Pang Xi

Historical Record

Pang Xi, whose dates of birth and death are unknown, played an important role during the rule of Yi Province by Liu Yan and his son Liu Zhang. At first he was on no ordinary terms with Liu Zhang—he even came to the aid of Liu Zhang's sons when they faced peril—and therefore won Liu Zhang's deep trust and esteem^[1]. After Liu Zhang succeeded as Governor of Yi Province, he fell out with Zhang Lu, who held Hanzhong. Zhang Lu's retainers were largely in Baxi Commandery, and to ward off Zhang Lu's harassment, Liu Zhang appointed Pang Xi Grand Administrator of Baxi and ordered him to command troops in defense against Zhang Lu^[1]. However, Pang Xi repeatedly sent troops to attack Zhang Lu, only to suffer defeat again and again. During this period, because Pang Xi deeply enjoyed Liu Zhang's trust and had relieved the peril of Liu Zhang's sons, he received generous treatment from Liu Zhang and was able to monopolize power^[1].

Yet the good times did not last; the bond between Pang Xi and Liu Zhang ultimately developed a rift, and their relationship grew distant. This was inseparable from the turbulent internal situation of Yi Province at the time. Liu Zhang, Governor of Yi Province, was lenient and soft in character and lacked authority and strategy, so that the "Dongzhou troops" under his rule (an army composed of the tens of thousands of refugee households who had streamed into Yi Province from Nanyang and the Three Adjuncts region) frequently harassed the old inhabitants of Yi Province, and Liu Zhang was powerless to stop them. His governance was often deficient, leaving the people of Yi Province much aggrieved^[1]. Against this backdrop, Zhao Wei, who had always commanded popular support, seized the chance to incite the people's grievances and plotted rebellion. He secretly made contact with Jing Province and allied with the great clans of Yi Province, jointly raising troops to strike back at Liu Zhang. The commanderies of Shu, Guanghan, and Jianwei all responded to Zhao Wei in turn. Facing the rebellion, Liu Zhang was forced to fall back and hold Chengdu. At this point the "Dongzhou troops," out of fear (or out of gratitude for Liu Zhang's favor), joined Liu Zhang with one heart and fought to the death, finally defeating the rebels and attacking Zhao Wei at Jiangzhou. Zhao Wei's subordinate generals Pang Le and Li Yi turned their spears around and killed Zhao Wei^[1]. It was precisely in this complex political environment that the relationship between Pang Xi and Liu Zhang too moved toward rupture. The historical materials record that Liu Zhang, lacking clear judgment, was often swayed by outside talk, leading to a situation in which he was forsaken by all^[1].

After Liu Bei took control of Yi Province, Pang Xi submitted to him. In 219 CE, when Liu Bei proclaimed himself King of Hanzhong, Pang Xi, in his capacity as Major of the Encampment, joined Ma Chao, Xu Jing, She Yuan, Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, Fa Zheng, Li Yan, and a hundred and twenty other civil and military officials in a joint memorial urging Liu Bei to become King of Hanzhong^[2]. This memorial set forth in detail the reasonableness and necessity of Liu Bei's assuming the kingship, pointing out that the House of Han was in decline, Cao Cao had usurped power, and the realm was in great chaos, while Liu Bei, as a kinsman of the Han royal house, had the ability to pacify the troubled age and guard the altars of state. They requested that Liu Bei, following the old institutions, be enfeoffed as King of Hanzhong, appointed Grand Marshal, command the Six Armies, rally the allies, and sweep away the wicked and rebellious^[2]. This shows that Pang Xi still held a place within Liu Bei's faction and took part in important political activities.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Pang Xi's image basically accords with the historical facts, but he is given relatively little ink, concentrated mainly in the Liu Zhang period. In the novel, Pang Xi first appears in Chapter 59, where it is described that Liu Zhang, succeeding his father Liu Yan, and having a blood feud with Zhang Lu over the killing of his mother, dispatched Pang Xi to serve as Grand Administrator of Baxi to ward off Zhang Lu's incursions^[3]. This accords with the historical record of Pang Xi being appointed Grand Administrator of Baxi to resist Zhang Lu. However, the novel does not go deeply into the details of the rupture of the bond between Pang Xi and Liu Zhang, nor does it mention his monopolizing of power or his relation to Zhao Wei's rebellion; this part of the history is simplified or omitted.

