Kuai Yue 蒯越
| Occupation | ROfficial · Superintendent of the Imperial Household NStrategist · Administrator of Jiangling | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Xiangyang Commandery Zhonglu County | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R5 |
Profile
Kuai Yue served under Liu Biao. He has no biography of his own in the Records, and his name appears three times in the biography of Liu Biao; Chen Shou's text does not give his courtesy name or origin and calls him 'Liu Biao's senior general.' When Cao Cao faced Yuan Shao at Guandu, he urged Liu Biao to side with Cao Cao, and after Liu Biao died he joined Han Song, Fu Xun and others in persuading Liu Cong to submit to Cao Cao. Records, Wei 6 §86–88 · 91
When Liu Cong surrendered the province in the 13th year of Jian'an (208), Cao Cao enfeoffed fifteen men, Kuai Yue among them, as marquises, and Kuai Yue became Superintendent of the Imperial Household. The Records do not record his later deeds or his death. Records, Wei 6 §89 · 93–94
In his assessment Chen Shou said only that Liu Biao had men of talent but could not use them and heard good advice but could not accept it, and did not assess Kuai Yue separately. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 6 as a native of Yanping who assisted Liu Biao, and appears in 5 of its 120 chapters; no chapter title bears his name. He fights to stop Sun Jian, recognizes the horse Dilu, plots with Cai Mao to harm Liu Bei, and urges Liu Cong to surrender. Records, Wei 6 §96Romance, Ch. 6 §36Romance, Ch. 34 §10 · 35–37Romance, Ch. 40 §20
In the Records
According to the biography of Liu Biao, when Cao Cao faced Yuan Shao at Guandu and Yuan Shao sent men to ask for help, Liu Biao agreed but did not come, nor did he help Cao Cao; he meant to hold the land between the Yangtze and the Han and watch for changes in the realm. The Attendant Officer of the Household Han Song and the Aide-de-camp Liu Xian urged him that bringing the whole province over to Cao Cao was the surest plan. Records, Wei 6 §86–87
Liu Biao's senior general Kuai Yue also urged Liu Biao, but Liu Biao hesitated in doubt and sent Han Song to Cao Cao to see how things truly stood. When Han Song returned, spoke of Cao Cao's authority and virtue, and told him to send a son as a hostage, Liu Biao suspected that Han Song was instead persuading on Cao Cao's behalf and flew into a rage. Chen Shou wrote that although Liu Biao appeared refined and scholarly, at heart he was full of suspicion and jealousy. Records, Wei 6 §88
In the 13th year of Jian'an (208) Cao Cao came to campaign against Liu Biao, but before he arrived Liu Biao died of illness. Liu Biao and his wife loved their youngest son Liu Cong and wished to make him heir, and Cai Mao and Zhang Yun took his side and sent the eldest son Liu Qi out as Administrator of Jiangxia. When Kuai Yue, Han Song, the Officer of the Eastern Bureau Fu Xun and others urged Liu Cong to submit to Cao Cao, Liu Cong asked why he could not hold the whole land of Chu together with them, preserve the legacy of his late father, and watch the realm. Records, Wei 6 §89 · 91
Fu Xun said that defiance and submission have a broad principle and strength and weakness have a fixed disposition, and that for a subject to resist his sovereign, to oppose the state with a newly made Chu, and to set Liu Bei against Lord Cao were all beyond their power. When Cao Cao's army reached Xiangyang, Liu Cong surrendered the province. The Annals of Emperor Wu record that in the 9th month of that year, when Cao Cao reached Xinye, Liu Cong surrendered, and that when Cao Cao rewarded the merit of Jing Province's submission, fifteen men were enfeoffed as marquises. Records, Wei 6 §92–93Records, Wei 1 §104
