RTook part in the battle of Yiling, smashed five Shu encampments and beheaded their commandersWu 2 §41Wu 13 §17
NNo direct record — estimated from his being Sun Quan's bodyguard generalCh. 53 §32
Song Qian 宋謙
| Occupation | RGeneral · General | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Cause of death | NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R5 |
Profile
Song Qian was a general of Wu who served Sun Ce and Sun Quan. The Records give him no biography of his own, and his name appears five times in Chen Shou's main text. When Taishi Ci clashed with Sun Ce at Shenting, he is named together with Han Dang and Huang Gai among the thirteen horsemen accompanying Sun Ce, and in the battle of Hefei in the 20th year of Jian'an (215), in which Chen Wu fell in battle, he broke and fled together with Xu Sheng when Zhang Liao suddenly fell upon them. Records, Wu 4 §27 · 29Records, Wu 10 §35 · 91
When Liu Bei invaded in the 1st year of Huangwu (222), as a general under Lu Xun he smashed five Shu encampments and beheaded their commanders, and when Liu Bei stayed at Baidi, he submitted a memorial together with Xu Sheng, Pan Zhang and others asking to attack again, saying that Liu Bei could be captured. Records, Wu 2 §41Records, Wu 13 §17 · 28
Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, origin, or birth and death, and the assessments of the volumes in which he appears do not mention him separately. In the Romance he appears in the battle of Hefei in Chapter 53 as a general guarding Sun Quan's left, and falls from his horse when struck by Li Dian's arrow; he appears only in this one of the 120 chapters, and his name does not appear in any chapter title. Records, Wu 2 §115Records, Wu 4 §51Records, Wu 10 §109Records, Wu 13 §91Romance, Ch. 53 §32 · 34
In the Records
When Taishi Ci, a man of the same commandery as Liu Yao, the Inspector of Yang Province, came to Qu'e to see Liu Yao, Sun Ce happened to arrive. Liu Yao had Taishi Ci merely scout the enemy's strength, and Taishi Ci, taking only a single horseman with him, ran into Sun Ce. Chen Shou recorded that Sun Ce was then accompanied by thirteen horsemen, all men such as Han Dang, Song Qian and Huang Gai. Taishi Ci engaged Sun Ce; Sun Ce seized Taishi Ci's hand halberd and Taishi Ci seized Sun Ce's helmet, and when the foot soldiers and horsemen of both sides came rushing up, they broke off. Records, Wu 4 §27–28
In the battle of Hefei in the 20th year of Jian'an (215), in which Chen Wu fell in battle, Zhang Liao suddenly fell upon them and the generals were caught unprepared. Chen Wu fought to the death, while Song Qian and Xu Sheng both broke and fled. Pan Zhang, who was positioned behind them, galloped forward, turned his horse across their path and beheaded two of Song Qian's and Xu Sheng's fleeing soldiers, whereupon the soldiers all returned to the fight. Sun Quan greatly admired Pan Zhang's valour and appointed him Lieutenant General. Records, Wu 10 §35 · 91
In the 1st year of Huangwu (222), when Liu Bei led a great host to the western border, Sun Quan made Lu Xun Grand Commander, granted him the Staff of Authority, and had him lead 50,000 men, including Zhu Ran, Pan Zhang, Song Qian, Han Dang, Xu Sheng, Xianyu Dan and Sun Huan, to resist him. The Biography of the Lord of Wu records that in the 1st month of spring that year, Song Qian and other generals under Lu Xun attacked five Shu encampments, smashed them all and beheaded their commanders. Lu Xun fought from the 1st month to the intercalary month and inflicted a great defeat on the Shu army, and Liu Bei barely escaped with his life. Records, Wu 13 §17Records, Wu 2 §41
When Liu Bei stayed at Baidi, Xu Sheng, Pan Zhang, Song Qian and others each vied to submit memorials asking to be allowed to attack again, saying that Liu Bei could surely be captured. When Sun Quan asked Lu Xun, Lu Xun, together with Zhu Ran and Luo Tong, judged that Cao Pi was massing a great army, outwardly claiming to help Wu attack Liu Bei but inwardly harbouring treacherous intentions, and that they should return at once. Not long afterwards, the Wei army did indeed set out. Records, Wu 13 §28
These five passages are the only places in Chen Shou's main text where Song Qian appears, and his courtesy name, origin, and birth and death are not recorded. In his assessment in Records of Wu 10, which contains Pan Zhang and others, Chen Shou called those generals all tiger-like servants of Jiangbiao whom the Sun family treated generously, but Song Qian has no biography in that volume and is not mentioned separately in the assessment. Records, Wu 4 §27Records, Wu 10 §91 · 109Records, Wu 2 §41Records, Wu 13 §17 · 28
In the Romance
