RNo direct record — estimated from his attacking Deng Ai on ordersWei 28 §81
NTo settle a private grudge, cut down Deng Ai after he was freed from the cage cartCh. 119 §19
Tian Xu 田續
| Occupation | RGeneral NGeneral · Protector of the Army | Faction | Wei |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Profile
Tian Xu was a general of Wei. The Records give him no biography of his own; he appears once each in the account of Deng Ai and the account of Zhong Hui in the Biographies of Wang, Guanqiu, Zhuge, Deng and Zhong in Records of Wei 28. Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, origin, offices or death. Records, Wei 28 §81 · 114
When Wei attacked Shu in the 4th year of Jingyuan (263), after Deng Ai had beheaded Zhuge Zhan at Mianzhu, Tian Xu, on Zhong Hui's orders, pursued Jiang Wei, who had gone east into Ba, together with Hu Lie, Pang Hui and others. In the 1st month of the following year, after Zhong Hui's death, when the officers and men of Deng Ai's own camp freed Deng Ai from his cage cart and tried to bring him back, Tian Xu and others sent by Wei Guan met Deng Ai west of Mianzhu and beheaded him. Records, Wei 28 §67 · 114 · 124 · 127 · 81
He does not appear in the assessment of Records of Wei 28. In the Romance he is first named in Chapter 116 as one of the senior generals gathered in Zhong Hui's command tent, and appears in 3 of its 120 chapters; his name is in no chapter title. In Chapter 117 he is nearly beheaded by Deng Ai for proposing to rest the exhausted troops, and in Chapter 119, vowing to avenge that grudge, he goes to Mianzhu and cuts down Deng Ai. Records, Wei 28 §140Romance, Ch. 116 §3Romance, Ch. 117 §25Romance, Ch. 119 §19
In the Records
In the autumn of the 4th year of Jingyuan (263), Wei issued an edict ordering its armies to attack Shu. According to the Biography of Zhong Hui, the armies of Zhong Hui and Zhuge Xu headed for Jiange, and Zhong Hui, wishing to have sole command of the army, secretly reported that Zhuge Xu was cowardly and would not advance, so that Zhuge Xu was summoned back in a cage cart. Zhong Hui attacked Jiange but could not take it and withdrew, while Deng Ai at last reached Mianzhu, fought a great battle and beheaded Zhuge Zhan. Records, Wei 28 §67 · 114
Hearing that Zhuge Zhan had already been defeated, Jiang Wei and the others led their forces east into Ba. Zhong Hui advanced his army to Fu County and sent Hu Lie, Tian Xu, Pang Hui and others to pursue Jiang Wei. When Deng Ai advanced on Chengdu, Liu Shan went to Deng Ai and surrendered, and sent an envoy ordering Jiang Wei and the others to surrender to Zhong Hui. Jiang Wei reached Qi County in Guanghan Commandery, had his soldiers lay down all their weapons, sent his tally and travel pass to Hu Lie, and then went by the eastern road to surrender to Zhong Hui. Records, Wei 28 §114–115
According to the Biography of Deng Ai, Zhong Hui, Hu Lie, Shi Zuan and others all reported that Deng Ai's conduct was perverse and rebellious, and an edict was issued summoning Deng Ai in a cage cart. After Deng Ai and his son had been imprisoned, Zhong Hui reached Chengdu, first sent Deng Ai off under escort, and then rose in revolt. Zhong Hui arrived at Chengdu on the 15th day of the 1st month of the 5th year of Jingyuan (264), and at noon on the 18th, when Hu Lie's soldiers marched out of the gates, the troops of the various armies rushed to the city, each trying to be first. Records, Wei 28 §80–81 · 124 · 127
After Zhong Hui's death, the officers and men of Deng Ai's own camp went out after him, freed Deng Ai from his cage cart and tried to bring him back. Wei Guan sent Tian Xu and others to attack Deng Ai, and they met him west of Mianzhu and beheaded him. His son Deng Zhong died together with Deng Ai, his other sons who were in Luoyang were all executed, and Deng Ai's wife, children and grandsons were moved to the Western Regions. Records, Wei 28 §81
These two passages are the only places where Tian Xu appears in Chen Shou's main text. His courtesy name, origin, offices, later life and death are not recorded, and he does not appear in the assessment of Records of Wei 28 either. Records, Wei 28 §81 · 114 · 140
In the Romance
In Chapter 116 of the Romance, when Zhong Hui has finished setting up his camp and gathers his generals in his tent to receive orders, the Army Supervisor Wei Guan and the Protector of the Army Hu Lie are said to be present along with the senior generals Tian Xu, Pang Hui, Tian Zhang and others, more than eighty in all. Romance, Ch. 116 §3
In Chapter 117, while Jiang Wei holds Jiange and Zhong Hui attacks only Jiange Pass, Deng Ai secretly crosses Yinping and seizes the city of Jiangyou. When Deng Ai gathers the various units from the Yinping byway at Jiangyou and is about to go straight on to attack the city of Fu, his subordinate general Tian Xu says that the army has come through perilous paths and is utterly exhausted, so it should rest for a few days before advancing. Flying into a rage, saying that in war swiftness like that of the spirits is prized and asking how Tian Xu dares to unsettle the army's morale, Deng Ai orders his attendants to drag him out and behead him; only when the generals plead earnestly does Tian Xu escape death. When Deng Ai drives his troops in person to the city of Fu, its officials, soldiers and people, wondering whether the army has come down from the heavens, all surrender. Romance, Ch. 117 §2 · 9 · 19–20 · 23 · 25
