Shi Huan

Historical Record

Shi Huan, courtesy name Gongliu, was a native of Henei. In his youth he was known for his chivalrous daring and had a commanding spirit. When Cao Cao first raised troops, Shi Huan followed him as a retainer and was appointed Colonel of the Central Army ^c:4806. During Cao Cao's campaigns in all directions, Shi Huan was often charged with overseeing the various generals and was deeply trusted and favored by Cao Cao. He later rose to Central Leader of the Army, taking charge of the palace guard troops, and was enfeoffed as a full marquis, renowned together with Han Hao for loyalty and valor ^c:4806.

In the first year of Jian'an (196 CE), Emperor Xian of Han was in Hedong, and General Yang Feng led his troops to Anyi, where he was appointed General Who Pacifies the State and enfeoffed as Marquis of Jinyang. Yang Feng wished to escort the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang, but met with opposition from the various generals. Later Yang Feng, Dong Cheng, Han Xian, and others took the Son of Heaven back to the old capital of Luoyang; because food was scarce, Yang Feng sent out grain to receive him. Upon reaching Luoyang, Yang Feng declared that the Son of Heaven should be shared by all under heaven and that he himself was willing to guard against strong foes abroad, whereupon he returned to Yewang and was appointed Grand Marshal ^c:731. Yang Feng had always been on good terms with Lü Bu. When Cao Cao besieged Lü Bu, Yang Feng tried to come to his rescue but failed, merely sending out troops at the eastern market to make a distant show of support ^c:731.

Later, Yang Feng's subordinate general Yang Chou killed Yang Feng, intending to go over to Cao Cao. However, Yang Feng's trusted lieutenant Sui Gu in turn killed Yang Chou and gathered up his followers, meaning to head north to join Yuan Shao. On hearing this, Cao Cao at once dispatched Shi Huan to intercept him. Shi Huan defeated Sui Gu at Quancheng, beheaded him, and incorporated all of Sui Gu's followers ^c:731.

Shi Huan long held important posts in Cao Cao's army and took part in many important military actions. For example, when Cao Cao planned to campaign against Liucheng, Shi Huan held that the road was long and the penetration deep into enemy territory was not a fully safe course, and wished to remonstrate together with Han Hao. But Han Hao held that Cao Cao's military momentum was strong and that morale should not be dampened, and in the end Shi Huan went on the campaign and took part in the storming of Liucheng ^c:4806. Shi Huan died in the fourteenth year of Jian'an (209 CE), and his son Shi Jing inherited his title ^c:4806.

In the Novel

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Shi Huan's image differs somewhat from the historical fact, and his appearances and deeds are greatly simplified and altered. He first appears in Chapter 19, in an episode basically consistent with the historical account of pursuing Sui Gu ^c:732. In the novel, while Cao Cao was besieging Lü Bu at Xiapi—just as two months passed without taking it—he suddenly heard that the Grand Administrator of Henei, Zhang Yang, had been killed by his subordinate Yang Chou, and that Yang Chou had in turn been killed by Sui Gu, who had fled to Quancheng. Cao Cao thereupon dispatched Shi Huan to pursue and behead Sui Gu ^c:732. This episode accords with the historical record of Shi Huan beheading Sui Gu, but the Romance sets it against the backdrop of Cao Cao's siege of Lü Bu and treats it as an interlude in Cao Cao's deliberations over whether to withdraw.

Shi Huan's end in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, however, differs greatly from the historical fact. In Chapter 31, Shi Huan appears as a subordinate general of Xu Huang and does battle with Yuan Shao's son Yuan Shang. The novel describes Shi Huan leveling his spear and riding out to fight; before three bouts had passed with Yuan Shang, Yuan Shang wheeled his horse and feigned defeat. As Shi Huan gave chase, Yuan Shang nocked an arrow, turned, and loosed it, striking Shi Huan squarely in the left eye, so that Shi Huan at once fell from his horse and died ^c:733. This episode appears nowhere in the official histories; in fact Shi Huan died a natural death in the fourteenth year of Jian'an (209 CE), not in battle ^c:4806. Through this dramatized manner of death, the novel enhances Yuan Shang's image of martial prowess and adds tension to the coming decisive struggle between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao. In the Romance, Shi Huan is portrayed as a loyal and brave but martially inferior general, and his death becomes a loss for Cao Cao's camp in the early phase of the Battle of Guandu.

Key Relationships

* Cao Wei (serves): Shi Huan followed Cao Cao from the time he first raised troops and was deeply trusted by him, long holding important posts such as Colonel of the Central Army and Central Leader of the Army, taking charge of the palace guard—one of the core generals of Cao Cao's camp ^c:4806.
* Sui Gu (enemy_of): Sui Gu killed Yang Feng's subordinate Yang Chou and gathered up his followers, intending to join Yuan Shao. Cao Cao dispatched Shi Huan in pursuit, and Shi Huan defeated and beheaded Sui Gu at Quancheng and incorporated his followers ^c:731.
* Han Hao (colleague): Shi Huan and Han Hao were both generals under Cao Cao renowned for loyalty and valor, both in charge of the palace guard and both full marquises. The two were of similar standing in the army and once discussed military matters together, and Han Hao once urged Shi Huan not to dampen the army's morale ^c:4806.
* Xu Huang (dies_in): In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Shi Huan is described as a subordinate general of Xu Huang and ultimately falls in battle against Yuan Shang ^c:733 (novel only).
* Yuan Shang (killer): In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Shi Huan dies in battle against Yuan Shang, struck in the left eye by one of Yuan Shang's arrows ^c:733 (novel only).

Defining Scenes

* Beheading Sui Gu at Quancheng: This is an important deed recorded in both the historical material and the Romance. After Sui Gu killed Yang Chou and meant to join Yuan Shao, Cao Cao dispatched Shi Huan to intercept him. Shi Huan defeated and beheaded Sui Gu at Quancheng and incorporated his followers, removing a potential threat for Cao Cao ^c:731, ^c:732. This event displays Shi Huan's military ability and Cao Cao's trust in him.
* Remonstrating against the campaign on Liucheng: Shi Huan once objected to Cao Cao's distant campaign on Liucheng, holding that penetrating deep into enemy territory was not a fully safe course, and wished to remonstrate together with Han Hao. Although he failed in the end to dissuade Cao Cao, this episode reflects Shi Huan's caution as a general and his thinking on military strategy ^c:4806.
* Dying by an arrow: In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Shi Huan dies in battle against Yuan Shang, struck in the left eye by one of Yuan Shang's arrows. This scene is the Romance's unique shaping of Shi Huan's fate and the best-known end he meets in the novel ^c:733 (novel only). It is not only Shi Huan's personal tragedy but also serves to set off Yuan Shang's valor and to foreshadow the battles to come.