| Occupation | RScholar · Grandee of Splendid Happiness NScholar · Libationer | Faction | Shu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | Book of Shu |
| Born | Native place | Nanyang Commandery Xinye County | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R12 |
Lai Min, courtesy name Jingda, was a man of Xinye County in Yiyang Commandery and a descendant of Lai Xi; his father Lai Yan was Minister of Works of the Han. In the great turmoil at the end of the Han he fled to Jing Province with his elder sister's husband Huang Wan, and then entered Shu together with his sister and became a guest of Liu Zhang. Records, Shu 12 §39
He excelled in Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals and was precise in the glosses of the Cangjie Chapters and the Erya. Under the First Sovereign, Liu Bei, he served as Colonel in Charge of Learning and Steward of the Crown Prince's Household, and under the Later Sovereign, Liu Shan, as General of the Household Rapid as Tigers, Army Libationer, General Who Supports the Army, Grand Prolonger and Grandee of Splendid Happiness, but because he did not restrain his words and his conduct departed from the norm, he was repeatedly demoted and dismissed. He later became General Who Upholds Caution, and he died in the Jingyao era at the age of ninety-seven. Records, Shu 12 §39–41
In his assessment Chen Shou said that Xu Ci, Meng Guang, Lai Min and Li Zhuan were 'widely read and had heard much', and that although they were not praised for virtuous conduct or achievement, they were all scholars of their age. In the Romance he appears once, in Chapter 91, and no chapter has his name in its title. He is named, together with Meng Guang, as a Libationer among the officials Zhuge Liang leaves in Chengdu when he sets out on the northern campaign. Records, Shu 12 §102Romance, Ch. 91 §40
Lai Min, courtesy name Jingda, was a man of Xinye County in Yiyang Commandery and a descendant of Lai Xi. His father Lai Yan was Minister of Works of the Han. When great turmoil broke out at the end of the Han, Lai Min fled to Jing Province with his elder sister's husband. Because his brother-in-law Huang Wan was a nephew of Liu Zhang's grandmother, Liu Zhang sent men to bring Huang Wan's wife to him, and Lai Min too entered Shu with his sister and was always a guest of Liu Zhang. Records, Shu 12 §39
Lai Min read widely in many books, excelled in Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals, and was especially precise in the glosses of the Cangjie Chapters and the Erya, and he liked to correct the written characters. Meng Guang, who favored the Gongyang Spring and Autumn Annals and disparaged the Zuo Commentary, constantly argued with Lai Min over these two interpretations, and Meng Guang was always loud and clamorous. Records, Shu 12 §39 · 30
When the First Sovereign, Liu Bei, pacified Shu, learning had declined after long years of turmoil, so he gathered the classical texts and sifted through the various schools of learning. Xu Ci and Hu Qian became Academicians and, together with Meng Guang, Lai Min and others, took charge of the old texts. The First Sovereign appointed Lai Min Colonel in Charge of Learning, and when he established the crown prince, made him Steward of the Crown Prince's Household. Records, Shu 12 §27 · 40
When the Later Sovereign, Liu Shan, ascended the throne, Lai Min became General of the Household Rapid as Tigers. When the Chancellor Zhuge Liang was staying in Hanzhong, he requested Lai Min and made him Army Libationer and General Who Supports the Army, but Lai Min lost the post after being implicated in an affair. After Zhuge Liang's death he returned to Chengdu and became Grand Prolonger but was dismissed again; later, after several transfers, he became Grandee of Splendid Happiness but was again implicated in a fault and dismissed. Chen Shou wrote that the repeated demotions and reductions he suffered were all because he did not restrain his words and his conduct departed from the norm. Records, Shu 12 §40
In the 7th year of Yanxi (244), when the Wei army reached Xingshi, Fei Yi was given the tally of authority and led the troops out to resist it. The Grandee of Splendid Happiness Lai Min came to take leave of Fei Yi and asked him to play a game of weiqi. Urgent dispatches were flying back and forth, and the men and horses were armored and ready to set out, yet Fei Yi gave his mind to the game without showing any sign of impatience. Lai Min said, 'Just now I was merely testing you. You are truly a reliable man and will surely deal with the enemy', and when Fei Yi arrived the enemy withdrew. Records, Shu 14 §25
At the time Meng Guang too did not guard his tongue and his opinions went against the times, but he was still better than Lai Min; both were treated with courtesy by the world as aged and esteemed scholars. Because Lai Min came from a renowned family of Jing and Chu and was a former official of the crown prince's household, he received special favor, and even after being dismissed he was employed again. Later he was made General Who Upholds Caution, with the intention that the weight of the office would make him caution himself. Lai Min died in the Jingyao era at the age of ninety-seven. Records, Shu 12 §41
His son Lai Zhong was also widely read in the classics and had something of Lai Min's manner, and together with the Master of Writing Xiang Chong and others he ably assisted the General-in-Chief Jiang Wei. Jiang Wei thought well of him and made him an Army Adviser. Records, Shu 12 §41