Cao Cao made Liu Cong Inspector of Qing Province and enfeoffed him as a full marquis. Fifteen men, Kuai Yue among them, were enfeoffed as marquises; Kuai Yue became Superintendent of the Imperial Household, Han Song Grand Herald, and Liu Xian Prefect of the Masters of Writing, and most of the rest also reached high office. Chen Shou's text does not record Kuai Yue's later deeds or his death. Records, Wei 6 §94
In his assessment at the end of the volume, Chen Shou said that Yuan Shao and Liu Biao both won fame in their time for their imposing bearing and air of capacity, but that they were tolerant outwardly and jealous inwardly, fond of scheming but unable to decide, had men of talent but could not use them, and heard good advice but could not accept it. Records, Wei 6 §96
In the Romance
Chapter 6 of the Romance introduces Liu Biao as being assisted by Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue of Yanping and Cai Mao of Xiangyang. When Liu Biao, having received Yuan Shao's letter, gave Kuai Yue and Cai Mao ten thousand troops to stop Sun Jian, Kuai Yue rode out in front and rebuked him, asking how, as a subject of Han, he could privately hide the Imperial Seal. Sun Jian addressed Kuai Yue by his courtesy name, Yidu. Cai Mao was beaten by Huang Gai, and Sun Jian was trapped by Liu Biao's ambush and by Cai Mao and Kuai Yue, who came in pursuit. Romance, Ch. 6 §36–38
In Chapter 7, when Sun Jian was killed on Mount Xian by the troops of Lü Gong lying in ambush according to Kuai Liang's plan, Huang Zu, Kuai Yue and Cai Mao sallied out of the city in separate columns at the signal of the linked cannon shots. Romance, Ch. 7 §40–44
In Chapter 34, when Liu Biao came back riding the horse Liu Bei had given him, Kuai Yue said that his late elder brother Kuai Liang had been the best judge of horses and that he himself knew a fair amount, and that this horse, with tear channels below its eyes and a white spot at the edge of its forehead, was called Dilu and would bring harm to its master if ridden. Liu Biao returned the horse to Liu Bei. Romance, Ch. 34 §10–11
In the same chapter, when Cai Mao proposed doing away with Liu Bei, Kuai Yue at first worried that they would lose the confidence of the gentry and the people, but when Cai Mao said he had secretly received instructions from Liu of Jing Province, Kuai Yue said they should prepare in advance. Seeing that Zhao Yun never left Liu Bei's side, he devised the plan of having Wen Pin and Wang Wei entertain the military officers in the outer hall so as to detain Zhao Yun first. Warned by Yi Ji, Liu Bei rode Dilu and fled through the west gate. Romance, Ch. 34 §35–40
In Chapter 40, when Cao Cao advanced on Xiangyang, Fu Xun proposed offering the nine commanderies of Jing and Xiang to Cao Cao, and Liu Cong rebuked him. Kuai Yue said that defiance and submission have a great principle and strength and weakness have a fixed disposition, and that to resist Cao Cao, who acted in the name of the court, would be without just cause, and the people would lose heart before any fighting began. Wang Can also called the counsel of Fu Xun and Kuai Yue a far-sighted plan, and when Lady Cai said that if the three of them were of the same view there was no need to consult her, Liu Cong sent a letter of surrender. Romance, Ch. 40 §19–25
In Chapter 41, when Cai Mao was about to kill Wang Wei, who had proposed a surprise attack on Cao Cao, Kuai Yue stopped him. Having entered Xiangyang, Cao Cao called Kuai Yue to his side, saying that he was glad not because he had gained Jing Province but because he had gained Yidu, and enfeoffed him as Administrator of Jiangling and Marquis of Fancheng. Romance, Ch. 41 §20–21 · 26
Where the Romance differs
Origin and courtesy name: Chapter 6 of the Romance calls Kuai Yue a native of Yanping, and Sun Jian addresses him by the courtesy name Yidu. Chen Shou's text in the Records does not give his courtesy name or origin and calls him only 'Liu Biao's senior general.' Romance, Ch. 6 §36Records, Wei 6 §88
