RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Sun Yi's attendantWu 6 §34
NBeheaded by his fellow conspirators right after killing Sun YiCh. 38 §32
Bian Hong 邊洪
| Occupation | RNOther | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | R? Unverified | Native place | |
| Died | R204 Unverified | Place of death | |
| Cause of death | RExecuted NExecuted Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R3 |
Profile
Bian Hong was an attendant of Sun Yi, Sun Quan's younger brother and Administrator of Danyang. He has no biography of his own in Chen Shou's main text; his name appears in the account of Sun Yi in the Biographies of the Ruling House in Records of Wu 6 and in the account of Liu Dun in the Biographies of Wu Fan, Liu Dun and Zhao Da in Records of Wu 18. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name or origin. Records, Wu 6 §34Records, Wu 18 §16
In the 9th year of Jian'an (204) he killed Sun Yi, and he himself was soon executed. Chen Shou's main text has no assessment of him. In the Romance he appears in Chapter 38 as Sun Yi's attendant, in 1 of its 120 chapters, and no chapter has his name in its title. The Romance portrays him as becoming of one mind with Gui Lan and Dai Yuan and cutting Sun Yi down after a banquet, after which the two men lay the blame on him and behead him in the marketplace. Records, Wu 6 §34Records, Wu 2 §8Romance, Ch. 38 §31–32
In the Records
Bian Hong was an attendant of Sun Quan's younger brother Sun Yi. Sun Yi was swift, fierce, bold and resolute, with something of the air of his elder brother Sun Ce, and in the 8th year of Jian'an (203) he took up the post of Administrator of Danyang concurrently as Lieutenant General, when he was twenty years old. Earlier, when Sun Quan killed Sheng Xian, the Administrator of Wu Commandery, Gui Lan and Dai Yuan, whom Sheng Xian had recommended as Filial and Incorrupt, had fled and hidden in the mountains; when Sun Yi became Administrator of Danyang, he summoned both men with courtesy and made Gui Lan Grand Commander and Dai Yuan Commandery Assistant. Records, Wu 6 §34 · 41
Sun Yi was in the end murdered by his attendant Bian Hong, and Bian Hong too was soon executed. The Biography of the Lord of Wu records that in the 9th year of Jian'an (204), when Sun Quan's younger brother Sun Yi, Administrator of Danyang, was murdered by those around him, Sun Quan had his elder cousin Sun Yu take Sun Yi's place. Chen Shou's main text does not explain why Bian Hong killed Sun Yi, nor who executed Bian Hong. Records, Wu 6 §34Records, Wu 2 §8
According to the account of Liu Dun in the Biographies of Wu Fan, Liu Dun and Zhao Da, during the Jian'an era, when Sun Quan was in Yuzhang, there was an anomaly among the stars, and when he asked Liu Dun about it, Liu Dun said that the calamity lay in Danyang. When Sun Quan asked what would come of it, Liu Dun answered that the guest would overcome the host, and that he would hear the news by a certain day. At that time Bian Hong rose in revolt, and in the end it was just as Liu Dun had said. Records, Wu 18 §16
When Sun Yi was harmed, Sun He (孫河) galloped to Wanling and angrily rebuked Gui Lan and Dai Yuan for failing to keep proper control and allowing a treacherous outrage to take place. The two killed Sun He and tried to welcome Liu Fu, Inspector of Yang Province, and respond to him with Danyang, but they were killed by Sun Yi's subordinates Xu Yuan, Sun Gao, Fu Ying and others. Sun Quan, hearing of the upheaval, returned from Jiaoqiu and pacified Danyang on the way. Chen Shou's main text does not record where Bian Hong died. Records, Wu 6 §42–43
In the Romance
In Chapter 38 of the Romance, Sun Quan's younger brother Sun Yi, Administrator of Danyang, is rough by nature and fond of wine, and when drunk he habitually flogs his soldiers. Gui Lan, the Supervising Commander of Danyang, and Dai Yuan, the Commandery Assistant, constantly harbor the intention of killing Sun Yi, and, becoming of one mind with Sun Yi's attendant Bian Hong, they plot together to kill him. Romance, Ch. 38 §31
When the generals and county Prefects gather at Danyang, Sun Yi holds a banquet. His wife Lady Xu, who is highly skilled at divination by the Book of Changes, urges him not to go out and meet the guests because the hexagram is gravely inauspicious, but Sun Yi does not listen. When the gathering breaks up in the evening, Bian Hong, wearing a sword, follows him out of the gate, at once draws the sword and cuts Sun Yi down. Romance, Ch. 38 §31–32