In Chapter 53 of the Romance, Sun Quan, who has long stayed at Hefei since the battle of Red Cliffs, fighting battles large and small with Cao Cao's army, receives a challenge sent by Zhang Liao, flies into a rage, and advances on Hefei, declaring that he will meet the enemy without using the newly arrived troops of Cheng Pu. When the two sides draw up their lines, Sun Quan, in a golden helmet and golden armour, is guarded on his left by Song Qian and on his right by Jia Hua, both wielding sky-piercing halberds. Romance, Ch. 53 §28 · 31–32
While Taishi Ci fights Zhang Liao for seventy or eighty bouts, Yue Jin, prompted by Li Dian's words, charges obliquely at Sun Quan and brings his blade down. Song Qian and Jia Hua hastily parry with their halberds, but when both halberds snap at once, they strike at the head of his horse with the halberd shafts. As Yue Jin turns his horse, Song Qian snatches a spear from a soldier's hand and gives chase, but Li Dian shoots an arrow aimed at the pit of his chest, and at the twang of the bowstring he falls from his horse. Romance, Ch. 53 §33–34
Sun Quan, rescued and brought back by Cheng Pu, weeps aloud when he sees that he has lost Song Qian. The Chief Clerk Zhang Hong remonstrates that Song Qian's death today beneath blade and arrowhead was all because his lord had made light of the enemy, and Sun Quan admits that it was his own fault. When Taishi Ci proposes to avenge Song Qian by having Zhang Liao stabbed to death through his subordinate Ge Ding, Sun Quan, grieving over Song Qian's death and eager for swift revenge, gives Taishi Ci 5,000 troops. Romance, Ch. 53 §35–37
Where the Romance differs
The thirteen horsemen at Shenting: In Chapter 15 of the Romance, the thirteen horsemen Sun Ce leads up the ridge are Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, Jiang Qin, Zhou Tai and others, and Song Qian's name is not among them. The Records describe the thirteen horsemen accompanying Sun Ce as 'all men such as Han Dang, Song Qian and Huang Gai'. Romance, Ch. 15 §25Records, Wu 4 §27
The timing of the battle of Hefei: The battle in Chapter 53 of the Romance takes place when Sun Quan, staying at Hefei after the battle of Red Cliffs, is receiving Cheng Pu's troops. The battle of Hefei in which Song Qian appears in the Records is the battle of the 20th year of Jian'an (215), in which Chen Wu fell in battle. Romance, Ch. 53 §28–29Records, Wu 10 §35 · 91
The scene on the battlefield: In Chapter 53 of the Romance, Song Qian guards Sun Quan's side, parries Yue Jin's blade and gives chase. In the Records, when Zhang Liao suddenly fell upon them, Song Qian broke and fled together with Xu Sheng, and Pan Zhang beheaded two of their fleeing soldiers to turn the troops back. Romance, Ch. 53 §34Records, Wu 10 §91
Death: In Chapter 53 of the Romance, Song Qian is killed by Li Dian's arrow. In the battle of Hefei in the Records, Song Qian is recorded only as having broken and fled, and his name appears afterwards in the events of the 1st year of Huangwu (222). His death is not recorded in Chen Shou's main text. Romance, Ch. 53 §34 · 36Records, Wu 10 §91Records, Wu 2 §41Records, Wu 13 §28
The battle of Yiling and Baidi: In the Romance, Song Qian does not appear after Chapter 53. In the Records, he smashed five Shu encampments as a general under Lu Xun in the 1st year of Huangwu (222), and when Liu Bei stayed at Baidi he submitted a memorial asking to attack again. Romance, Ch. 53 §36Records, Wu 2 §41Records, Wu 13 §28
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 total425 / 1000Rank 476 of 996 · Top 48%Romance total412 / 1000Rank 421 of 1,113 · Top 38%
Romance adaptation index−13Romance total − Records total
- LEA6042−18
- STR5858±0
- INT4235−7
- POL3331−2
- CHA4050+10
- VIR5568+13
- ADP4035−5
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3331−2
- DIS3331−2
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated from his service dating back to Sun Ce's timeWu 4 §27
NDied on the battlefield guarding Sun QuanCh. 53 §34
RNo direct recordWu 10 §91
NWhen he was lost, Sun Quan wept aloud and sought to avenge himCh. 53 §35
7 similar abilities — show evidence
ROne of the thirteen horsemen who accompanied Sun CeWu 4 §27
NBlocked Yue Jin with his halberd and gave chase with a snatched spear, but fell to Li Dian's arrowCh. 53 §34
RAsked to attack Liu Bei at Baidi again, but Lu Xun held them back, citing the threat from WeiWu 13 §28
NNo direct recordCh. 53 §34
RNo direct recordWu 13 §17
NNo direct recordCh. 53 §32
RNo direct recordWu 13 §28
NNo direct recordCh. 53 §34
RNo direct recordWu 13 §17
NNo direct recordCh. 53 §32
RNo direct recordWu 13 §28
NNo direct recordCh. 53 §32
RNo direct recordWu 13 §17
NNo direct recordCh. 53 §32
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)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Related events (2)
- Battle of Xiaoting 221~222 · Command
- Sun Quan Battles Zhang Liao Romance ch. 53 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).