Han Sui

Han Sui
Name:	Han Sui
Game:	Total War: Three Kingdoms
Culture:	Han
Starting Faction:	The Han Clan of Liang
Faction Leader:	Yes
Style Name:	Wenyue
Title:	General Who Conquers the West,
Class:	Sentinel
Legendary:	Yes

Han Sui is a character in the Total War: Three Kingdoms grand campaign.

Historical Background

From Jincheng Commandery in Liang, Han Sui was a clerk in the local commandery administration. His father was called to the capitol to serve his time as a cadet in the imperial civil service and Han Sui eventually went there himself as part of a routine report delegation, meeting another cadet named Cao Cao whom he became friends with. He briefly served in the Yellow Turban Rebellion as an adviser to General in Chief He Jin and used that opportunity to push He Jin to act against the eunuchs. He Jin did not, and Han Sui returned to Jincheng. In 184 CE, groups of Qiang bandits joined with a larger mutiny of Qiang and Yuezhi soldiers of the Auxiliary of Loyal Barbarians from Huangzhong, starting the Liang Province Rebellion. Many Han officials were killed, but others joined the rebels, as did Han Sui, either out of fear or genuine disgust at the state of the empire.

The rebellion gained traction and eventually destroyed the armies sent to subdue them due to mismanagement and political interference from the eunuchs in Luoyang. Another Han officer named Ma Teng joined the rebellion as well and he and Han Sui eventually became major leaders. Eventually, the rebellion attempted to take Chencang and break through to the western capitol of Chang'an, but was finally defeated and scattered by Huangfu Song and Dong Zhuo. Han Sui survived this, helped Ma Teng depose the rebellion leadership, and set himself up as an independent warlord in Jincheng. The Han forces never pushed their success, since the political firestorm in Luoyang catapulted Dong Zhuo into power, and he eventually bribed Han Sui and Ma Teng with titles to fight for him. Both men fought against the coalition, but after Dong Zhuo's assassination and some sort of dispute with Li Jue a couple years later, they formed a new alliance with Liu Yan and attempted to take Chang'an from Dong Zhuo's colonels, only to be defeated by Li Jue, Guo Si, and Fan Chou. Han Sui convinced Fan Chou not to pursue them and he and Ma Teng retreated to Liang.

The colonels eventually splintered and dispersed, leaving Han Sui and Ma Teng as the strongest factions west of the passes. At a certain point, Cao Cao's officer Zhong Yao allied with them to secure the area around Luoyang from the agents of Yuan Shao, and for this, Han Sui's title of General Who Conquers the West was restored. Then, he and Ma Teng started fighting over Liang. Han Sui's officer Yan Xing nearly killed Ma Teng's eldest son Ma Chao, and at some point, Ma Teng's wife and several children were killed by Han Sui. The fighting was inconclusive however, and Cao Cao had Zhong Yao broker peace between them. Ma Teng requested and was allowed to serve in Ye to get away from Han Sui, leaving Ma Chao in charge of his army.

Cao Cao's proclamation of a campaign against Zhang Lu of Hanzhong worried Han Sui, since the route would take Cao Cao's army through his territory. Ma Chao convinced him to join him in resisting Cao Cao. In 211 CE, they opposed Cao Cao at Tong Pass, but Cao Cao flanked their army by crossing the Yellow River twice and the Wei river once, all while under attack. The warlords attempted to leverage their strength through negotiations, but Cao Cao used his friendship with Han Sui to sow disunity, publicly chatting with him about old times and sending a visibly edited letter that was intercepted. The negotiations bought Cao Cao time to arrange his army and the Liang warlords were defeated at Huayin.

Han Sui fled west, but Cao Cao did not pursue him. He instead left Xiahou Yuan to deal with Liang province. Despite vigorous resistance, Xiahou Yuan began crushing the Liang warlords that survived Huayin. Han Sui eventually became one of the last independent powers in the northwest, holding on to some territory in Hanyang Commandery, where he built a force out of the Qiang and Di people to oppose Xiahou Yuan. However, Xiahou Yuan successfully drew him out and crushed him, forcing him to retreat all the way to his home of Jincheng with what he had left. At this point, he had a falling-out with Yan Xing, who defected to Cao Cao. Han Sui died soon thereafter, in 215 CE, at the age of 70. His remaining subordinates cut off his head and gave it to Cao Cao as a token of their surrender.

Start Location

Han Sui starts as the faction leader of The Han Clan of Liang, in Jincheng Commandery.

Start Overview

Background:

Traits:

Guanxi

Han Sui starts as friends with his old comrade, Ma Teng

Total War: Three Kingdoms Portal

On the forum: Three Kingdoms Discussion | Three Kingdoms Review | Three Kingdoms Mods | Mod Workshop