RNo direct record — estimated from his careerWei 6 §27
NIndiscriminately recommended lowly men as Colonels and CensorsCh. 13 §55
Han Xian 韓暹
| Occupation | RNGeneral · General Who Conquers the East | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Cause of death | RKilled NKilled Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R17 |
Profile
Han Xian was a former leader of the White Wave bandits of Hedong. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears in the passages on Li Jue and Guo Si in the Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao, in the Annals of Emperor Wu, in the biographies of Lü Bu, Dong Zhao and Xu Huang, in the Biography of the First Sovereign and elsewhere. When Li Jue and Guo Si pursued Emperor Xian, he joined forces at Yang Feng's summons, and at Anyi he became General Who Conquers the East and held the government together with Yang Feng and Dong Cheng. Records, Wei 6 §26–27
In the 1st year of Jian'an (196) he brought the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang with Yang Feng, but fled when Cao Cao reached Luoyang. He surrendered to Yuan Shu together with Yang Feng and then switched to Lü Bu's side, and later, while plundering between Xu and Yang Provinces, he was killed by Liu Bei. Records, Wei 1 §38–39Records, Wei 14 §56Records, Wei 7 §24Records, Wei 6 §30Records, Shu 2 §12
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 13 as a former White Wave leader whom Dong Cheng and Yang Feng summon from Hedong, and appears in 3 of its 120 chapters; there is no chapter with his name in the title. In Chapter 14 he blocks the imperial carriage on its way to Xudu together with Yang Feng, in Chapter 17 he betrays Yuan Shu at Chen Deng's persuasion, and in the same chapter Liu Bei tells Cao Cao that he had Guan Yu and Zhang Fei kill him. Romance, Ch. 13 §48Romance, Ch. 14 §27Romance, Ch. 17 §8–10 · 21–22
In the Records
When Li Jue and Guo Si, regretting that they had let the Son of Heaven go, joined forces again and caught up with him at Caoyang in Hongnong, Yang Feng hastily summoned Han Xian, Hu Cai, Li Le and others, former leaders of the White Wave bandits of Hedong, to join him, and fought a great battle with Li Jue and Guo Si. When Yang Feng's troops were defeated, Li Jue and the others killed ministers and officials, carried off palace women and entered Hongnong, while the Son of Heaven fled to Shan County, crossed the Yellow River northward and reached Dayang on foot. Records, Wei 6 §26
Yang Feng, Han Xian and the others made the Son of Heaven establish his capital at Anyi, where he rode in an ox cart. Han Xian became General Who Conquers the East, Hu Cai General Who Conquers the West and Li Le General Who Conquers the North, and they held the government together with Yang Feng and Dong Cheng. But the generals could not command one another, superiors and inferiors fell into disorder and the provisions ran out. Yang Feng, Han Xian and Dong Cheng escorted the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang, and when they came out of the Ji Pass and went down the Zhi road, Zhang Yang (張楊) met them on the way with provisions. Hu Cai and Li Le stayed in Hedong. Records, Wei 6 §27–28 · 31Records, Wei 8 §33
The Annals of Emperor Wu records that in the 7th month, in autumn of the 1st year of Jian'an (196), Yang Feng and Han Xian brought the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang. According to Dong Zhao's biography, Han Xian, Yang Feng, Dong Cheng and Zhang Yang were then each at odds and could not get along, and according to Xu Huang's biography, once they reached Luoyang, Han Xian and Dong Cheng quarreled every day. Records, Wei 1 §38Records, Wei 14 §50Records, Wei 17 §57
When Cao Cao proposed receiving the Son of Heaven and making Xu the capital, some thought that Han Xian and Yang Feng, who had just brought the Son of Heaven to Luoyang and were linked with Zhang Yang to the north, could not be brought under control quickly. Xun Yu urged Cao Cao to receive the Son of Heaven, saying, 'How would Han Xian and Yang Feng dare to do any harm?' Records, Wei 10 §13 · 15
When Cao Cao reached Luoyang and guarded the capital, Han Xian fled. When Cao Cao moved the imperial carriage to Xu, Yang Feng, having lost hope, went to Dingling with Han Xian and others and plundered and acted violently. Cao Cao did not respond to this, but secretly attacked and pacified their camp at Liang County, and Yang Feng and Han Xian, having lost their followers, went east and surrendered to Yuan Shu. Records, Wei 1 §39Records, Wei 14 §55–56
Yuan Shu, in anger, joined forces with Han Xian, Yang Feng and others and sent his senior general Zhang Xun to attack Lü Bu. Chen Gui said that Han Xian, Yang Feng and Yuan Shu were a hastily combined army whose plans had not been settled in advance, so they could not hold together for long, and that, as in the plan of his son Chen Deng, they were like chickens tied together that could not perch on one roost, and could be separated. Lü Bu sent men to Han Xian and Yang Feng proposing that they join him in attacking Yuan Shu's army and promising them all the army supplies, and when the two agreed, Zhang Xun was badly defeated. Records, Wei 7 §24
The Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao records that Han Xian and Yang Feng, unable to uphold the laws of the king, each fled and plundered between Xu and Yang Provinces until they were killed by Liu Bei. In the Biography of the First Sovereign, after Liu Bei lost Xiapi to Lü Bu and moved to Haixi, he intercepted Yang Feng and Han Xian as they plundered between Xu and Yang Provinces and beheaded them all. Chen Shou's main text does not give the year of his death. Records, Wei 6 §30Records, Shu 2 §12
The edict of the 18th year of Jian'an (213) enfeoffing Cao Cao as Duke of Wei counted among his merits that, when Han Xian and Yang Feng wielded authority and commands at will, Cao Cao attacked them, removed the trouble they caused and in the end moved the capital to Xu. Records, Wei 1 §120–121 · 123
In the Romance
In Chapter 13 of the Romance, Dong Cheng and Yang Feng, pursued by Li Jue and Guo Si, negotiate for peace while secretly sending an imperial decree to Hedong, summoning the troops of Han Xian, Li Le and Hu Cai, former leaders of the White Wave, to come to the rescue. Hearing that the Son of Heaven will pardon their crimes and grant them office, the troops of the three come and, together with Dong Cheng, retake Hongnong. The day after the emperor crosses the Yellow River and reaches Dayang, he issues an edict appointing Li Le General Who Conquers the North and Han Xian General Who Conquers the East. Romance, Ch. 13 §48 · 53
At Anyi, Li Le and the others wield power at will, and Li Le and Han Xian jointly recommend more than two hundred people, including tattooed convicts, private retainers, shamans, physicians and runners, who receive offices such as Colonel and Censor. With no time to carve seals, the seals are scratched out with an awl. On the way back to Luoyang, when Li Le secretly joins with Li Jue and Guo Si to seize the imperial carriage, Dong Cheng, Yang Feng and Han Xian learn of the plot, deploy their troops through the night, and escort the imperial carriage in a dash toward the Ji Pass. Romance, Ch. 13 §54–55 · 57
In Chapter 14, when word reaches Luoyang that Li Jue and Guo Si are coming again, Yang Feng and Han Xian say that they will fight the rebels to the death to protect His Majesty. After Cao Cao defeats Li Jue and Guo Si, the two conclude that once Cao Cao holds great power he will not tolerate them, and on the mere pretext of pursuing Li Jue and Guo Si they lead their own troops to Daliang. Dong Zhao tells Cao Cao that they are a band without strategy. Romance, Ch. 14 §7 · 14–15 · 18
When Cao Cao moves the imperial carriage to Xudu, Yang Feng and Han Xian lead their troops to block the road. That night Man Chong visits Xu Huang and asks him why he bows to the likes of Yang Feng and Han Xian; Xu Huang says that he knows the two are not men who will build anything great but that, having followed them for so long, he cannot bear to abandon them, and then goes over to Cao Cao. When Yang Feng, pursuing Xu Huang, is surrounded by Cao Cao's ambush, Han Xian comes with his troops to the rescue and gets Yang Feng out, but most of the two men's troops surrender, and the two take their remaining troops to Yuan Shu. Romance, Ch. 14 §27 · 30–33
In Chapter 17, when Yuan Shu attacks Xu Province along seven routes, Han Xian, as a general who has surrendered, commands the sixth route and heads for Xiapi. Chen Deng meets Han Xian on the road to Xiapi and tells him that he has thrown away his past merit of guarding the imperial carriage in Guanzhong and that the suspicious Yuan Shu will one day do him harm. Han Xian says, 'I too wish to return to Han, but I regret that I have no door to do so,' reads Lü Bu's letter, and says that he and Yang Feng will turn their spears around, and that Lü Bu should respond when he sees fire as the signal. Romance, Ch. 17 §3 · 5 · 8–10
At the second watch of that night, Han Xian and Yang Feng set fires everywhere and let Lü Bu's troops into Zhang Xun's camp, and at daybreak they also attack Ji Ling's relief force along two routes. After the victory Lü Bu recommends Han Xian as Governor of Yidu and Yang Feng as Governor of Langya, and on Chen Gui's advice stations the two generals at Yidu and Langya. Later Liu Bei presents the heads of Han Xian and Yang Feng to Cao Cao and says that, when the two let their troops plunder the people, he falsely invited them to a banquet to discuss affairs and, at the signal of a thrown cup, had Guan Yu and Zhang Fei kill them. Romance, Ch. 17 §13 · 15–16 · 21–22
Where the Romance differs
How he was summoned: In Chapter 13 of the Romance, Dong Cheng and Yang Feng secretly send an imperial decree to Hedong to summon Han Xian and the others, and the troops of the three come on hearing that the Son of Heaven will pardon their crimes and grant them office. In the Records, when Li Jue and Guo Si caught up with the Son of Heaven at Caoyang, Yang Feng hastily summoned Han Xian, Hu Cai, Li Le and others, who joined him and fought a great battle. Romance, Ch. 13 §48Records, Wei 6 §26
