RRemonstrated repeatedly for the sake of his lordShu 7 §8
NLoyal to his lord, but hid a blade and attempted assassination under the guise of a send-offCh. 62 §5Ch. 62 §20
Yang Huai 楊懷
| Occupation | RGeneral · Commander of the Baishui Army NGeneral · Area Commander of Baishui | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Cause of death | RExecuted NExecuted Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R3 |
Profile
Yang Huai was the Commander of the Baishui Army under Liu Zhang, Governor of Yi Province. He has no biography of his own in the Records. Pang Tong called him and Gao Pei renowned commanders of Liu Zhang who each relied on strong troops to hold the passes. Records, Shu 2 §31Records, Shu 7 §8
When Liu Zhang beheaded Zhang Song and ordered the commanders guarding the passes to forward no more documents to Liu Bei, Liu Bei, enraged, summoned Yang Huai, rebuked him for his discourtesy and beheaded him. The Biography of Pang Tong records that Liu Bei, following Pang Tong's middle plan, beheaded Yang Huai and Gao Pei and headed for Chengdu. Records, Shu 2 §31Records, Shu 7 §9
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 61 as the Area Commander of Baishui whom Liu Zhang sets to guard Fushui Pass together with Gao Pei, and he appears in 2 of its 120 chapters; his name is in the title of Chapter 62, 'Taking Fu Pass, Yang Huai and Gao Pei Are Beheaded'. The Romance depicts him coming with Gao Pei, blades hidden on their persons, to see Liu Bei off, only to be seized and beheaded. Romance, Ch. 61 §7Romance, Ch. 62 §20–22
In the Records
In the 16th year of Jian'an (211), Liu Zhang grew afraid on hearing that Cao Cao meant to send Zhong Yao and others to Hanzhong to attack Zhang Lu, and on Zhang Song's advice he sent Fa Zheng to welcome Liu Bei. Liu Zhang added to Liu Bei's troops so that he could attack Zhang Lu, and also put him in command of the Baishui army. That year Liu Zhang returned to Chengdu, and Liu Bei went north to Jiameng, but instead of attacking Zhang Lu at once he bestowed generous favors to win the people's hearts. Records, Shu 2 §27–29
When Liu Bei was to go north on Liu Zhang's behalf to attack Hanzhong, Pang Tong offered three plans. To pick crack troops in secret and strike Chengdu directly was the upper plan. In the middle plan Pang Tong said that Yang Huai and Gao Pei were Liu Zhang's renowned commanders who each relied on strong troops to hold the passes, and that he had heard they had repeatedly written to Liu Zhang urging him to send Liu Bei back to Jing Province. Records, Shu 7 §7–8
Pang Tong went on to say that if Liu Bei informed them that there was an emergency in Jing Province and he meant to go back to its rescue, and had his baggage packed to give the outward appearance of returning, the two men, admiring Liu Bei's renown and glad to see him leave, would surely come on light horse to see him, and that he should then seize them, take over their troops, and head for Chengdu. To fall back to Baidi, link up with Jing Province and make plans at leisure was the lower plan. Records, Shu 7 §8–9
The next year (the 17th year of Jian'an, 212), when Cao Cao campaigned against Sun Quan, Liu Bei said he would go east to rescue Guan Yu and asked Liu Zhang for 10,000 soldiers and supplies. Liu Zhang granted only 4,000 soldiers and gave only half of everything else. Zhang Song's letter urging Liu Bei and Fa Zheng not to leave was exposed when his elder brother Zhang Su, Administrator of Guanghan, reported it, and Liu Zhang beheaded Zhang Song and ordered the commanders guarding the passes to forward no more documents to Liu Bei. Records, Shu 2 §30–31
Liu Bei, enraged, summoned Liu Zhang's Commander of the Baishui Army, Yang Huai, rebuked him for his discourtesy and beheaded him. The Biography of Pang Tong records that Liu Bei approved the middle plan, at once beheaded Yang Huai and Gao Pei and turned toward Chengdu, winning wherever he passed. Liu Bei had Huang Zhong and Zhuo Ying ready their troops to march on Liu Zhang, went straight into the pass, took the wives and children of the commanders and soldiers as hostages, then advanced to Fu County and seized the city. Records, Shu 2 §31–32Records, Shu 7 §9
In Chen Shou's main text Yang Huai's name appears only in these passages of the Biography of the First Sovereign and the Biography of Pang Tong, and his courtesy name and origin are not recorded. Records, Shu 2 §31Records, Shu 7 §8–9
In the Romance
In Chapter 61 of the Romance, when Liu Bei leaves for Jiameng Pass to hold off Zhang Lu, the commanders urge Liu Zhang to have senior generals hold the passes everywhere. Liu Zhang refuses at first, but when many of them press him earnestly, he has the two Area Commanders of Baishui, Yang Huai and Gao Pei, guard Fushui Pass, and returns to Chengdu. Romance, Ch. 61 §6–7
In Chapter 62, when Liu Bei sends an envoy to Chengdu asking for troops and provisions, Yang Huai leaves Gao Pei to guard the pass, goes into Chengdu with the envoy and presents the letter to Liu Zhang. When Liu Zhang asks why he has come along, Yang Huai remonstrates that since entering Xichuan Liu Bei has been bestowing favors to win the people's hearts and his intentions are anything but good, and that giving him troops and provisions would be adding firewood to the fire. After Liu Ba and Huang Quan also remonstrate, Liu Zhang hands over only 4,000 old and weak soldiers and 10,000 hu of rice, and still has Yang Huai and Gao Pei hold the pass firmly. Romance, Ch. 62 §5–7
