; to try to withstand the edge of the royal army while falling short on all three counts was the sure road to ruin. Records, Wei 6 §91–92
When Fu Xun asked, 'General, how do you judge yourself against Liu Bei?', Liu Cong said he was not his equal. Fu Xun said that if Liu Bei truly was not enough to hold off Lord Cao, then even holding the land of Chu Liu Cong could not survive on his own, and if Liu Bei truly was enough to hold off Lord Cao, Liu Bei would not be willing to stay beneath the general, and he urged him to have no doubts. When Cao Cao's army reached Xiangyang, Liu Cong surrendered with the whole province, and Liu Bei fled to Xiakou. The Annals of Emperor Wu date Liu Cong's surrender to the 9th month of the 13th year of Jian'an (208). Records, Wei 6 §92–93Records, Wei 1 §103–104
According to the biography of Su Ze, Su Ze became Palace Attendant and served in the same office as Dong Zhao. Earlier, when Su Ze and Cao Zhi, Marquis of Linzi, heard that the Wei had replaced the Han, they had put on mourning and wept in grief, but Emperor Wen, Cao Pi, had heard only of Cao Zhi doing so and not of Su Ze. When Cao Pi, at leisure in Luoyang, remarked that he had received the abdication in response to Heaven, yet had heard that some had wept, and asked why, Su Ze, thinking the question was directed at him, was about to answer with a forthright argument, his beard bristling. The Palace Attendant Fu Xun then pinched Su Ze and said, 'He did not mean you,' and Su Ze stopped. Records, Wei 16 §15
The biography of Fu Gu states that Fu Gu was a man of Niyang County in Beidi Commandery and a descendant of Fu Jiezi, and records that his paternal uncle Fu Xun became Palace Attendant and Master of Writing in the Huangchu era. Chen Shou's text does not give the year of Fu Xun's death. Records, Wei 21 §81
In the Romance
In Chapter 40 of the Romance, when Liu Biao dies, Cai Mao sets up Liu Cong as lord and never sends word of the death to Liu Qi or Liu Bei. Liu Cong, having arrived at Xiangyang, is alarmed at the report that Cao Cao is coming with a great army and summons Kuai Yue, Cai Mao and others to deliberate. The Officer of the Eastern Bureau Fu Xun steps forward and says that Cao Cao's army is not the only worry: since they did not inform Liu Qi in Jiangxia or Liu Bei in Xinye of the death, Jingxiang will be in danger if those two raise troops to call them to account. He then says he has a plan that will keep the people of Jingxiang at peace and also preserve his lord's name and rank. Romance, Ch. 40 §18–19
Fu Xun's plan is that if they offer the nine commanderies of Jingxiang to Cao Cao, Cao Cao will surely treat his lord generously. When Liu Cong rebukes him, asking how he could hand over to another the foundation he inherited from the late lord when he is not yet even secure in his seat, Kuai Yue backs Fu Xun, saying, 'What Fu Gongti says is right', and adds that defiance and submission have a great principle and strength and weakness have a fixed disposition. Romance, Ch. 40 §20
When Liu Cong says he fears that giving away the late lord's foundation in a single morning would make him the laughingstock of the realm, Wang Can comes forward and asks why he does not follow the words of Fu Gongti and Kuai Yidu. Wang Can asks Liu Cong how he compares with Lord Cao, receives the answer that he is not his equal, and calls the counsel of Fu Xun and Kuai Yue a far-sighted plan. When Lady Cai comes out from behind a screen and says that if the three men Wang Can, Fu Xun and Kuai Yue are of the same view there is no need even to tell her, Liu Cong writes a letter of surrender and has Song Zhong carry it secretly to Cao Cao's camp. Romance, Ch. 40 §21–22 · 24–25
In Chapter 41 Cao Cao enters the government office in the city of Xiangyang, enfeoffs Kuai Yue as Administrator of Jiangling and Marquis of Fancheng, and makes Fu Xun, Wang Can and others all Marquises Within the Passes. Liu Cong is made Inspector of Qing Province and is to set out at once. These two chapters are the only ones in the Romance in which Fu Xun appears. Romance, Ch. 41 §26
Where the Romance differs
