Dong Xi

Historical Record

Dong Xi, courtesy name Yuandai, was a native of Yuyao in Kuaiji. He stood eight chi tall and possessed extraordinary martial strength. According to Xie Cheng's *Book of the Later Han*, Dong Xi was high-minded and resolute, fierce and valiant. When Sun Ce entered Kuaiji commandery, Dong Xi welcomed him at Gaoqian Pavilion; Sun Ce, seeing him, judged him remarkable and appointed him chief of the gate guard. At that time the veteran bandits Huang Longluo and Zhou Bo of Shanyin had gathered several thousand men, and Sun Ce personally led troops to suppress them; Dong Xi with his own hand took the heads of Huang Longluo and Zhou Bo. For this merit Dong Xi was appointed Major of a Separate Division, granted command of several thousand soldiers, and later promoted to Commandant of Yangwu. He followed Sun Ce in attacking Wan, campaigned against Liu Xun at Xunyang, and marched with the army against Huang Zu in Jiangxia ^c:3185.

After Sun Ce's death, Sun Quan was young and was taking charge of affairs for the first time. The Grand Dowager, anxious over this, summoned Zhang Zhao, Dong Xi, and others, asking whether Jiangdong could be preserved. Dong Xi responded with fervor: "Jiangdong has the security of mountains and rivers, and the Rebel-Suppressing Commandant (Sun Ce) left his grace among the people. The Caitiff-Suppressing General (Sun Quan) has inherited the foundation, and great and small officers alike are willing to give their lives. Zhang Zhao manages all affairs, while we generals serve as claws and teeth—this is the very moment of favorable terrain and harmonious people, with nothing to fear." His words roused all present ^c:13377.

Later, when Cao Cao advanced on Ruxukou, Dong Xi followed Sun Quan to meet him in battle. Sun Quan ordered Dong Xi to command five tower-ships garrisoning Ruxukou. One night a sudden gale arose, capsizing the five tower-ships. The soldiers around him scrambled into small boats to flee and begged Dong Xi to withdraw with them. Dong Xi flew into a rage, saying: "I have received a heavy charge from the general to guard against the foe here—how can I leave at my own will! Whoever dares speak thus again will be beheaded!" Thereupon no one dared advise him further. That very night the ship fully capsized, and Dong Xi died at his post. When Sun Quan learned of it, he personally changed his robes and went to mourn him, granting generous condolences ^c:6163.

In the Novel

In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Dong Xi's image is further embellished and supplemented on the basis of historical fact. He first appears during Sun Ce's pacification of Jiangdong. After Sun Ce defeated Wang Lang, Dong Xi came to submit, carrying the head of Yan Baihu; seeing that he stood eight chi tall with a square face and broad mouth, Sun Ce appointed him Major of a Separate Division ^c:3186. This differs from the historical account, in which Dong Xi welcomed Sun Ce at Gaoqian Pavilion and was appointed Major of a Separate Division after taking the heads of Huang Longluo and Zhou Bo; the novel replaces those slain with Yan Baihu and makes it the feat of his debut.

The novel also adds details linking Dong Xi to Yu Fan and Hua Tuo. After Sun Ce was wounded, Dong Xi mentioned that he had once clashed with sea pirates, taken several spear wounds, and afterward was cured by a physician recommended by the worthy Kuaiji official Yu Fan. Sun Ce thus learned of Yu Fan's reputation for worth and sent Zhang Zhao together with Dong Xi to invite him. After Yu Fan arrived, he in turn recommended the divine physician Hua Tuo ^c:13373. These episodes have no basis in the histories and are inventions of the novel to enrich character relationships and plot development.

On the eve of the Battle of Red Cliffs, Dong Xi was appointed by Zhou Yu as commander of the fifth squadron, charged together with Lu Xun with a combined land-and-water advance ^c:6164. In the Battle of Hefei, when Taishi Ci was struck by an arrow and wounded, Lu Xun and Dong Xi charged out in time and rescued Taishi Ci, forcing the Cao troops to withdraw ^c:3187. These are the novel's concrete depictions of Dong Xi's military participation. During the attack on Wan, Dong Xi proposed building an earthen mound to assault the city, while Lü Meng put forward a swifter plan of direct assault ^c:13375.

As for Dong Xi's end, the novel broadly agrees with the histories, though details differ. In the Battle of Ruxukou, Dong Xi and Xu Sheng were aboard ship, facing the onslaught of Cao Cao's five armies. When a violent gale rose on the river and the ship was about to capsize, Dong Xi, sword in hand, angrily rebuked the soldiers who sought to flee and slew more than ten of them. In the end he sank with the ship in the waters at the river mouth ^c:13376. The novel stresses his loyal valor and steadfastness in the moment of crisis, consistent with the historical record that "that night the ship was wrecked and Dong Xi died," but by adding the detail of slaying the deserters, it further highlights his "high-minded and resolute" character.

Key Relationships

* Sun Ce (serves): Dong Xi was an important early general of Sun Ce, welcoming him at Gaoqian Pavilion and, for slaying bandit chiefs, gaining Sun Ce's esteem and promotion to chief of the gate guard, Major of a Separate Division, and Commandant of Yangwu ^c:3185.
* Sun Quan's Faction (serves): After Sun Ce's death, Dong Xi continued to serve Sun Quan loyally, and was one of the firm supporters when Sun Quan first took power. He expressed to the Grand Dowager and the assembled ministers his confidence in Sun Quan's rule over Jiangdong, calling himself Sun Quan's "claws and teeth" ^c:13377.
* Eastern Wu (dies_in): Dong Xi finally died at his post in the Battle of Ruxukou, when his tower-ship was capsized by a gale, giving his life for the Eastern Wu regime ^c:6163.
* Taishi Ci (friend_of): In the novel, Dong Xi and Taishi Ci fought side by side in the Battle of Hefei. When Taishi Ci was struck by an arrow and wounded, Dong Xi and Lu Xun charged out together and rescued him ^c:3187 (novel only).

Iconic Scenes

* Slaying bandits to win merit and first submitting to Sun Ce: During Sun Ce's Pacification of Jiangdong, Dong Xi with his own hand took the heads of the Shanyin veteran bandits Huang Longluo and Zhou Bo, and was thus appointed by Sun Ce as Major of a Separate Division, granted command of troops, and became an important general under him ^c:3185. In the novel, this feat is rewritten as slaying Yan Baihu and submitting to Sun Ce with his head ^c:3186 (novel only).
* Backing Sun Quan and steadying hearts: After Sun Ce's death, the young Sun Quan succeeded him and Jiangdong's morale was unsteady. When summoned by the Grand Dowager, Dong Xi spoke with fervor, firmly believing Jiangdong could be preserved under Sun Quan's leadership, greatly steadying the army's morale and spirit, and showing his loyalty and foresight ^c:13377.
* Dying at Ruxu, faithful to his post: When Cao Cao attacked Ruxukou, Dong Xi was ordered to command the tower-ships. A gale struck at night and the ships capsized. Faced with his soldiers' plea to flee, Dong Xi firmly refused, angrily rebuking and stopping the deserters, and in the end sank with the ship, dying heroically. When Sun Quan learned of it, he personally came to mourn him—proof of his recognition of Dong Xi's loyal valor ^c:6163. In the novel he even slew more than ten soldiers who tried to flee, further reinforcing his image of loyal valor ^c:13376 (novel only).
* Rescuing Taishi Ci: In the novel's Battle of Hefei, Taishi Ci was struck by an arrow and wounded, falling into peril. Dong Xi and Lu Xun charged out in time with their troops and successfully rescued Taishi Ci, averting greater losses ^c:3187 (novel only).