Song Xian 宋憲
| Occupation | RNGeneral | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Died | Place of death | NBaima County | |
| Cause of death | NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Profile
Song Xian was a general under Lü Bu. In the 3rd year of Jian'an (198), when Cao Cao surrounded Lü Bu at Xiapi, he, together with Hou Cheng and Wei Xu, bound Chen Gong and surrendered to Cao Cao at the head of their men. Afterwards Lü Bu too came down from the White Gate Tower and surrendered, and was strangled. Records, Wei 7 §25–27Records, Wei 1 §49
In the Records, Song Xian's name appears only twice, both in this surrender scene, and his courtesy name, origin and what happened to him after the surrender are not recorded. Records, Wei 7 §26Records, Wei 1 §49
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 11 as one of Lü Bu's stalwart generals, and he appears in 6 of the 120 chapters, though no chapter has his name in its title. In Chapter 19 he and Wei Xu tie up the sleeping Lü Bu and deliver the city to Cao Cao, and in Chapter 25, on Cao Cao's orders, he faces Yan Liang at Baima and is killed. Romance, Ch. 11 §48Romance, Ch. 19 §50–51Romance, Ch. 25 §40–41
In the Records
In the 3rd year of Jian'an (198), when Lü Bu again sided with Yuan Shu and sent Gao Shun to defeat Liu Bei at Pei, Cao Cao came in person to attack Lü Bu and reached the foot of his city walls. Lü Bu wanted to surrender, but Chen Gong and others stopped him; he led more than a thousand horsemen out to fight, was defeated, returned to the city and dared not come out again. Yuan Shu, too, was unable to rescue him. Records, Wei 7 §25–26
Chen Shou wrote that Lü Bu was brave and fierce but lacked strategy and was suspicious and jealous, so he could not control his own followers and relied solely on his generals; the generals each harbored different intentions and distrusted one another, and so they were defeated in battle after battle. When Cao Cao dug trenches and besieged him for three months, those above and below were divided in heart, and Lü Bu's generals Hou Cheng, Song Xian and Wei Xu bound Chen Gong and surrendered at the head of their men. Records, Wei 7 §26
The Annals of Emperor Wu record that at this time, with his soldiers exhausted by continual fighting, Cao Cao wanted to withdraw, but adopting the plans of Xun You and Guo Jia, he breached the Si and Yi Rivers to flood the city. After a month or so, Lü Bu's generals Song Xian, Wei Xu and others seized Chen Gong and surrendered the city, and Cao Cao took Lü Bu and Chen Gong alive and put them both to death. According to the Biography of Lü Bu, Lü Bu climbed the White Gate Tower with his followers and, when the siege pressed hard, came down and surrendered, and Cao Cao had him strangled. Records, Wei 1 §49Records, Wei 7 §26–27
In the Romance
At the battle of Puyang in Chapter 11 of the Romance, Song Xian appears as one of the six stalwart generals led three apiece by Zhang Liao and Zang Ba. When Cao Cao abandons his camp and flees, Song Xian blocks his path together with Hao Meng, Cheng Lian and others, but when Dian Wei charges in brandishing his iron halberds, the four generals cannot withstand him and flee. Romance, Ch. 11 §47–48 · 53 · 55
In Chapter 16, when Lü Bu decides to form a marriage alliance with Yuan Shu, Song Xian sets out with Wei Xu, together with Han Yin, taking Lü Bu's daughter with them. Then, having bought more than 300 fine horses in Shandong on Lü Bu's orders, they lose half of them at the border of Pei County and report that Zhang Fei, disguised as a bandit, seized them; and when Liu Bei breaks out of Xiaopei, Song Xian and Wei Xu block his way but are driven off by Zhang Fei. In Chapter 17, facing Yuan Shu's seven columns, he goes out with Wei Xu to Jieshi to hold off Chen Lan, and in Chapter 18 he goes west to attack Runan and Yingchuan. Romance, Ch. 16 §26–27 · 31 · 36Romance, Ch. 17 §11Romance, Ch. 18 §23
In Chapter 19, on the orders of Lü Bu, who has been persuaded by Chen Deng, Song Xian and Wei Xu guard Lü Bu's wife and children, money and provisions and move them to Xiapi, where they are stationed. After Xiapi is besieged, when Hou Cheng is flogged for brewing wine in breach of the ban on drinking, Song Xian pleads for him together with Wei Xu and the other generals, and goes with Wei Xu to visit Hou Cheng at his home. There Song Xian says, 'Lü Bu cares only for his wife and children and treats us like straw,' and 'He has neither benevolence nor righteousness; let us abandon him and flee,' while Wei Xu proposes that they rather capture Lü Bu and present him to Lord Cao. Hou Cheng steals the horse Red Hare, goes to Cao Cao's camp and tells him that Song Xian and Wei Xu will deliver the gate at the signal of a white flag. Romance, Ch. 19 §12–13 · 46–48
When Lü Bu, worn out by fighting, falls asleep in a chair in the gate tower, Song Xian sends away his attendants, first steals his painted halberd, and then binds Lü Bu with ropes together with Wei Xu. Song Xian throws the halberd down from the wall and flings the city gates wide open, and Cao Cao's troops pour in. At the White Gate Tower, when Lü Bu asks why they betrayed him when he had not treated his generals poorly, Song Xian retorts, 'You listened only to your wife and concubines and not to your generals' plans; how can you say you did not treat us poorly?' Romance, Ch. 19 §50–53
