RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officer under Li JueWei 6 §25
NProposed killing the traitor Li Jue and rescuing the Son of HeavenCh. 13 §33
Song Guo 宋果
| Occupation | RGeneral · Army Officer | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Cause of death | NKilled Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R1 |
Profile
Song Guo was a military officer under Li Jue. He has no biography of his own in the Records, and his name appears once, in the section on Dong Zhuo in the Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao, Records of Wei 6. When Li Jue and Guo Si were fighting each other in Chang'an, Li Jue's general Yang Feng plotted with Song Guo and others to kill Li Jue, but the plot leaked, and they at last turned against Li Jue at the head of their troops. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, his origins or what happened to him afterward. Records, Wei 6 §24–25
Of the 120 chapters of the Romance he appears only in Chapter 13, and no chapter has his name in its title. In the Romance, Song Guo agrees with Yang Feng, Chief Commandant of Cavalry, who is angered at Li Jue for rewarding only the shamanesses, to kill Li Jue and rescue the Son of Heaven, but the plot leaks and he is seized by Li Jue and put to death first. Romance, Ch. 13 §33–34
In the Records
After Dong Zhuo's death, Li Jue and the others, following Jia Xu's plan, led their followers west and, together with Dong Zhuo's former subordinates Fan Chou and others, surrounded the city of Chang'an and took it in ten days. Li Jue became General of Chariots and Cavalry and Marquis of Chiyang, concurrently Colonel-Director of Retainers with the Acting Credentials; Guo Si became General of the Rear and Fan Chou General of the Right. Li Jue, Guo Si and Fan Chou took control of the government at will. Records, Wei 6 §20–21
The generals contended for power and in the end killed Fan Chou and absorbed his followers. Guo Si and Li Jue grew increasingly suspicious of each other and fought within Chang'an. Li Jue held the Son of Heaven hostage in his camp and burned the palaces and city gates, and he sent the high ministers to Guo Si to ask for peace, but Guo Si detained them all. They attacked each other for several months, and the dead numbered in the tens of thousands. Records, Wei 6 §24
Li Jue's general Yang Feng plotted with Li Jue's military officer Song Guo and others to kill Li Jue, but when the plot leaked they at last turned against Li Jue at the head of their troops. As his followers deserted him, Li Jue gradually grew weak. When Zhang Ji came from Shan County and reconciled the two, the Son of Heaven was at last able to get out and reached the area between Xinfeng and Baling. When Guo Si again tried to force the Son of Heaven back to Mei County, the Son of Heaven fled to Yang Feng's camp, and Yang Feng, after defeating Guo Si, escorted the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang together with the general Dong Cheng. Records, Wei 6 §25
In Chen Shou's main text this single passage is the only place where Song Guo's name appears. His courtesy name and origins, and what became of him after the plot leaked, are not recorded. Records, Wei 6 §25
In the Romance
In Chapter 13 of the Romance, Guo Si, believing that Li Jue means to harm him, decides to strike first, and Li Jue, hearing of this, also leads out his troops, so that the two fight a confused battle beneath the walls of Chang'an. Li Jue's nephew Li Xian puts the Son of Heaven and Empress Fu in carriages and drives them to Li Jue's camp, while Guo Si confines in his camp the court officials who have come to urge a reconciliation. The two fight every day, for more than fifty days. Romance, Ch. 13 §15–16 · 23–24
Li Jue has always been fond of heterodox ways and sorcery, and constantly has shamanesses call down spirits in his camp. When Jia Xu sends the Qiang home, telling them there is a secret edict, the Qiang troops all leave, and on Jia Xu's advice the emperor enfeoffs Li Jue, whose troops have scattered and whose heart has grown fearful, as Grand Marshal. Romance, Ch. 13 §25 · 32
