Li Bie

Historical Record

Regarding Li Bie, the official history Records of the Three Kingdoms and its related sources contain no explicit record. Thus his life, his family background, and his relationship to Li Jue are all impossible to verify at the level of historical scholarship. He left no trace in any biographical material, and so no objective account of him can be given from the historical sources.

In the Novel

In Luo Guanzhong's literary narrative of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Bie appears as Li Jue's nephew, his image shaped chiefly around Li Jue's power struggles and final downfall. He first appears in chapter ten, playing the role of an informer. At that time Li Jue's subordinate general Fan Chou had angered Li Jue by privately releasing Han Sui, and it was Li Bie who reported this to his uncle. The book writes: "What no one had guarded against was that Li Jue's nephew Li Bie, seeing Fan Chou let Han Sui go, reported it to his uncle"^[1]. This act led directly to Fan Chou's death: Li Jue adopted Jia Xu's plan, set out a banquet to lure and kill Fan Chou, and consolidated his standing within the Xiliang Army. Li Bie's act of informing, in the novel, highlights the suspicion and cruelty within Li Jue's faction and indirectly advances the plot.

Li Bie's second and final appearance is in chapter fourteen, when Cao Cao campaigned against Li Jue and Guo Si. By then Li Jue and Guo Si were already at the end of their road. In the clash with Cao Cao's army, Li Bie went out to battle the enemy together with another of Li Jue's nephews, Li Xian. Yet faced with the fierce general Xu Chu under Cao Cao's command, the Li brothers showed no power of resistance whatever. Xu Chu charged on horseback into the ranks, and with one blow beheaded Li Xian; Li Bie "was startled and tumbled from his horse, and Xu Chu beheaded him as well, returning to the ranks carrying the two heads"^[2]. This scene depicts the frailty of the Li brothers and the valor of Xu Chu, and also symbolizes the total collapse of Li Jue's faction. Li Bie's two appearances are both tightly bound to the rise and fall of Li Jue's power, and his fate too came to an end with his uncle's downfall. The novel's portrayal of Li Bie is of a minor figure who attached himself to power and perished with it, his image serving more to set off the major characters and advance the plot, with no connection to the historical record.

Key Relationships

* Li Jue (kin_of): In the novel, Li Bie is Li Jue's nephew^[1], and this kinship is the sole basis of his existence. He attached himself to Li Jue and served him, ultimately perishing together with Li Jue's downfall. This relationship is unrecorded in the historical sources and is unique to the novel.

Iconic Scenes

* Informing on Fan Chou's Release of Han Sui: Li Bie reported to Li Jue that Fan Chou had privately released Han Sui, leading directly to Fan Chou being killed by Li Jue's design. This event displays the power struggle and ruthless cruelty within Li Jue's faction and highlights Li Bie's role as Li Jue's confidant, taking part in the workings of his power^[1] (unique to the novel).
* Beheaded Before the Ranks by Xu Chu: In Cao Cao's campaign against Li Jue and Guo Si, Li Bie went out to battle together with Li Xian, only to be instantly beheaded by Xu Chu, the two of them losing their heads. This scene displays Xu Chu's valor and marks the total rout of Li Jue's faction; Li Bie, as his kin, came to his end along with it^[2] (unique to the novel).