Luo Xian (died 270),
courtesy name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...
Lingze, was a military general of the
Jin dynasty of China. He previously served in the state of
Shu during the
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...
period. He is best known for defending his position at Yong'an (present-day
Fengjie County
Fengjie County () is a county of Chongqing Municipality, China. It is on the Yangtze River; located within a couple hundreds kilometers upstream from the Three Gorges Dam, it is within the dam's affected area.
The county's most famous geograp ...
,
Chongqing
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...
) for about six months against attacks from Shu's former ally state
Wu after the
fall of Shu.
Early life
Luo Xian's
ancestral home
An ancestral home is the place of origin of one's extended family, particularly the home owned and preserved by the same family for several generations. The term can refer to an individual house or estate, or to a broader geographic area such as a ...
was in
Xiangyang
Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei province, China and the second largest city in Hubei by population. It was known as Xiangfan from 1950 to 2010. The Han River runs through Xiangyang's centre and divides the city no ...
in present-day
Hubei
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
. His father, Luo Meng (羅蒙), left Xiangyang and took shelter in Shu (蜀; present-day
Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
and
Chongqing
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...
) during the chaos towards the
end
End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to:
End
*In mathematics:
** End (category theory)
** End (topology)
**End (graph theory)
** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous)
**End (endomorphism)
*In sports and games
**End (gridiron footbal ...
of the
Eastern Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
. Luo Meng later served as the Administrator of
Guanghan Commandery in the state of
Shu during the
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...
period.
At a young age, Luo Xian was known for being talented in scholarly arts. He could already write essays when he was just 12 years old. He also studied under the tutelage of
Qiao Zhou
Qiao Zhou (199 - 270), courtesy name Yunnan, was an official and scholar of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He previously served under Liu Zhang, the Governor of Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Ch ...
and his fellow students compared him to
Zigong
Zigong (, ), formed by the merger of the two former towns of Ziliujing (Tzuliuching, literally "self-flow well") and Gongjing (Kungching, literally "offering well"), is a prefecture-level city in Sichuan, southwestern China.
Demographics
Accord ...
. When
Liu Xuan was designated as the
Crown Prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
of Shu in 238, Luo Xian was appointed as a close attendant to him and was later reassigned to serve in the personnel department of the imperial secretariat. Some time later, he was commissioned as a Colonel and sent on a diplomatic mission to Shu's ally state
Wu. He received high praise from the Wu officials.
Fall of Shu
When the eunuch
Huang Hao
Huang Hao ( 220s–263) was a Chinese eunuch and politician serving under Liu Shan (), the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of China. Highly favoured by Liu Shan, he was commonly blamed fo ...
rose to power in the Shu government around the 250s, many officials fawned on him in the hope of receiving favours from him. Luo Xian was one of the officials who refused to have any dealings with Huang Hao. As a result, Huang Hao resented him and found an excuse to send him out of
Chengdu
Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...
, the Shu capital, to serve as the Administrator of Badong Commandery (巴東郡; around present-day
Fengjie County
Fengjie County () is a county of Chongqing Municipality, China. It is on the Yangtze River; located within a couple hundreds kilometers upstream from the Three Gorges Dam, it is within the dam's affected area.
The county's most famous geograp ...
,
Chongqing
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...
) near the border between Shu and its ally state
Wu. At the time, as the Shu general Yan Yu (閻宇) was already in charge of guarding Badong Commandery, the Shu emperor
Liu Shan
Liu Shan () (207–271), courtesy name Gongsi, was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. As he ascended the throne at the age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Lia ...
reassigned Luo Xian to be an Army Commandant (領軍) and ordered him to serve as Yan Yu's deputy.
Between September and November 263, when Shu's rival state
Wei
Wei or WEI may refer to:
States
* Wey (state) (衛, 1040–209 BC), Wei in pinyin, but spelled Wey to distinguish from the bigger Wei of the Warring States
* Wei (state) (魏, 403–225 BC), one of the seven major states of the Warring States per ...
launched
a large-scale invasion of Shu, Yan Yu received orders to lead troops from Badong Commandery to defend Shu from the Wei invaders. Luo Xian remained behind in Yong'an (永安; present-day
Fengjie County
Fengjie County () is a county of Chongqing Municipality, China. It is on the Yangtze River; located within a couple hundreds kilometers upstream from the Three Gorges Dam, it is within the dam's affected area.
The county's most famous geograp ...
,
Chongqing
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...
) with only 2,000 troops.
When news of the fall of Chengdu reached Yong'an, there was much unrest and panic among the people. Some of the officials at Yong'an even abandoned their posts and fled. Luo Xian managed to restore order and stability in Yong'an after executing one of the men who spread the news that Chengdu had fallen. After receiving news of Liu Shan's surrender, Luo Xian gathered all his troops and mourned the end of Shu for three days.
Defence of Yong'an
In the meantime, when Shu's ally state
Wu learnt that Shu had fallen to
Wei
Wei or WEI may refer to:
States
* Wey (state) (衛, 1040–209 BC), Wei in pinyin, but spelled Wey to distinguish from the bigger Wei of the Warring States
* Wei (state) (魏, 403–225 BC), one of the seven major states of the Warring States per ...