In his assessment Chen Shou said that Xu Ci, Meng Guang, Lai Min and Li Zhuan were widely read and had heard much, and that Yin Mo was versed in the Zuo Commentary; although they were not praised for virtuous conduct or achievement, they were truly all scholars of their age. Records, Shu 12 §102
In Chapter 91 of the Romance, when Zhuge Liang submits the Memorial on Dispatching the Troops, the Later Sovereign, Liu Shan, worries that the Chancellor-Father, just back from the southern campaign, will overtax himself in body and mind, and the Grand Astrologer Qiao Zhou cites the heavenly signs to argue against the northern campaign. Zhuge Liang does not listen and decides on the officials to remain in Chengdu, leaving Guo Youzhi, Dong Yun, Fei Yi and others as Palace Attendants in charge of palace affairs; at this time he makes Meng Guang and Lai Min Libationers and Yin Mo and Li Zhuan Academicians. More than a hundred civil and military officials, within the palace and without, are to govern the affairs of Shu together. Romance, Ch. 91 §39–40
Zhuge Liang then assigns the generals who will set out and, choosing the bingyin day of the 3rd month, in spring, of the 5th year of Jianxing, sets out to attack Wei. In the Romance, Lai Min's name appears only in this list, and none of his words or deeds are depicted. Romance, Ch. 91 §41 · 43
Where he became Libationer: In Chapter 91 of the Romance, Zhuge Liang, setting out on the northern campaign, makes Meng Guang and Lai Min Libationers and leaves them in Chengdu. In the Records, when Zhuge Liang was staying in Hanzhong he requested Lai Min and made him Army Libationer and General Who Supports the Army, but Lai Min lost the post after being implicated in an affair. Romance, Ch. 91 §40Records, Shu 12 §40
Relations with Meng Guang: Chapter 91 of the Romance merely lists Meng Guang and Lai Min side by side as Libationers. In the Records, Meng Guang, who favored the Gongyang Spring and Autumn Annals, constantly argued over the two interpretations with Lai Min, who excelled in the Zuo Commentary, and Chen Shou wrote that although Meng Guang too did not guard his tongue, he was still better than Lai Min. Romance, Ch. 91 §40Records, Shu 12 §30 · 41
Words and conduct: The Records states that Lai Min was repeatedly demoted and dismissed because he did not restrain his words and his conduct departed from the norm, and that he was made General Who Upholds Caution so that the weight of the office would make him caution himself. His words and conduct do not appear in the Romance. Records, Shu 12 §40–41Romance, Ch. 91 §40
How he came to Shu: In the Records, in the turmoil at the end of the Han he went to Jing Province with his elder sister's husband Huang Wan, and when Liu Zhang had Huang Wan's wife brought to him, he entered Shu with his sister and became a guest of Liu Zhang. This episode is not in the Romance. Records, Shu 12 §39Romance, Ch. 91 §40
The game of weiqi with Fei Yi: In the biography of Fei Yi in the Records, in the 7th year of Yanxi (244) Lai Min played weiqi with Fei Yi as Fei Yi was setting out to resist the Wei army, and so tested him. In the Romance Lai Min appears only once, in Chapter 91, and this episode is absent. Records, Shu 14 §25Romance, Ch. 91 §40
Death: The Records states that Lai Min died in the Jingyao era at the age of ninety-seven. His death does not appear in the Romance. Records, Shu 12 §41Romance, Ch. 91 §40
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.
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.
RPrecise in Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals and the glosses of the Cangjie Chapters and the Erya; the assessment calls him widely readShu 12 §39Shu 12 §102
NNo direct record — estimated from his appointment as Libationer together with Meng GuangCh. 91 §40
RTreated with courtesy by the world as an aged and esteemed scholarShu 12 §41
NNo direct record — only his appointment as Libationer appearsCh. 91 §40
RRepeatedly implicated in faults and dismissed or demotedShu 12 §40Shu 12 §41
NNo direct record — only his appointment as Libationer appearsCh. 91 §40
RRecorded as not restraining his words and departing from the norm in conductShu 12 §40
NNo direct record — only his appointment as Libationer appearsCh. 91 §40
RNo direct record — only the titles of Army Libationer and General Who Supports the ArmyShu 12 §40
NNo direct record — only his appointment as Libationer appearsCh. 91 §40
RNo direct record — a scholar with no record of martial prowessShu 12 §39
NNo direct record — only his appointment as Libationer appearsCh. 91 §40
RNo direct record — estimated from his record of learningShu 12 §39
NNo direct record — only his appointment as Libationer appearsCh. 91 §40
RAs Colonel in Charge of Learning, took charge of the old textsShu 12 §27Shu 12 §40
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as an official governing the affairs of ShuCh. 91 §40
RRecorded as worse than Meng Guang, whose opinions went against the timesShu 12 §41
NNo direct record — only his appointment as Libationer appearsCh. 91 §40
RNo direct record — no record concerning men of talentShu 12 §40
NNo direct record — only his appointment as Libationer appearsCh. 91 §40
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.
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