Kan Ze

Historical Record

Kan Ze, courtesy name Derun, was a man of Shanyin in Kuaiji, born into a farming family. From childhood he loved learning, and though his household was poor he often copied books for others to earn paper and brush, and the books he copied he could read fluently and recite from memory. He sought out famous teachers everywhere, delved deeply into the various classics, and was especially versed in the study of calendrical mathematics, by which his fame spread. He was recommended as a Filial and Incorrupt candidate and served in turn as Chief of Qiantang and Magistrate of Chen. When Sun Quan was enfeoffed as General of Agile Cavalry, he summoned Kan Ze as a Western Bureau aide; after Sun Quan proclaimed himself emperor, Kan Ze was appointed a Master of Writing. During the Jiahe era he was promoted to Director of the Secretariat and additionally given the title of Attendant. In the fifth year of Chiwu, Kan Ze was appointed Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent while concurrently holding the office of Director of the Secretariat ^c:3996.

Kan Ze held that the classics and their commentaries were too numerous to be put fully to use, so he weighed the various schools, pruned away the superfluous, and revised the text of the Rites and the commentaries of the various schools, and with these instructed the Heir Apparent Sun Deng and the Prince of Lu, Sun Ba. He also drew up for the two palaces rules of daily conduct and the etiquette for receiving guests, and composed the Commentary on the Qianxiang Calendar to correct the reckoning of time. Whenever the court took up a major question and met with a difficulty in the classics, Sun Quan would consult him. Because of his deep Confucian learning and his diligent toil, Kan Ze was enfeoffed as Marquis of a Capital District. He was modest, earnest, and prudent in his conduct; even a petty clerk of the palace offices, when summoned and questioned, he would treat with equal courtesy. He never readily spoke of others' shortcomings and faults, and on the surface seemed dull, though in truth he saw with great penetration. Sun Quan once asked him, "Among the books, treatises, essays, and rhapsodies, which is the finest?" Kan Ze, wishing thereby to admonish by allusion and make plain the way of order and disorder, answered that Jia Yi's "Disquisition on the Faults of Qin" was the finest, and Sun Quan, hearing this, took it up to read. When the wicked crimes of Lü Yi were first exposed, the responsible officials pressed the matter to the utmost and memorialized that he be put to the extreme penalty, some even proposing that he be burned and torn apart to make plain his arch-evil. When Sun Quan asked Kan Ze about this, Kan Ze answered, "In an age of bright governance, such punishments ought no longer to exist." Sun Quan adopted his advice. Moreover, whenever officials of any rank, when ill, wished to impose heavier rules and prohibitions to constrain their subordinates, Kan Ze would always counsel, "One should act in accordance with the Rites and the statutes." His mildness joined with principle was always of this kind ^c:3996. In the winter of the sixth year of Chiwu, Kan Ze died, and Sun Quan grieved and mourned for him so deeply that for several days he could not eat ^c:3996.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Kan Ze is endowed with greater cunning and daring, playing a key role especially in the Battle of Red Cliffs. At his first appearance he is depicted as one of the talents of the Southland recommended along with Gu Yong, Zhang Hong, and others when Sun Quan was widely gathering worthy men ^c:6569.

The novel's most vivid treatment of Kan Ze lies in his assisting Huang Gai in carrying out the Bitter-Flesh Stratagem. After Huang Gai had been beaten, all the generals came to visit him, but only Kan Ze saw through the scheme within and frankly declared that Huang Gai's act was the "Bitter-Flesh Stratagem" ^c:3997. Moved by his loyalty and cunning, Huang Gai laid bare to him the whole plan to feign surrender to Cao Cao, and asked Kan Ze to deliver the false surrender letter on his behalf. Kan Ze gladly agreed, saying, "When a great man lives in the world and cannot achieve merit and build a name, is he not as good as rotting away with the grass and trees? Since you would sacrifice your life to repay your lord, why should I begrudge my trifling existence!" ^c:3998 That very night he disguised himself as a fisherman, took a small boat, and made his way to Cao Cao's camp. Facing Cao Cao's doubt and angry rebuke, Kan Ze did not change color but laughed up at the sky, and with his extraordinary eloquence and daring cleverly refuted Cao Cao's suspicions, so that in the end Cao Cao believed him utterly ^c:15126. He even dared to call Cao Cao one of the "unlearned sort" and explained the reasonableness of the surrender letter's setting no fixed date, leaving Cao Cao to change countenance, step down from his seat, and apologize ^c:15129. Thereafter Kan Ze, together with Gan Ning, made use of the feigned surrender of Cai Zhong and Cai He to strengthen further Cao Cao's trust in Huang Gai's surrender ^c:4001.