, they prepared to invade and capture Badong Commandery under the pretext of sending reinforcements to Shu. Upon receiving news of the impending Wu invasion, Luo Xian told his men: "Our dynasty has collapsed. Wu was supposed to be our ally but now, instead of helping us, they break our alliance and seek to seize our territories. As Shu has fallen, Wu won't last long too. Who would want to surrender to Wu?" He then rallied his troops, reminded them of their allegiance to Shu, and strengthened their defences.
In March 264, the Wei general
Zhong Hui
Zhong Hui (225 – 3 March 264), courtesy name Shiji, was a Chinese calligrapher, essayist, military general, and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the younger son of Zhang Changpu with Zhong Y ...
, who took charge of
Chengdu
Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...
following Liu Shan's surrender, started
a rebellion against the Wei regent
Sima Zhao
Sima Zhao () (211 – 6 September 265), courtesy name Zishang, was a Chinese military general, politician, and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China.
Sima Zhao capably maintained control of Wei, which had been ...
. However, the rebellion failed and Zhong Hui was killed by his officers who refused to join him. Upon learning of Zhong Hui's death, the Wu emperor
Sun Xiu
Sun Xiu (235 – 3 September 264), courtesy name Zilie, formally known as Emperor Jing of Wu, was the third emperor of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China.
Early life
Sun Xiu was born in 235 to Wu's founding emper ...
thought that no one was in charge of Shu, so he sent his troops to seize control of the Shu territories. However, the Wu forces led by
Bu Xie encountered strong resistance from Luo Xian and his men at Badong Commandery and could not advance further west into the heartland of Shu.
As the Wu forces rained arrows on Luo Xian's position along the
Yangtze
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...
, Luo Xian feared that he might not be able to hold out for long so he ordered his subordinate Yang Zong (楊宗) to break out of the siege and head north to seek help from the Wei general
Chen Qian. He also surrendered his
tallies and sent his son as a hostage to the Wei regent
Sima Zhao
Sima Zhao () (211 – 6 September 265), courtesy name Zishang, was a Chinese military general, politician, and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China.
Sima Zhao capably maintained control of Wei, which had been ...
to prove his sincerity in seeking help from Wei to counter the Wu invasion. When the Wu forces under Bu Xie's command attacked Yong'an, Luo Xian led his men out of the city to strike back and greatly defeated the enemy's army.
Enraged at the Wu defeat, the Wu emperor Sun Xiu ordered his general
Lu Kang to lead an additional 30,000 troops to reinforce Bu Xie and besiege Yong'an. During the following six months, the city was under constant attack by the Wu forces yet thanks to Luo Xian's staunch defence It was still standing. However there was no sign of Wei reinforcements arriving and more than half of Yong'an's population had fallen sick.
When someone suggested that he break out of the siege and head south towards Zangke Commandery (牂柯郡; covering parts of present-day
Guizhou
Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked province in the southwest region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to t ...
) or head north to Shangyong Commandery (上庸郡; covering parts of present-day northwestern
Hubei
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
), Luo Xian replied: "If you are a leader of people, the masses will look up to you. A ''
junzi
A junzi ( or "Son of the Monarch") is a Chinese philosophical term often translated as "gentleman," "superior person",Sometimes "exemplary person". Paul R. Goldin translates it "noble man" in an attempt to capture both its early political and la ...
'' will try to restore stability in a crisis and not flee in the face of danger. I am prepared to end my life here."
After Chen Qian relayed Luo Xian's call for help to Sima Zhao, the Wei regent ordered the general
Hu Lie
HU or Hu may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Hu Sanniang, a fictional character in the ''Water Margin'', one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature
* Tian Hu, one of the antagonists in the ''Water Margin''
* Hollywood Unde ...
to lead troops from
Jing Province
Jingzhou or Jing Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China referenced in Chinese historical texts such as the ''Tribute of Yu'', '' Erya'' and '' Rites of Zhou''.
Jingzhou became an administrative division during the reign of Empe ...
to help Luo Xian and lift the siege on Yong'an. The Wu forces retreated after seeing that Wei reinforcements had arrived.
Service under the Jin dynasty
The Wei regent
Sima Zhao
Sima Zhao () (211 – 6 September 265), courtesy name Zishang, was a Chinese military general, politician, and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China.
Sima Zhao capably maintained control of Wei, which had been ...
accepted Luo Xian's surrender and ordered him to remain there and continue guarding Yong'an (永安; present-day
Fengjie County
Fengjie County () is a county of Chongqing Municipality, China. It is on the Yangtze River; located within a couple hundreds kilometers upstream from the Three Gorges Dam, it is within the dam's affected area.
The county's most famous geograp ...
,
Chongqing
Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...
). He also appointed Luo Xian as General Who Rises Above the River (淩江將軍), and awarded him the peerage of the Marquis of Wannian Village (萬年亭侯). When four counties in Wuling Commandery (武陵郡; around present-day
Changde
Changde ( ) is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Hunan province, People's Republic of China. In addition to the urban districts, Changde also administers the county-level city of Jinshi City, Jinshi and six counties. Changde is adjacent ...
