RNo direct record — estimated from his ceremonial office of Grand HeraldShu 14 §50
NCalled on his younger brother Liang Qian at Shanggui to surrenderCh. 93 §28
Liang Xu 梁緒
| Occupation | ROfficial · Grand Herald NOfficial · Administrator of Tianshui | Faction | Shu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Profile
Liang Xu was Officer of Merit of Tianshui Commandery in Wei. When Zhuge Liang attacked Qishan in the 6th year of Jianxing (228), Liang Xu was accompanying the Administrator of Tianshui on a tour of inspection; suspected by the Administrator together with Jiang Wei, Yin Shang, Liang Qian and others, he could not get into the city and went over to Zhuge Liang. Records, Shu 5 §32Records, Shu 14 §29–30
In Shu he rose in office to Grand Herald, and he died before the fall of Shu. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears only in these two passages of the Biography of Jiang Wei. Records, Shu 14 §30 · 50
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 92 as the Officer of Merit who urges Ma Zun, Administrator of Tianshui, to rescue Xiahou Mao, and he appears in 2 of its 120 chapters; his name is in no chapter title. In Chapter 93 he opens the city gates together with Yin Shang to let the Shu army in, calls on his younger brother Liang Qian to surrender Shanggui, and is then appointed Administrator of Tianshui by Zhuge Liang. Romance, Ch. 92 §45Romance, Ch. 93 §27–29
In the Records
Liang Xu was Officer of Merit of Tianshui Commandery in Wei. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears twice in the Biography of Jiang Wei. The Records do not record his courtesy name or native place. Records, Shu 14 §30 · 50
In the spring of the 6th year of Jianxing (228), Zhuge Liang personally led the armies to attack Qishan, and the three commanderies of Nan'an, Tianshui and Anding rebelled against Wei and responded to Zhuge Liang. At this time the Administrator of Tianshui happened to be out on a tour of inspection of his jurisdiction, accompanied by Jiang Wei, the Officer of Merit Liang Xu, the Registrar Yin Shang, the Recorder Liang Qian and others. Records, Shu 5 §32Records, Shu 14 §29–30
On hearing that the Shu army was about to arrive and that the counties were responding to it, the Administrator suspected that Jiang Wei and the others all harbored disloyal intentions, and fled by night to hold Shanggui. Jiang Wei and the others realized that the Administrator had gone and pursued him, but were too late; when they reached the city gate, it was already shut and they were not admitted. They went back together to Ji County, but Ji too refused to let Jiang Wei in, and Jiang Wei and the others at last went together to Zhuge Liang. Records, Shu 14 §30
Just then Ma Su was defeated at Jieting, and Zhuge Liang gathered up more than a thousand households of Xi County together with Jiang Wei and the others and took them back with him. The Biography of Zhuge Liang records that Zhuge Liang then returned to Hanzhong. Records, Shu 14 §30–31Records, Shu 5 §33
At the end of the Biography of Jiang Wei, Chen Shou recorded that among those who had once come to Shu together with Jiang Wei, Liang Xu rose in office to Grand Herald, Yin Shang became Bearer of the Golden Mace and Liang Qian Grand Prolonger, and that all of them died before the fall of Shu. The Records do not record the year of Liang Xu's death. Records, Shu 14 §50
In the Romance
In Chapter 92 of the Romance, Ma Zun, Administrator of Tianshui, hears that Xiahou Mao is trapped inside the city of Nan'an and gathers his civil and military officials to consult. The Officer of Merit Liang Xu, together with the Registrar Yin Shang, the Recorder Liang Qian and others, says that the Imperial Son-in-Law Xiahou is a branch of gold and leaf of jade, and that if anything should happen to him they could hardly escape the charge of having sat by and watched, and urges that all the troops of the command be raised to rescue him. Romance, Ch. 92 §45
In Chapter 93, following Jiang Wei's plan, Ma Zun goes out of the city with Liang Qian and leaves only Liang Xu and Yin Shang to hold it. When Zhao Yun comes below the walls and shouts that they have fallen into a trap and should surrender the city at once, Liang Xu laughs loudly from the wall and retorts, 'You have fallen into the trap of our Jiang Boyue, and you still do not know it?' Later, when Jiang Wei divides the troops into four groups, Liang Xu is again given the task of leading the townspeople in defending the walls. Romance, Ch. 93 §1–3 · 8
When Xiahou Mao comes to the city of Tianshui and reports that Jiang Wei has surrendered to Shu, Liang Xu says that Jiang Wei has feigned surrender with the intention of rescuing the Area Commander, but Xiahou Mao will not accept this, asking how it can be feigned when he has already surrendered. Later Jiang Wei, saying that Yin Shang and Liang Xu inside the city of Tianshui are on very close terms with him, ties two secret letters to arrows and shoots them into the city. Ma Zun, on receiving them, suspects that the two have joined hands with Jiang Wei to act as inside men, and Xiahou Mao says the two should be killed. Romance, Ch. 93 §17 · 26–27
