Han Rong 韓融
| Occupation | RNOfficial · Minister Coachman | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Yingchuan Commandery | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R3 |
Profile
Han Rong was a man of Yingchuan and Minister Coachman at the end of the Later Han. He has no biography of his own in the Records; he appears once each in the record of Xu Jing in the Biographies of Xu, Mi, Sun, Jian, Yi and Qin (Records of Shu 8) and in the record of Dong Zhuo in the Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao (Records of Wei 6). He was one of those who, when Dong Zhuo held power, were promoted together with Xun Shuang, Chen Ji (陳紀) and others of Yingchuan to become Excellencies, ministers and commandery administrators, and later, when the Son of Heaven made his capital at Anyi, he attended him as Minister Coachman. Records, Shu 8 §2–3Records, Wei 6 §27
Han Rong was sent to Hongnong to make peace with Li Jue, Guo Si and others, and they returned the palace women, Excellencies, ministers and officials they had carried off. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, his later deeds or his death, and he does not appear in the assessments of either of the two volumes. In the Romance he appears in Chapter 13 together with the Grand Commandant Yang Biao, and appears only in this one of its 120 chapters; his name is in no chapter title. Records, Wei 6 §27 · 96Records, Shu 8 §59Romance, Ch. 13 §53
In the Records
When Emperor Ling died and Dong Zhuo took power, he made Zhou Bi, a man of Hanyang, Master of Writing for Personnel, and Zhou Bi, planning together with Xu Jing, admitted and dismissed the scholars of the realm and brought hidden talents to light and promoted them. At this time Xun Shuang, Han Rong, Chen Ji (陳紀) and others of Yingchuan were promoted to become Excellencies, ministers and commandery administrators, and a number of men were put in charge of provinces and commanderies, such as the Master of Writing Han Fu (韓馥), who became Governor of Ji Province. Records, Shu 8 §2–3
However, once Han Fu and the others reached their posts, each raised troops and headed for the capital, intending to kill Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo said angrily to Zhou Bi, 'The men you gentlemen employed have come back to plot against me on the very day they reached their posts,' and had him beheaded outside. Chen Shou's main text does not record which of the posts of Excellency, minister or commandery administrator Han Rong held at this time. Records, Shu 8 §3–4
In the 2nd year of Xingping (195), when Chang'an fell into disorder, the Son of Heaven moved east, was defeated at Caoyang, crossed the Yellow River and went to Anyi. According to the record of Dong Zhuo, Li Jue and Guo Si, regretting that they had let the Son of Heaven go, caught up with him at Caoyang in Hongnong, and when the troops of Yang Feng (楊奉) were defeated, they let their troops loose to kill the Excellencies, ministers and officials and carried off the palace women into Hongnong. The Son of Heaven lost his baggage train and crossed the Yellow River on foot, followed only by the empress and the honored ladies. Records, Wei 1 §33 · 35Records, Wei 6 §26
Yang Feng, Han Xian and the others then had the Son of Heaven make his capital at Anyi, where he rode in an ox cart. Those who followed him as close ministers, such as the Grand Commandant Yang Biao and the Minister Coachman Han Rong, numbered a little over ten. Han Rong was sent to Hongnong to make peace with Li Jue, Guo Si and others, and they returned the palace women, Excellencies, ministers and officials they had carried off, together with several of the Son of Heaven's carriages and horses. At this time locusts rose and drought left no grain, so the attending officials ate jujubes and greens. Records, Wei 6 §27
These two passages are the only places in Chen Shou's main text where Han Rong appears, and his courtesy name, his later deeds and his death are not recorded. He does not appear in the assessment of Records of Wei 6 or that of Records of Shu 8 either. Records, Shu 8 §3 · 59Records, Wei 6 §27 · 96–97
In the Romance
In Chapter 13 of the Romance, Yang Feng (楊奉) and Dong Cheng escort the imperial carriage, pursued by Li Jue and Guo Si, and flee north of Shan County, summoning Han Xian, Li Le and Hu Cai, former leaders of the White Wave of Hedong, to come to the rescue. But in the end they cannot hold the pursuers off, and the emperor and empress barely manage to board a boat and cross the river. The day after they run out of food and eat the millet rice offered by an old man of the fields, Li Le is enfeoffed as General Who Conquers the North and Han Xian as General Who Conquers the East, and the imperial carriage moves on. Romance, Ch. 13 §47–53
