knowledge WIKI
People / Places / Events / Organizations / Works / Concepts /
People · literary character
Li Wan, courtesy name Gongcai, is a character in Dream of the Red Chamber and one of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling in the main register. She is the wife of Jia Zhu, the eldest son of Jia Zheng. Widowed young, she raised her posthumous son Jia Lan, was kind and did not interfere much, was called the Great Bodhisattva, and served as head of the Begonia Poetry Club under the name Daoxiang Laonong.
People · literary character
The Black Bear Spirit, also called the Black Wind Demon, is a monster in Journey to the West who lives in a cave on Black Wind Mountain and wields a black-tasseled spear. He steals Tang Sanzang's brocade cassock and clashes with Sun Wukong, and is finally subdued by Sun Wukong and the bodhisattva Guanyin, who takes him on as a guardian of the mountain.
People · literary character
Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun, also called the Great Emperor of Green Splendor of the Eastern Pole, is a Daoist deity who lives in the Miaoyan palace of the Qinghua Changle realm and delivers suffering souls. He is pictured riding a nine-headed lion with a willow branch and purifying water, and appears in Journey to the West.
People · literary character
Jia Fu is a character in Dream of the Red Chamber, the eldest son of Jia Daihua of the Ningguo house and the elder brother of Jia Jing, who the book says died young. He is mentioned in chapter 2 as the eldest of the senior branch of the Ning house.
People · literary character
Ge Ding is a fictional character in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, from Donglai commandery in Qing province, a fellow townsman and subordinate officer of Taishi Ci. Sent by Taishi Ci into Hefei to set a fire, he was found out by Zhang Liao, captured by Li Dian, and beheaded in front of Zhang Liao's horse.
People · – 263 · literary character
Lu Xun (the fictional one) is a character in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a Shu Han guard commander of Nanzheng pass. In chapter 116 he beats back the Wei vanguard under Xu Yi with Zhuge's repeating crossbows and makes Zhong Hui retreat, but is shot dead by Xun Kai while pursuing, and the pass then falls.
People · mythological figure
Tang Sanzang, also called Tang Seng, is a main character of Journey to the West and the master of Sun Wukong, Zhu Wuneng, Sha Wujing and the White Dragon Horse. His prototype is the Tang monk Xuanzang. In the novel he is kind, merciful and firm of will, though sometimes pedantic, and after the pilgrimage is made the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit.
People · literary character
Qiu Ben is a fictional character in Romance of the Three Kingdoms who serves as Deng Ai's army supervisor in Wei's campaign to destroy Shu Han. At Mianzhu he advises Deng Ai to write to Zhuge Zhan urging surrender, and when that is refused, to win by a surprise force instead.
People · literary character
Xia Jingui is the wife of Xue Pan in Dream of the Red Chamber, named for her family's osmanthus groves that supplied the palace. Spoiled by her widowed mother, she was overbearing, and after marrying into the Xue house she grew jealous of Xiangling, set her against Xue Pan and kept the household in uproar. In the Gao E continuation she tries to poison Xiangling and poisons herself instead.
People · mythological figure
The Sun Star Lord is the Daoist god of the sun, named Yuyi, in charge of the sun and also called the Sun Emperor or Lord Sun. Folk belief often blends him with Mahavairocana and the Sunlight Bodhisattva, and in Fujian and Taiwan he is worshipped on the nineteenth of the third month, a date some link to remembrance of the Chongzhen emperor.
People · literary character
Qiao Lie is a character in the novel Water Margin, a native of Jingyuan in Shaanxi. His religious name is Daoqing, so he is also called Qiao Daoqing, and he is known as the Illusion Demon Lord. He commands illusory arts that call wind and rain, serves the rebel Tian Hu, and is subdued by Gongsun Sheng.
