Wu Qiong 伍瓊
| Occupation | RNOfficial · Colonel of the City Gates | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | Native place | Runan Commandery | |
| Died | Place of death | NLuoyang County | |
| Cause of death | RExecuted NExecuted Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R6 |
Profile
Wu Qiong was Colonel of the City Gates when Dong Zhuo held power. He has no biography of his own in the Records; his name appears in the accounts of Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shao in the Biographies of Dong, the Two Yuans and Liu in Records of Wei 6 and in the account of Xun You in the Biographies of Xun Yu, Xun You and Jia Xu in Records of Wei 10. Having gained Dong Zhuo's trust, he had Dong Zhuo pardon the fugitive Yuan Shao and make him an Administrator, but when Han Fu and others whom he had recommended together with Zhou Bi raised troops at their posts, Dong Zhuo concluded that they had been in collusion and beheaded them. Records, Wei 6 §10 · 37–38Records, Wei 10 §52
Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, his origin or the year of his death, and his name does not appear in the assessment of Records of Wei 6 either. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 4 as a Colonel answering Dong Zhuo's question and appears in 2 of the 120 chapters, with no chapter title bearing his name. In Chapter 6 he comes to admonish Dong Zhuo against moving the capital and is beheaded together with Zhou Bi. Records, Wei 6 §10 · 37–38 · 96–97Romance, Ch. 4 §2–3Romance, Ch. 6 §7–8
In the Records
When Dong Zhuo summoned Yuan Shao to discuss deposing the emperor and setting up the Prince of Chenliu, Yuan Shao feigned agreement, then, holding his sword crosswise, made a long bow, left and fled to Ji Province. The Palace Attendant Zhou Bi, the Colonel of the City Gates Wu Qiong, the Consultant He Yong and others were all men of renown; Dong Zhuo trusted them, but they were secretly on Yuan Shao's side. Records, Wei 6 §37
They persuaded Dong Zhuo: 'Deposing and setting up an emperor is a great matter, beyond what ordinary men can grasp. Yuan Shao does not understand the larger picture; he fled only out of fear, not because he has other intentions. If you now put a price on his head and pursue him urgently, he will surely be driven to revolt. The Yuan clan has dispensed favour for four generations, and its former students and old subordinates are spread throughout the realm; if he gathers the bold and assembles a following and heroes rise up taking advantage of it, the lands east of the mountains will no longer be yours. It would be better to pardon him and appoint him Administrator of a commandery.' Dong Zhuo agreed, appointed Yuan Shao Administrator of Bohai and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Kangxiang. Records, Wei 6 §37–38
Dong Zhuo trusted and relied on the Master of Writing Zhou Bi, the Colonel of the City Gates Wu Qiong and others, and employed Han Fu, Liu Dai, Kong Zhou, Zhang Zi, Zhang Miao and others whom they recommended, sending them out to govern provinces and commanderies. But when Han Fu and the others reached their posts, they all joined forces to attack Dong Zhuo. The Annals of Emperor Wu record that in spring, in the 1st month of the 1st year of Chuping (190), Yuan Shu, Han Fu, Kong Zhou, Liu Dai, Yuan Shao, Zhang Miao and others raised troops at the same time and acclaimed Yuan Shao as leader of the alliance. Records, Wei 6 §10Records, Wei 1 §7
When Dong Zhuo heard of this, he concluded that Zhou Bi, Wu Qiong and the others had been in collusion with them and sold him out, and beheaded them all. Chen Shou's main text does not record the year of Wu Qiong's death. Records, Wei 6 §10
The Biography of Xun You has a different record. When troops rose east of the passes because of Dong Zhuo's disorder and Dong Zhuo moved the capital to Chang'an, the Gentleman of the Yellow Gate Xun You plotted with the Consultants Zheng Tai and He Yong, the Palace Attendant Chong Ji, the Colonel of the Yue Cavalry Wu Qiong and others, proposing to stab Dong Zhuo to death at once to make amends to the people, then hold Mount Xiao and the Hangu Pass, support the royal command and issue orders to the realm. Just as the plan was about to succeed it was discovered, and He Yong and Xun You were seized and thrown into prison. The Biography of Xun You does not record what happened to Wu Qiong at this time. Records, Wei 10 §52–53
Chen Shou's main text does not record Wu Qiong's courtesy name or origin. The assessment of Records of Wei 6 discusses only Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao and Liu Biao, and does not discuss Wu Qiong separately. Records, Wei 6 §10 · 37–38 · 96–97
In the Romance
