RHandled his duties in office mildly and with discernment; served as Administrator of Ba CommanderyShu 15 §46
NNo direct record — estimated from his being employed after surrenderingCh. 65 §46
Fei Guan 費觀
| Occupation | RGeneral · General Who Spreads Awe | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Jiangxia Commandery Meng County | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R4 |
Profile
Fei Guan, courtesy name Binbo, was a man of Meng County in Jiangxia Commandery. Liu Zhang's mother was his clan aunt, and Liu Zhang gave him his daughter in marriage. He has no biography of his own in the Records; beneath the encomium in Yang Xi's 'Encomia on the Supporting Ministers of Ji Han,' included in the Biographies of Deng, Zhang, Zong and Yang in Records of Shu 15, Chen Shou appended a brief note on his deeds. Records, Shu 15 §33 · 46
In the 18th year of Jian'an (213) he joined Li Yan's army and resisted Liu Bei at Mianzhu, then surrendered together with Li Yan. He became a Lieutenant General (pi jiangjun) and later served as Administrator of Ba Commandery and Area Commander of Jiangzhou; in the 1st year of Jianxing (223) he was enfeoffed as Marquis of a Chief Village and given the additional title of General Who Spreads Awe. He died at the age of thirty-seven. Records, Shu 15 §46–47
Chen Shou wrote that he did not compose a biography because Fei Guan's deeds had been lost, and he did not treat him in his assessment for volume 15 either. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 64 as Liu Zhang's brother-in-law; he appears in 2 of the 120 chapters, and his name is in no chapter title. In Chapter 65, persuaded by Li Yan, he opens the city gates and surrenders. Records, Shu 15 §47 · 85Romance, Ch. 64 §31Romance, Ch. 65 §6
In the Records
Fei Guan, courtesy name Binbo, was a man of Meng County in Jiangxia Commandery. Liu Zhang's mother was Fei Guan's clan aunt, and Liu Zhang also gave his daughter to Fei Guan in marriage. Records, Shu 15 §46
In the 18th year of Jian'an (213) Fei Guan joined Li Yan's army and resisted Liu Bei at Mianzhu, then surrendered together with Li Yan. The Biography of Li Yan records that in that year Liu Zhang made Li Yan Protector of the Army (hujun) and had him resist Liu Bei at Mianzhu, and that Li Yan led his men over in surrender and became a Lieutenant General. Records, Shu 15 §46Records, Shu 10 §41
After Liu Bei pacified Yi Province, Fei Guan was appointed Lieutenant General. The Biography of the First Sovereign records that Dong He, Huang Quan, Li Yan and others whom Liu Zhang had employed, Wu Yi, Fei Guan and others who were Liu Zhang's in-laws, Peng Yang, whom Liu Zhang had cast out, and Liu Ba, whom Liu Bei had long resented, were all placed in prominent posts so that they could make full use of their talents. Fei Guan later became Administrator of Ba Commandery and Area Commander of Jiangzhou, and in the 1st year of Jianxing (223) he was enfeoffed as Marquis of a Chief Village and given the additional title of General Who Spreads Awe. Records, Shu 15 §46Records, Shu 2 §34
Fei Guan was good at making friends. The Area Protector (duhu) Li Yan was by nature boastful and haughty, and did not keep close company even with men of similar age and rank such as the Protector of the Army Fu Kuang. Fei Guan, however, though more than twenty years younger than Li Yan, is said to have been as familiar with him as a contemporary. Fei Guan died at the age of thirty-seven. Chen Shou did not record the year of his death and said that he did not compose a biography because Fei Guan's deeds had been lost. Records, Shu 15 §47
Yang Xi's 'Encomia on the Supporting Ministers of Ji Han,' written in the 4th year of Yanxi (241), praised him: his talent drew admiring sighs in both civil and military matters; holding office and managing his duties, he dealt with things mildly and with discernment; and he increased his wealth and gave it away, with righteousness and order. In his assessment for volume 15, Chen Shou discussed Deng Zhi, Zhang Yi, Zong Yu and Yang Xi, but did not treat Fei Guan. Records, Shu 15 §33 · 46 · 85
In the Romance
In Chapter 64 of the Romance, Liu Zhang sends his wife's younger brother Fei Guan to hold Mianzhu, and Fei Guan recommends Li Yan of Nanyang to lead the troops with him. The two muster 30,000 troops and come to defend Mianzhu. Romance, Ch. 64 §31–32
