E Huan

Historical Record

E Huan is not recorded in the historical sources. In the official histories such as the Records of the Three Kingdoms there is no record of E Huan, so his life, deeds, or character cannot be verified from biographical materials.

In the Novel

In Luo Guanzhong's literary portrayal in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, E Huan is a fierce general under Gao Ding, Administrator of Yi Province commandery, renowned for his "valor that no ten thousand men could withstand." He first appears during Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign, clashing with the Shu Han army as a subordinate general of Gao Ding. In battle against the Shu Han vanguard Wei Yan, E Huan displayed his ferocity, fighting Wei Yan for several bouts. However, Wei Yan used a ruse of feigned retreat, luring E Huan to pursue, whereupon the two columns of Zhang Yi and Wang Ping burst out and formed an encirclement, and E Huan was finally captured alive ^c:3934.

After E Huan was captured, he was brought to Zhuge Liang's main camp. Zhuge Liang did not punish him but instead "ordered his bonds removed and treated him to wine and food," persuading him with words of benevolence and righteousness, saying that Gao Ding was a loyal and righteous man who had been deluded by Yong Kai, and released E Huan to go back and persuade Gao Ding to surrender ^c:3934. This act of Zhuge Liang's had a profound effect on E Huan, making him deeply admire Zhuge Liang's virtue, and he relayed Zhuge Liang's benevolence to Gao Ding. Although Yong Kai expressed doubt, believing it to be a ruse of estrangement by Zhuge Liang, Gao Ding already harbored misgivings ^c:3934.

Subsequently, Zhuge Liang employed a ruse of sowing discord, sending agents to convey to Gao Ding the claim that Yong Kai intended to harm him. Gao Ding was furious at this, believing Yong Kai to have betrayed faith and righteousness, and summoned E Huan to confer. E Huan plainly stated that "Kongming is a benevolent man; to turn against him is inauspicious," and proposed that it would be better to "kill him and submit to Kongming" ^c:15029. He further offered a plan: to set a banquet and invite Yong Kai; if Yong Kai did not come, it would prove he harbored treachery, and they could seize the chance to attack him. Gao Ding adopted E Huan's plan and set a banquet inviting Yong Kai, and indeed Yong Kai, out of suspicion, did not come. That night, Gao Ding led troops to attack Yong Kai's camp, while E Huan lay in ambush on a small road behind the camp. Yong Kai's troops were defeated and fled, and when he reached the small road he was intercepted by E Huan. E Huan "leveled his Sky-Piercing halberd and galloped to the fore," ran Yong Kai through with a single thrust of the halberd, knocking him from his horse, and beheaded him ^c:15029.

After pacifying Yong Kai, Gao Ding, again aided by E Huan, went to Zhu Bao's camp. Gao Ding, using Zhuge Liang's ruse of sowing discord, denounced Zhu Bao, and Zhu Bao could not defend himself. At this moment E Huan once more displayed his decisiveness and ferocity, wheeling out from behind the horse and stabbing Zhu Bao to death with a single halberd thrust ^c:6534. Thus, in E Huan's two crucial actions, both rebels Yong Kai and Zhu Bao were slain. Gao Ding then led E Huan and the troops of both commands to surrender to Zhuge Liang, who greatly praised this and appointed Gao Ding as Administrator of Yi Province, overseeing the three commanderies, while E Huan was appointed a Vanguard General ^c:6534. In the novel, E Huan is not only a fierce battle general but also the key force behind Gao Ding's eventual submission to Shu Han, his loyalty and martial wisdom playing a decisive role in the plot.

Key Relationships

* Gao Ding (commands_in): E Huan was an important general under Gao Ding, deeply trusted by him, and played a key role in the process of Gao Ding's submission to Shu Han. When Gao Ding decided to rebel against Yong Kai, he first conferred with E Huan ^c:15029.
* Shu Han (defected_to): Under the influence of Zhuge Liang's moral persuasion and ruse of sowing discord, E Huan ultimately submitted to Shu Han along with Gao Ding and was appointed a Vanguard General ^c:6534.
* Wei Yan (adversary_then_ally, novel only): E Huan, in his first appearance, clashed with Wei Yan and was captured alive through Wei Yan's feigned retreat ^c:3934.
* Zhuge Liang (influenced_by, novel only): Zhuge Liang's benevolent release of E Huan was the key factor in E Huan's eventually bringing about Gao Ding's submission; E Huan's appraisal of Zhuge Liang as a "benevolent man" reflects his admiration for him ^c:3934, ^c:15029.
* Yong Kai (killed_by, novel only): At Gao Ding's bidding, E Huan personally stabbed Yong Kai to death with his Sky-Piercing halberd ^c:15029.
* Zhu Bao (killed_by, novel only): In the course of persuading Zhu Bao to surrender, E Huan again struck, stabbing Zhu Bao to death with a single halberd thrust ^c:6534.

Signature Scenes

* First battle with Wei Yan, captured and released (novel only): E Huan clashed with Wei Yan and was captured alive through Wei Yan's feigned retreat and the encirclement by Zhang Yi and Wang Ping. However, Zhuge Liang treated him with benevolence and released him to return to camp, an act that deeply affected E Huan and laid the groundwork for Gao Ding's later surrender ^c:3934.
* Advising Gao Ding, assassinating Yong Kai (novel only): After Zhuge Liang's ruse of sowing discord took effect, E Huan offered Gao Ding a plan and personally lay in ambush, stabbing the traitor Yong Kai to death with his Sky-Piercing halberd, clearing the obstacle to Gao Ding's submission to Shu Han ^c:15029.
* Slaying Zhu Bao before the ranks (novel only): E Huan accompanied Gao Ding to Zhu Bao's camp, and just as Zhu Bao was unable to defend himself, struck decisively, stabbing Zhu Bao to death with a single halberd thrust, completely pacifying the rebellion of the three commanderies of Nanzhong ^c:6534.
* Submitting to Shu Han, made Vanguard General (novel only): After completing the pacification of Yong Kai and Zhu Bao, E Huan submitted to Zhuge Liang together with Gao Ding and was appointed a Vanguard General, marking his formal service to Shu Han ^c:6534.