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Hua Xiong

The Tragic Backdrop of "Slaying Hua Xiong While the Wine Was Warm"

Masters of the Iconic Scene · Small Roles, Famous Names

ValorA Novelistic Sacrifice

Who they are

A fierce general under Dong Zhuo who cut down several coalition generals during the campaign against Dong Zhuo and was formidable for a time, until Guan Yu slew him "in the time it took wine to cool" before Hulao Pass — but this household-famous scene is a reassignment by the Romance: the Records of the Three Kingdoms clearly states that the one who killed Hua Xiong was in fact the Jiangdong tiger Sun Jian, with no connection to Guan Yu. Hua Xiong was in the histories an ordinary fierce general, made by the novel’s artistry into a "backdrop" to set off Guan Yu’s valor.

Primary sourcesLuo Guanzhong, Romance of the Three Kingdoms ("slaying Hua Xiong while the wine was warm" is a novel invention; in the histories the slayer was Sun Jian)

Key stories

A Feat Given to the Wrong Man

In the Romance, Hua Xiong cuts down several coalition generals and swaggers unchecked, until Guan Yu volunteers to fight; Cao Cao warms a cup of wine to see him off, Guan Yu says "pour the wine and set it down — I shall be back directly," and returns moments later with Hua Xiong’s head, the wine still faintly warm. This "slaying Hua Xiong while the wine was warm" is one of the book’s most classic scenes. But open Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms and you find the man who truly slew Hua Xiong was Sun Jian, the deed unconnected to Guan Yu — a re-creation by Luo Guanzhong to build Guan Yu’s image of valor.

Relationships

Serves

👹Dong Zhuo

Slain by

⚔️Guan Yu　Novel invention: in the histories, actually killed by Sun Jian

Echoes today

Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.

"Slaying Hua Xiong while the wine was warm"One of the novel’s most famous scenes, often used online as a prime example of the difference between the novel and the histories.

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