Li Hui (Three Kingdoms)

Chinese
t=李恢
s=李恢

Li Hui (d. 231) was a minister of the Kingdom of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. In the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Li Hui foresaw the defeat of Liu Zhang, a warlord, so he ended up submitting to Liu Bei, another warlord, and eventual founder of Shu. When Ma Chao came to the aid of Liu Zhang, Li Hui then persuaded Ma Chao to join Liu Bei. Li Hui served under Shu during the Northern and Southern Campaigns led by Zhuge Liang, one of Shu's greatest strategists. In reality, however, Li Hui was not satisfied with Liu Zhang's reign and despite Liu Zhang's repeated requests, Li Hui had refused to serve in his government and remained as a civilian. After Liu Bei had became the local ruler, Zhuge Liang invited Li Hui to serve under Liu Bei, and since Li Hui admired both Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, he agreed and was assigned important post in Liu Bei's regime.

During Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign, Li Hui was assigned to attack Jianning (建寧) from Pingyi (平夷) by marching southwest in the central front, while Ma Zhong lead a bigger army in the eastern front, and the main force at the right front was personally lead by Zhuge Liang himself. Li Hui's army, however, became surrounded in Kunming by the rebel forces twice his numbers, and didn't know of Zhuge Liang's whereabouts to ask for reinforcements for sometime. Knowing the important effort of tying down the enemy to prevent them from reinforce other rebels in the eastern and western fronts, Li Hui not only successfully held out at Kunming, but also actively engaged in striking the rebels constantly, so the enemy was unable to divert their force to reinfroce other two fronts. Li Hui finally learned the news of rebels' defeat at the other two fronts so he pretended to eager to gain a better deal with the enemy by claiming that he was ready to coorporate with the rebels, saying his supplies had ran out and couldn't return back north and had no choice but to join the rebel and help them to negotiate with Zhuge Liang. When the Nanman people trusted him and lowered their guards, Li Hui struck and defeated the encirclement. Chasing the fleeing rebel all the way to their base, Li Hui then led his men south to Panjiang (槃江), and it was his turn to encircle the surviving rebels. However, because Li Hui's force was the smallest among the three fronts, he was unable to take rebel base and annihilate the enemy until he was joined by Ma Zhong to the east who defeated Zhu Bao in Qielan (且蘭). Finally, the two divergent forces rejoined Zhuge Liang's main army.

To better administer the region after the end of Zhuge Liang's Southern Campaign, the region was divided into four governing regions instead of the original single one, and Li Hui was appointed as the governor of the new governing regions. Li Hui's nephew, Li Qiu (李球), became the Right Commander (Yulin You-bu Du, 羽林右部督) of Imperial Bodyguard for Liu Shan and died in the last battle defending Shu Han with Zhuge Zhan, Huang Chong, Zhang Zun and Zhuge Shang in 263.

ee also

*Three Kingdoms
*Personages of the Three Kingdoms
*"Records of Three Kingdoms"
*"Romance of the Three Kingdoms"