| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 胡氏, 胡氏, Hú Shì |
| Nickname | Hu Yueying (胡玥英, Hồ Nguyệt Anh); Lady of Dignified Virtue (威德夫人) |
| Other name | Hồ thị, Hồ Nguyệt Anh, Uy Đức phu nhân |
| INFORMATION | |
| Birth Place | Xiezhou, Hedong Commandery (河东郡解县; huyện Giải, quận Hà Đông, Sơn Tây, Trung Quốc) |
| Death Reason | Not recorded in surviving chronicles |
| FAMILY | |
| Father | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | |
| Relatives | |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Eastern Han; Shu Han (household) |
| Battles |
|
Biography & Historical Record
Lady Hu (胡氏, Hồ thị), traditionally recorded as Hu Yueying (胡玥英, Hồ Nguyệt Anh), was the primary wife of Guan Yu (关羽, Quan Vũ) in regional gazetteers, temple epigraphy, and Guan-clan genealogical traditions centered on Xiezhou in Hedong. She was the daughter of the literatus Hu Bin (胡斌, Hồ Bân), a scholarly gentleman of Xie County. Chen Shou’s Sanguozhi does not name Guan Yu’s spouse, but later local records and the Records of Guan Marquis Ancestral Tombs treat Lady Hu as the mother of Guan Ping (关平, Quan Bình) and Guan Xing (关兴, Quan Hưng).
She married Guan Yu in his youth before the Yellow Turban Rebellion of 184 AD, shared his early hardships, and managed the household while he wandered with Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị) and Zhang Fei (张飞, Trương Phi). When Guan Yu served in Jingzhou and later Shu, Lady Hu is said to have relocated with the family to Chengdu. Song Emperor Huizong posthumously ennobled her as Lady of Dignified Virtue (威德夫人, Uy Đức phu nhân), enshrining her in Guan Yu temples nationwide.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Not a speaking character in standard ROTK: Luo Guanzhong’s novel rarely names Guan Yu’s wife. Lady Hu appears instead in regional folklore, historical dramas, and temple cults as the steadfast companion who guarded the Guan lineage while her husband fought across China. She should be distinguished from Hu Jinding (胡金定, Hồ Kim Định), the separate folk wife in the Hua Guan Suo Zhuan cycle.
Lady Hu (胡玥英) — Historical & Literary Timeline
Marriage in Xiezhou
Married Guan Yu in Hedong before the Yellow Turban uprising — established the Guan household at Xie County.
Birth of Guan Ping and Guan Xing
Bore Guan Ping and Guan Xing while Guan Yu fought across northern China with Liu Bei.
Jingzhou household
Managed the family during Guan Yu’s Jingzhou tenure — regional tradition places her with the household before his 219 AD defeat.
Posthumous ennoblement
Emperor Huizong enfeoffed her as Lady of Dignified Virtue (威德夫人) in Guan Yu temple cult.
For Guan Yu’s household, see Guan Yu and Guan Yu on Wikipedia.
Key Relationships
Family
- Hu Bin (胡斌, Hồ Bân): Father — Confucian scholar of Xiezhou, Hedong.
- Guan Yu (关羽, Quan Vũ): Husband — Five Tiger General and Marquis of Hanshou.
- Guan Ping (关平, Quan Bình): Eldest son — fought and died with Guan Yu at Maicheng (219 AD).
- Guan Xing (关兴, Quan Hưng): Second son — avenged Guan Yu in the novel’s Wu campaigns.
- Guan Yinping (关银屏, Quan Ngân Bình): Daughter in folk and dramatic genealogies.
- Guan Yi (关毅, Quan Nghị) and Lady Wang (王氏, Vương thị): Guan Yu’s parents — Lady Hu’s parents-in-law in temple records.
Friends
- Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị): Guan Yu’s sworn brother — Lady Hu shared the early wandering household of the brotherhood.
- Lady Mi (糜夫人, Mi phu nhân): Liu Bei’s consort — parallel figure among the founding households of Shu.
Enemies
- Sun Quan (孙权, Tôn Quyền) and Eastern Wu forces: Guan Yu’s 219 AD defeat at Maicheng devastated the family she had raised — Guan Ping died in the same catastrophe.
Other
- Hu Jinding (胡金定, Hồ Kim Định): Separate folk wife in Hua Guan Suo Zhuan — not the same person as Lady Hu Yueying in Xiezhou genealogies.
- Guan Yu temples across China — enshrine Lady Hu as 威德夫人 beside the Martial Saint cult.
In Novel
Standard ROTK (not named)
- Lady Hu / Hu Yueying (胡玥英, Hồ Nguyệt Anh): Guan Yu's wife is not named or quoted in Luo Guanzhong's 120-chapter novel — her profile comes from regional gazetteers, temple epigraphy, and later drama.
Folk and dramatic tradition
- Lady Hu (胡氏, Hồ thị): Celebrated in regional opera as the devoted wife who guarded the hearth while Guan Yu conquered the realm — "a companion in adversity, guarding the hearth while the hero fought."
- Hu Yueying (胡玥英, Hồ Nguyệt Anh): Named in Xiezhou genealogies as mother of Guan Ping (关平, Quan Bình) and Guan Xing (关兴, Quan Hưng) — ties to Chapters 27, 77, and 81 through her sons' novel arcs, not her own dialogue.
In History
Summary
- Lady Hu (胡氏, Hồ thị), also called Hu Yueying, is Guan Yu's traditionally attested wife in Xiezhou genealogies and temple cult — not named in Sanguozhi.
Year: c. 178 AD
- Married Guan Yu in Xie County, Hedong commandery, before the Yellow Turban Rebellion.
Year: Song dynasty
- Posthumously enfeoffed as Lady of Dignified Virtue (威德夫人) by Emperor Huizong.
Historical Record
- Sanguozhi, Shu 6 (关羽传): names Guan Ping as Guan Yu's son — does not name the mother.
- Records of Guan Marquis Ancestral Tombs and Xiezhou epigraphy: identify Lady Hu Yueying as wife and mother of Guan Ping and Guan Xing.
- Classify as genealogical and cultic tradition rather than Chen Shou's primary record.
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