Peng Yang

Historical Record

Peng Yang, courtesy name Yongnian, was a man of Guanghan, eight chi in height, with a most imposing appearance ^c:1942. He was arrogant by nature and treated many with disdain, respecting only his fellow commandery man Qin Zichi. Peng Yang once recommended Qin Zichi to the Grand Administrator Xu Jing ^c:1942.

Peng Yang held office in Yi Province, at first only as a clerk (shuzuo). Later, because he was slandered by many before the Governor Liu Zhang, Liu Zhang had him shaved, collared, and made a convict laborer ^c:1943.

In the summer of the nineteenth year of Jian'an (214 CE), Liu Bei broke Luocheng and besieged Chengdu for several dozen days, after which Liu Zhang came out and surrendered ^c:5436. After Liu Bei took control of Yi Province, he widely recruited talent, and Peng Yang was among them. When Liu Bei entered Shu, Peng Yang wished to offer him counsel and so went to call on Pang Tong. Pang Tong did not know Peng Yang, and there were guests present at the time, yet Peng Yang went straight up onto Pang Tong's couch and lay down, saying to Pang Tong, "Wait until the guests have left, and then I shall have a good talk with you." After Pang Tong's guests had dispersed, Pang Tong came to Peng Yang's seat, but Peng Yang first reproached Pang Tong for not preparing food and drink, and only then conversed with him. Peng Yang stayed several days at Pang Tong's place ^c:1943.

Pang Tong greatly admired Peng Yang, and Fa Zheng had long known him as well; the two therefore jointly recommended Peng Yang to Liu Bei. Liu Bei also regarded Peng Yang as extraordinary and repeatedly had him convey military orders and direct the generals; each time Peng Yang carried out his charge to satisfaction, and Liu Bei's esteem for him grew by the day. After Chengdu was pacified, Liu Bei took the post of Governor of Yi Province and promoted Peng Yang to Attendant Officer of the Headquarters (zhizhong congshi) ^c:1943.

Having risen in a single morning from a man on foot to a position above the people of the province, Peng Yang became overbearing in manner, and his self-satisfaction grew ever more severe. Although Zhuge Liang treated Peng Yang with courtesy on the surface, he did not like him at heart. Zhuge Liang repeatedly remonstrated with Liu Bei in secret, saying that Peng Yang was ambitious and grand in aspiration and hard to keep secure. Liu Bei, both respecting and trusting Zhuge Liang and having perceived Peng Yang's conduct, therefore gradually distanced himself from him and demoted Peng Yang to Grand Administrator of Jiangyang ^c:1943.

When Peng Yang learned that he was to be sent away, he was very displeased at heart and so went to call on Ma Chao. Ma Chao asked Peng Yang, "With your outstanding talent and the lord's high regard for you, I had thought you would rank alongside Kongming and Xiaozhi; how is it that you are being sent out as administrator of a small commandery, falling short of people's expectations?" Peng Yang replied, "The old soldier is muddled and perverse; what more is there to say!" (Here "old soldier" refers to Liu Bei as an old trooper, carrying a derogatory tone ^c:1945.) Peng Yang further said to Ma Chao, "With you on the outside and me on the inside, would the realm not be enough to settle?" Ma Chao, sojourning in a foreign land and constantly in fear and dread, was greatly alarmed to hear Peng Yang's words and made no reply. After Peng Yang left, Ma Chao at once memorialized to denounce his words, whereupon Liu Bei had Peng Yang arrested and imprisoned and handed over to the authorities ^c:1945. In the end, Peng Yang was put to death at the age of thirty-seven ^c:5440.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Peng Yang's image is given more dramatic flair. When he first appears, Pang Tong was at his lodging when a gatekeeper reported that a guest had come to call. Pang Tong went out to receive him and saw Peng Yang, eight chi tall, of most imposing appearance, his hair cut short and hanging over his neck, his clothing none too neat. Peng Yang did not answer Pang Tong's questions but went straight up into the hall and lay supine on the couch ^c:1946. Only after Pang Tong asked again and again did Peng Yang say, "Hold a moment; I shall tell you of the great affairs of the realm." Pang Tong grew suspicious and ordered wine and food prepared; Peng Yang rose and ate, without the slightest show of modesty, and after eating fell asleep again. Suspecting him to be a spy, Pang Tong invited Fa Zheng to come and identify him ^c:1946.

When Fa Zheng arrived, he recognized this man as none other than Peng Yang and introduced him to Pang Tong, saying, "This gentleman is a man of Guanghan, surnamed Peng, named Yang, courtesy name Yongyan, a hero of Shu. Because his blunt words offended Liu Zhang, he was collared by Liu Zhang and made a convict laborer, and hence his short hair." (This passage adds to the reason for Peng Yang being shaved and collared by Liu Zhang and explains his short-haired image ^c:1947.) Peng Yang then offered counsel to Liu Bei, pointing out that the waters of the Fu River could be released to attack the enemy, and warned Liu Bei, "The Gang star is in the west and Venus presides over this place; there is bound to be an inauspicious event—you must be cautious" ^c:1947. Liu Bei therefore appointed Peng Yang as an adviser-guest and adopted his advice, having Huang Zhong and Wei Yan strengthen their defenses.