As the middle of his three plans, Pang Tong proposes that if Liu Bei falsely announces he is returning to Jing Province, Yang Huai and Gao Pei will surely come to see him off, so they should be seized and killed on the spot, the pass taken, Fu City captured and then Chengdu made the goal, and Liu Bei chooses this plan. When Liu Bei, heading back to Fu City, invites them to come out of the pass to say farewell, Gao Pei proposes that each of them hide a blade on his person and stab Liu Bei at the send-off, and Yang Huai agrees, saying 'That plan is excellent'. The two leave the pass with only 200 attendants. Romance, Ch. 62 §9–10 · 16–17
When a whirlwind on the banks of the Fu River blows down the banner bearing the character 'Commander' (shuai 帥) in front of Liu Bei's horse, Pang Tong says the two must be harboring an intent to assassinate, and Liu Bei puts on heavy armor and wears a precious sword in readiness. Yang Huai and Gao Pei come leading sheep and bringing wine and offer Liu Bei a drink, but after Liu Bei sends their attendants away and shouts 'Seize these two rebels!', they are seized one each by Liu Feng and Guan Ping, who come out from behind the tent. When they are searched, a sharp blade is found on each of them, and as Liu Bei still hesitates, Pang Tong says that the two had meant to kill their lord from the start and even death would not atone for their crime, and he shouts to the executioners to behead the two in front of the tent. Romance, Ch. 62 §18–22
Liu Bei tells the captured attendants that Yang Huai and Gao Pei were executed because they sowed discord between him and his brother and hid blades to assassinate him. Pang Tong has them go in front and call out below the pass, 'The two generals have come back on urgent business', and Liu Bei's main army takes Fu Pass without a drop of blood on its blades. At the news that Yang Huai and Gao Pei are dead and Fushui Pass has been taken, Liu Zhang is greatly alarmed. Romance, Ch. 62 §23–24 · 27
Where the Romance differs
Pang Tong's middle plan: Both Chapter 62 of the Romance and the Biography of Pang Tong in the Records give Pang Tong's three plans, and the middle plan includes seizing Yang Huai and Gao Pei. Pang Tong in the Romance proposes seizing and killing them at the send-off, while Pang Tong in the Records said that the two would come on light horse to see Liu Bei, so he should seize them and take over their troops. Romance, Ch. 62 §9Records, Shu 7 §8
How he died: In Chapter 62 of the Romance, Yang Huai and Gao Pei come to see Liu Bei off with blades hidden on their persons, are seized, have their blades exposed, and are beheaded. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, when Liu Zhang ordered the commanders of the passes to forward no documents to Liu Bei, Liu Bei, enraged, summoned Yang Huai, rebuked him for his discourtesy and beheaded him. The Records says nothing of Yang Huai trying to stab Liu Bei. Romance, Ch. 62 §17 · 22Records, Shu 2 §31Records, Shu 7 §8–9
Who died with him: In Chapter 62 of the Romance he is beheaded in front of the tent together with Gao Pei. The Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records says that Yang Huai alone was beheaded, while the Biography of Pang Tong says that Yang Huai and Gao Pei were beheaded. Romance, Ch. 62 §22Records, Shu 2 §31Records, Shu 7 §9
The trip to Chengdu: In Chapter 62 of the Romance, Yang Huai goes to Chengdu with Liu Bei's envoy and urges Liu Zhang not to give him troops and provisions. The Biography of Pang Tong in the Records only says that Yang Huai and Gao Pei repeatedly wrote to Liu Zhang urging him to send Liu Bei back to Jing Province, and there is no record of Yang Huai going to Chengdu. Romance, Ch. 62 §5–6Records, Shu 7 §8Records, Shu 2 §30–31
The post he guarded and his office: In Chapter 61 of the Romance, Liu Zhang has Yang Huai and Gao Pei, Area Commanders of Baishui, guard Fushui Pass. In the Records Yang Huai is Liu Zhang's Commander of the Baishui Army, and Pang Tong said only that the two held the passes. The Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records also records that Liu Zhang put Liu Bei in command of the Baishui army. Romance, Ch. 61 §7Records, Shu 2 §29 · 31Records, Shu 7 §8
How the pass was taken: In Chapter 62 of the Romance, Pang Tong sends Yang Huai and Gao Pei's 200 attendants ahead to get the pass opened, and Fu Pass is taken without a drop of blood. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, after beheading Yang Huai, Liu Bei went straight into the pass, took the wives and children of the commanders and soldiers as hostages, and advanced to Fu County and seized the city. Romance, Ch. 62 §23–24Records, Shu 2 §31–32
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 total421 / 1000Rank 489 of 996 · Top 50%Romance total384 / 1000Rank 637 of 1,113 · Top 58%
Romance adaptation index−37Romance total − Records total
- LEA5550−5
- STR4542−3
- INT5245−7
- POL3533−2
- CHA4038−2
- VIR5545−10
- ADP3525−10
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3840+2
- DIS3535±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RSummoned by Liu Bei, rebuked for discourtesy and beheadedShu 7 §9Shu 2 §31
NRejoiced at seeing no precautions, then was seized and beheadedCh. 62 §20Ch. 62 §22
8 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his being called a renowned commanderShu 7 §8
NNo direct record — estimated from his being seized by Liu Feng and Guan PingCh. 62 §21
RRepeatedly urged Liu Zhang to send Liu Bei back to Jing ProvinceShu 7 §8
NSaw through Liu Bei's true intent and advised against him, but his assassination plot was seen throughCh. 62 §5Ch. 62 §17
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 7 §8
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 62 §23
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 7 §8
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 62 §17
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 →
Related events (1)
- Fu Pass Taken, Yang Huai and Gao Pei Slain 212 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).