Huo Yi

Historical Record

Huo Yi, styled Shaoxian, was the son of Huo Jun, who had already won military merit in the time of the Former Lord Liu Bei. In the Former Lord's last years, Huo Yi served as a Steward to the Heir Apparent. ^c:4156 After the Latter Lord Liu Shan ascended the throne, Huo Yi was appointed Internuncio. When the Chancellor Zhuge Liang was stationed north at Hanzhong, he summoned Huo Yi to serve as a Recorder, and arranged for him to study and live together with Zhuge Liang's son Zhuge Qiao—evidence of the high regard in which Zhuge Liang held Huo Yi. After Zhuge Liang died, Huo Yi was transferred to be a Gentleman of the Yellow Gate. ^c:4156

After Liu Shan established Liu Xuan as Heir Apparent, Huo Yi was appointed Companion to the Heir. Liu Xuan loved riding and archery and went out and in without restraint; Huo Yi, citing ancient precedent, remonstrated to the full, and his manner of remonstrance accorded well with the spirit of mutual cultivation, showing his uprightness and loyalty to the imperial house. ^c:4156 Later Huo Yi was promoted to Adviser and Deputy Commandant of the Laixiang garrison, then transferred to Protector of the Army, governing affairs as before. At that time the Yi and Liao tribes of Yongchang commandery relied on their rugged terrain, would not submit to control, and repeatedly rose to cause harm; Huo Yi was therefore appointed Administrator of Yongchang and led an auxiliary force to subdue them. He succeeded in beheading the chieftains of the Yi and Liao, destroying their settlements, and restoring peace to the commandery's borders. ^c:4156

After this, Huo Yi was further promoted to Army Supervisor and General Who Assists the Army, with the post of Administrator of Jianning, and returned to govern the affairs of Nanzhong. In the sixth year of Jingyao (263 CE), Huo Yi was advanced to the rank of General Who Pacifies the South. In the same year, Shu Han was annexed by Wei. Huo Yi and Luo Xian of Xiangyang, Commander of the Forces of Badong, each preserved his own region, and surrendered their commanderies to Cao Wei; both were allowed to continue in their original posts and treated generously. ^c:4156

The Spring and Autumn of Han and Jin records that when Huo Yi learned the Wei army was attacking, he wished to go to Chengdu to defend the throne, but the Latter Lord Liu Shan, holding that the defenses against the enemy were already settled, did not heed him. When Chengdu fell, Huo Yi donned plain mourning garb and wailed for three days. The generals all urged him to surrender quickly, but Huo Yi said: "Now the roads are blocked, and I do not know whether my lord is safe or in peril. With the great change in the state, the choice of staying or going must not be rash. If my lord makes peace with Wei and is treated with courtesy, then it will not be too late to preserve my territory and surrender. But should my lord, by any chance, meet with danger and disgrace, I will resist unto death—what need to weigh slowness or speed!" Only when he learned that the Latter Lord Liu Shan had moved east to Luoyang did he lead the officers and men of six commanderies to submit by memorial. Sima Zhao, King Wen of Jin, greatly approved of this and appointed Huo Yi Commander of Nanzhong, continuing in charge of his original duties. Later, Huo Yi sent troops to rescue Lü Xing and quelled the rebellions of the three commanderies of Jiaozhi, Rinan, and Jiuzhen, and was therefore enfeoffed as a full marquis and given further lofty rewards. ^c:4156 Huo Yi's grandson Huo Biao later served as Administrator of Yuesui under the Jin.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the image of Huo Yi (written as Huo Ge in the novel) centers chiefly on his display of loyalty and righteousness after the fall of Shu Han. When Huo Ge, Administrator of Jianning, learned of the news that Chengdu had fallen, he donned plain mourning garb, faced west, and wailed for three days. ^c:15422 The officers and soldiers urged him: since the Han lord had already lost his position, why not surrender quickly? Huo Ge said through tears: "The roads are blocked, and I do not know whether my lord is safe or in peril. If the Wei sovereign treats him with courtesy, then surrendering the whole city will not be too late; but should my lord, by any chance, meet with danger and disgrace, then 'when the lord is disgraced, the minister dies'—how could I surrender?" All agreed with his words, and so they sent men to Luoyang to learn news of the Latter Lord Liu Shan. ^c:15422