In Chapter 119, after Zhong Hui and Jiang Wei are dead, Deng Ai's men set off through the night to seize Deng Ai back. Hearing of this, Wei Guan says that it was he who arrested Deng Ai, and that if Deng Ai is allowed to live there will be no ground left for him to be buried in. The Protector of the Army Tian Xu steps forward, saying that when Deng Ai took Jiangyou he tried to kill him and he was spared only because the officers pleaded for him, and that this very day he will avenge that grudge. Romance, Ch. 119 §17–19
Overjoyed, Wei Guan sends Tian Xu with 500 soldiers in pursuit to Mianzhu. Deng Ai and his son have just been released from the cage cart and are about to return to Chengdu, and Deng Ai, thinking only that his own troops have arrived, makes no preparations. Just as he is about to ask who they are, he is cut down by a single stroke of Tian Xu's sword, and Deng Zhong too dies amid the confused fighting. Romance, Ch. 119 §19
Where the Romance differs
Pursuit of Jiang Wei: In the Biography of Zhong Hui in the Records, Zhong Hui reached Fu County and sent Hu Lie, Tian Xu, Pang Hui and others to pursue Jiang Wei, who had gone east into Ba. In Chapter 118 of the Romance, Jiang Wei surrenders at Jiange on receiving the edict of the Later Sovereign, Liu Shan, and there is no scene of Tian Xu pursuing him. Records, Wei 28 §114Romance, Ch. 118 §17–18
Nearly beheaded: In Chapter 117 of the Romance, Tian Xu proposes resting the troops before the advance on the city of Fu and is nearly beheaded by Deng Ai, escaping death only when the generals plead for him. This incident is not recorded in the Biography of Deng Ai or the Biography of Zhong Hui in Chen Shou's main text. Romance, Ch. 117 §25Records, Wei 28 §48–90 · 93–136
Why he was sent: In Chapter 119 of the Romance, Tian Xu volunteers to avenge his grudge, and Wei Guan, overjoyed, sends him. The Biography of Deng Ai in Chen Shou's main text says only that Wei Guan sent Tian Xu and others to attack Deng Ai, and does not give the reason. Romance, Ch. 119 §19Records, Wei 28 §81
The killing of Deng Ai: In Chapter 119 of the Romance, Tian Xu goes to Mianzhu with 500 soldiers and with a single stroke cuts down Deng Ai, who has made no preparations, thinking they are his own troops. The Records say only that Tian Xu and others sent by Wei Guan met Deng Ai west of Mianzhu and beheaded him, and do not record the number of soldiers or who struck him down in person. Romance, Ch. 119 §19Records, Wei 28 §81
Titles: The Romance calls him a senior general in Chapter 116, a subordinate general in Chapter 117 and Protector of the Army in Chapter 119. Chen Shou's main text does not record his offices. Romance, Ch. 116 §3Romance, Ch. 117 §25Romance, Ch. 119 §19Records, Wei 28 §81 · 114
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 total372 / 1000Rank 779 of 996 · Top 79%Romance total354 / 1000Rank 865 of 1,113 · Top 78%
Romance adaptation index−18Romance total − Records total
- LEA4542−3
- STR5055+5
- INT3840+2
- POL3333±0
- CHA3533−2
- VIR3820−18
- ADP4038−2
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3131±0
- DIS3131±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
9 similar abilities — show evidence
ROn Zhong Hui's orders pursued Jiang Wei together with Hu Lie and Pang HuiWei 28 §114
NLed 500 soldiers in pursuit of Deng Ai to MianzhuCh. 119 §19
ROn Wei Guan's orders beheaded Deng Ai west of MianzhuWei 28 §81
NCut down Deng Ai with a single strokeCh. 119 §19
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a generalWei 28 §114
NProposed resting the exhausted army for a few days, but was rebuffedCh. 117 §25
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a generalWei 28 §114
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a senior general under Zhong HuiCh. 116 §3
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a generalWei 28 §114
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a senior general under Zhong HuiCh. 116 §3
RNo direct record — estimated from his conductWei 28 §81
NNearly beheaded for unsettling the army's morale, spared at the generals' pleadingCh. 117 §25
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officerWei 28 §114
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officerCh. 116 §3
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officerWei 28 §114
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officerCh. 116 §3
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officerWei 28 §114
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officerCh. 116 §3
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 →
Allegiance history
- Wei · Romance · Romance ch. 119 「”护军田续曰：“昔邓艾取江油之时，欲杀续，得众官告免」 · Q124694302
Related events (1)
- A Clever Plan of False Surrender Comes to Nothing 264 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).