People · – 204 · historical figure
Ren Jun (died 204), courtesy name Boda, was a man of Zhongmu in Henan who joined Cao Cao at the end of the Han. He managed arms and grain transport at Guandu and, as director of agricultural colonies, ran the military farming that filled Cao Cao's granaries. He died in the ninth year of Jian'an and was later given the posthumous title Marquis Cheng.
People · – 209 · historical figure
Fu Wan (2nd century – 209) was an Eastern Han man of Dongwu in Langye and the father of Emperor Xian's Empress Fu, holding the title Marquis of Buqi. After Cao Cao took control he handed back his seals, and when his daughter urged him to plot against Cao Cao he did not dare. He died in 209, and five years later the empress was deposed and killed, along with over a hundred of her kin.
People · Chinese source · 199年 · – 279年 · 历史人物
何曾（199年—279年），字颍考，陈国阳夏人，曹魏、西晋重臣。他在魏末任司隶校尉，劝司马炎进位，入晋后官至太宰。《晋书》既称他至孝、闺门整肃，又记他饮食奢侈到“食日万钱”。
People · literary character
Ruhua is the senior maid of Jia Xichun in Dream of the Red Chamber. When the Grand View Garden was searched, items that Jia Zhen had given to her brother were found hidden by her. Xichun, afraid of being implicated, drove her away despite her pleas, and the book never mentions her fate again.
People · Chinese source · – 258年 · 历史人物
全纪（？—258年），扬州吴郡钱塘人，三国末年吴国黄门侍郎，全尚之子。他协助父亲讨伐孙𬘭一族，孙亮被孙𬘭废位时自杀。
People · mythological figure
The Nine-Headed Pheasant Spirit (Jiutou Zhiji Jing) is one of the three demons of the Xuanyuan Mound sent by Nuwa to Zhaoge in Investiture of the Gods. She is a pheasant with nine heads that cultivated itself into a spirit. She enters the palace as Daji's sister Hu Ximei and helps bring about Bi Gan's death. After the Shang fall, Nuwa hands the three over to Jiang Ziya, and she is beheaded.
People · Chinese source · – 286年 · 历史人物
冯𬘘（3世纪—286年），字少胄，安平人，西晋官员。他得晋武帝宠信，与贾充、荀勖亲善，在太子妃将被废时出力保全，又劝武帝遣齐王司马攸回封国，并疏远张华。太康七年病重，任散骑常侍后不久去世。
People · 1086 · – 1142 · historical figure
Liu Guangshi (1086–1142), courtesy name Pingshu, was a general of the early Southern Song from Baoan Army and the second son of Liu Yanqing. He helped put down Fang La, held command posts across the Yangtze and Huai regions after the Song crossed south, and lost his troops in 1137 after Zhang Jun's impeachment. He died aged fifty-four and received the posthumous name Wuxi.
People · Chinese source · 220年 · – 310年 · 历史人物
刘寔（220年—310年），字子真，平原高唐人，曹魏及西晋重臣，官至太傅、太尉。他少年家贫，卖牛衣自给，却好学不倦，精于《春秋》三传，写有《崇让论》。他为人俭朴，享年九十一岁，谥号为元。
People · 582 · – 650 · historical figure
Liu Hongji (582–650), from Chiyang in Yongzhou, was a founding general of the Tang. He ran afoul of the law on the way to the Liaodong campaign at the end of the Sui, then served Li Yuan and Li Shimin at Taiyuan, recruited troops for the uprising and took part in the march on Chang'an. He was made Duke of Kui, died in 650, and was buried beside the Zhao Mausoleum with the posthumous name Xiang.
People · 212 · – 224 · historical figure
Liu Li, courtesy name Fengxiao, was a son of Liu Bei of Shu Han by a concubine and a half-brother of the Later Lord Liu Shan. He was made Prince of Liang in 221, re-enfeoffed as Prince of Anping in 230, and died in the seventh year of Yanxi (244) with the name Prince Dao. Wikidata's structured death year reads 224, but the Records of the Three Kingdoms and Wikidata's own description point to 244.