When Lu Su devised a plan to invite Guan Yu to a banquet in order to seize Jing Province, Kan Ze counseled Sun Quan against it, pointing out that Guan Yu was "a fierce general of the age, no ordinary man. I fear the matter will not succeed and that we shall instead suffer harm at his hands" ^c:4002, showing his side as one who could discern right from wrong and plan far ahead—but Sun Quan did not heed him. Before the Battle of Xiaoting, when Sun Quan was at a loss in the face of Liu Bei's great army bearing down on him, Kan Ze stood against the rest and strongly recommended Lu Xun as Grand Commander, declaring that he was "no less than Zhou Yu," and pledging his whole family's lives in guarantee ^c:83. He even advised Sun Quan to build an altar and appoint the commander with ceremony, to display the gravity of the occasion and so secure Lu Xun's prestige and authority ^c:15146. These episodes greatly enrich Kan Ze's image in the novel, making him an adviser of both wisdom and courage and unwavering loyalty.

Key Relationships

* Sun Quan's Faction (serves): Kan Ze served Sun Quan all his life, from Western Bureau aide and Master of Writing up to Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent, a trusted Confucian elder statesman and counselor on whom Sun Quan relied. In the histories, Sun Quan often consulted Kan Ze in major court deliberations and difficulties of the classics ^c:3996. In the novel, Kan Ze repeatedly devised plans for Sun Quan, playing a key supporting role especially on the eve of the Battle of Red Cliffs and the Battle of Xiaoting ^c:83.
* Sun Deng (mentor_of): The histories record that Kan Ze revised the text of the Rites for the Heir Apparent Sun Deng and the Prince of Lu, Sun Ba, and drew up their rules of conduct and etiquette, serving as teacher and mentor of the two palaces ^c:3996.
* Huang Gai (friend_of): In the novel, Kan Ze had no shallow bond with Huang Gai, being the sole one privy to and executor of Huang Gai's Bitter-Flesh Stratagem. His risking death to deliver the false surrender letter was the key to the success of Huang Gai's stratagem ^c:3997. The histories give no clear record of such a deep friendship between the two.
* Cao Cao (witnesses): In the novel, Kan Ze went alone into Cao Cao's camp and engaged Cao Cao in a thrilling contest of wits, successfully deceiving him ^c:15125. There is no such episode in the histories.
* Lu Xun (advocate_of): In the novel, Kan Ze was a steadfast supporter and recommender of Lu Xun. Before the Battle of Xiaoting, he stood against the rest, pledged his whole family's lives in guarantee of Lu Xun's ability, and brought about Lu Xun's appointment as Grand Commander ^c:83. There is no such clear record in the histories.

Iconic Scenes

* Copying books and studying hard, at last becoming a great scholar: Kan Ze's household was poor, yet he loved learning untiringly, often copying books for others to obtain paper and brush, and the books he copied he could all read fluently and recite. In the end he became a great scholar versed in the various classics and skilled also in calendrical mathematics. This scene displays his diligent, persevering character and is the cornerstone of his Confucian achievement ^c:3996.
* Cleverly debating Cao Cao and delivering the false surrender letter (novel-only): Before the Battle of Red Cliffs, Kan Ze disguised himself as a fisherman, took a small boat to Cao Cao's camp, and in the face of Cao Cao's doubt and murderous intent, by his extraordinary daring and eloquence cleverly explained away the "flaw" in the surrender letter, successfully deceiving the suspicious Cao Cao and laying the foundation for the success of the Bitter-Flesh Stratagem ^c:15126.
* Forcefully recommending Lu Xun and turning the tide of the war (novel-only): Before the Battle of Xiaoting, when the great army of Shu Han bore down and the Wu ministers hesitated over Lu Xun's appointment, Kan Ze stepped forward, pledged his whole family's lives in guarantee of Lu Xun's ability, and advised Sun Quan to build an altar and appoint the commander, finally bringing about Lu Xun's appointment as Grand Commander and turning the tide of the war ^c:83.
* Modest, earnest, and prudent, never speaking of others' shortcomings: The histories record that Kan Ze was modest, earnest, and prudent, treating even petty palace clerks with equal courtesy and never readily speaking of others' shortcomings. This reflects his lofty virtue and broad-mindedness ^c:3996.
* Counseling against severe punishment and governing by Rites and statutes (history): When the wicked crimes of Lü Yi were exposed and some proposed burning and tearing him apart, Kan Ze forcefully counseled Sun Quan that "in an age of bright governance, such punishment ought no longer to exist," and in the end Sun Quan adopted his advice. This shows Kan Ze's stance of upholding benevolent governance and the dignity of law ^c:3996.