Mother of Taishi Ci

Historical Record

The Mother of Taishi Ci has no clear record in the official historical material. The histories of the Three Kingdoms period, such as the Records of the Three Kingdoms and Pei Songzhi's commentary, do not mention Taishi Ci's mother, nor is there any record of her life, deeds, or words. Therefore, everything concerning the Mother of Taishi Ci belongs to the realm of literary creation rather than historical fact.

In the Novel

In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Mother of Taishi Ci is a female figure of noble virtue and a spirit of repaying kindness. Her first appearance displays her deep gratitude toward Kong Rong. When Taishi Ci returned home from Liaodong to visit his family and learned that Kong Rong, the Grand Administrator of Beihai, had been besieged by the Yellow Turban bandits, the Mother of Taishi Ci immediately bade her son go to the rescue. She said to Taishi Ci, "We have repeatedly received the prefect's deep kindness; you ought to go to his rescue."^[1] These words not only show her remembrance of Kong Rong's kindness but also display her, as a mother, encouraging and supporting her son's chivalrous, righteous deeds. It was precisely because of his mother's words that Taishi Ci charged single-handedly into the enemy ranks to rescue Kong Rong. The novel also explains that although Kong Rong had never met Taishi Ci, because Taishi Ci was away and his aged mother lived twenty li outside the city, Kong Rong often sent men to deliver grain and silk to her, and the Mother of Taishi Ci therefore was grateful for Kong Rong's kindness. This episode provides a reasonable motive for the conduct of the Mother of Taishi Ci and also shapes the image of Kong Rong as benevolent and caring toward the people.

The second appearance of the Mother of Taishi Ci comes after Kong Rong has met with Liu Bei and discussed rescuing Tao Qian. By this time the siege of Beihai had been lifted, and Taishi Ci took leave of Kong Rong, indicating that he would go to Liu Yao, the Inspector of Yang Province. Kong Rong wished to reward him with gold and silk, but Taishi Ci would not accept. When Taishi Ci returned home, his mother, seeing him, said joyfully, "I am glad you have a way to repay Beihai!"^[2] These words again emphasize the Mother of Taishi Ci's character of repaying kindness; she was glad that her son could repay Kong Rong, rather than caring about material reward. She then sent Taishi Ci off to Yang Province. Through these two passages, the image of the Mother of Taishi Ci comes vividly to life: she is not only Taishi Ci's birth mother but also the one who enlightened and put into practice his moral outlook, and her words and deeds profoundly influenced Taishi Ci's loyal, righteous conduct. In the novel, though the Mother of Taishi Ci appears only a few times and has but two lines, her image is nonetheless quite vivid, and she is an important figure advancing Taishi Ci's storyline.

Key Relationships

* Kong Rong (friend_of): Between the Mother of Taishi Ci and Kong Rong existed a deep relationship of kindness and obligation. While Taishi Ci was away, Kong Rong often sent men to deliver grain and silk to the Mother of Taishi Ci, providing for her livelihood. The Mother of Taishi Ci was therefore grateful to Kong Rong and kept this kindness in her heart. When Kong Rong was besieged by the Yellow Turban bandits, it was precisely out of gratitude toward Kong Rong that the Mother of Taishi Ci sent her son Taishi Ci to the rescue^[1]. This relationship is the key driving force behind Taishi Ci's appearance and his aid to Kong Rong, embodying the moral duty and friendship of human relations in ancient society. This relationship is entirely a literary creation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, unrecorded in history.

Signature Scenes

* Sending Taishi Ci to rescue Kong Rong: The most signature scene of the Mother of Taishi Ci is, without doubt, her charge to her son Taishi Ci at home upon learning that Kong Rong had been besieged. She said to Taishi Ci, "We have repeatedly received the prefect's deep kindness; you ought to go to his rescue."^[1] These words directly brought about Taishi Ci's heroic feat of rescuing Kong Rong single-handedly, and also displayed the Mother of Taishi Ci's character of repaying kindness and her deep grasp of righteousness. This scene is not only the prelude to Taishi Ci's appearance but also the core episode shaping the image of the Mother of Taishi Ci, highlighting her important role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This scene is novel only.