Li Jue claims that this is thanks to the shamanesses' calling down the spirits and praying, and he rewards the shamanesses richly while giving nothing to his generals and soldiers. When Yang Feng, Chief Commandant of Cavalry, in a great rage, asks Song Guo whether, after they have risked death and braved arrows and stones, their merit counts for less than the shamanesses', Song Guo answers, why not kill this traitor and rescue the Son of Heaven? Yang Feng says that if Song Guo sets a fire in the central camp as a signal, he will lead his troops to respond from outside, and the two agree to act at the second watch that night. Romance, Ch. 13 §33
But the plot leaks and someone informs Li Jue, who, in a great rage, has Song Guo seized and put to death first. Yang Feng, waiting outside, sees no signal fire, and running into Li Jue, who has come out in person at the head of his troops, he fights until the fourth watch; unable to win, he goes off to Xi'an. From this time Li Jue's strength gradually declines, and Zhang Ji arrives with a large army and reconciles the two. Romance, Ch. 13 §34–35
Where the Romance differs
What prompted the plot: In Chapter 13 of the Romance, when Li Jue, enfeoffed as Grand Marshal, rewards only the shamanesses and gives nothing to his generals and soldiers, the angered Yang Feng broaches the matter with Song Guo, and Song Guo answers that they should kill the traitor and rescue the Son of Heaven. The account of Dong Zhuo in the Records says only that Li Jue's general Yang Feng plotted with Li Jue's military officer Song Guo and others to kill Li Jue, and does not give the reason. Romance, Ch. 13 §32–33Records, Wei 6 §25
How the plot was to be carried out: In Chapter 13 of the Romance, the two agree that when Song Guo sets a fire in the central camp as a signal, Yang Feng will respond from outside, and they fix the time at the second watch that night. The Records does not record the method or timing of the plot. Romance, Ch. 13 §33Records, Wei 6 §25
Song Guo's end: In Chapter 13 of the Romance, the plot leaks and Li Jue has Song Guo seized and put to death first. The Records says only that when the plot leaked they at last turned against Li Jue at the head of their troops, and does not say what became of Song Guo. Romance, Ch. 13 §34Records, Wei 6 §25
Where Yang Feng went: In Chapter 13 of the Romance, Yang Feng fights Li Jue inside the camp until the fourth watch and, unable to win, goes to Xi'an. In the Records, Yang Feng turned against Li Jue at the head of his troops, so that Li Jue gradually grew weak, and later, when the Son of Heaven fled to Yang Feng's camp, Yang Feng defeated Guo Si. Romance, Ch. 13 §34Records, Wei 6 §25
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 total350 / 1000Rank 903 of 996 · Top 91%Romance total356 / 1000Rank 851 of 1,113 · Top 77%
Romance adaptation index+6Romance total − Records total
- LEA3535±0
- STR3838±0
- INT3232±0
- POL3531−4
- CHA3535±0
- VIR4255+13
- ADP3835−3
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3333±0
- DIS3131±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
9 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officer under Li JueWei 6 §25
NNo direct record — estimated from his role under Li JueCh. 13 §33
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officer under Li JueWei 6 §25
NNo direct record — estimated from his role under Li JueCh. 13 §33
RPlotted with Yang Feng to kill Li Jue, but the plot leakedWei 6 §25
NAgreed to give the signal by setting a fire in the central camp, but the plot leakedCh. 13 §33Ch. 13 §34
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officer under Li JueWei 6 §25
NNo direct record — estimated from his role under Li JueCh. 13 §33
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officer under Li JueWei 6 §25
NNo direct record — estimated from his role under Li JueCh. 13 §33
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officer under Li JueWei 6 §25
NNo direct record — estimated from his role under Li JueCh. 13 §33
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officer under Li JueWei 6 §25
NNo direct record — estimated from his role under Li JueCh. 13 §33
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officer under Li JueWei 6 §25
NNo direct record — estimated from his role under Li JueCh. 13 §33
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officer under Li JueWei 6 §25
NNo direct record — estimated from his role under Li JueCh. 13 §33
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 (1)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Li Jue faction · Records · 「傕將楊奉與傕軍吏宋果等謀殺傕」