| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 全怿, 全懌, Quán Yì |
| Nickname | Marquis of Linxiang, General Who Pacifies the East |
| Other name | Toàn Dực |
| INFORMATION | |
| Birth Place | Qiantang County, Wu Commandery (吴郡钱唐县; huyện Tiền Đường, quận Ngô) |
| Death Reason | Unknown; died of natural causes in Cao Wei / Western Jin after surrendering at the Siege of Shouchun in 257 |
| FAMILY | |
| Father | |
| Mother | |
| Relatives | |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Eastern Wu, Cao Wei |
| Battles | Zhuge Dan's Rebellion, Siege of Shouchun |
Biography of Quan Yi (Wu) and Historical Record
Quan Yi (Wu) was an aristocratic military general, senior division commander, and hereditary nobleman of the Eastern Wu state who later defected to Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms era. Hailing from Qiantang in Wu Commandery, he was the son of Grand Commander Quan Cong and Princess Sun Luban. Inheriting the title of Marquis of Linxiang, he commanded elite familial units and imperial garrisons. Chronicled in Records of the Three Kingdoms by Chen Shou, he played a pivotal role during the Third Huainan Rebellion at Shouchun in 257 AD.
During the uprising, Eastern Wu regent Sun Chen dispatched an expeditionary force under Quan Yi, Quan Duan, and Wen Qin to reinforce Zhuge Dan. Breaking through Sima Zhao’s outer encirclement, they entered Shouchun to reinforce the citadel. However, the prolonged siege led to severe famine and political friction. Capitalizing on familial rifts in Jianye, Sima Zhao and strategist Zhong Hui forged letters claiming that Sun Chen planned to execute the Quan clan. Fearing imminent slaughter, Quan Yi and Quan Duan led several thousand elite soldiers to surrender. The tactical surrender of Quan Yi (Wu) and his frontline garrison delivered a devastating blow to Shouchun’s defense, ensuring Cao Wei’s total victory in 258 AD.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In classical fiction, Quan Yi (Wu) appears prominently during the late campaigns as a frontline commander trapped between autocratic tyranny and psychological warfare.
In Chapters 111 and 112 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Quan Yi leads thirty thousand troops to assist Zhuge Dan. Confronted with forged crossbow letters fabricated by Zhong Hui, he fears Sun Chen’s capricious executions. Believing his family has already been doomed in Jianye, he yields the fortress gates to Sima Zhao. His capitulation shatters the city’s resistance, precipitating the fall of Shouchun and the collapse of the anti-Sima coalition.
Historical Timeline
Relief Expedition to Huainan
Commands the vanguard division of Eastern Wu, piercing Sima Zhao’s perimeter to reinforce Zhuge Dan at Shouchun.
Surrender to Cao Wei
Convinced of Sun Chen’s lethal purges by Zhong Hui’s forged messages, he surrenders alongside thousands of soldiers.
Ennoblement in Cao Wei
Appointed Champion General and confirmed as Marquis of Linxiang, residing peacefully in the Central Plains.
Key Relationships
Family
- Sun Quan: Maternal grandfather; founding Emperor of Eastern Wu.
- Quan Cong: Father; prominent Grand Commander of Eastern Wu.
- Sun Luban: Mother; imperial princess of Eastern Wu.
- Quan Duan: Kinsman; co-commanded the Shouchun expedition and defected alongside him.
Key Figures
- Sima Zhao: Regent of Cao Wei who accepted his surrender and granted him high military honors.
- Zhong Hui: Wei strategist who devised the forged letter stratagem prompting his capitulation.
- Zhuge Dan: Wei general whose rebellion collapsed following the defection of the Wu contingent.
- Sun Chen: Eastern Wu regent whose tyranny precipitated the mass defection of the Quan clan.
In Novel
Chapter 109
- Quan Yi (Wu) (全怿, Toàn Dực): Quan Yi is the same Wu figure represented by the exact Chinese name 全怿. He is a member of the Quan family and becomes involved in the opposition to Sun Chen. After the conspiracy fails, he flees to Wei rather than remain in Wu. The novel's exact Chinese-name occurrence should be mapped to this single character rather than duplicated as two different people.
History
Identity Note
- Quan Yi (Wu) (全怿, Toàn Dực) refers to the same historical name represented by the separate database entry for Quan Yi.
Late Wu Career
- Quan Yi was a member of the influential Quan clan and served as a military officer of Eastern Wu.
- His career unfolded during the final decades of the Wu dynasty, when internal factional conflict and pressure from the northern states weakened the kingdom.
Defection
- During the final campaigns against Wu, Quan Yi and relatives defected to the northern side.
- This event is associated with the final collapse of Wu's political and military resistance.
Classification
- Historical.
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