RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalWei 26 §68
NCarried provisions from Jiange to Mount Qi with a thousand troops and the wooden oxen and gliding horsesCh. 102 §49Ch. 103 §24
Gao Xiang 高翔
| Occupation | RGeneral NGeneral · General of the Right | Faction | Shu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R5 |
Profile
Gao Xiang was a general of Shu who appears as a subordinate commander of Liu Bei. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears once each in the biographies of the Wei generals Cao Zhen and Guo Huai. In the 24th year of Jian'an (219) he was defeated at Yangping by Xu Huang and others under Cao Zhen's command, and in the 2nd year of Taihe (228), when Zhuge Liang marched out to Mount Qi, he was stationed at Lieliu Fort, where his camp was broken by Guo Huai's attack. Records, Wei 1 §166Records, Wei 9 §63Records, Wei 26 §68
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 91 as General of the Right and Marquis of Xuandu in Zhuge Liang's roster for the campaign, and he appears in 6 of its 120 chapters; no chapter title bears his name. In Chapter 95 he holds Lieliu Fort to the northeast of Jieting, and in Chapters 102–103 he transports provisions with the wooden oxen and gliding horses. Romance, Ch. 91 §41–42Romance, Ch. 95 §10–11Romance, Ch. 102 §49Romance, Ch. 103 §17–18
In the Records
In the 24th year of Jian'an (219), when Xiahou Yuan was killed fighting Liu Bei at Yangping, Cao Cao was troubled by it. He made Cao Zhen Protector of the Army for the Campaign against Shu and had him lead Xu Huang and others to defeat Liu Bei's subordinate commander Gao Xiang at Yangping. Records, Wei 1 §166Records, Wei 9 §63
In the 2nd year of Taihe (228), when Zhuge Liang, Chancellor of Shu, marched out to Mount Qi and sent the general Ma Su to Jieting, Gao Xiang was stationed at Lieliu Fort. Zhang He of Wei attacked Ma Su and Guo Huai attacked Gao Xiang's camp, and both were broken. According to the biography of Zhuge Liang, Ma Su disobeyed Zhuge Liang's instructions and moved unwisely, and was heavily defeated by Zhang He, and Zhuge Liang took more than a thousand households of Xi County with him and returned to Hanzhong. Records, Wei 26 §68Records, Shu 5 §32–33
In Chen Shou's main text Gao Xiang appears only in these two passages, and his courtesy name, origin, offices, birth and death are not recorded. Records, Wei 9 §63Records, Wei 26 §68
In the Romance
In Chapter 91 of the Romance, when Zhuge Liang submits the Memorial on Dispatching the Troops and sets out for the Central Plain, Gao Xiang is named in the roster for the campaign as General of the Right and Marquis of Xuandu. In Chapter 93 he appears with Zhang Yi among the troops Zhuge Liang has placed in ambush in advance; on word from Zhao Yun they are to intercept and kill Ma Zun at a vital point on the road. When Zhao Yun is driven back by Jiang Wei and flees, the two columns of Zhang Yi and Gao Xiang strike out, meet Zhao Yun and rescue him. Romance, Ch. 91 §41–42Romance, Ch. 93 §3 · 5
In Chapter 95 Zhuge Liang, worried that Ma Su and Wang Ping may blunder, gives Gao Xiang ten thousand troops to station at Lieliu Fort, on a byway in the hills northeast of Jieting, and tells him to go to the rescue if Jieting is in danger. Even so, judging that Gao Xiang is no match for Zhang He, he sends Wei Yan separately to the rear of Jieting. Romance, Ch. 95 §10–11
Hearing that Jieting has been lost, Gao Xiang raises all the troops of Lieliu Fort and comes to the rescue; meeting Wei Yan and Wang Ping, he proposes raiding the Wei camp that night to retake Jieting. But he and Wei Yan are surrounded by the Wei troops and rescued by Wang Ping, and on reaching Lieliu Fort they run into Guo Huai's troops and fight a great battle, after which he heads for Yangping Pass with Wei Yan and Wang Ping. In Chapter 96 Wang Ping reports to Zhuge Liang that he himself rescued the encircled Wei Yan and Gao Xiang. Romance, Ch. 95 §28–31Romance, Ch. 96 §6 · 8
In Chapter 102 Zhuge Liang has Gao Xiang, General of the Right, lead a thousand troops driving the wooden oxen and gliding horses to carry grain and fodder from Jiange to the great camp at Mount Qi. When Zhang Hu and Yue Chen, sent by Sima Yi, disguise themselves as Shu troops, hide in a valley and strike out, Gao Xiang's troops abandon several of the beasts and move on. When Gao Xiang returns and reports that the Wei troops have carried off five or six each of the wooden oxen and gliding horses, Zhuge Liang laughs and says that this is exactly what he wanted them to take. Romance, Ch. 102 §49 · 51–52 · 54
