Gongsun Xiu

Historical Record

Gongsun Xiu is not clearly recorded in biographical material. There is no direct description or mention in the official histories of his existence or specific deeds. Thus, from the standpoint of the historical record, Gongsun Xiu is a figure lacking source support. His image is known chiefly through literary works, especially the characterization in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

In the Novel

In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Gongsun Xiu is the son of Gongsun Yuan, the autonomous warlord of Liaodong. He first appears in Chapter 106 of the novel, when Sima Yi led a great army to campaign against Gongsun Yuan^[1]. At that time, Gongsun Yuan was besieged by the Wei army at Xiangping, his situation desperate. In a bid for a sliver of survival, Gongsun Yuan sent the Palace Attendant Wei Yan to the Wei camp to sue Sima Yi for peace, offering to send Gongsun Xiu as hostage in exchange for Sima Yi's withdrawal. Sima Yi, however, knew Gongsun Yuan's cunning and disdained Wei Yan's plea for peace, rejecting Gongsun Yuan's request with the words: "There are five essentials in military affairs: if you can fight, then fight; if you cannot fight, then defend; if you cannot defend, then flee; if you cannot flee, then surrender; if you cannot surrender, then die. Why must you send your son as hostage?" and dismissed Wei Yan to report back^[1].

After Wei Yan reported back, Gongsun Yuan was struck with terror, knowing there was no hope of peace. He then secretly deliberated with his son Gongsun Xiu and decided to break out by night. Father and son selected a thousand men and horses and, at the second watch that night, opened the south gate, attempting to flee toward the southeast^[1]. Sima Yi, however, had long anticipated this move. When Gongsun Yuan and his son had gone less than ten li, they ran into the ambush Sima Yi had laid. Sima Yi led the main army in person, together with his sons Sima Shi and Sima Zhao, to block the path of Gongsun Yuan and his son. The Wei generals Hu Zun, Xiahou Ba, Xiahou Wei, Zhang Hu, Yue Chen, and others closed in from all sides, hemming in Gongsun Yuan and his son with no way out^[1].

Faced with the encirclement of the Wei army, Gongsun Yuan and his son had nowhere to flee and at last had to dismount and surrender. From his horse, Sima Yi looked round at his generals and remarked that two nights before, on the bingyin day, he had seen a great star fall in this place, and tonight, on the renshen day, it was fulfilled, foretelling Gongsun Yuan's end. Sima Yi then ordered Gongsun Yuan and his son beheaded face to face as a public example. Gongsun Xiu was thus executed together with his father, ending his brief and tragic life^[1]. In the novel, Gongsun Xiu's image is chiefly that of an adjunct to Gongsun Yuan, his fate tightly bound to his father's as they go together to destruction.

Key Relationships

* Gongsun Yuan (kin_of): Gongsun Xiu was the son of Gongsun Yuan. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Gongsun Xiu's fate is tightly bound to that of his father Gongsun Yuan; he is offered up as a hostage and in the end is beheaded together with his father by Sima Yi^[1] (novel only).

Iconic Scenes

* Offered as hostage and refused: When Xiangping was besieged, Gongsun Yuan tried to sue Sima Yi for peace by sending Wei Yan, offering to send Gongsun Xiu as hostage in exchange for the Wei army's withdrawal. Sima Yi, however, saw through Gongsun Yuan's stalling stratagem and sternly rejected the proposal, retorting "Why must you send your son as hostage?" to Wei Yan, showing his resolve and his contempt for Gongsun Yuan^[1] (novel only).
* Father and son break out together and are captured: After all hope of peace was lost, Gongsun Yuan and his son Gongsun Xiu secretly plotted to break out and flee by night. They selected a thousand men and horses and went out of the south gate. Sima Yi, however, had long perceived their intent and laid an ambush. Gongsun Yuan and his son were surrounded on the march by Sima Yi, Sima Shi, Sima Zhao, and other Wei generals, and were finally forced to dismount and surrender^[1] (novel only).
* Father and son executed face to face: After Gongsun Yuan and his son were captured, Sima Yi ordered them beheaded face to face as a public example. Gongsun Xiu was thus executed together with his father Gongsun Yuan, ending their lives. This scene marked the utter destruction of Gongsun Yuan's autonomous power and displayed Sima Yi's decisiveness and ruthlessness in military matters^[1] (novel only).