Liang Xi

Historical Record

Liang Xi, courtesy name Ziyu, was a man of Zhe county in Chen commandery. He first served as a discipline officer in his commandery, displaying his ability in handling administrative affairs. When Cao Cao was Minister of Works, Liang Xi was recruited as chief of Zhang, and thereafter successively served as magistrate of Chengshi, Haixi, Xiapi, and other counties, becoming known in all these places for his outstanding administrative talent^[1].

Liang Xi later returned to court, first serving as a recording clerk of the Western Bureau and then being promoted to a subordinate official. At that time Bing Province had only just submitted to Cao Wei, but owing to the disorder previously caused by Gao Gan, the Bing Province region faced a grim situation. The Hu and Di harassed the frontier, the local magnate Zhang Xiong ran rampant, and many officials and commoners defected and fled to join the Hu and Di tribes. In addition, some families that held troops took the chance to make trouble, inciting one another and forming separatist powers^[1].

Facing so complex a situation, Liang Xi was appointed Detached Major and concurrently inspector of Bing Province. On taking up office he adopted a series of strategies to stabilize Bing Province. First, by inducement and recruitment, he treated the local magnates with courtesy and won them over, gradually recommending them to posts in his headquarters. Once the magnates had been brought in, he then began to levy able-bodied men and form auxiliary troops (yicong). Moreover, he made use of the occasions when the main army went on campaign to send these auxiliaries as fighting men to serve in the field^[1].

After the officials and soldiers had departed, Liang Xi gradually moved their families to Ye, in all amounting to several tens of thousands of people. Against those forces that would not obey orders, Liang Xi decisively sent troops to punish them, beheading more than a thousand and bringing over ten thousand to surrender. Under his governance the Chanyu professed submission, the noble kings bowed their heads, and their retainers served and rendered duty like registered households. The Bing Province frontier was thereby cleansed, the people lived and worked in peace, actively engaged in farming and sericulture, and government orders passed unobstructed^[1].

Liang Xi performed outstandingly in his post as inspector of Bing Province. Indeed, in the second month of spring in the sixth year after Emperor Ming of Wei, Cao Rui, ascended the throne (227 CE), when Cao Rui sent envoys to tour the region from east of Xuchang as far as Pei commandery, inquiring after the people's hardships and relieving the poor, Liang Xi was just then campaigning against the Xianbei chieftain Kebineng and won a great victory^[2]. The notable men he recommended, such as Chang Lin, all later became prominent in the world^[1].

In the Novel

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms gives no detailed literary portrayal of Liang Xi. Under Luo Guanzhong's brush, Liang Xi scarcely appears; his outstanding administrative achievements and military talent recorded in the histories—such as pacifying the Hu and Di and governing the region in Bing Province, and his great defeat of the Xianbei Kebineng—go unmentioned in the novel. The novel's depiction of Liang Xi thus deviates markedly from the histories; one may say the Romance of the Three Kingdoms handles this important historical figure as one "unattested in the record," leaving him all but invisible in the literary work. This stands in sharp contrast to his standing in the official histories as an important frontier minister of Cao Wei^[1].

Key Relationships

* The Cao Wei regime: Liang Xi was an important official of Cao Wei, serving from Cao Cao's time onward, holding many posts, and finally serving as inspector of Bing Province, making outstanding contributions to Cao Wei's frontier stability and local governance^[1]. The Cao Wei regime he served still relied, in the reign of Emperor Ming Cao Rui, on his military talent on the frontier, as in his victory over the Xianbei Kebineng^[2].
* Cao Cao: Liang Xi's official career began when Cao Cao was Minister of Works, when he was recruited as chief of Zhang, and he later served as magistrate of several counties and as a recording clerk and subordinate official under Cao Cao, forming an important part of Cao Cao's regime^[1].
* Cao Rui: After Emperor Ming of Wei, Cao Rui, ascended the throne, Liang Xi remained a frontier official of Cao Wei, continuing to serve the state and winning a great victory over the Xianbei Kebineng^[2].
* The magnates of Bing Province and the Hu and Di: In Bing Province, Liang Xi established complex governing relationships with the local magnates and the Hu and Di forces. By recruitment, courtesy, and recommendation he brought the magnates into the fold, and by military punishment he pacified those who would not submit, in the end making the Chanyu professedly submissive and the noble kings bow their heads, achieving the cleansing of the frontier^[1].
* Kebineng: Liang Xi once led troops to a great defeat of the Xianbei chieftain Kebineng, one of his important military achievements, embodying his outstanding military command^[2].

Signature Scenes

* Governing Bing Province and stabilizing the frontier: After being appointed inspector of Bing Province, Liang Xi faced the complex situation of a Bing Province left in disorder after Gao Gan—the Hu and Di harassing the frontier, magnates running rampant, and officials and commoners defecting and fleeing. Through a series of measures—inducing and recruiting the magnates, levying able-bodied men as auxiliaries, and moving their families to Ye—he in the end cleansed the Bing Province frontier, brought peace to the people, and made government orders pass unobstructed. This is the most representative achievement of his political career, displaying his outstanding governing talent and far-reaching, subtle stratagems^[1].
* Greatly defeating the Xianbei Kebineng: In the sixth year after Emperor Ming of Wei, Cao Rui, ascended the throne, Liang Xi led troops to campaign against the Xianbei chieftain Kebineng and won a great victory. This military success not only consolidated Cao Wei's northern frontier defense but also further demonstrated Liang Xi's military talent, a notable highlight of his military career^[2].
* Frugal in conduct, recommending notable men: During his service in the provinces, Liang Xi was known for his incorrupt conduct and his esteem for talent. He promoted notable men, not a few of whom later became prominent in the world, such as Chang Lin. This embodies both his ability to recognize and rightly employ men and his character as an upright official who sought no private gain^[1].