Zhao Wei

Historical Record

Zhao Wei was a senior official of Yi Province who, after the death of Liu Yan, joined others in nominating Liu Zhang as Inspector of Yi Province ^c:3763. At that time, Liu Yan, having lost his beloved sons when heaven-sent fire burned the city walls and stricken by these calamities, died in the first year of the Xingping era (194 CE) from an ulcer on his back. Zhao Wei and the others, valuing Liu Zhang's mild and benevolent character, jointly memorialized to nominate him as Inspector of Yi Province. The court therefore issued an edict appointing Liu Zhang as Supervising Army Commissioner and acting Governor of Yi Province, and appointed Zhao Wei as General of the Household Who Conquers the East, leading troops to attack Liu Biao ^c:3763.

However, after Liu Zhang took over, he fell into enmity with Zhang Lu, who grew increasingly arrogant and unruly and would not submit to him. Liu Zhang then killed Zhang Lu's mother and younger brother, and the two sides became foes. Liu Zhang repeatedly sent Pang Xi and others to attack Zhang Lu, but they were defeated time and again. Because Zhang Lu's followers were mostly in Baxi Commandery, Liu Zhang appointed Pang Xi as Grand Administrator of Baxi, giving him troops to resist Zhang Lu ^c:3764. Later, a rift developed between Pang Xi and Liu Zhang. Zhao Wei seized the opportunity to raise troops in revolt, but in the end was killed when his subordinates scattered and deserted him. Historians hold that this all came about because Liu Zhang lacked clear judgment and was prone to heed outside counsel ^c:3764.

The Records of Heroes adds that Liu Zhang was lenient and soft in nature, lacking authority and strategy. At that time tens of thousands of households of refugees from Nanyang and the Three Adjuncts (Sanfu) had migrated into Yi Province and been enrolled as soldiers, called the "Eastern Province troops." These Eastern Province troops harassed the native people of Yi Province, yet Liu Zhang was unable to restrain them, and his governance was full of failings, leaving the people of Yi Province with much resentment. Zhao Wei had long won the people's hearts, and Liu Zhang trusted him deeply. Zhao Wei therefore exploited the popular resentment, secretly making peace with Jing Province and bribing it lavishly, while covertly contacting the great families within the province to raise troops in revolt together. The commanderies of Shu, Guanghan, and Jianwei all responded to Zhao Wei. Liu Zhang was forced to fall back and hold Chengdu. The Eastern Province troops, out of fear, joined together to aid Liu Zhang, fighting to the death and finally defeating the rebels, then advancing to attack Zhao Wei at Jiangzhou. Zhao Wei's subordinate commanders Pang Le and Li Yi rebelled and slaughtered Zhao Wei's army, beheading Zhao Wei ^c:3764.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhao Wei appears mainly in the chapters on Liu Yan's death, Liu Zhang's succession, and his own revolt against Liu Zhang. The novel records that Liu Yan, Governor of Yi Province, died of an ulcer in the first year of the Xingping era (194 CE). Zhao Wei, a senior administrator of Yi Province, and others jointly installed Liu Zhang as Governor of Yi Province ^c:3765. This broadly matches the historical record, highlighting Zhao Wei's important role in Liu Zhang's succession.

The novel also mentions the conflict between Liu Zhang and Zhang Lu—Liu Zhang made an enemy of Zhang Lu by killing his mother and younger brother, and dispatched Pang Xi as Grand Administrator of Baxi to resist Zhang Lu ^c:3765. However, regarding the specifics of Zhao Wei's revolt against Liu Zhang, the novel's account is relatively brief; it does not, like the historical Records of Heroes, depict in detail how Zhao Wei exploited popular resentment and contacted the great families, how the Eastern Province troops helped Liu Zhang put down the rebellion, or how Zhao Wei was finally killed by his own subordinate commanders. The novel emphasizes the outcome of the affair—Zhao Wei's revolt and defeat—rather than portraying his motives and the process as deeply as the historical sources.