At this point two high ministers arrive and bow weeping before the carriage: the Grand Commandant Yang Biao and the Minister Coachman Han Rong. The emperor and empress weep with them. Han Rong says that the two rebels Li Jue and Guo Si put considerable trust in his words, so he will risk his life to go and persuade them to withdraw their troops, and leaves, urging His Majesty to take good care of himself. The imperial carriage then, at Yang Biao's request, reaches Anyi and stays in a thatched hut. Romance, Ch. 13 §53–54
Han Rong earnestly persuades the two rebels Li Jue and Guo Si, and the two rebels follow his words and release the officials and palace women. That year there is a great famine, the common people all eat jujubes and greens, and the bodies of the starved fill the fields. This passage is the only place where Han Rong appears in the Romance. Romance, Ch. 13 §55
Where the Romance differs
How he came to make peace: In Chapter 13 of the Romance, Han Rong volunteers on his own, saying 'the two rebels put considerable trust in my words', to risk his life and go to persuade them. The record of Dong Zhuo in the Records states only that Han Rong was sent to Hongnong to make peace with Li Jue, Guo Si and others, and says nothing of his volunteering. Romance, Ch. 13 §53–54Records, Wei 6 §27
What was returned: In Chapter 13 of the Romance, the two rebels follow Han Rong's words and release the officials and palace women. In the Records, besides the palace women, Excellencies, ministers and officials they had carried off, they also returned several of the Son of Heaven's carriages and horses. Romance, Ch. 13 §55Records, Wei 6 §27
Promotion: In the record of Xu Jing in the Records, Han Rong was one of those who, when Dong Zhuo held power, were promoted together with Xun Shuang, Chen Ji and others of Yingchuan to become Excellencies, ministers and commandery administrators. In the Romance Han Rong appears only in Chapter 13, and this promotion is not depicted. Romance, Ch. 13 §53Records, Shu 8 §3
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.
- LEA3131±0
- STR3131±0
- INT4542−3
- POL4540−5
- CHA5245−7
- VIR6270+8
- ADP4545±0
- SCH4238−4
- DIP7272±0
- DIS3835−3
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
No ability differs by 10 or more — the Romance portrays this person much as the Records do.
10 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his office of Excellency or minister rankShu 8 §3
NNo direct record — estimated from his office of Excellency or minister rankCh. 13 §53
RNo direct record — estimated from his office of Excellency or minister rankShu 8 §3
NNo direct record — estimated from his office of Excellency or minister rankCh. 13 §53
RNo direct record — estimated from his office of Excellency or minister rankShu 8 §3
NNo direct record — estimated from his office of Excellency or minister rankCh. 13 §53
RNo direct record — estimated from his office of Excellency or minister rankShu 8 §3
NNo direct record — estimated from his office of Excellency or minister rankCh. 13 §53
RA noted man of Yingchuan, promoted to Excellency or minister rank together with Xun Shuang and Chen JiShu 8 §3
NNo direct record — estimated from his office of Excellency or minister rankCh. 13 §53
RWas among the dozen or so close ministers who followed the Son of Heaven to AnyiWei 6 §27
NBowed weeping before the carriage and went at the risk of his life to persuade the rebelsCh. 13 §53Ch. 13 §54
RNo direct record — estimated from his office of Excellency or minister rankWei 6 §27
NNo direct record — estimated from his office of Excellency or minister rankCh. 13 §54
RNo direct record — estimated from his office of Excellency or minister rankShu 8 §3
NNo direct record — estimated from his office of Excellency or minister rankCh. 13 §53
RMade peace with Li Jue and Guo Si and got back the palace women, ministers and carriagesWei 6 §27
NEarnestly persuaded Li Jue and Guo Si and got back the officials and palace womenCh. 13 §53Ch. 13 §55
RNo direct record — estimated from his office of Excellency or minister rankShu 8 §3
NNo direct record — estimated from his office of Excellency or minister rankCh. 13 §53
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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