Hou Xuan 侯選

In Chapter 58 of the Romance, just as Ma Chao has raised the troops of Xiliang and is about to set out, Han Sui, Administrator of Xiliang, summons Ma Chao and shows him a letter from Cao Cao promising to make Han Sui Marquis of Xiliang if he captures Ma Chao and sends him to Xudu. Han Sui says that, having sworn brotherhood with Ma Chao's father, he cannot bear to harm him and will help him; he beheads Cao Cao's envoy and musters the troops of the eight divisions under him. Those eight divisions are Hou Xuan, Cheng Yin, Li Kan, Zhang Heng (張橫), Liang Xing, Cheng Yi, Ma Wan and Yang Qiu, and the eight generals follow Han Sui and join Pang De and Ma Dai under Ma Chao to march on Chang'an with a great army of two hundred thousand. Romance, Ch. 58 §11–13

In Chapter 59, when Ma Chao consults Han Sui on the report that one of Cao Cao's armies has already set up camp west of the Yellow River, the subordinate general Li Kan says that they should cede land and sue for peace, get through the winter and make other plans when spring turns warm, and Han Sui says that Li Kan's advice is the best. While Ma Chao hesitates and cannot decide, Yang Qiu and Hou Xuan both urge peace, and Han Sui sends Yang Qiu as envoy to deliver a letter to Cao Cao's camp. After Yang Qiu leaves, Jia Xu proposes to Cao Cao that he feign agreement and then use a scheme to sow discord so that Han Sui and Ma Chao suspect each other. Romance, Ch. 59 §15–16

The next day Han Sui comes out of his lines leading the five generals Hou Xuan, Li Kan, Liang Xing, Ma Wan and Yang Qiu. Cao Hong, sent by Cao Cao, returns after saying only that Han Sui must not fail what the Chancellor asked of him last night, and when Ma Chao, hearing this, tries in anger to stab Han Sui, the five generals block him, calm him and return to camp. At Yang Qiu's urging Han Sui decides to surrender secretly to Cao Cao and agrees to start a fire as the signal for attacking Ma Chao together; he has dry firewood piled up behind the central command tent and has the five generals each wait with swords at their sides. Romance, Ch. 59 §27–30

But Ma Chao, having already found out the details, steals into Han Sui's tent and, while the five generals are talking secretly with Han Sui, hears Yang Qiu say that it must be done quickly. Ma Chao bursts in brandishing his sword and cuts off Han Sui's left hand, and outside the tent, surrounded by the five generals and fighting them, he cuts down Ma Wan and hacks down Liang Xing, whereupon the other three generals each flee to save their lives. When fire breaks out behind the tent, Cao Cao's troops arrive from every side, and the troops of Xiliang kill one another. Romance, Ch. 59 §31–33

Cao Cao personally pursues Ma Chao as far as Anding and then returns to Chang'an; he grants Han Sui, who has lost his left hand, the post of Marquis of Xiliang, enfeoffs both Yang Qiu and Hou Xuan as full marquises, and has them guard the mouth of the Wei. The Romance records nothing more of Hou Xuan after this. Romance, Ch. 59 §38