Pang Xi's second appearance in the novel is in Chapter 65, when Liu Bei, having seized Yi Province, grandly enfeoffed his civil and military officials. At this point Pang Xi was appointed "Major in the Encampment"^[4]. This appointment accords with the historical record of Pang Xi serving as "Major of the Encampment" when Liu Bei proclaimed himself King of Hanzhong^[2]. By listing the large number of surrendered and former-subordinate officials and their rewards, the novel displays the growth of Liu Bei's faction and its comprehensive control of Yi Province. That Pang Xi, as a former subordinate of Liu Zhang, could obtain a post in the new regime also reflects, from the side, Liu Bei's strategy of absorbing the gentry of Yi Province. The novel's depiction of Pang Xi is more as a member of Liu Zhang's faction and as one of the civil officials incorporated after Liu Bei's entry into Shu; his individual character and specific deeds are not fully developed, serving mainly to advance the plot and display the change of regime.

Key Relationships

* Liu Yan: The relationship between Pang Xi and Liu Yan is not directly mentioned in the historical materials, but as a confidant of Liu Zhang he should already have held office in Yi Province during Liu Yan's rule.
* Liu Zhang's faction: Pang Xi was an important confidant of Liu Zhang, who won Liu Zhang's deep trust by coming to the aid of Liu Zhang's sons in their peril^[1]. He was appointed Grand Administrator of Baxi, charged with warding off Zhang Lu, and for a time monopolized power^[1]. In the later period, however, his relationship with Liu Zhang grew distant, and the bond ruptured^[1].
* Zhang Lu: As Grand Administrator of Baxi, Pang Xi's main duty was to defend against and attack Zhang Lu, but he failed repeatedly^[1].
* Zhao Wei: The historical materials record that when Zhao Wei rebelled, the bond between Pang Xi and Liu Zhang had already developed misgivings, but Pang Xi did not directly take part in Zhao Wei's rebellion or its suppression.
* Liu Bei's faction: After Liu Bei took control of Yi Province, Pang Xi submitted, and in his capacity as Major of the Encampment joined the other important civil and military officials in a memorial urging Liu Bei to become King of Hanzhong^[2]. In the novel, he was likewise appointed Major in the Encampment by Liu Bei^[4].

Signature Scenes

* Appointed Grand Administrator of Baxi, warding off Zhang Lu: Because Liu Zhang had fallen out with Zhang Lu, he appointed Pang Xi Grand Administrator of Baxi to command troops in defense against Zhang Lu. This was Pang Xi's most important military duty within Liu Zhang's faction, and the beginning of his monopolizing of power^[1]. In the novel, this appointment is likewise reflected^[3].
* Urging Liu Bei to become King of Hanzhong: After Liu Bei seized Yi Province, Pang Xi submitted and, in his capacity as Major of the Encampment, joined Ma Chao, Xu Jing, Zhuge Liang, and a hundred and twenty other civil and military officials in a joint memorial urging Liu Bei to become King of Hanzhong. This event marked Pang Xi's formal integration into Liu Bei's faction and his participation in an important historical moment of the establishment of Liu Bei's regime^[2]. The novel too records Pang Xi being enfeoffed by Liu Bei as Major in the Encampment^[4].
* The rupture of his bond with Liu Zhang: The historical materials record that the bond between Pang Xi and Liu Zhang developed misgivings in the later period and ruptured, related to the political turmoil within Yi Province and Liu Zhang's failures of governance^[1]. This scene is not depicted in detail in the novel and belongs to the historical record alone.