Learning of this, Yin Shang proposes surrendering the city to Shu, and when that night Xiahou Mao sends for the two several times, they judge that matters have become urgent, put on their armor, mount their horses, lead the troops of their own units and throw open the city gates to let the Shu army in. Xiahou Mao and Ma Zun leave by the west gate and flee to Qianghu City. Liang Xu says that Shanggui is held by his own younger brother Liang Qian and that he will call on him to surrender, and that same day he goes to Shanggui and has Liang Qian surrender. Zhuge Liang rewards them generously and makes Liang Xu Administrator of Tianshui, Yin Shang Prefect of Jicheng and Liang Qian Prefect of Shanggui. Romance, Ch. 93 §27–29
Where the Romance differs
How he went over to Shu: In Chapter 93 of the Romance, Liang Xu stays behind to hold the city of Tianshui, and when Ma Zun suspects him of acting as an inside man, he opens the city gates with Yin Shang and lets the Shu army in. In the Records, he accompanied the Administrator on a tour of inspection, and when the Administrator, suspecting Jiang Wei and the others, fled by night to Shanggui, he could not get into the city and went to Zhuge Liang together with Jiang Wei and the others. Romance, Ch. 93 §27Records, Shu 14 §30
Administrator of Tianshui: Chapter 92 of the Romance names the Administrator of Tianshui as Ma Zun. The Biography of Jiang Wei in Chen Shou's main text says only 'the Administrator' and does not give his name. Romance, Ch. 92 §45Records, Shu 14 §29–30
Xiahou Mao: In Chapters 92 and 93 of the Romance, Liang Xu urges the rescue of Xiahou Mao and defends Jiang Wei before Xiahou Mao when he comes to the city of Tianshui. Xiahou Mao does not appear in this passage of the Biography of Jiang Wei in the Records. Romance, Ch. 92 §45Romance, Ch. 93 §17Records, Shu 14 §29–31
Relationship with Liang Qian: In Chapter 93 of the Romance, Liang Xu calls Liang Qian, who holds Shanggui, his own younger brother and calls on him to surrender. The Records merely list Liang Xu and Liang Qian side by side as Officer of Merit and Recorder, without saying they were brothers, and have no record of Liang Qian holding Shanggui. Romance, Ch. 93 §28Records, Shu 14 §30 · 50
Office: In Chapter 93 of the Romance, Zhuge Liang makes Liang Xu Administrator of Tianshui. In the Records, Liang Xu rose in office in Shu to Grand Herald. Romance, Ch. 93 §29Records, Shu 14 §50
Afterwards: In the Romance, Liang Xu does not appear after Chapter 93, and his death is not recorded. The Records state that he died before the fall of Shu. Romance, Ch. 93 §29Records, Shu 14 §50
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 total414 / 1000Rank 530 of 996 · Top 54%Romance total435 / 1000Rank 303 of 1,113 · Top 28%
Romance adaptation index+21Romance total − Records total
- LEA3135+4
- STR3135+4
- INT4045+5
- POL5250−2
- CHA4040±0
- VIR4535−10
- ADP5562+7
- SCH4035−5
- DIP4560+15
- DIS3538+3
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 14 §30
NWhen suspected, opened the city gates and let the Shu army inCh. 93 §27
8 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — no record of commandShu 14 §30
NNo direct record — no record of commandCh. 93 §8
RNo direct record — no record of martial prowessShu 14 §30
NNo direct record — no record of martial prowessCh. 93 §27
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 14 §30
NMisjudged Jiang Wei's surrender as feignedCh. 93 §17
RRose from Officer of Merit of Tianshui Commandery to Grand Herald of ShuShu 14 §30Shu 14 §50
NMade Administrator of Tianshui by Zhuge LiangCh. 93 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 14 §50
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 93 §26
RAbandoned by the Administrator, went over to Zhuge Liang together with Jiang WeiShu 14 §30
NFacing death, surrendered the city and was appointed AdministratorCh. 93 §27Ch. 93 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a civil officialShu 14 §50
NNo direct record — estimated as a civil officialCh. 92 §45
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsShu 14 §50
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 92 §45
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 Changed allegiance 1 times
Family
| Siblings | Liang Qian Unverified Romance |
|---|
Based on Wikidata items for the historical and Romance figures. Relations without the Unverified badge were also confirmed in the Records.
Related events (1)
- Jiang Wei Submits to Zhuge Liang 228 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).