Recommendations for office at Anyi: In Chapter 13 of the Romance, Li Le and Han Xian recommend more than two hundred people, who receive offices such as Colonel and Censor, and the seals are scratched out with an awl. The Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao in the Records only records that Han Xian and the others became generals and held the government with Yang Feng and Dong Cheng, and that the generals could not command one another so that superiors and inferiors fell into disorder; the story of these recommendations does not appear. Romance, Ch. 13 §55Records, Wei 6 §27–28
Li Le: In Chapter 13 of the Romance, when Li Le joins with Li Jue and Guo Si to seize the imperial carriage, Han Xian and the others escort the carriage through the night and flee to the Ji Pass. In the Records, when Yang Feng, Han Xian and Dong Cheng escorted the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang, Hu Cai and Li Le stayed in Hedong, and Li Le died of illness. Romance, Ch. 13 §57Records, Wei 6 §28 · 31
When he withdrew from Luoyang: In Chapter 14 of the Romance, after Cao Cao defeats Li Jue and Guo Si, Yang Feng and Han Xian, wary of Cao Cao, go to Daliang of their own accord. In the Annals of Emperor Wu in the Records, Han Xian fled when Cao Cao reached Luoyang and guarded the capital. Romance, Ch. 14 §15Records, Wei 1 §39
How he went to Yuan Shu: In Chapter 14 of the Romance, Yang Feng and Han Xian block the road of the imperial carriage on its way to Xudu, lose most of their troops to Cao Cao's ambush and go to Yuan Shu. In Dong Zhao's biography in the Records, when Yang Feng, having lost hope, plundered at Dingling with Han Xian and others, Cao Cao secretly attacked and pacified their camp at Liang County, and Yang Feng and Han Xian, having lost their followers, went east and surrendered to Yuan Shu. Romance, Ch. 14 §27 · 33Records, Wei 14 §55–56
Switching to Lü Bu's side: In Chapter 17 of the Romance, Chen Deng himself meets Han Xian on the road to Xiapi and wins him over, and Han Xian proposes fire as the signal. In Lü Bu's biography in the Records, Chen Gui said, citing it as the plan of his son Chen Deng, that the two could be separated, and Lü Bu won them over by sending men to promise them all the army supplies. Romance, Ch. 17 §8–10Records, Wei 7 §24
Where he was stationed: In Chapter 17 of the Romance, Lü Bu recommends Han Xian as Governor of Yidu and stations him at Yidu, and Liu Bei says that the two plundered the people there. In the Records, the place where Han Xian and Yang Feng plundered is given only as between Xu and Yang Provinces, and Lü Bu's recommendation does not appear. Romance, Ch. 17 §15–16 · 21–22Records, Wei 6 §30Records, Shu 2 §12Records, Wei 7 §24
Death: In Chapter 17 of the Romance, Liu Bei tells Cao Cao that he falsely invited the two to a banquet and, at the signal of a thrown cup, had Guan Yu and Zhang Fei kill them. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, when Yang Feng and Han Xian plundered between Xu and Yang Provinces, Liu Bei intercepted and beheaded them all, and there is no story of a banquet. Romance, Ch. 17 §21–22Records, Shu 2 §12Records, Wei 6 §30
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 total333 / 1000Rank 949 of 996 · Top 96%Romance total339 / 1000Rank 965 of 1,113 · Top 87%
Romance adaptation index+6Romance total − Records total
- LEA4245+3
- STR4040±0
- INT3230−2
- POL2520−5
- CHA3838±0
- VIR2540+15
- ADP3045+15
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3535±0
- DIS3515−20
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RAfter leaving the Son of Heaven, plundered between Xu and Yang ProvincesWei 6 §30Wei 14 §55
NLearned of Li Le's plot and escorted the imperial carriage, but betrayed Yuan ShuCh. 13 §57Ch. 17 §10
RFled when Cao Cao came, joined Yuan Shu, and was killed by Liu BeiWei 1 §39Wei 6 §30
NWon over by Chen Deng, abandoned Yuan Shu and acted in concert with Lü BuCh. 17 §9Ch. 17 §10
7 similar abilities — show evidence
RAs a White Wave leader fought a great battle with Li Jue and Guo Si but was defeatedWei 6 §26
NSet fires in concert with Lü Bu and defeated Zhang Xun and Ji LingCh. 17 §13
RChen Gui judged his a hastily combined army with no plans settled in advanceWei 7 §24
NDong Zhao called them a band without strategyCh. 14 §18
RHeld the government, but superiors and inferiors fell into disorder and he failed to uphold the laws of the kingWei 6 §28Wei 6 §30
NRecommended over two hundred convicts, shamans and others for office, with no regard for proper formCh. 13 §55
RNo direct record — estimated from records of his leading a followingWei 6 §27
NNo direct record — only a record of his leading the troops of his own campCh. 13 §48
RNo direct record — estimated from his bandit originsWei 6 §27
NNo direct record — estimated from his bandit originsCh. 13 §55
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 (3)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Related events (1)
- Emperor Xian of Han Returns East 195~196 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).