Historical Record
As for the historical material on Xun Shuang (styled Ciming), there is at present no clear record. In the Records of the Three Kingdoms and other official histories, no chapter can be found that directly describes Xun Shuang's life or specific words and deeds. It is therefore impossible to give an objective account of him based on historical material.
In the Novel
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Xun Shuang, as a Minister over the Masses, appears at the crucial moment when Dong Zhuo wished to move the capital to Chang'an, displaying his upright and outspoken character. When Dong Zhuo put forward the plan to move the capital to Chang'an, the Minister over the Masses Yang Biao first raised an objection, pointing out that Guanzhong was ruined and devastated, that the people would likely be alarmed, and that the realm is easily stirred but hard to set at peace c:6136. Then the Grand Commandant Huang Wan also echoed Yang Biao, citing as an example the misery of the time of Wang Mang's usurpation and the Gengshi and Red Eyebrows era, when Chang'an was burned to the ground and the people scattered, to strongly argue the impropriety of moving the capital to Chang'an c:6136.
At this point, Xun Shuang also stepped forward and remonstrated with Dong Zhuo, pointing out, "If the Chancellor wishes to move the capital, the people will be thrown into unrest and have no peace" c:6136. Though his words were brief, they pointed directly at the upheaval to the people's livelihood that Dong Zhuo's decision might bring. However, Dong Zhuo showed great rage at these loyal but unwelcome remonstrances. He not only rebutted the concerns of Yang Biao and Huang Wan, declaring that moving the capital to Chang'an was for the great affairs of all under heaven and that he would not spare the common folk c:6136, but also showed no mercy to the remonstrances of Xun Shuang and the others. In the end, in a fit of anger, Dong Zhuo that very day dismissed all three—Yang Biao, Huang Wan, and Xun Shuang—reducing them to commoners c:6136. This episode has no clear record in the histories and is a literary creation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, shaping Dong Zhuo's image as domineering and unreceptive to loyal counsel, and highlighting the upright and unyielding character of the gentry at the end of the Han.
Key Relationships
Xun Shuang's key relationship in Romance of the Three Kingdoms is chiefly embodied in his opposition to Dong Zhuo's Faction. As a Minister over the Masses of the Han court, he represented a portion of the upright gentry then at court, seeking to maintain the stability of the House of Han and the peace of the people. However, his efforts came into sharp conflict with Dong Zhuo's autocratic power. The tyrannical acts of Dong Zhuo's Faction, especially the decision to forcibly move the capital with no regard for the people's livelihood, directly led to the dismissal of Xun Shuang and others, marking his break with Dong Zhuo's Faction (defected from). This antagonistic relationship is vividly depicted in Romance of the Three Kingdoms through the episode in which Xun Shuang, together with other courtiers, remonstrated with Dong Zhuo c:6136 (unique to the novel).
Iconic Scenes
Xun Shuang's iconic scene is without doubt the passage in which he, together with other courtiers, remonstrated when Dong Zhuo wished to move the capital to Chang'an c:6136. In Chapter 6 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, when Dong Zhuo put forward the plan to move the capital to Chang'an, the Minister over the Masses Yang Biao and the Grand Commandant Huang Wan in turn set out the pros and cons, strongly urging Dong Zhuo to reconsider. Xun Shuang, as a Minister over the Masses, also fearlessly defied Dong Zhuo's power, stating plainly, "If the Chancellor wishes to move the capital, the people will be thrown into unrest and have no peace" c:6136. Although his remonstrance ultimately failed to change Dong Zhuo's decision and instead led to his own dismissal to the rank of commoner, this scene fully displays Xun Shuang's character as a loyal minister of the House of Han, daring to remonstrate frankly and unafraid of overbearing power. This episode is the only time in Romance of the Three Kingdoms that Xun Shuang clearly appears and plays a role, deeply portraying his upright and unbending image and adding yet another piece of evidence of Dong Zhuo's brutal rule c:6136 (unique to the novel).
Relationships
1 relationships
Family1
Chapters2 回 ▸
- 史ch.10
- 演ch.6
Inner monologues · AI-generated1 段 ▸
- I am Xun Shuang, courtesy name Cim ing. At this moment, I am in court, listening to Dong Zhuo speak of moving the capita