Historical Record
According to the surviving historical materials, records of Zhao Yue himself are wholly lacking. In the Records of the Three Kingdoms and other standard histories, no clear mention is found of Zhao Yue's life and deeds or of any role he played during the Three Kingdoms period. Therefore, from a historiographical standpoint, Zhao Yue is not a figure attestable in history.
In the Novel
In the literary narrative of Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhao Yue, son of Zhao Ang and a subordinate general under Ma Chao, first appears in chapter sixty-four c:3756. In this chapter, Jiang Xu, Yin Feng, Zhao Ang, and others plot to avenge Wei Kang and seek to raise troops against Ma Chao. When Zhao Ang discusses the matter with his wife, Lady Wang, he hesitates out of concern that his son Zhao Yue, then in attendance on Ma Chao, would lose his life once they rose up. However, his wife, Lady Wang, with awe-inspiring righteousness, sternly admonished Zhao Ang, stressing that avenging his lord's father was the great disgrace, that even sacrificing their son was no cause for regret, and that if Zhao Ang flinched on this account, she would rather die first c:3756. Lady Wang's firm attitude ultimately drove Zhao Ang to make up his mind and rise up together with Jiang Xu, Yang Fu, Yin Feng, and the others. Although Zhao Yue appears little in the novel, his existence and his relationships with his father Zhao Ang and mother Lady Wang become one of the key factors driving Zhao Ang's action against Ma Chao. His status—"presently serving Ma Chao as a subordinate general" c:3756—directly constitutes the point of contradiction in Zhao Ang and his wife's choice between loyalty/righteousness and family affection, thereby highlighting Lady Wang's fierceness and Zhao Ang's final resolve. The novel's portrayal of Zhao Yue is shown more indirectly through his family relationships than by directly depicting his personal achievements or character.
Key Relationships
* Zhao Ang (kin_of): Zhao Yue is the son of Zhao Ang c:3756. In the novel, Zhao Ang, out of concern for Zhao Yue's safety, hesitated for a time over the decision to resist Ma Chao, but ultimately, spurred on by his wife Lady Wang, chose the greater cause. This father-son relationship is an important thread driving the development of the plot of Zhao Ang rising against Ma Chao.
* Ma Chao (serves): In the novel, Zhao Yue is a subordinate general under Ma Chao c:3756. This subordinate relationship placed Zhao Yue in an awkward position: his father Zhao Ang's rising in resistance against Ma Chao brought Zhao Yue's personal fate into direct conflict with the family's loyalty and righteousness. (Unique to the novel.)
* Lady Wang (kin_of): Zhao Yue's mother. In the novel Lady Wang displays extraordinary fierceness and righteousness; to spur on her husband Zhao Ang to avenge Wei Kang, she was willing to sacrifice their son Zhao Yue, even pressing him on pain of her own death c:3756. As Lady Wang's son, Zhao Yue's existence becomes the backdrop against which Lady Wang displays her awe-inspiring spirit of righteousness.
Iconic Scenes
* The focal point of the family's choice: Zhao Yue's most iconic scene in the novel is not an action of his own, but rather his being the focal figure in Zhao Ang and his wife's choice between loyalty/righteousness and family affection. When Zhao Ang mentions to his wife, Lady Wang, "Our son Zhao Yue now serves Ma Chao; if we raise troops now, Chao will surely kill our son first—what then?" c:3756, the safety of Zhao Yue's life becomes the core of the couple's discussion. Lady Wang at once replies, "To wash away the great disgrace done to your lord's father, even the loss of life is no cause for regret, let alone a single son?", placing Zhao Yue's personal fate beneath the family's greater righteousness c:3756. Although this scene does not directly depict Zhao Yue, his presence is strongly felt, profoundly displaying the conflict and trade-off between an individual's fate and the interests of family and state in an age of chaos. (Unique to the novel.)
* A subordinate general under Ma Chao: Zhao Yue's being a subordinate general under Ma Chao c:3756 is itself an iconic element of his role in the novel. It not only establishes Zhao Yue's military status but also foreshadows the moral dilemma that Zhao Ang would face when later rising against Ma Chao. Although the novel does not describe in detail Zhao Yue's specific deeds as a subordinate general, this status is the key background for understanding the choice made by Zhao Ang and his wife. (Unique to the novel.)
Relationships
2 relationships
Family1
Lord & vassal1
Chapters1 回 ▸
- 演ch.64
Inner monologues · AI-generated1 段 ▸
- I am Zhao Yue; my courtesy name is not recorded. At this time, I served under Ma Chao as a deputy general, in his camp a