The first proposal to surrender: In Chapter 40 of the Romance, Fu Xun is the first to propose offering the nine commanderies of Jingxiang, at the meeting Liu Cong calls on hearing that Cao Cao's great army is coming. In the biography of Liu Biao in the Records, Kuai Yue, Han Song, the Officer of the Eastern Bureau Fu Xun and others together urged Liu Cong to submit to Cao Cao. Romance, Ch. 40 §19–20Records, Wei 6 §91
Liu Cong's first answer: In Chapter 40 of the Romance, Liu Cong rebukes Fu Xun, asking what he means by this, and asks how he could hand the land over to another when he is not yet secure in his seat. In the Records, Liu Cong asked in return why he could not hold the land of Chu together with them, preserve the late lord's enterprise and watch how the realm went. Romance, Ch. 40 §20Records, Wei 6 §91
Defiance and submission: In Chapter 40 of the Romance, the one who says that defiance and submission have a great principle and strength and weakness have a fixed disposition is Kuai Yue. In the Records these words were Fu Xun's answer to Liu Cong. Romance, Ch. 40 §20Records, Wei 6 §92
The question put to Liu Cong: In Chapter 40 of the Romance, it is Wang Can who asks Liu Cong how he compares with Lord Cao. In the Records, Fu Xun asked Liu Cong how he compared with Liu Bei, and said that if Liu Bei was not enough to hold off Lord Cao, Liu Cong could not survive even by holding the land of Chu, and if he was enough, Liu Bei would not be willing to stay beneath the general. Romance, Ch. 40 §24Records, Wei 6 §92–93
Enfeoffment: In Chapter 41 of the Romance, Cao Cao makes Fu Xun, Wang Can and others all Marquises Within the Passes. The biography of Liu Biao in the Records says that fifteen men, Kuai Yue among them, were enfeoffed as marquises and lists the offices of Kuai Yue, Han Song and others, but Fu Xun's name is not among them. The biography of Wang Can in the Records states that Cao Cao made Wang Can, who had urged Liu Cong to submit, Clerk to the Chancellor and granted him the rank of Marquis Within the Passes. Romance, Ch. 41 §26Records, Wei 6 §94Records, Wei 21 §4
Office in Wei: In the Romance, Fu Xun does not appear after the enfeoffment in Chapter 41. In the Records, under Emperor Wen he pinched Su Ze to stop him as Palace Attendant, and in the Huangchu era he became Palace Attendant and Master of Writing. Romance, Ch. 41 §26Records, Wei 16 §15Records, Wei 21 §81
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
Records total493 / 1000Rank 268 of 996 · Top 27%Romance total442 / 1000Rank 270 of 1,113 · Top 25%
Romance adaptation index−51Romance total − Records total
- LEA3131±0
- STR3131±0
- INT7058−12
- POL4542−3
- CHA4040±0
- VIR4838−10
- ADP6662−4
- SCH4540−5
- DIP7262−10
- DIS4538−7
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RPinched Su Ze to stop him as he was about to answer Emperor Wen's questionWei 16 §15
NProposed offering his lord's nine commanderies of Jingxiang to Cao CaoCh. 40 §20
RPersuaded Liu Cong through an exchange that made him weigh himself against Liu BeiWei 6 §92
NPersuaded Liu Cong to settle on surrenderCh. 40 §19Ch. 40 §25
7 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated as a civil official serving as Officer of the Eastern BureauWei 6 §91
NNo direct record — estimated as a civil official serving as Officer of the Eastern BureauCh. 40 §19
RNo direct record — estimated as a civil officialWei 6 §91
NNo direct record — estimated as a civil officialCh. 40 §19
RNo direct record — estimated from his posts as Officer of the Eastern Bureau and Palace AttendantWei 16 §15
NNo direct record — estimated from his enfeoffment as Marquis Within the PassesCh. 41 §26
RNo direct record — estimated from his conductWei 6 §91
NNo direct record — estimated from his conductCh. 40 §25
RArgued for submission, and headed off Su Ze's dangerous replyWei 6 §92Wei 16 §15
NLed the surrender and became a Marquis Within the PassesCh. 40 §20Ch. 41 §26
RNo direct record — estimated from his argumentsWei 6 §92
NNo direct record — estimated as a civil officialCh. 40 §19
RNo direct record — estimated from his weighing of Liu Bei and Cao CaoWei 6 §92
NNo direct record — estimated from his conductCh. 40 §19
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (2)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Family
| Relatives | Fu Gu Records |
|---|
Based on Wikidata items for the historical and Romance figures. Relations without the Unverified badge were also confirmed in the Records.