People · literary character
Si Xingfang is a character in the novel Water Margin, a subordinate of Fang Tianding, the crown prince of the rebel Fang La, and one of the four marshals of the southern realm with the title General Who Protects the State. He holds Hangzhou with Deng Yuanjue, Shi Bao and Li Tianrun, kills Lei Heng of Liangshan at Deqing, and is later defeated by Lu Junyi and Huyan Zhuo and drowns while pursuing across a stream.
People · Chinese source · 161年 · 历史人物
吕常（161年—221年），南阳博望人，曹魏将领，官至横海将军，封西鄂都乡侯。建安二十四年关羽围攻襄阳时，他守城不下。据中文维基百科引述的碑文，他在黄初二年正月病死，享年六十一岁。
People · 470 · – 521 · historical figure
Zhou Xingsi (died 521), courtesy name Zhizuan, was a man of Xiang in Chen commandery and an official and writer of the Liang. He went to the capital to study at thirteen, won Emperor Wu's notice with the Rhapsody on Peace and Rest, and was repeatedly commissioned to write inscriptions and proclamations, including the verse arrangement of one thousand characters from Wang Xizhi's writing, known as the Thousand Character Classic. He died in 521.
People · 235 · – 294 · historical figure
Tang Bin (235–294), courtesy name Ruzong, was a man of Zou in the state of Lu and a general of Cao Wei and Western Jin. He took up bow and horse in youth and the classics later, served as vanguard under Wang Jun in the conquest of Wu, then commanded Youzhou, where he restored the old wall and pushed back the frontier. He died in office as governor of Yongzhou in 294 with the posthumous name Xiang.
People · literary character
Tuxingsun is a disciple of Judge Liusun in Investiture of the Gods, no more than four chi tall, who can travel a thousand li a day underground. Egged on by Shen Gongbao, he steals his master's binding rope, becomes a subordinate of Deng Jiugong, marries Deng Chanyu, and later goes over to the Zhou. At Mianchi he meets Zhang Kui, who is better at underground travel, and is killed, later becoming the Earth Mansion star.
People · literary character
Duobao Daoren (Daoist of Many Treasures) is a senior disciple of the Heavenly Teacher Tongtian in Investiture of the Gods, listed with Jinling Shengmu, Wudang Shengmu and Guiling Shengmu. Tongtian gives him four swords to set up the Zhuxian formation, but Taishang Laojun sweeps him away with a wind-and-fire cushion. His disciple is Huoling Shengmu.
People · mythological figure
Tianhuang Dadi, in full the Supreme Emperor of the Curved Array's Upper Palace, also called the Gouchen Emperor, is one of the Four Sovereigns of Daoism and the lord of the Tianhuang star. He is the eldest son of Doumu Yuanjun and the elder brother of the Ziwei Emperor. He assists the Jade Emperor in ruling heaven, earth and humanity and presides over war, and his Curved Array star is linked to the fortunes of earthly emperors.
People · literary character
Queen Consort Jiang is the first queen of King Zhou of Shang in Investiture of the Gods and the earlier tale of King Wu's Attack on Zhou. She is the daughter of Jiang Huanchu, Lord of the Eastern Marches, and the mother of the crown princes Yin Jiao and Yin Hong. Framed by Daji, she is demoted and put into the cold palace, is restored, and then dies at Daji's hands, afterwards becoming the Taiyin star. The sources give no personal name.
People · literary character
Sun Shaozu is the husband of Jia Yingchun in Dream of the Red Chamber, nicknamed the Wolf of Zhongshan. He is from Datong prefecture in Shanxi, descended from army officers, and was once a protege of the Ning and Rong houses. Coarse and vile, he loves women, gambling and drink, and he abuses Yingchun until she dies. After the Jia family's property is seized, he writes to Jia Zheng demanding money that Jia She owed him.