Key Relationships

* Liu Yan (serves): Zhao Wei served under Liu Yan as a senior official of Yi Province. After Liu Yan died, Zhao Wei took part in nominating Liu Zhang as successor ^c:3763.
* Liu Zhang (advises_in, serves, opposes): Zhao Wei played a key role in Liu Zhang's succession, being one of the chief figures who nominated him as Governor of Yi Province ^c:3763. After Liu Zhang's accession, Zhao Wei was appointed General of the Household Who Conquers the East. Later, however, dissatisfied with Liu Zhang's rule, Zhao Wei seized the chance to raise troops in revolt against him ^c:3764.
* Liu Zhang's faction (serves, opposes): Zhao Wei was at first an important member of Liu Zhang's faction, serving as General of the Household Who Conquers the East. But in the end he rebelled against Liu Zhang, becoming an internal enemy of Liu Zhang's faction ^c:3764.
* Pang Xi (colleague, later opposed): Pang Xi and Zhao Wei were both commanders under Liu Zhang, jointly resisting Zhang Lu. However, when Zhao Wei revolted against Liu Zhang, a rift also arose between Pang Xi and Liu Zhang; the sources do not clearly record Pang Xi's specific stance in Zhao Wei's revolt, only noting that the friendship between Pang Xi and Liu Zhang gave way to estrangement, that Zhao Wei raised arms internally and was killed when his followers scattered, and that this all came about because Liu Zhang had little clear judgment and let outside counsel in ^c:3764.
* Zhang Lu (opposes): As a commander of Liu Zhang's faction, one of Zhao Wei's tasks was to resist Zhang Lu. Although the sources do not directly mention battles between Zhao Wei and Zhang Lu, as General of the Household Who Conquers the East he must have taken part in defensive arrangements against Zhang Lu ^c:3763.
* Liu Biao (opposes): Zhao Wei was once appointed General of the Household Who Conquers the East and led troops to attack Liu Biao ^c:3763.
* Pang Le and Li Yi (subordinates, later betrayed): Zhao Wei's subordinate commanders, who after the failure of Zhao Wei's revolt against Liu Zhang rebelled and slaughtered Zhao Wei's army, beheading Zhao Wei ^c:3764.

Iconic Scenes

* Nominating Liu Zhang to Succeed: After Liu Yan's death, the senior official of Yi Province Zhao Wei and others, valuing Liu Zhang's mild and benevolent character, jointly memorialized to nominate Liu Zhang as Inspector of Yi Province. This act laid the foundation of Liu Zhang's rule in Yi Province and showed Zhao Wei's important influence in the political order of the province ^c:3763. The novel also mentions this, emphasizing the role of Zhao Wei and others in the installation ^c:3765.
* Commissioned as General Who Conquers the East: After Liu Zhang's accession, Zhao Wei was appointed General of the Household Who Conquers the East and led troops to attack Liu Biao of Jing Province. This shows that Zhao Wei was trusted and given important responsibility militarily by Liu Zhang, taking on the major task of outward expansion ^c:3763.
* Raising Troops in Revolt against Liu Zhang: In the later period of Liu Zhang's rule, his leniency without authority and his many governmental failings caused seething resentment among the people of Yi Province. Zhao Wei exploited this resentment, secretly contacting the great families within the province and lavishly bribing Jing Province to make peace, and finally raised troops in revolt against Liu Zhang. This event was the turning point of Zhao Wei's political career and an important manifestation of internal turmoil in Yi Province ^c:3764.
* Defeat and Death at Jiangzhou: Zhao Wei's revolt ultimately failed. With the desperate aid of the Eastern Province troops, Liu Zhang defeated the rebels and advanced to attack Zhao Wei at Jiangzhou. In the end, Zhao Wei's subordinate commanders Pang Le and Li Yi rebelled and slaughtered Zhao Wei's army, beheading Zhao Wei. This scene marked the end of Zhao Wei's political career and reflected the cruelty of the internal power struggle within Yi Province ^c:3764. Although the novel does not detail this process, the outcome of his failed revolt is consistent with the historical record.