,
Hunan
Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to ...
) rebelled against
Wu rule, the Wei government appointed Luo Xian as the nominal Administrator of Wuling (武陵太守) and Army Supervisor of Badong (巴東監軍).
In 265, after Sima Zhao's son
Sima Yan (Emperor Wu) usurped the Wei throne and established the
Jin dynasty to replace Wei, he promoted Luo Xian from the status of a village marquis to a county marquis under the title "Marquis of Xi'e County" (西鄂縣侯). The emperor also issued an imperial decree as follows: "(Luo) Xian is loyal, courageous, decisive and resolute. He is talented and capable. He should have a ceremonial guard to accompany him." He also awarded Luo Xian a ceremonial sword made of ''shanxuan'' jade. After Luo Xian's family moved to
Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...
, the Jin imperial capital, Emperor Wu appointed Luo Xian's son Luo Xi (羅襲) as an Official Who Concurrently Serves in the Palace (給事中).
In the winter of 267, Emperor Wu summoned Luo Xian to his imperial court in Luoyang, appointed him as Champion General (冠軍將軍) and granted him acting imperial authority.
In April 268, when Luo Xian attended a banquet hosted by Emperor Wu in Hualin Gardens, the emperor asked him to recommend some talents from among the descendants of former Shu officials. Luo Xian then recommended
Chang Ji (常忌),
Du Zhen,
Shou Liang (壽良),
Chen Shou
Chen Shou (; 233–297), courtesy name Chengzuo (), was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer who lived during the Three Kingdoms period and Jin dynasty of China. Chen Shou is most known for his most celebrated work, the ''Records of the ...
, Gao Gui (高軌),
Lü Ya, Xu Guo (許國),
Fei Gong,
Zhuge Jing
Zhuge Jing (fl. 257-284), courtesy name Zhongsi, was a Chinese military general and politician of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Though originally from Cao Wei, he was sent to Wu as a hostage during the rebellion of his ...
and
Chen Yu. Emperor Wu recruited all of them to serve in the Jin government; these men all put their talents to good use.
After Luo Xian returned to his post at Yong'an, he led his troops to attack and occupy Wu County (巫縣; present-day
Wushan County, Chongqing
Wushan County () is a county located in Chongqing municipality. It occupies roughly and has a population of about 600,000.
The county seat is located at the western entrance to the Wu Gorge in the Three Gorges region. Wushan is famous for its ...
), which was under the control of
Eastern Wu
Wu ( Chinese: 吳; pinyin: ''Wú''; Middle Chinese *''ŋuo'' < : ''*ŋuɑ''), known in h ...
. He then presented a plan to Emperor Wu for the Jin dynasty to conquer Eastern Wu.
Throughout his life, Luo Xian was known for holding himself to high moral standards and being respectful towards
scholar-official
The scholar-officials, also known as literati, scholar-gentlemen or scholar-bureaucrats (), were government officials and prestigious scholars in Chinese society, forming a distinct social class.
Scholar-officials were politicians and governmen ...
s. Although he did not own any private property or enterprises, he was generous with his wealth and did not hesitate to use it to help the poor. He died in 270 and was awarded the posthumous appointment of General Who Stabilises the South (安南將軍) and the
posthumous title
A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments or ...
"Marquis Lie" (烈侯; literally "vehement marquis").
Family
Luo Xian's son, Luo Xi (羅襲), served as General Who Rises Above the River (淩江將軍) and inherited command of his father's troops. He died early, however, and was awarded the posthumous appointment of Administrator of
Guanghan Commandery. Luo Xi's son, Luo Hui (羅徽), served as a clerk under the Prince of Shunyang (順陽王) and was killed by the rebel leader Wang Ru (王如) in 311.
[(襲子徽,順陽內史,永嘉五年為王如所殺。) ''Xiangyang Ji'' annotation in ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 41.]
Luo Xian's nephew,
Luo Shang
Luo Shang (died 310), courtesy name Jingzhi, also called Luo Zhong, courtesy name Jingzhen, was a military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). In 300, the Jin court appointed him the Inspector of Yizhou and sent him to quell the rebellion ...
(羅尚), also served as a general under the
Jin dynasty.
See also
*
Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms
The following are lists of people significant to the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of Chinese history. Their names in Mandarin pinyin are sorted in alphabetical order.
Fictional characters in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of ...
Notes
References
*
Chen, Shou (3rd century). ''
Records of the Three Kingdoms
The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220– ...
'' (''Sanguozhi'').
*
*
Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). ''
Book of Jin
The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, with chancellor Fang X ...
'' (''Jin Shu'').
*
Pei, Songzhi (5th century). ''
Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms
Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms () by Pei Songzhi (372-451) is an annotation completed in the 5th century of the 3rd century historical text ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'', compiled by Chen Shou. After leaving his native land, Pei ...
'' (''Sanguozhi zhu'').
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luo, Xian
Year of birth unknown
270 deaths
Shu Han generals
Jin dynasty (266–420) generals
Three Kingdoms diplomats
Shu Han politicians
Political office-holders in Chongqing
Jin dynasty (266–420) politicians