People · – 271 · historical figure
Meng Zong (died 271), courtesy name Gongwu, was a man of Jiangxia and a senior minister of late Eastern Wu who rose to minister of works. He later changed his name to Meng Ren to avoid a taboo on the courtesy name of Sun Hao, and is the hero of the filial tale of weeping in the bamboo grove that brought forth shoots, in the Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety. He died in the ninth month of 271 and was buried at Wuchang.
People · literary character
Su Yuanjing is a grand commandant of the court in the novel Water Margin, who fits a prophecy of the Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens. Honest, loyal and upright, he strongly favors amnesty for Liangshan. The court sends edicts three times, and only the third, carried by him, succeeds. The Liangshan heroes also rely on his protection whenever they fall into danger.
People · literary character
Ning Sui is a fictional character in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a Shu Han general serving as Jiang Wei's deputy. In the Wei conquest of Shu, the Wei general Zhuge Xu holds the Yinping bridgehead to cut off Jiang Wei's retreat, and Ning Sui proposes striking what the enemy must rescue: Jiang Wei should feign an attack on Yongzhou to draw Zhuge Xu back.
People · literary character
Lin Hongyu is a maid of the Rongguo house in Dream of the Red Chamber. Because her name clashed with those of Daiyu and Baoyu, she came to be called Xiaohong or Hong'er. She is the daughter of Lin Zhixiao, the second steward of the Rong house, begins with rough tasks in Yihong Court, and is later taken by Wang Xifeng to run errands. She and Jia Yun like each other, and the commentary hints that she may play an important part in the lost chapters after the eightieth.
People · literary character
Lady You is the wife of Jia Zhen and the legal mother of Jia Rong in Dream of the Red Chamber, the mistress who runs the Ningguo house, described as a gourd with its mouth sawn off. When her daughter-in-law Qin Keqing died she fell ill and Jia Zhen asked Wang Xifeng of the Rong house to manage the household. She tried hard to stop the marriage of You Erjie but failed. The sources give no personal name.
People · literary character
Wang Jin is the arms instructor of the eight-hundred-thousand imperial guards at Dongjing in the novel Water Margin, skilled in all eighteen weapons and above all in the staff. Having offended the grand commandant Gao Qiu, he flees by night with his mother, teaches and takes Shi Jin as a pupil at the Shi estate, then goes on to Yan'an, after which he does not appear in the book. The Chinese Wikipedia article says a historical person of this name also existed.
People · 1119 · – 1141 · historical figure
Yue Yun (1119–1141), courtesy name Yingxiang, style name Huiqing, was a man of Tangyin in Xiangzhou and the eldest son of the Southern Song general Yue Fei. He joined the army at twelve, led the climb up the walls with two iron mallets in the recovery of the Xiangyang region, and rose to Left Martial Grand Master and defense commissioner of Zhongzhou. After his father was stripped of command in 1141, Qin Gui and Zhang Jun framed him and Zhang Xian, and he was executed with Zhang Xian.
People · 594 · – 632 · historical figure
Zhang Gongjin (594–632), courtesy name Hongshen, was a man of Fanshui in Weizhou and an early Tang general. Before the Xuanwu Gate incident he urged the Prince of Qin to act rather than rely on divination, and during the coup he closed the gate alone against the Crown Prince's troops. As governor of Daizhou he set out six reasons to attack the Eastern Turks, served as Li Jing's deputy, and died in 632 as governor of Xiangzhou with the name Xiang.
People · literary character
Zhang Shao is a character in Investiture of the Gods who sets up the Red Sand formation, one of the Ten Heavenly Lords of Golden Turtle Island. King Wu of Zhou goes in to break it himself and suffers for a hundred days inside before the Southern Pole Immortal rescues him. The Immortal fans away the red sand with the five-fire seven-bird fan, and the White Crane Boy gives Zhang Shao the fatal blow.