In Chapter 65, when Huang Zhong and Wei Yan on Liu Bei's side advance to take Mianzhu, Fei Guan hears of it and sends Li Yan out to meet them. Li Yan fights Huang Zhong for forty or fifty bouts without a decision; the next day, lured into a mountain valley by Huang Zhong's feigned retreat, he finds his way ahead blocked by Wei Yan, and when Zhuge Liang calls on him from the hilltop to surrender, he dismounts, takes off his armor and surrenders. Romance, Ch. 65 §3–5
Li Yan offers to go and persuade Fei Guan, saying that although Fei Guan is a relative of Liu of Yi Province, he is very close to Li Yan himself. Entering the city of Mianzhu, Li Yan praises Liu Bei's benevolence and virtue and warns that if Fei Guan does not surrender now, great disaster will surely follow; Fei Guan heeds his words, opens the city gates and surrenders, and Liu Bei enters Mianzhu. In the same chapter, when Liu Bei becomes Governor of Yi Province and promotes all of the more than sixty civil and military officials who had surrendered, Fei Guan's name is among them. Romance, Ch. 65 §6 · 46
Where the Romance differs
Command at Mianzhu: In Chapters 64-65 of the Romance, Fei Guan, sent by Liu Zhang, recommends Li Yan and the two come together to defend Mianzhu, and Fei Guan sends Li Yan out to meet the enemy. In the Records, Fei Guan joined Li Yan's army, and the Biography of Li Yan records that Liu Zhang made Li Yan Protector of the Army and had him resist Liu Bei at Mianzhu. Romance, Ch. 64 §31–32Romance, Ch. 65 §3Records, Shu 15 §46Records, Shu 10 §41
Surrender: In Chapter 65 of the Romance, Li Yan, having surrendered first in the mountain valley, returns to the city and persuades Fei Guan, who opens the city gates and surrenders. The Records say only that Fei Guan surrendered together with Li Yan. Romance, Ch. 65 §5–6Records, Shu 15 §46
Relationship with Liu Zhang: In Chapter 64 the Romance makes Fei Guan Liu Zhang's wife's younger brother, and in Chapter 65 Li Yan calls him 'a relative of Liu of Yi Province.' In the Records, Liu Zhang's mother was Fei Guan's clan aunt, and Liu Zhang gave his daughter to Fei Guan in marriage (making him a son-in-law). Romance, Ch. 64 §31Romance, Ch. 65 §6Records, Shu 15 §46
After the surrender: In Chapter 65 of the Romance, Fei Guan is merely named among the more than sixty men who are promoted, and he does not appear after that. In the Records, he became a Lieutenant General, later served as Administrator of Ba Commandery and Area Commander of Jiangzhou, became Marquis of a Chief Village and General Who Spreads Awe in the 1st year of Jianxing (223), and died at the age of thirty-seven. Romance, Ch. 65 §46Records, Shu 15 §46–47
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 total511 / 1000Rank 220 of 996 · Top 23%Romance total409 / 1000Rank 453 of 1,113 · Top 41%
Romance adaptation index−102Romance total − Records total
- LEA5546−9
- STR4640−6
- INT4540−5
- POL6040−20
- CHA6242−20
- VIR5840−18
- ADP5050±0
- SCH4535−10
- DIP5038−12
- DIS4038−2
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RGood at making friends, he was on familiar terms even with the haughty Li YanShu 15 §47
NNo direct record — estimated from his being Liu Zhang's brother-in-lawCh. 64 §31
RThe encomium says he increased his wealth and gave it away, with righteousnessShu 15 §46
NThough Liu Zhang's brother-in-law, opened the city gates and surrendered at Li Yan's urgingCh. 65 §6
RBefriended Li Yan, who differed from him in age and temperament, as a contemporaryShu 15 §47
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 65 §6
RThe encomium says he combined civil and military abilitiesShu 15 §46
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 64 §31
5 similar abilities — show evidence
RResisted the First Sovereign at Mianzhu and later became Area Commander of Jiangzhou and General Who Spreads AweShu 15 §46
NLed 30,000 troops with Li Yan to defend Mianzhu and sent Li Yan out to meet the enemyCh. 64 §32Ch. 65 §3
RThe encomium says he drew admiring sighs in both civil and military mattersShu 15 §46
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 64 §31
RNo direct record — estimated from the encomium praising his talentShu 15 §46
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 65 §3
RSurrendered with Li Yan and, though Liu Zhang's in-law, was given a prominent postShu 15 §46Shu 2 §34
NSurrendered on Li Yan's advice and was employed by Liu BeiCh. 65 §6Ch. 65 §46
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 15 §47
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 65 §3
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 →
Allegiance history
- Liu Zhang faction (~213) · Records · 「觀建安十八年參李嚴軍，拒先主於綿竹，與嚴俱降」 · 「吳壹、費觀等又璋之婚親也」
Related events (1)
- Liu Bei's takeover of Yi Province 212~214 · Command
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).