Chong Shao 種邵
| Occupation | RNOfficial · Grandee Remonstrant | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Died | Place of death | RHuaili County NChang'an County | |
| Cause of death | RKilled NExecuted Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R1 |
Profile
Chong Shao was a Grandee Remonstrant at the time when Li Jue, Guo Si and Fan Chou held the court at Chang'an in their grip. Together with the Palace Attendant Ma Yu, the General of the Household of the Left Liu Fan and others, he planned to have Ma Teng, General Who Conquers the West, who was stationed at Mei County, attack Chang'an while they themselves acted in support from within, in order to kill Li Jue and the others. The plot leaked, Ma Yu and the others fled to Huaili, and Fan Chou attacked Huaili, where Ma Yu and the others all died. Records, Wei 6 §21–22
He has no biography of his own in the Records, and his name appears once in the account of Li Jue and Guo Si in the Biographies of Dong Zhuo, the Two Yuans and Liu Biao in Records of Wei 6. In the Romance he appears in only one of its 120 chapters, Chapter 10, and his name is in no chapter title. Together with Ma Yu and Liu Fan he acts as an inside agent for Ma Teng and Han Sui, but the affair comes to light when a household servant of Ma Yu denounces them; the three households are beheaded in the marketplace, and the three men's heads are hung up before the gate. Records, Wei 6 §22Romance, Ch. 10 §6 · 12–13
In the Records
When Li Jue, Guo Si and Fan Chou were running the government of the court as they pleased, Han Sui, Ma Teng and others surrendered and came to Chang'an with their followers. Han Sui was made General Who Guards the West and sent back to Liang Province, and Ma Teng was made General Who Conquers the West and stationed at Mei County. The Palace Attendant Ma Yu plotted with the Grandee Remonstrant Chong Shao, the General of the Household of the Left Liu Fan and others to have Ma Teng attack Chang'an while they themselves acted in support from within, in order to kill Li Jue and the rest. Records, Wei 6 §21–22
When Ma Teng led his troops to Changping Lodge, the plot of Ma Yu and the others leaked, and they fled to Huaili. Fan Chou attacked Ma Teng, who was defeated and returned to Liang Province, and Fan Chou then attacked Huaili, where Ma Yu and the others all died. In Chen Shou's main text Chong Shao's name appears only once, in the passage recording this plot, and neither his origins nor the year of his death are recorded. Records, Wei 6 §22
The Biographies of the Two Governors Liu records the same affair as Liu Yan and his son Liu Fan conspiring with Ma Teng to lead troops and attack Chang'an, and says that Liu Fan's plot leaked and that he fled to Huaili and was soon killed. Chong Shao's name does not appear in this passage. Records, Shu 1 §10
In the Romance
In Chapter 10 of the Romance, while Li Jue and Guo Si hold supreme power, abuse the people and place trusted men at Emperor Xian's side to watch his every move, Ma Teng, Administrator of Xiliang, and Han Sui, Inspector of Bing Province, march on Chang'an with more than 100,000 troops, declaring that they will attack the rebels. The two commanders had earlier sent men into Chang'an to join hands with three men, the Palace Attendant Ma Yu, the Grandee Remonstrant Chong Shao and the General of the Household of the Left Liu Fan, so that they would act as inside agents. The three had secretly petitioned Emperor Xian to have Ma Teng enfeoffed as General Who Conquers the West and Han Sui as General Who Guards the West, and each had received a secret edict to join forces against the rebels. Romance, Ch. 10 §5–6
Jia Xu says that if they simply dig deep moats, build high ramparts and hold fast, the Xiliang army will run out of provisions in less than a hundred days, and of Li Meng and Wang Fang, who go out to meet the enemy in battle, Wang Fang is killed by Ma Chao, the son of Ma Teng, and Li Meng is captured by Ma Chao and beheaded. After that, when Li Jue and Guo Si follow Jia Xu's plan and simply hold the passes firmly, the Xiliang army runs out of both provisions and fodder in less than two months. Romance, Ch. 10 §7 · 9–12
Just then, inside the city of Chang'an, a household servant of Ma Yu denounces his master for plotting with Liu Fan and Chong Shao to join hands with Ma Teng and Han Sui outside and act as their inside agents. In a great rage, Li Jue and Guo Si seize the old and young, free and servile, of all three households and behead them in the marketplace, and at once hang the three men's heads before the gate as a warning. Seeing that even their inside agents have been exposed, Ma Teng and Han Sui break camp and withdraw their troops. Chong Shao's name appears in this chapter only in the passage where the inside agents are recruited and in the passage of the denunciation. Romance, Ch. 10 §12–13 · 6
Where the Romance differs
Ma Teng's appointment as General Who Conquers the West: In Chapter 10 of the Romance, the three men Ma Yu, Chong Shao and Liu Fan secretly petition Emperor Xian to have Ma Teng enfeoffed as General Who Conquers the West and Han Sui as General Who Guards the West, and have them receive secret edicts. In the Records, when Han Sui and Ma Teng surrendered and came to Chang'an, Han Sui was made General Who Guards the West and sent back to Liang Province, and Ma Teng was made General Who Conquers the West and stationed at Mei County; it was after that that Ma Yu and the others plotted to have Ma Teng attack Chang'an. No secret edict appears. Romance, Ch. 10 §6Records, Wei 6 §22
The invading army: In Chapter 10 of the Romance, Ma Teng and Han Sui together march on Chang'an with more than 100,000 troops. In this passage of the Records it is Ma Teng who sets out to attack Chang'an, while Han Sui had earlier been made General Who Guards the West and returned to Liang Province. Ma Teng, having reached Changping Lodge, was defeated by Fan Chou and returned to Liang Province. Romance, Ch. 10 §5Records, Wei 6 §22
How the plot came to light: In Chapter 10 of the Romance, the affair comes to light when, as the Xiliang army is running out of provisions, a household servant of Ma Yu denounces it. The Records say only that the plot leaked when Ma Teng reached Changping Lodge, and do not explain how it leaked. Romance, Ch. 10 §12Records, Wei 6 §22
Death: In Chapter 10 of the Romance, Li Jue and Guo Si seize all three households, behead them in the marketplace of Chang'an and hang up the three men's heads. In the Records, when the plot leaked Ma Yu and the others fled to Huaili, and Fan Chou attacked Huaili, where Ma Yu and the others all died. How Chong Shao himself died is not recorded separately. Romance, Ch. 10 §12–13Records, Wei 6 §22
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.
- LEA3331−2
- STR3131±0
- INT3840+2
- POL4240−2
- CHA4038−2
- VIR6062+2
- ADP3533−2
- SCH4240−2
- DIP4552+7
- DIS3836−2
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
No ability differs by 10 or more — the Romance portrays this person much as the Records do.
10 similar abilities — show evidence
RPlotted to kill Li Jue, but the plot leakedWei 6 §22
NPlotted to act as an inside agent, but Ma Yu's servant denounced the plotCh. 10 §6Ch. 10 §12
RWhen the plot leaked, fled to Huaili and diedWei 6 §22
NExposed when the inside plot was denouncedCh. 10 §12
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 →
Family
| Parents | Chong Fu Unverified Records |
|---|
Based on Wikidata items for the historical and Romance figures. Relations without the Unverified badge were also confirmed in the Records.