Lun Zhi

Historical Record

As for the man Lun Zhi, the official histories contain no clear record. In the Records of the Three Kingdoms and related sources, no account can be found of Lun Zhi's life, deeds, or his relationship with Gongsun Yuan. This means that, from the standpoint of historical verification, Lun Zhi is not a real historical figure—or rather, his deeds were not recorded in the official histories, so no objective account of him can be given on the basis of historical materials.^[1]

In the Novel

Lun Zhi appears in Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms as a military counselor (canjun) of Gongsun Yuan; his image is entirely a product of literary creation, with no clear basis in history. He appears in Chapter 106 of the novel: when Gongsun Yuan, enraged by Jia Fan's blunt remonstrance, is about to have him beheaded, Lun Zhi steps forward in an attempt to stop Gongsun Yuan's brutal act.^[1]

In the novel, Lun Zhi's manner of remonstrance is distinctive. He does not directly plead for Jia Fan, but cites classical authority, opening with "The sages say: 'When a state is about to perish, there must be portents,'" intending to warn Gongsun Yuan. He then enumerates three strange events that have recently occurred within the borders of Liaodong: a dog wearing a headcloth, draped in red clothing, walking upright on a roof like a man; while a villager was cooking, a small child found steamed to death within the rice steamer; and in the northern market of Xiangping the ground caved in to form a pit, from which welled up a lump of flesh having head, face, eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, but no hands or feet. Lun Zhi further cites the words of a diviner's prognostication: "It has form but is not formed, has a mouth but no voice; when the state is to perish and be destroyed, it therefore shows its form." He interprets these strange phenomena as ill omens and earnestly urges Gongsun Yuan that "he ought to avoid the inauspicious and pursue the auspicious, and must not act rashly."^[1]

Lun Zhi's earnest, well-meaning words, however, have no effect, and instead enrage Gongsun Yuan. In a rage, Gongsun Yuan not only refuses to heed the remonstrance but orders Lun Zhi bound together with Jia Fan and beheaded in the marketplace. Lun Zhi's end highlights Gongsun Yuan's obstinacy and cruel inhumanity, and foreshadows the eventual downfall of his regime. His role in the novel is chiefly, through his words and deeds, to further carve out Gongsun Yuan's negative image and to lay the groundwork for the legitimacy of Sima Yi's campaign against Liaodong.^[1]

Key Relationships

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Lun Zhi's core relationship is the lord-and-subject relationship with Gongsun Yuan. As Gongsun Yuan's military counselor, his duty should have been to assist his lord and offer strategy. This relationship, however, ends in tragedy. Lun Zhi's remonstrance with Gongsun Yuan arises from concern for the nation's future and loyalty to his lord; he tries to rouse Gongsun Yuan with superstition and omens, hoping he might "avoid the inauspicious and pursue the auspicious."^[1]

In addition, there is an indirect link between Lun Zhi and Jia Fan. Both are ministers at Gongsun Yuan's side, and both anger Gongsun Yuan by remonstrating frankly, ending in being executed together. Their fates mirror each other, jointly revealing Gongsun Yuan's cruel rule. This "companions in misfortune" ending makes the two together constitute, within the novel, an indictment of Gongsun Yuan's tyranny (unique to the novel).^[1]

Iconic Scenes

Lun Zhi's iconic scene is, beyond doubt, the episode in which he remonstrates with Gongsun Yuan and is finally killed, concentrated in Chapter 106 of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In this scene, Gongsun Yuan, enraged by Jia Fan's blunt words, is about to have him beheaded. Lun Zhi then steps forward and remonstrates with Gongsun Yuan through a series of strange phenomena and a diviner's prophetic words. He cites "The sages say: 'When a state is about to perish, there must be portents,'" as well as the prognostication "It has form but is not formed, has a mouth but no voice; when the state is to perish and be destroyed, it therefore shows its form," attempting to warn Gongsun Yuan on the supernatural plane that the various strange signs within Liaodong's borders portend the state's demise.^[1]

The strange events Lun Zhi describes—"a dog wearing a headcloth, draped in red clothing, walking upright on a roof like a man," "a small child suddenly found steamed to death within the rice steamer," and "the ground suddenly caving in to form a pit, from which welled up a lump of flesh several feet around, complete with head, face, eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, but alone lacking hands and feet, which blade and arrow could not wound"—are all highly vivid and symbolic, meant to create an atmosphere of an impending apocalypse. Gongsun Yuan, however, turns a deaf ear, and instead "in a rage orders his guards to bind Lun Zhi together with Jia Fan and behead them in the marketplace." This scene is not only Lun Zhi's sole appearance in the novel but also the most concentrated embodiment of his character, his fate, and his relationship with Gongsun Yuan, profoundly carving out Gongsun Yuan's cruelty and Lun Zhi's loyal courage (unique to the novel).^[1]