In Chapter 4 of the Romance, after Yuan Shao, sword in hand, takes leave of the assembled officials, goes out and flees to Ji Province, Dong Zhuo, once the banquet is over, asks the Palace Attendant Zhou Bi and the Colonel Wu Qiong what will come of Yuan Shao's leaving like this. When Zhou Bi says that if Dong Zhuo puts a price on his head and tries urgently to capture him he will surely revolt, so it would be better to pardon him and make him Administrator of a commandery, Wu Qiong says that Yuan Shao is fond of scheming but lacks decisiveness, so he is not worth worrying about, and it would be better to give him a commandery to win the people's hearts. Dong Zhuo follows their advice and that very day sends men to make Yuan Shao Administrator of Bohai. Romance, Ch. 4 §1–3
In Chapter 6, Dong Zhuo means to move the capital to Chang'an and that very day dismisses the Minister over the Masses Yang Biao, the Grand Commandant Huang Wan and the Minister over the Masses Xun Shuang, who tried to stop him. As Dong Zhuo comes out and mounts his carriage, the Master of Writing Zhou Bi and the Colonel of the City Gates Wu Qiong bow towards the carriage, and Zhou Bi says they have come to admonish him against moving the capital. Dong Zhuo flies into a rage, saying that at first he listened to the two of them and recommended and employed Yuan Shao, and now that Yuan Shao has rebelled they are of the same faction, and he shouts at his guards to drag them out beyond the city gate and behead them. He then issues the order to move the capital, setting out the very next day. Romance, Ch. 6 §5–8
Where the Romance differs
The words that won Yuan Shao's pardon: In Chapter 4 of the Romance, Zhou Bi says that a price on Yuan Shao's head would drive him to revolt, and Wu Qiong adds that Yuan Shao is fond of scheming but lacks decisiveness. In the Biography of Yuan Shao in the Records, the Palace Attendant Zhou Bi, the Colonel of the City Gates Wu Qiong, the Consultant He Yong and others persuaded Dong Zhuo together, and the remark that Yuan Shao lacked decisiveness is not part of that persuasion. The similar remark in the Records is in the assessment of Records of Wei 6, where Chen Shou says of Yuan Shao and Liu Biao together that they were fond of scheming but could not make decisions. Romance, Ch. 4 §2–3Records, Wei 6 §37–38 · 96
Were they on Yuan Shao's side?: The Biography of Yuan Shao in the Records states that Zhou Bi, Wu Qiong, He Yong and others had gained Dong Zhuo's trust but were secretly on Yuan Shao's side. In Chapter 4 of the Romance, Dong Zhuo simply asks the two men and follows their advice, and nothing is said of their being on Yuan Shao's side. Records, Wei 6 §37Romance, Ch. 4 §2–3
What Yuan Shao received: In Chapter 4 of the Romance, Dong Zhuo makes Yuan Shao Administrator of Bohai. In the Records, he appointed him Administrator of Bohai and also enfeoffed him as Marquis of Kangxiang. Romance, Ch. 4 §3Records, Wei 6 §38
Recommending heads of provinces and commanderies: In the Biography of Dong Zhuo in the Records, Dong Zhuo sent Han Fu, Liu Dai, Kong Zhou, Zhang Zi, Zhang Miao and others recommended by Zhou Bi, Wu Qiong and others out to provinces and commanderies. In Chapters 4 and 6 of the Romance, the only thing Wu Qiong urges on Dong Zhuo is to make Yuan Shao Administrator of a commandery. Records, Wei 6 §10Romance, Ch. 4 §3Romance, Ch. 6 §8
Why he died: In Chapter 6 of the Romance, Dong Zhuo beheads Zhou Bi and Wu Qiong, who have come to admonish him against moving the capital, saying that since Yuan Shao has rebelled they are of the same faction. In the Biography of Dong Zhuo in the Records, when Han Fu and others recommended by Zhou Bi, Wu Qiong and others reached their posts and joined forces to attack Dong Zhuo, Dong Zhuo concluded that Zhou Bi, Wu Qiong and the others had been in collusion with them and sold him out, and beheaded them all. Nothing is said of an admonition against moving the capital. Romance, Ch. 6 §7–8Records, Wei 6 §10
The plot to kill Dong Zhuo: In the Biography of Xun You in the Records, the Colonel of the Yue Cavalry Wu Qiong plotted with Xun You, Zheng Tai, He Yong, Chong Ji and others to stab Dong Zhuo to death. In the Romance, Wu Qiong does not appear in this plot. The man who in Chapter 4 of the Romance wears a small coat of armour under his court robes, hides a short knife, tries to stab Dong Zhuo and is killed is the Colonel of the Yue Cavalry Wu Fu. Records, Wei 10 §52–53Romance, Ch. 4 §19–20Romance, Ch. 6 §7–8
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 total486 / 1000Rank 286 of 996 · Top 29%Romance total445 / 1000Rank 254 of 1,113 · Top 23%
Romance adaptation index−41Romance total − Records total
- LEA3131±0
- STR3131±0
- INT5555±0
- POL4240−2
- CHA5242−10
- VIR6868±0
- ADP4038−2
- SCH4542−3
- DIP6258−4
- DIS6040−20
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
8 similar abilities — show evidence
RSaw that pursuing Yuan Shao would cost Dong Zhuo the lands east of the mountains; plotted to remove Dong ZhuoWei 6 §38Wei 10 §52
NJudged that Yuan Shao, fond of scheming but indecisive, was not worth worrying aboutCh. 4 §3
RTrusted by Dong Zhuo yet secretly on Yuan Shao's side; plotted to remove Dong ZhuoWei 6 §37Wei 10 §52
NCame forward to admonish against moving the capital and was beheaded by Dong ZhuoCh. 6 §7Ch. 6 §8
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)
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