Yong Kai

Historical Record

Yong Kai, a powerful magnate of Yi Province commandery, took advantage of the situation after Liu Zhang's death to seize Yi commandery in revolt and went over to the Eastern Wu regime.^[1] Sun Quan therefore appointed Liu Zhang's son Liu Chan as Inspector of Yi Province, placing him on the border between Jiaozhou and Yi Province. Yong Kai held considerable prestige in the Nanzhong region, with his benevolence and trust renowned in his home district, and even established ties with Sun Quan.^[2]

In the summer of the first year of Jianxing (223 CE), Zhu Bao, Administrator of Zangke, also revolted with his commandery in response to Yong Kai.^[3] Earlier, the killing of the Administrator Zheng Ang had occurred in Yi Province commandery, and Yong Kai, as a local chieftain, plainly had considerable influence. Shu Han appointed Zhang Yi as Administrator of Yi Province in an attempt to quell the revolt. Zhang Yi, styled Junsi, a native of Chengdu in Shu commandery, was versed in the Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals and widely read in the Records of the Grand Historian and the Book of Han. He had served under Liu Zhang, then was employed by Liu Bei as Administrator of Ba commandery, and later as Gentleman-General Supervising Metals.^[2] Yet when Zhang Yi went to take up his post in Yi Province commandery, Yong Kai refused to submit; invoking the names of ghosts and spirits, he claimed that Zhang Yi "though outwardly glossy is inwardly coarse, not worth killing," and then bound Zhang Yi and sent him off to Sun Quan.^[2]

At this time Gao Ding, the Yi king of Yuesui, also rebelled against Shu Han.^[3] Yong Kai's rebellion was extremely arrogant; the Protector-General Li Yan once wrote him six letters to dissuade him, laying out the advantages and disadvantages, but Yong Kai replied with only one, which read: "I have heard that Heaven has no two suns and the land no two kings. Now that the realm stands tripartite, with three reckonings of the calendar, the distant people are bewildered and do not know where to turn." His arrogant and unsubmissive attitude is plain.^[4] After Yong Kai surrendered to Eastern Wu, Sun Quan from afar conferred on Lü Kai the post of Administrator of Yongchang. Yet Yongchang commandery lay west of Yi Province commandery, with roads blocked and cut off from Shu Han. Lü Kai and the Assistant Administrator Wang Kang led the officials and people to close the borders and hold out in defense, resisting Yong Kai. Yong Kai repeatedly sent proclamations to Yongchang commandery attempting to induce its surrender, but Lü Kai and the others firmly refused to comply.^[4]

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Yong Kai is further developed as the foremost figure of the Nanzhong rebellion. He first appears in the summer of the first year of Jianxing (223 CE), when Zhuge Liang was preparing his southern campaign. In the novel, Yong Kai is described as a chieftain of Yi Province who allied with the Man king Meng Huo and together raised one hundred thousand Man troops to plunder four commanderies.^[5] This episode is not clearly recorded in the historical sources, but it matches the timing of the revolts of Yong Kai, Zhu Bao, Gao Ding, and others in history.

In the novel, Yong Kai is a descendant of Yong Chi, the Marquis of Shifang under the Han, which adds a coloring of "scion of a noble house" to his rebellion and hints at his possible discontent with the Shu Han regime.^[6] Not only did he himself rebel, but he also allied with Meng Huo and induced Zhu Bao, Administrator of Zangke commandery, and Gao Ding, Administrator of Yuesui commandery, to surrender their cities; only Wang Kang, Administrator of Yongchang, refused to rebel.^[6] The troops under Yong Kai, Zhu Bao, and Gao Ding all became guides for Meng Huo, jointly attacking Yongchang commandery and placing it in extreme peril.^[6]

Zhuge Liang personally led a great army on the southern campaign. Wei Yan, as vanguard, encountered E Huan, a subordinate general of Gao Ding, at the pass entrance. Wei Yan feigned defeat and captured E Huan alive. Zhuge Liang released E Huan and treated him with kindness and honor, saying that Gao Ding was a loyal and righteous man who had been deluded by Yong Kai. After E Huan returned and related Zhuge Liang's kindness to Gao Ding, Gao Ding was deeply moved.^[7] When Yong Kai learned of this, he regarded it as Zhuge Liang's stratagem of estrangement, attempting to sow discord between himself and Gao Ding. Gao Ding was half believing and half doubting, hesitant at heart. Yong Kai and Gao Ding then split their forces into two routes to attack the Shu camp, but Zhuge Liang did not come out to fight for three days running, causing Yong Kai and Gao Ding to grow lax.^[7] Through these details the novel portrays Yong Kai's cunning and his wariness toward Zhuge Liang's schemes, while also displaying Zhuge Liang's wisdom in using stratagems to divide his enemies.