In Chapter 25, when Yuan Shao's vanguard Yan Liang attacks Baima, Cao Cao, alarmed at the sight of Yan Liang's 100,000 picked troops, tells Lü Bu's former general Song Xian that he hears he was a fierce general under Lü Bu and should try fighting Yan Liang. Song Xian rides out with his spear leveled, but before three bouts are fought he is cut down by Yan Liang. Wei Xu, who steps forward to avenge his comrade, is also killed by Yan Liang in a single bout. Romance, Ch. 25 §39–42
Where the Romance differs
Whom they bound: In Chapter 19 of the Romance, Song Xian steals the sleeping Lü Bu's painted halberd, binds Lü Bu together with Wei Xu and opens the city gates. In the Biography of Lü Bu in the Records, Hou Cheng, Song Xian and Wei Xu bound Chen Gong and surrendered at the head of their men, and Lü Bu afterwards came down from the White Gate Tower and surrendered of his own accord. Romance, Ch. 19 §50–51Records, Wei 7 §26Records, Wei 1 §49
Chen Gong: In Chapter 19 of the Romance, Chen Gong is caught by Xu Huang while fleeing toward the south gate. In the Annals of Emperor Wu and the Biography of Lü Bu in the Records, Song Xian and the others seized and bound Chen Gong and then surrendered. Romance, Ch. 19 §51Records, Wei 1 §49Records, Wei 7 §26
What prompted the betrayal: In Chapter 19 of the Romance, Song Xian, Wei Xu and Hou Cheng plot together after Hou Cheng is flogged over the wine. In the Records, Chen Shou writes that Lü Bu was suspicious and jealous and could not control his followers, that his generals each harbored different intentions, and that after a three-month siege those above and below were divided in heart. Romance, Ch. 19 §45–48Records, Wei 7 §26
Red Hare: In Chapter 19 of the Romance, Hou Cheng steals Red Hare, presents it to Cao Cao and tells him that Song Xian and Wei Xu will open the city gates. The Biography of Lü Bu in the Records has no story of Red Hare being stolen. Romance, Ch. 19 §48Records, Wei 7 §1–27
Fighting under Lü Bu: In Chapters 11 and 16–18 of the Romance, Song Xian takes part in the battle of Puyang, the purchase of horses, the pursuit of Liu Bei, and the sorties to Jieshi and to Runan and Yingchuan. In Chen Shou's main text, Song Xian's name appears only in connection with the surrender at Xiapi. Romance, Ch. 11 §48Romance, Ch. 16 §31 · 36Romance, Ch. 17 §11Romance, Ch. 18 §23Records, Wei 7 §26Records, Wei 1 §49
The marriage with Yuan Shu's house: In Chapter 16 of the Romance, Song Xian and Wei Xu set out with Han Yin, taking Lü Bu's daughter with them. The Biography of Lü Bu in the Records says only that, persuaded by Chen Gui, Lü Bu sent after his daughter, who was already on the road, brought her back and broke off the marriage; it does not name the generals who escorted her. Romance, Ch. 16 §27Records, Wei 7 §19–20
Death: In Chapter 25 of the Romance, Song Xian faces Yan Liang at Baima and is killed in fewer than three bouts. The Records has nothing on what happened to Song Xian after his surrender, and his name does not appear in the battle of Baima in the Annals of Emperor Wu either. Romance, Ch. 25 §41Records, Wei 1 §49 · 60–61
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.
- LEA3835−3
- STR4238−4
- INT3842+4
- POL3131±0
- CHA3533−2
- VIR2518−7
- ADP5558+3
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3340+7
- DIS3131±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
No ability differs by 10 or more — the Romance portrays this person much as the Records do.
10 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a general under Lü BuWei 7 §26
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a general under Lü BuCh. 11 §48
RNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a general under Lü BuWei 7 §26
NCalled a fierce general under Lü Bu, but was cut down by Yan Liang in fewer than three boutsCh. 25 §40
RNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a military commanderWei 7 §26
NWhile Lü Bu slept, first stole his painted halberd, then bound and captured himCh. 19 §50
RNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a military commanderWei 7 §26
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a military commanderCh. 19 §47
RNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a military commanderWei 7 §26
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a military commanderCh. 19 §47
RBound Chen Gong together with Hou Cheng and Wei Xu and surrendered to Cao Cao at the head of their menWei 7 §26Wei 1 §49
NWas the first to propose abandoning Lü Bu, then stole his halberd and bound his commander to hand him overCh. 19 §47Ch. 19 §50
RWhen the three-month siege divided those above and below, he abandoned his commander and went over to Cao CaoWei 7 §26
NResolved to defect under siege and opened the city gates to let Cao Cao's army inCh. 19 §47Ch. 19 §51
RNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a military commanderWei 7 §26
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a military commanderCh. 19 §47
RNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a military commanderWei 7 §26
NWhen Lü Bu reproached him for betrayal, retorted that Lü Bu had listened only to his wife and concubinesCh. 19 §53
RNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a military commanderWei 7 §26
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a military commanderCh. 19 §47
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 (6)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Lü Bu faction (~198) · Records · 「其將侯成、宋憲、魏續」 · 「布將宋憲、魏續等執陳宮」
Related events (2)
- Cao Cao Besieges Xiapi 198 · Appears (Romance scene)
- Cao Cao Relieves the Siege of Baima 200 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).