Gui Lan and Dai Yuan at once lay the blame on Bian Hong and behead him in the marketplace, and, taking advantage of the situation, they plunder Sun Yi's property and his concubines. Lady Xu secretly summons Sun Gao and Fu Ying, old generals who had been Sun Yi's trusted men, and asks them to avenge him, saying that the two traitors killed her husband and then laid the blame on Bian Hong alone. On the last day of the month Sun Gao and Fu Ying, hidden behind the curtains, kill Gui Lan, and Dai Yuan, invited to a banquet, is also killed by the two men. Romance, Ch. 38 §32–33 · 35–36
Where the Romance differs
Killing Sun Yi: In Chapter 38 of the Romance, Bian Hong becomes of one mind with Gui Lan and Dai Yuan and plots to kill Sun Yi, and when the banquet is over he follows Sun Yi out of the gate, draws his sword and cuts him down. Chen Shou's main text records only that Sun Yi was murdered by his attendant Bian Hong, and reveals neither who plotted with him nor how the killing was done. In Chen Shou's main text Gui Lan and Dai Yuan are rebuked by Sun He (孫河) for failing to keep proper control. Romance, Ch. 38 §31–32Records, Wu 6 §34 · 41–42
Bian Hong's death: In Chapter 38 of the Romance, Gui Lan and Dai Yuan lay the blame on Bian Hong and behead him in the marketplace. Chen Shou's main text records only that Bian Hong too was soon executed, and does not say who executed him. Romance, Ch. 38 §32Records, Wu 6 §34
Who foresaw it: In the account of Liu Dun in Chen Shou's main text, when Sun Quan asked about an anomaly among the stars at Yuzhang, Liu Dun said that the calamity lay in Danyang and that the guest would overcome the host, and Bian Hong's revolt bore out his words. Chapter 38 of the Romance has no words from Liu Dun; instead Sun Yi's wife Lady Xu casts a divination by the Book of Changes and, finding it gravely inauspicious, urges him not to meet the guests. Lady Xu does not appear in the account of Sun Yi in Chen Shou's main text. Records, Wu 18 §16Records, Wu 6 §33–35Romance, Ch. 38 §31
Who took revenge: In Chapter 38 of the Romance, Lady Xu devises a plan and has Sun Gao and Fu Ying kill Gui Lan and Dai Yuan. Chen Shou's main text records that Sun Yi's subordinates Xu Yuan, Sun Gao, Fu Ying and others killed Gui Lan and Dai Yuan. Romance, Ch. 38 §33 · 35–36Records, Wu 6 §42
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 total318 / 1000Rank 965 of 996 · Top 97%Romance total297 / 1000Rank 1,072 of 1,113 · Top 97%
Romance adaptation index−21Romance total − Records total
- LEA3131±0
- STR4550+5
- INT3525−10
- POL3131±0
- CHA3333±0
- VIR1512−3
- ADP3522−13
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3131±0
- DIS3131±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Sun Yi's attendantWu 6 §34
NWas used by Gui Lan and Dai Yuan and took the blame aloneCh. 38 §32Ch. 38 §33
8 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Sun Yi's attendantWu 6 §34
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Sun Yi's attendantCh. 38 §31
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Sun Yi's attendantWu 6 §34
NFollowed Sun Yi out wearing a sword and cut him downCh. 38 §32
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Sun Yi's attendantWu 6 §34
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Sun Yi's attendantCh. 38 §31
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Sun Yi's attendantWu 6 §34
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Sun Yi's attendantCh. 38 §31
RAs an attendant, murdered his lord Sun YiWu 6 §34
NBecame of one mind with Gui Lan and Dai Yuan and killed his masterCh. 38 §31Ch. 38 §32
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Sun Yi's attendantWu 6 §34
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Sun Yi's attendantCh. 38 §31
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Sun Yi's attendantWu 6 §34
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Sun Yi's attendantCh. 38 §31
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Sun Yi's attendantWu 6 §34
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Sun Yi's attendantCh. 38 §31
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)
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