RNo direct record — estimated from his guarding the imperial carriageWei 6 §27
NCut down those who held the boat's rope, oppressed the Emperor, and plotted to seize himCh. 13 §52Ch. 13 §54Ch. 13 §57
Li Le 李樂
| Occupation | RNGeneral · General Who Conquers the North | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Cause of death | RIllness NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R4 |
Profile
Li Le was a former leader of the White Wave of Hedong at the end of the Later Han. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears three times in the section on Dong Zhuo in the Biographies of Dong, the Two Yuans and Liu, Records of Wei 6. When Li Jue and Guo Si caught up with the Son of Heaven at Caoyang in Hongnong, he was summoned by Yang Feng and joined forces with Han Xian and Hu Cai to fight, and after the Son of Heaven made his capital at Anyi he became General Who Conquers the North and held the reins of government together with Yang Feng and Dong Cheng. Records, Wei 6 §26–27
When Yang Feng, Han Xian and Dong Cheng escorted the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang, he stayed behind in Hedong with Hu Cai and died of illness. Records, Wei 6 §28 · 31
Chen Shou gave no assessment of him. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 13 as a former White Wave leader summoned from Hedong by Dong Cheng and Yang Feng, and he appears in 2 of its 120 chapters; no chapter title bears his name. The Romance calls him a bandit who had gathered a band in the hills and forests, and portrays him as a man who wields power arbitrarily at Anyi, pursues the imperial carriage on its way to Luoyang, and is cut down by Xu Huang's axe in Chapter 14. Romance, Ch. 13 §48 · 54 · 57Romance, Ch. 14 §1
In the Records
When Li Jue and Guo Si were fighting each other in Chang'an, Li Jue's general Yang Feng, after a plot to kill Li Jue leaked out, led his troops in revolt against Li Jue. The Son of Heaven, who had been able to leave thanks to a reconciliation brokered by Zhang Ji (張濟), fled to Yang Feng's camp when Guo Si tried to take him to Mei again, and after Yang Feng defeated Guo Si, Yang Feng and General Dong Cheng escorted the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang. Records, Wei 6 §24–25
Li Jue and Guo Si, regretting that they had let the Son of Heaven go, made peace with each other again and caught up with him at Caoyang in Hongnong. Yang Feng hastily summoned Han Xian, Hu Cai, Li Le and others, former White Wave leaders of Hedong, joined forces with them and fought a great battle against Li Jue and Guo Si. But Yang Feng's troops were defeated, and Li Jue and the others killed ministers and officials, carried off palace women and entered Hongnong. The Son of Heaven fled to Shan County and crossed the Yellow River to the north; he lost his baggage carts and went on foot, with only the empress and the honoured ladies following him. Records, Wei 6 §26
Yang Feng, Han Xian and the others then had the Son of Heaven make his capital at Anyi. Han Xian was made General Who Conquers the East, Hu Cai General Who Conquers the West and Li Le General Who Conquers the North, and they held the reins of government together with Yang Feng and Dong Cheng. Han Rong was sent to Hongnong to make peace with Li Jue and Guo Si, who returned the palace women, ministers and officials they had carried off, along with several of the Son of Heaven's carriages. At this time locusts rose and drought brought a year without grain, so the officials in attendance ate jujubes and wild greens. Records, Wei 6 §27
The generals could not lead one another, high and low fell into disorder, and the provisions ran out. Yang Feng, Han Xian and Dong Cheng escorted the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang. Hu Cai and Li Le stayed in Hedong; Hu Cai was killed by a family with a grudge against him, and Li Le died of illness. Records, Wei 6 §28 · 31
Chen Shou's main text does not record Li Le's courtesy name, home commandery and county, or the year of his death, and does not assess him. Records, Wei 6 §26–31
In the Romance
In Chapter 13 of the Romance, when Li Jue and Guo Si divide their troops to pursue the imperial carriage, Dong Cheng and Yang Feng send men to discuss peace while at the same time secretly sending an imperial decree to Hedong to urgently summon the troops of three bands under the former White Wave leaders Han Xian, Li Le and Hu Cai. The Romance writes that Li Le too was a bandit who had gathered a band in the hills and forests, and was summoned only because there was no other choice. Hearing that their crimes would be pardoned and offices granted, the troops of the three bands join Dong Cheng and together retake Hongnong. Romance, Ch. 13 §47–48
Li Le's troops meet the troops of Li Jue and Guo Si at Weiyang. When Guo Si has his soldiers throw clothing and goods onto the road, Li Le's troops scramble to pick them up and break ranks, and are heavily defeated by the troops of Li Jue and Guo Si, who close in from all sides in a confused melee. While guarding the imperial carriage in flight to the north, Li Le begs the Son of Heaven to mount a horse and go on ahead, but the Emperor says he cannot abandon his officials and leave. Romance, Ch. 13 §49–50
When they reach the bank of the Yellow River on foot, Li Le and the others find a small boat and use it as a ferry. Li Le stands at the prow, leaning on his sword, and cuts down into the water all those on the bank who, unable to board, scramble to pull at the boat's rope. After carrying the Emperor and the empress across, the boat is sent back to ferry the others, and all who scramble to cross have their fingers cut off. Romance, Ch. 13 §50 · 52