In the novel, only after Huo Ge learned that the Latter Lord Liu Shan had been enfeoffed as the Duke of Anle did he lead his subordinate officers and men to come and surrender. ^c:6684 This episode broadly accords with the historical record that Huo Yi submitted by memorial only after learning the Latter Lord was safe, but the novel, through Huo Ge's weeping and his speeches, places greater emphasis on his loyalty to Liu Shan and his anxiety over the state's fate, making his image more vivid. The novel does not detail Huo Ge's later merits in quelling the southern rebellions, but instead focuses on his fidelity to his former lord, using it to set off the Latter Lord Liu Shan's contrasting "delighting in the moment with no thought of Shu" and heightening the dramatic effect.

Key Relationships

* Huo Jun (kin_of): Huo Yi's father, a renowned general of Shu Han, who laid the foundation for Huo Yi's official career. ^c:4156
* Shu Han (serves): Huo Yi served the Shu Han regime throughout his life, from the Former Lord's last years through the Latter Lord's reign, holding several important posts, until the fall of Shu Han. ^c:4156
* Zhuge Qiao (friend_of): When Zhuge Liang was at Hanzhong, he arranged for Huo Yi to study and associate together with his own son Zhuge Qiao, showing the closeness of the two. ^c:4156
* Liu Xuan (advises_in): Huo Yi served as Companion to the Heir Apparent Liu Xuan, and remonstrated against Liu Xuan's love of riding and archery and his lack of restraint in coming and going, embodying his upright character. ^c:4156
* Liu Shan (serves): Huo Yi was utterly loyal to the Latter Lord Liu Shan; even at the fall of Shu Han, his heart was still on his lord's safety, and only after confirming Liu Shan was safe did he surrender to Cao Wei. ^{c:4156 c:15422}
* Sima Zhao (serves): After the fall of Shu Han, Huo Yi attached himself to Sima Zhao and won his esteem, continuing as Commander of Nanzhong, and was enfeoffed as a full marquis for his merit in quelling rebellions. ^c:4156

Signature Scenes

* Remonstrating with the Heir Apparent Liu Xuan: While serving as Companion to the Heir Apparent Liu Xuan, faced with Liu Xuan's love of riding and archery and his lack of restraint in coming and going, Huo Yi cited ancient precedent and remonstrated to the full; his words were earnest and accorded well with the spirit of mutual cultivation. This scene displays Huo Yi's uprightness as a minister and his sense of responsibility toward the imperial house. ^c:4156
* Quelling the Yi and Liao of Yongchang: As Administrator of Yongchang, Huo Yi led an auxiliary force to subdue the Yi and Liao who relied on their rugged terrain and would not submit, beheading their chieftains, destroying their settlements, and bringing peace to the commandery's borders. This embodies his outstanding military ability and his capacity to govern a region. ^c:4156
* Display of loyalty and righteousness at the fall of Shu Han: When Shu Han was annexed by Wei, Huo Yi (written as Huo Ge in the novel), on hearing the news, donned plain mourning garb, faced west, and wailed for three days, refusing to surrender at once and declaring that he would first confirm his lord's safety. This scene is recorded in both history and the novel and is the concentrated embodiment of Huo Yi's loyal character. ^{c:4156 c:15422} His words—"should my lord, by any chance, meet with danger and disgrace, I will resist unto death; what need to weigh slowness or speed!" (in the histories) and "should my lord, by any chance, meet with danger and disgrace, then when the lord is disgraced the minister dies—how could I surrender?" (in the novel)—became the signature declarations of his loyalty.
* Quelling the three southern commanderies: After surrendering to Cao Wei, Huo Yi was ordered to quell the rebellions of the three commanderies of Jiaozhi, Rinan, and Jiuzhen, and for this merit was enfeoffed as a full marquis. This not only continued the military ability he had shown under Shu Han, but also displayed his capacity to go on playing an important role under the Jin. ^c:4156