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Biography & Historical Record
Hou Xie was a military general and civil administrator serving under the warlord Lu Bu during the late Eastern Han dynasty. When Lu Bu seized control of Xu Province (Xu Zhou) from Liu Bei, Hou Xie was appointed as the Chancellor/Grand Administrator of Pengcheng (Pengcheng Xiang), a major strategic commandery located directly west of Lu Bu’s capital city of Xiapi. Pengcheng served as Lu Bu’s primary western shield and vital military portal protecting Xu Province against external invasions from Cao Cao’s forces in Yan Province.
In 198 AD, Cao Cao personally launched a grand eastern expedition to crush Lu Bu’s regime once and for all. Cao Cao’s expeditionary army marched rapidly toward Xu Province, striking Pengcheng first. Hou Xie rallied his garrison troops to make a desperate stand atop the walls of Pengcheng, but Cao Cao’s forces launched a ferocious, overwhelming siege. The defenses were shattered, and Pengcheng fell. Following the capture of the city, Cao Cao ordered a brutal massacre of the local military garrison and populace to demoralize Lu Bu’s remaining forces in Xiapi. Hou Xie was captured alive on the battlefield by Cao Cao’s troops, effectively dismantling Lu Bu’s western defensive perimeter.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Hou Xie appears during Chapters 18 and 19 as a military officer tasked with guarding Lu Bu’s western front. Stationed at Pengcheng, Hou Xie attempts to hold back Cao Cao’s grand expeditionary force advancing from Xuchang. Despite his defensive efforts, Cao Cao’s army overruns Pengcheng, capturing Hou Xie alive and clearing the strategic pathway toward Xiapi, leading directly to the fatal encirclement of Lu Bu at White Melon Tower.
Hou Xie (侯諧) — Literary Timeline
Appointed Defense Commander of Pengcheng
Assigned by Lu Bu to garrison Pengcheng Commandery, guarding the strategic western gateway into Xu Province against Cao Cao’s potential invasion.
Siege of Pengcheng and Capture
Attacked by Cao Cao’s grand expeditionary army at Pengcheng; defeated during the siege and captured alive as Pengcheng falls.
Key Relationships
Family
- No information
Friends
- Lu Bu (吕布, Lữ Bố): Served as a military general and Chancellor of Pengcheng under his command during the late Eastern Han dynasty.
- Chen Gong (陈宫, Trần Cung): Served as a senior strategist in the administration of Lu Bu alongside Hou Xie.
- Gao Shun (高顺, Cao Thuận): A fellow commander in Lu Bu’s military forces responsible for the defense of Xu Province.
- Zhang Liao (张辽, Trương Liêu): A fellow general serving the Lu Bu faction tasked with the defense of the region.
- Zang Ba (臧霸, Tang Bá): A fellow general and regional defender serving under Lu Bu’s banner in Xu Province.
Enemies
- Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo): The warlord who led the 198 AD eastern expedition, personally oversaw the siege of Pengcheng, and captured Hou Xie alive.
- Xiahou Dun (夏侯惇, Hạ Hầu Đôn): A senior vanguard general under Cao Cao who participated in the 198 AD campaign to conquer Xu Province.
- Yu Jin (于禁, Vu Cấm): A senior general under Cao Cao who fought in the 198 AD campaign that resulted in the fall of Pengcheng.
Other
- No information
In Novel
Chapter 12
- Hou Xie (侯谐, Hóu Xié): Hou Xie is associated with Lü Bu’s forces during Cao Cao’s campaign against Lü Bu. The character is a minor figure in the novel and should not be confused with Hou Cheng (侯成), another Lü Bu commander.
In History
Summary
- Hou Xie (侯谐, Hầu Hài) is a minor character associated with the literary tradition surrounding the late Han period.
Historical Record
- The exact identification of Hou Xie as an independent historical figure is not sufficiently established by the standard sources available here. Details should be treated as unverified until the underlying source is confirmed.