The day after they spend the night at Dayang, an edict enfeoffs Li Le as General Who Conquers the North and Han Xian as General Who Conquers the East. Li Le asks the Emperor to enter Yang Feng's camp and rest for a while, and after the imperial carriage reaches Anyi, Li Le and the others wield power arbitrarily, beating and abusing officials before the Emperor at the slightest offence and deliberately sending the Emperor cloudy wine and coarse food. Li Le and Han Xian also jointly recommend more than two hundred people, including branded convicts, retainers, shamans and physicians, and runners, to receive offices such as colonel and censor. Romance, Ch. 13 §52–55
When Dong Cheng and Yang Feng prepare to escort the imperial carriage back to Luoyang, Li Le refuses to go along, saying, 'You escort the carriage; I will stay here.' He then secretly has men make common cause with Li Jue and Guo Si to seize the carriage together. Learning of the plot, Dong Cheng, Yang Feng and Han Xian escort the carriage through the night and race toward Ji Pass, whereupon Li Le, without waiting for the troops of Li Jue and Guo Si, personally leads his own men in pursuit and, around the fourth watch, shouts at the foot of Mount Ji: 'Let the imperial carriage halt! Li Jue and Guo Si are here!' Romance, Ch. 13 §56–57
In Chapter 14, Yang Feng recognizes that the pursuing troops falsely claiming to be Li Jue and Guo Si are Li Le's, and sends out Xu Huang. Li Le comes out to fight in person, and in a single bout he is cut down from his horse by Xu Huang's axe, and the rest of his band scatters. Romance, Ch. 14 §1
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, Li Le and Hu Cai. In the Records, when Li Jue and Guo Si caught up with the Son of Heaven at Caoyang in Hongnong, Yang Feng hastily summoned them and joined forces with them. Romance, Ch. 13 §48Records, Wei 6 §26
The battle of Weiyang: In Chapter 13 of the Romance, Li Le's troops break ranks while picking up the clothing and goods that Guo Si threw onto the road, and are defeated. The Records say only that Yang Feng joined forces with Li Le and the others and fought a great battle against Li Jue and Guo Si, and that Yang Feng's troops were defeated; there is no ruse of throwing away clothing. Romance, Ch. 13 §49Records, Wei 6 §26
Crossing the Yellow River: In Chapter 13 of the Romance, Li Le and the others find a boat, and Li Le cuts down from the prow those who pull at the boat's rope. Chen Shou's main text says only that the Son of Heaven fled to Shan County, crossed the Yellow River to the north, lost his baggage carts and went on foot; nothing is said of Li Le providing a boat or cutting anyone down. Romance, Ch. 13 §50 · 52Records, Wei 6 §26
General Who Conquers the North: In Chapter 13 of the Romance, Li Le is enfeoffed as General Who Conquers the North by edict the day after they spend the night at Dayang. In the Records, after the Son of Heaven made his capital at Anyi, 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 reins of government together with Yang Feng and Dong Cheng. Romance, Ch. 13 §53Records, Wei 6 §27
Arbitrary rule at Anyi: In Chapter 13 of the Romance, Li Le and the others beat and abuse officials before the Emperor, and together with Han Xian he recommends more than two hundred people for office. The Records write only that the generals could not lead one another and high and low fell into disorder, and record no such deeds of Li Le. Romance, Ch. 13 §54–55Records, Wei 6 §26–31
His end: In Chapters 13–14 of the Romance, Li Le makes common cause with Li Jue and Guo Si and pursues the imperial carriage on its way to Luoyang to seize it, and is cut down by Xu Huang's axe. In the Records, when Yang Feng, Han Xian and Dong Cheng escorted the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang, Li Le stayed behind in Hedong with Hu Cai and died of illness. Romance, Ch. 13 §57Romance, Ch. 14 §1Records, Wei 6 §28 · 31
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 total349 / 1000Rank 907 of 996 · Top 92%Romance total225 / 1000Rank 1,109 of 1,113 · Top 100%
Romance adaptation index−124Romance total − Records total
- LEA4025−15
- STR4035−5
- INT3525−10
- POL3312−21
- CHA3522−13
- VIR3510−25
- ADP3822−16
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3131±0
- DIS3112−19
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — held the reins of government as General Who Conquers the North, but has no recorded achievementsWei 6 §27
NGave offices to more than two hundred people, including branded convicts and shamans, and wrecked all proprietyCh. 13 §55
RNo direct record — estimated from his conductWei 6 §26
NRecommended more than two hundred base people for officeCh. 13 §55
RNo direct record — estimated from his staying behind in HedongWei 6 §31
NRefused the return to the capital and pursued alone, only to be cut down by Xu HuangCh. 13 §56Ch. 13 §57
RJoined Yang Feng and fought a great battle against Li Jue and Guo Si, but was defeatedWei 6 §26
NHis ranks broke as his men picked up the clothing Guo Si threw away, and he was heavily defeatedCh. 13 §49
RNo direct record — estimated from his leading a band of followersWei 6 §26
NWielded power and beat and abused officials before the EmperorCh. 13 §54
RNo direct record — estimated from his conductWei 6 §26
NPlotted with Li Jue and Guo Si to seize the imperial carriage, but the plot was discoveredCh. 13 §57
3 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his background as a former White Wave leaderWei 6 §26
NClashed with Xu Huang and was cut down in a single boutCh. 13 §52Ch. 14 §1
RNo direct record — estimated from his White Wave backgroundWei 6 §26
NNo direct record — estimated from his background as a mountain banditCh. 13 §48
RNo direct record — estimated from his conductWei 6 §26
NNo direct record — estimated from his conductCh. 13 §56
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 →
Related events (1)
- Emperor Xian of Han Returns East 195~196 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).