Feng Xi

Historical Record

Feng Xi, styled Xiuyuan, was a native of Nan Commandery who followed Liu Bei into Shu. In the seventh month of the first year of Zhangwu (221), Liu Bei led a great army to attack Wu in order to avenge Guan Yu. Sun Quan sent an envoy to sue for peace, but Liu Bei, in his great wrath, paid it no heed. At this time the Wu generals Lu Yi (that is, Lu Xun), Li Yi, Liu A, and others were stationed around Wu County and Zigui. Liu Bei sent the general Wu Ban together with Feng Xi to attack Li Yi and Liu A's forces from Wu County; they routed them successfully and then advanced to Zigui^[1].

In the first month of spring in the second year of Zhangwu (222), Liu Bei's great army was encamped at Zigui. In the second month, Liu Bei personally led his generals, cutting a road along the mountains, and advanced to encamp at Xiaoting in Yidao, sending the Palace Attendant Ma Liang to pacify the Wuxi tribes of Wuling so that they submitted and answered the call. During this period, Feng Xi held the office of Commander of the Army, leading the various forces. In the sixth month of summer that year, the Wu general Lu Yi (Lu Xun) crushed Liu Bei's army at Xiaoting. In this disastrous defeat, Feng Xi and Zhang Nan and other generals all fell in battle^[2]. Both Feng Xi and Zhang Nan were generals who had followed Liu Bei from Jing Province into Shu; they set out with Liu Bei in the Battle of Xiaoting and finally perished in the defeat at Xiaoting^[3].

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Feng Xi, as an important general in Liu Bei's army to attack Wu, has his image and deeds depicted in greater detail. He set out with Liu Bei alongside generals such as Wu Ban and Zhang Nan. When Huang Zhong, ignoring advice, insisted on going out to fight Pan Zhang, Feng Xi once advised Huang Zhong not to advance rashly, but Huang Zhong did not listen. Wu Ban then ordered Feng Xi to lead troops to support the battle, showing Feng Xi's standing and duties in the army^[4].

When the Battle of Xiaoting entered a stalemate, Liu Bei grew anxious as the Wu army held firm and would not come out. Feng Xi once reported to Liu Bei, pointing out that the weather was scorching and that the Shu army, encamped in the blazing heat, found it inconvenient to draw water. Liu Bei adopted Feng Xi's advice and ordered the camps moved to places lush with forest, near streams and brooks. Although Ma Liang once worried that this might invite a Wu surprise attack, Liu Bei held it to be a ruse to lure the enemy, and arranged a scheme of having Wu Ban feign defeat while he himself lay in ambush to strike. Feng Xi, on command, moved the camps to dense and shaded woodland—an episode highlighting his participation in the military deployment^[5].

However, Liu Bei's scheme ultimately failed. After Lu Xun burned the linked camps, the Shu army was crushed. Retreating, Feng Xi and Zhang Nan first led troops to rescue Liu Bei, then encountered Wu soldiers attacking from front and rear. Zhang Nan and Feng Xi charged with all their strength, but in the end could not break through and died amid the chaos of battle^[6]. The novel's portrayal makes Feng Xi not merely a general who fell in battle as in history, but a figure who acted on the battlefield, took part in military decisions, and finally died heroically.

Key Relationships

* Liu Bei's faction (serves): Feng Xi was an important general of Liu Bei's faction, following Liu Bei into Shu and holding the office of Commander of the Army in the campaign against Wu^[3]. In the novel, he was moreover a participant in and executor of Liu Bei's military decisions^[5].
* Liu Bei (commands_in): Feng Xi was under Liu Bei's direct command, routing the Wu generals Li Yi and Liu A together with Wu Ban in the early phase of the campaign against Wu^[1]. In the novel, Liu Bei adopted Feng Xi's advice to move camp and ordered him to carry it out^[5].
* Lu Xun (dies_in): Feng Xi was finally defeated and killed in the Battle of Xiaoting commanded by Lu Xun^[2].
* Shu Han (dies_in): Feng Xi served Shu Han and finally fell in the Battle of Xiaoting, fighting for Shu Han.

Iconic Scenes

* Routing the Wu generals Li Yi and Liu A with Wu Ban: In the first year of Zhangwu, Feng Xi, on Liu Bei's command, joined Wu Ban in routing the Wu generals Li Yi and Liu A around Wu County, winning an early victory in the Shu army's eastern campaign^[1]. This is the first military action clearly recorded for Feng Xi in the histories, displaying his talent as a general.
* Advising Liu Bei to move camp (unique to the novel): In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Feng Xi proposed to Liu Bei that the camps be moved because of the scorching weather and the difficulty of drawing water, and carried it out on command. This scene reflects both Feng Xi's observation of the battle situation and his indirect role in bringing about Liu Bei's "ruse to lure the enemy," though it ultimately failed^[5].
* Dying in the Battle of Xiaoting: In the second year of Zhangwu, Feng Xi was crushed at Xiaoting under Lu Xun's fire attack and finally fell together with Zhang Nan and other generals^[2]. In both history and the novel, this is the most important conclusion of Feng Xi's life, marking Shu Han's disastrous defeat in the Battle of Xiaoting and serving as the final expression of his loyal and valiant service to his country^[6].