People · – 266 · literary character
Zhang Jie is a fictional character in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, an official of Cao Wei who holds the post of attendant gentleman of the yellow gate. When Sima Yan pressed Emperor Yuan of Wei, Cao Huan, to abdicate, he denounced Sima Yan as a usurper and was beaten to death by Sima Yan's soldiers. Wikidata records his death in 266.
People · mythological figure
Juliusun is a mythological figure of Investiture of the Gods and one of the twelve immortals of Kunlun under the Primordial Heavenly Worthy. He lives in the Feiyun cave on Mount Jialong and has Tu Xingsun as his disciple. With his talisman that turns the ground to steel and his immortal-binding rope he breaks Zhao Jiang's formation in the ten-formation battle, and he later becomes the Buddha Juliusun.
People · mythological figure
Cihang Daoren is a character of Investiture of the Gods, corresponding to the Daoist goddess Cihang Zhenren. The novel makes her a disciple of the Primordial Heavenly Worthy, one of the twelve immortals of Kunlun with her own cave on Mount Putuo, who later joins the Western Buddhist teaching. The cited article notes that the novel merges her with the Buddhist Guanyin.
People · mythological figure
Jieyin Daoren is a character of Investiture of the Gods and, with Zhunti Daoren, a head of the Western teaching, whose role is to lead immortals of the Chan and Jie teachings who have a bond with the West to the West. He is sixteen chi tall and wears his hair in a topknot, and his treasures are the sarira, the green-lotus banner, a whisk and the pouch of heaven and earth. In the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation he gathers into the pouch all who share that bond.
People · mythological figure
Dǒumǔ, also written Doumu, is a Daoist goddess and the mother of the stars of the Northern Dipper. Daoist scriptures make her Lady Ziguang, consort of King Zhouyu in the Longhan age, who bears nine sons from golden lotus buds. She is also merged with Marichi and the Queen Mother of the West. Investiture of the Gods calls her Holy Mother Jinling, teacher of Grand Preceptor Wen, and makes her the spirit of the dipper mother of the Kan palace.
People · literary character
Zhong Jin is a fictional character in Romance of the Three Kingdoms who does not appear in the standard histories. He is the younger brother of Zhong Yao, governor of Chang'an, and a commander under Cao Cao in the novel. When Ma Chao attacks Chang'an, he guards the west gate and is cut down by Pang De when he runs to put out a fire at night.
People · mythological figure
Puxian Zhenren is a character of Investiture of the Gods, a disciple of the Primordial Heavenly Worthy and one of the twelve immortals of Kunlun, with his own cave on Mount Jiugong and the disciple Mu Zha. In the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation he subdues Lingya Xian, who reverts to a white elephant and becomes his mount. He later turns to the West and becomes the bodhisattva Puxian.
People · 130 · – 143 · historical figure
Cao E (130 – 143) was a filial daughter of the Eastern Han from Shangyu in Kuaiji. In the second year of Han'an her father Cao Xu drowned in the river during a rite, and his body was not found. At fourteen she wept along the river for seventeen days and then threw herself in. In the first year of Yuanjia the magistrate Du Shang reburied her and set up a stele, and she came to be honored as a water spirit.
People · – 249 · historical figure
Cao Yan (died 249) was a man of Qiao county in the commandery of Qiao, a son of Cao Zhen and younger brother of Cao Shuang in Cao Wei. When Cao Shuang held the regency he made him an attendant at court. In 249 Cao Shuang accompanied Emperor Cao Fang on a visit to the Gaoping tombs and Sima Yi seized power. Cao Yan was dismissed and soon beheaded for treason, with his three clans exterminated.
People · – 249 · historical figure
Cao Xun (died 249) was a man of Qiao county in the commandery of Qiao, a son of Cao Zhen and younger brother of Cao Shuang in Cao Wei, enfeoffed as Marquis of Wansui Pavilion. Cao Shuang made him general of the guards while he held the regency. After the coup at the Gaoping tombs in 249 Cao Shuang and all his brothers were beheaded for treason, and Cao Xun's three clans were exterminated.