The battle with Sun Jian: In Chapters 6–7 of the Romance, Kuai Yue and Cai Mao stopped Sun Jian, and when Sun Jian died on Mount Xian they sallied out of the city. In the biography of Sun Jian in the Records, in the 3rd year of Chuping (192) Liu Biao sent Huang Zu to meet him between Fan and Deng; Sun Jian defeated him and besieged Xiangyang, but while riding alone on Mount Xian he was shot and killed by Huang Zu's soldiers. Kuai Yue does not appear. Romance, Ch. 6 §36–38Romance, Ch. 7 §44Records, Wu 1 §21
The horse Dilu: In Chapter 34 of the Romance, Kuai Yue, comparing himself with his elder brother Kuai Liang, said that Dilu would harm its master. Chen Shou's main text of Liu Biao's biography in the Records has neither this story nor anyone named Kuai Liang (Kuai Liang appears only in Pei Songzhi's notes). Romance, Ch. 34 §10Records, Wei 6 §81–94
The plot to harm Liu Bei: In Chapter 34 of the Romance, Kuai Yue devised with Cai Mao a plan to harm Liu Bei. Liu Biao's biography in the Records records only that when Liu Bei fled to him Liu Biao treated him generously but could not make use of him; there is no such plot. Romance, Ch. 34 §35–37Records, Wei 6 §89
The words urging Liu Cong to surrender: In Chapter 40 of the Romance, it is Kuai Yue who says that 'defiance and submission have a great principle and strength and weakness have a fixed disposition.' In the Records too Kuai Yue persuaded Liu Cong together with Han Song, Fu Xun and others, but the one who said these words and asked Liu Cong how he compared with Liu Bei was Fu Xun. Romance, Ch. 40 §20Records, Wei 6 §91–92
Office after the surrender: In Chapter 41 of the Romance, Cao Cao, saying he was gladder to have gained Yidu than Jing Province, enfeoffed Kuai Yue as Administrator of Jiangling and Marquis of Fancheng. In the Records, fifteen men including Kuai Yue were enfeoffed as marquises and Kuai Yue became Superintendent of the Imperial Household; Cao Cao's remark is not in Chen Shou's text. Romance, Ch. 41 §26Records, Wei 6 §94
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 total472 / 1000Rank 315 of 996 · Top 32%Romance total486 / 1000Rank 135 of 1,113 · Top 13%
Romance adaptation index+14Romance total − Records total
- LEA4252+10
- STR3135+4
- INT6262±0
- POL5045−5
- CHA4240−2
- VIR4542−3
- ADP6668+2
- SCH4245+3
- DIP5055+5
- DIS4242±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
9 similar abilities — show evidence
RUrged Liu Biao around the time of Guandu, and later Liu Cong, to submit to TaizuWei 6 §88Wei 6 §91
NDevised the plan to separate Zhao Yun and argued the reasons for submitting to Cao CaoCh. 34 §37Ch. 40 §20
RNo direct record — estimated from his becoming Superintendent of the Imperial Household after the surrenderWei 6 §94
NNo direct record — estimated from the record of his becoming Administrator of JianglingCh. 41 §26
RNo direct record — estimated from his overall careerWei 6 §94
NNo direct record — estimated from his overall careerCh. 41 §26
RNo direct record — estimated from his urging Liu Cong to submitWei 6 §91
NHelped in the plot to assassinate Liu Bei but worried about public confidence, and stopped the killing of Wang WeiCh. 34 §36Ch. 41 §21
RRead the general trend, chose and urged submission to Lord Cao, and was enfeoffed as a marquisWei 6 §91Wei 6 §94
NAdvocated submitting to Cao Cao, who was glad to have gained Yidu and enfeoffed him as a marquisCh. 40 §20Ch. 41 §26
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Superintendent of the Imperial HouseholdWei 6 §94
NNo direct record — estimated from his knowledge of judging horsesCh. 34 §10
RPersuaded Liu Cong to submit together with Han Song and Fu XunWei 6 §91
NRebuked Sun Jian before the lines and persuaded Liu Cong to submitCh. 6 §36Ch. 40 §20
RNo direct record — estimated from his overall careerWei 6 §88
NNo direct record — from the record of his noticing that Zhao Yun never left Liu Bei's sideCh. 34 §37
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 (5)
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