Key Relationships

* Shu Han (defected_from): Yong Kai was originally a magnate of Yi Province commandery under Shu Han's rule, who later rebelled against Shu Han.^[1]
* Eastern Wu (defected_to): After rebelling, Yong Kai went over to Eastern Wu and received an office conferred from afar by Sun Quan.^[1],^[4]
* Liu Zhang's faction (betrayed_by): After Liu Zhang's death, Yong Kai took the opportunity to rebel, though his direct relationship with Liu Zhang's faction is not detailed in the sources. However, Sun Quan once appointed Liu Zhang's son Liu Chan as Inspector of Yi Province, which indirectly shows that Eastern Wu sought to use Liu Zhang's old followers to oppose Shu Han, and Yong Kai was a beneficiary of this strategy.^[1]
* Zhang Yi (exiled by him): Yong Kai bound the Shu Han-appointed Administrator of Yi Province, Zhang Yi, and sent him off to Eastern Wu.^[2]
* Zhu Bao (ally): Zhu Bao, Administrator of Zangke, revolted with his commandery in response to Yong Kai.^[3]
* Gao Ding (ally): Gao Ding, the Yi king of Yuesui, rebelled against Shu Han and rose together with Yong Kai.^[3] In the novel, Gao Ding is Yong Kai's ally but is estranged from him by Zhuge Liang.^[7] (novel only)
* Meng Huo (ally): In the novel, Yong Kai allied with the Man king Meng Huo and together raised troops to invade Shu Han's frontier.^[5],^[6] (novel only)
* Lü Kai, Wang Kang (opponents): Lü Kai, Administrator of Yongchang, and the Assistant Administrator Wang Kang held Yongchang firmly and refused Yong Kai's inducements to surrender.^[4]
* Zhuge Liang (opponent): As Chancellor of Shu Han, Zhuge Liang was the chief commander in quelling Yong Kai's rebellion.^[1] In the novel, Zhuge Liang directly matches wits with Yong Kai.^[7] (novel only)

Signature Scenes

* Seizing the commandery in revolt and attaching to Eastern Wu: After Liu Zhang's death, Yong Kai seized Yi commandery in revolt and went over to Eastern Wu, becoming the opening of the Nanzhong rebellion. Sun Quan therefore appointed Liu Zhang's son Liu Chan as Inspector of Yi Province, seeking to use the forces of Yong Kai and others to check Shu Han.^[1]
* Exiling Zhang Yi to Eastern Wu: Shu Han appointed Zhang Yi as Administrator of Yi Province to quell the revolt. Yong Kai refused to submit, and invoking the names of ghosts and spirits, bound Zhang Yi and sent him off to Sun Quan, an act that fully displays his arrogance and his contempt for the Shu Han regime.^[2]
* Replying to Li Yan with arrogance: The Protector-General Li Yan once wrote to dissuade Yong Kai, but Yong Kai replied with a single sheet, saying "Heaven has no two suns and the land no two kings; now that the realm stands tripartite, with three reckonings of the calendar, the distant people are bewildered and do not know where to turn." His words are full of doubt about Shu Han's legitimacy and insistence on his own independent standing, a vivid portrait of his character.^[4]
* Allying with Meng Huo and plundering four commanderies: In the novel, Yong Kai allied with the Man king Meng Huo and raised one hundred thousand Man troops to plunder four commanderies of Shu Han, making the Nanzhong situation more complex and perilous and directly prompting Zhuge Liang to lead a great army on the southern campaign in person.^[5],^[6] (novel only)
* Seeing through Zhuge Liang's stratagem of estrangement: Zhuge Liang released Gao Ding's subordinate general E Huan in an attempt to sow discord between Gao Ding and Yong Kai. When Yong Kai learned of it, he at once pointed out that this was Zhuge Liang's "stratagem of estrangement" meant to set the two at odds, showing a certain cunning and wariness.^[7] (novel only)