In the novel, Peng Yang's end also differs from the historical record, being portrayed as a fatal disaster brought on by drunken loose talk. Liu Bei wished to send Liu Feng to garrison Mianzhu; Peng Yang, on close terms with Meng Da, hearing of this, hurried home to write a letter and dispatched a trusted man to ride and inform Meng Da. The messenger had just left the South Gate when he was seized by Ma Chao's patrol troops. After Ma Chao learned of the matter, he went to Peng Yang's place to sound him out with words. Peng Yang, drunk, cursed Liu Bei in hatred as "the old soldier, muddled and perverse—I shall surely repay him!" When Ma Chao further probed his meaning, Peng Yang said, "If you raise the troops of your own command and join with Meng Da from without, while I lead the Sichuan troops as the inside response, the great enterprise may be achieved." Ma Chao feigned agreement, but the next day reported Peng Yang's words and letter together to Liu Bei. Liu Bei flew into a rage and had Peng Yang thrown into prison and interrogated under torture. Zhuge Liang then advised, "Though Yang is a wild fellow, keeping him long will surely breed disaster." Liu Bei therefore had Peng Yang put to death in prison ^c:1949. In the novel, Peng Yang's private friendship with Meng Da and his attempt to incite Ma Chao to rebel are both literary creations with no clear basis in the histories.

Key Relationships

* Liu Zhang's faction (serves): Peng Yang once served in Yi Province, but because he was slandered by many, Liu Zhang shaved and collared him and made him a convict laborer ^c:1943. In the novel, the reason Peng Yang was collared by Liu Zhang was that "his blunt words offended Liu Zhang" ^c:1947.
* Liu Bei's faction (defected_to): After Liu Bei entered Shu, Peng Yang, recommended by Pang Tong and Fa Zheng, won Liu Bei's regard and was appointed Attendant Officer of the Headquarters ^c:1943. However, because of his arrogance and conceit, he was ultimately distanced by Liu Bei and put to death ^c:1943.
* Qin Mi (friend_of): Peng Yang respected only his fellow commandery man Qin Zichi (Qin Mi) and once recommended him to the Grand Administrator Xu Jing ^c:1942.
* Pang Tong (friend_of): When Liu Bei entered Shu, Peng Yang took the initiative to call on Pang Tong and won his admiration and recommendation ^c:1943. In the novel, Pang Tong's first impression of Peng Yang was complex, but in the end he too acknowledged his talent ^c:1946.
* Fa Zheng (friend_of): Fa Zheng had long known Peng Yang and, together with Pang Tong, recommended him to Liu Bei ^c:1943. In the novel, Fa Zheng directly recognized Peng Yang and introduced his background to Pang Tong ^c:1947.
* Zhuge Liang (adversary): Zhuge Liang harbored misgivings about Peng Yang, considering him "ambitious and grand in aspiration, hard to keep secure," and repeatedly remonstrated with Liu Bei, ultimately causing Peng Yang to be distanced ^c:1943.
* Ma Chao (betrayer): Resentful at being sent away, Peng Yang poured out his discontent with Liu Bei to Ma Chao and tried to incite him to rebel. Ma Chao, however, reported Peng Yang's words to Liu Bei, leading to Peng Yang's arrest ^c:1945.
* Meng Da (friend_of, novel only): In the novel, Peng Yang was on close terms with Meng Da and once tried to write a letter to inform Meng Da of Liu Bei's movements, intending to join with Meng Da to rise up ^c:1949.

Iconic Scenes

* First Meeting Pang Tong, Lying on the Couch Before the Guests: When Liu Bei entered Shu, Peng Yang went to call on Pang Tong. Pang Tong had guests present, yet Peng Yang went straight up onto Pang Tong's couch and lay down, saying, "When the guests have left, I shall have a good talk with you." After Pang Tong's guests dispersed, Peng Yang again first reproached Pang Tong for not preparing food before conversing with him ^c:1943. This act fully displays Peng Yang's unrestrained arrogance and disregard for trifles, rendered with even greater dramatic flair in the novel ^c:1946.
* Demoted to Jiangyang, Cursing Liu Bei in Anger: Distanced by Liu Bei and sent out as Grand Administrator of Jiangyang, Peng Yang was deeply displeased. He went to call on Ma Chao, and under Ma Chao's probing, Peng Yang spoke wildly, calling Liu Bei "the old soldier, muddled and perverse," and tried to join with Ma Chao to scheme a great enterprise ^c:1945. This scene directly led to Peng Yang's tragic end and profoundly reveals the character flaw of his "arrogant nature and disdain for many."
* Offering Counsel to Liu Bei, Attacking the Fu River with Water (novel only): In the novel, when Peng Yang first met Liu Bei, he offered the counsel of releasing the waters of the Fu River to attack the enemy and warned Liu Bei to take heed of "the Gang star in the west and Venus presiding over this place, portending an inauspicious event" ^c:1947. This episode displays Peng Yang's military talent and knowledge of astronomy and lent help to Liu Bei's military operations, but there is no record of it in the histories.
* Remorse in Prison, Kongming's Counsel (novel only): In the novel, after Peng Yang was arrested and imprisoned for his drunken loose talk, he was filled with remorse. When Liu Bei asked Zhuge Liang how to deal with him, Zhuge Liang held that "though Yang is a wild fellow, keeping him long will surely breed disaster," ultimately prompting Liu Bei to put Peng Yang to death ^c:1949. This scene highlights Zhuge Liang's important role in Liu Bei's decisions and adds a fatalistic coloring to Peng Yang's death.