In Chapter 103 Zhuge Liang tells Gao Xiang to group the wooden oxen and gliding horses in herds of twenty to fifty, load them with rice and grain and send them back and forth along the mountain roads, saying that if the Wei troops seize them, that will be his merit. Pretending to transport grain, Gao Xiang drives the wooden oxen and gliding horses back and forth inside Shangfang Valley, and Xiahou Hui and others block the road and attack, winning several times within half a month. Romance, Ch. 103 §17–18 · 24
Where the Romance differs
Name: In the Records, the biographies of Cao Zhen and Guo Huai write his name as Gao Xiang (高詳), while the Romance writes it as Gao Xiang (高翔). Records, Wei 9 §63Records, Wei 26 §68Romance, Ch. 91 §42
First appearance and offices: In the Romance he first appears in the campaign roster of Chapter 91 as General of the Right and Marquis of Xuandu, and does not appear in the earlier fighting over Hanzhong. In the Records he first appears as 'Liu Bei's subordinate commander' defeated at Yangping in the 24th year of Jian'an (219) by Xu Huang and others under Cao Zhen's command, and Chen Shou's main text records no office or title for him. Romance, Ch. 91 §41–42Records, Wei 9 §63Records, Wei 26 §68
The ambush at Tianshui: In Chapter 93 of the Romance, Gao Xiang lies in ambush with Zhang Yi and rescues Zhao Yun, who is being pursued by Jiang Wei. In the Records Gao Xiang appears only in the biographies of Cao Zhen and Guo Huai, and this episode is absent. Romance, Ch. 93 §3 · 5Records, Wei 9 §63Records, Wei 26 §68
Lieliu Fort: In Chapter 95 of the Romance, Gao Xiang is stationed at Lieliu Fort with ten thousand troops, is surrounded when he tries to raid the Wei camp with Wei Yan and Wang Ping, and fights Guo Huai before Lieliu Fort. The biography of Guo Huai in the Records says only that Gao Xiang was stationed at Lieliu Fort and that Guo Huai attacked and broke his camp. There is no troop strength and no story of a raid. Romance, Ch. 95 §11 · 29–31Records, Wei 26 §68
Wooden oxen and gliding horses: In Chapters 102–103 of the Romance, Gao Xiang transports provisions with the wooden oxen and gliding horses and, following Zhuge Liang's plan, deliberately lets the Wei troops seize them. The biography of Zhuge Liang in the Records says only that provisions were transported with wooden oxen in the 9th year of Jianxing (231) and with gliding horses in the 12th year (234), and Gao Xiang does not appear. Romance, Ch. 102 §49 · 54Romance, Ch. 103 §17–18Records, Shu 5 §37–38
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 total361 / 1000Rank 842 of 996 · Top 85%Romance total386 / 1000Rank 614 of 1,113 · Top 56%
Romance adaptation index+25Romance total − Records total
- LEA4248+6
- STR4038−2
- INT3532−3
- POL3350+17
- CHA3535±0
- VIR4550+5
- ADP3840+2
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3131±0
- DIS3131±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
9 similar abilities — show evidence
RDefeated by Cao Zhen and Xu Huang at Yangping, and by Guo Huai at Lieliu FortWei 9 §63Wei 26 §68
NRescued Zhao Yun, but was surrounded in the night raid at Jieting, and was put in charge of the wooden oxen and gliding horsesCh. 93 §5Ch. 95 §28Ch. 102 §49
RNo direct record — estimated from his fighting as a subordinate commanderWei 26 §68
NKongming judged that Gao Xiang was no match for Zhang HeCh. 95 §11
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a subordinate commanderWei 26 §68
NProposed a night raid to retake Jieting, but fell into an ambush and was surroundedCh. 95 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalWei 26 §68
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a commanderCh. 95 §11
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalWei 26 §68
NNo direct record — estimated from his carrying out of ordersCh. 103 §17
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalWei 26 §68
NNo direct record — estimated from his withdrawal to Yangping Pass after defeatCh. 95 §31
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalWei 26 §68
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalCh. 95 §11
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalWei 26 §68
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalCh. 95 §11
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalWei 26 §68
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalCh. 95 §11
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
- Shu · Romance · Romance ch. 102 「孔明令右将军高翔，引一千兵驾着木牛流马，自剑阁直抵祁山大寨，往来搬运粮草，供给蜀兵之用」 · Q124439532
Related events (3)
- Ma Su Ignores Advice and Loses Jieting 228 · Appears (Romance scene)
- Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions 228~234 · Command
- Battle of Jieting 228 · Command
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).