Gao Xiang

Historical Record

Gao Xiang has no clear record in the historical sources; his life, deeds, and official appointments do not appear in the Records of the Three Kingdoms or other official histories. Historical information about Gao Xiang is therefore almost nonexistent, and no historical image of him can be reconstructed from the sources.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Gao Xiang, as a general of Shu Han, repeatedly accompanied Zhuge Liang on the Northern Expeditions and played an important military role, his image shaped chiefly through participation in specific battles and military deployments. He first appears in the novel during Zhuge Liang's First Northern Expedition. At the battle of Tianshui, Zhuge Liang dispatched Zhao Yun to lead troops in ambush and ordered Zhang Yi and Gao Xiang to intercept and cut down the Wei general Ma Zun along a key route, showing his supporting role in military operations ^c:6806.

Gao Xiang's best-known appearance in Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions is the Battle of Jieting. When deploying the defenses at Jieting, Zhuge Liang, mindful of Jieting's importance, not only sent Ma Su and Wang Ping to guard it but also specially arranged for Gao Xiang to lead ten thousand troops to encamp at Liucheng as reinforcement for Jieting, to guard against the unexpected. Zhuge Liang well knew that Gao Xiang was no match for Zhang He, and so also stationed Wei Yan behind Jieting, forming multiple lines of defense ^c:6807. This shows that Zhuge Liang had a certain awareness of Gao Xiang's military capabilities, positioning him as an important supporting force rather than a commander able to stand on his own.

After Jieting fell, Gao Xiang, on hearing the news, immediately led his troops from Liucheng to the rescue, joining up with Wei Yan and Wang Ping. The three discussed a night raid on the Wei camp in an attempt to retake Jieting. Their action, however, did not succeed; instead they fell into a Wei ambush and were surrounded by the Wei general Guo Huai. In the end, Wang Ping arrived in time, rescued Gao Xiang and Wei Yan, and the three together withdrew to Yangping Pass ^c:15643. This passage displays Gao Xiang's active adaptability in adversity and his coordination with his colleagues; though the outcome was unsatisfactory, it also highlights his sense of duty as a general.

During Zhuge Liang's Fourth Northern Expedition, Gao Xiang was again entrusted with an important task. To lure Sima Yi out to battle, Zhuge Liang devised the famous "Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse" stratagem. He ordered Gao Xiang to divide the wooden oxen and flowing horses into small teams loaded with grain and have them travel back and forth along the mountain roads, enticing the Wei army to seize them. Zhuge Liang instructed Gao Xiang that if the Wei troops carried off the grain, the credit would be his ^c:4313. This stratagem not only exploited the convenience of the wooden oxen and flowing horses but also cleverly used Gao Xiang's movements to confuse the enemy, creating conditions for the subsequent military operations. This shows that, in Zhuge Liang's eyes, Gao Xiang was a general who could faithfully carry out orders and serve the larger plan.

Overall, Gao Xiang's image in Romance of the Three Kingdoms is that of a loyal, obedient Shu Han general. Though he shows no especially outstanding personal valor or stratagem, he played an indispensable supporting role in Zhuge Liang's military deployments, particularly during the Northern Expeditions, repeatedly taking part in important military operations and carrying out Zhuge Liang's strategic intentions.

Key Relationships

* Shu Han (serves): Gao Xiang was a general of Shu Han, loyally serving the Shu Han regime and taking part in numerous campaigns of the Northern Expeditions.
* Zhuge Liang (commands_in): Gao Xiang was a general under Zhuge Liang's command, repeatedly receiving Zhuge Liang's orders and carrying out specific military tasks—such as intercepting and cutting down Ma Zun at the battle of Tianshui (novel-only) ^c:6806, serving as reinforcement at the Battle of Jieting (novel-only) ^c:6807, and being responsible for transporting the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse and luring the enemy in the Fourth Northern Expedition (novel-only) ^c:4313.
* Wei Yan, Wang Ping (colleagues): After the Battle of Jieting, Gao Xiang joined Wei Yan and Wang Ping in planning and carrying out a raid on the enemy camp, displaying cooperation among colleagues (novel-only) ^c:15643.

Iconic Scenes

* Ordered to intercept and cut down Ma Zun at the battle of Tianshui: During Zhuge Liang's First Northern Expedition, Gao Xiang was ordered to join Zhang Yi in intercepting and cutting down Ma Zun, the Administrator of Tianshui, along a key route, creating conditions for the Shu Han army's offensive (novel-only) ^c:6806.
* Encamping at Liucheng as reinforcement in the Battle of Jieting: When deploying the defenses of Jieting, Zhuge Liang specially dispatched Gao Xiang to encamp at Liucheng as strategic backup for Jieting, to prepare for any contingency. Though Jieting ultimately fell, Gao Xiang's deployment reflected Zhuge Liang's consideration for the overall battle situation (novel-only) ^c:6807.
* Night raid on the Wei camp with Wei Yan and Wang Ping after the fall of Jieting: After Jieting fell, Gao Xiang came to the rescue on hearing the news and joined Wei Yan and Wang Ping in planning a night attack on the Wei camp in an attempt to retrieve the defeat. Although the action failed, it displayed his active, combative attitude (novel-only) ^c:15643.
* Luring the enemy with the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse in the Fourth Northern Expedition: During Zhuge Liang's Fourth Northern Expedition, Zhuge Liang cleverly used the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse to transport grain and ordered Gao Xiang to drive these transport devices back and forth to entice Sima Yi to come out and fight, serving the subsequent tactical deployment (novel-only) ^c:4313.