Hu Fen 胡奮

On the xinhai day of the 8th month of the 2nd year of Zhengyuan (255), when Jiang Wei, General-in-Chief of Shu, invaded Didao, Wang Jing, Inspector of Yong Province, fought him at Taoxi but was badly defeated and fell back to hold the city of Didao. According to the account of Chen Tai in Records of Wei 22, when Jiang Wei, riding on his victory, besieged Didao, Chen Tai, General Who Conquers the West, stationed himself at Shanggui, divided his forces to hold the strategic points, and pressed forward day and night. When Deng Ai, Hu Fen and Wang Bi also arrived, Chen Tai at once divided his forces into three armies with Deng Ai, Wang Bi and the others and advanced into Longxi. Records, Wei 4 §54 · 57Records, Wei 22 §42 · 44

Deng Ai and the others said that Jiang Wei's army was a blade to be avoided and that they should divide up and hold the passes while watching for an opening, but Chen Tai said that Jiang Wei was being worn down beneath the city walls and his provisions could not keep up, so now was the time to advance quickly and defeat him. Chen Tai crossed the Gaocheng Ridge, advanced in secret, reached a high mountain southeast of Didao at night, lit many beacon fires and sounded drums and horns. When Chen Tai feigned a march by the southern road, Jiang Wei lay in ambush for three days, while Chen Tai's army advanced in secret and emerged to the south. After fighting Jiang Wei, who charged along the mountain, and driving him back, Chen Tai secretly arranged with Wang Jing to head together for Jiang Wei's line of retreat; hearing of this, Jiang Wei and his men fled, and the officers and soldiers inside the city were able to come out. Chen Shou's main text does not separately record what Hu Fen did in this campaign. Records, Wei 22 §44–50

According to the account of Zhuge Dan in Records of Wei 28, when Zhuge Dan rebelled in the 5th month of the 2nd year of Ganlu (257) and shut himself up in the city to defend it, in the 6th month the General-in-Chief Sima Zhao led 260,000 troops from the capital and the provinces to suppress him and surrounded the city on all sides in several rings. In the 1st month of the 3rd year of Ganlu (258), Zhuge Dan and the others tried to break through the siege but failed, and when Zhuge Dan killed Wen Qin, Wen Qin's sons Wen Yang and Wen Hu climbed over the wall and came out to submit to the General-in-Chief. The General-in-Chief pardoned them and had them lead cavalry around the city, calling out to those inside. Records, Wei 28 §34–35 · 37 · 39–41

When the General-in-Chief went to the siege lines in person and advanced his armies from all sides, beating drums and shouting as they scaled the walls, no one in the city dared to move. Zhuge Dan, in desperation, rode out alone at the head of his personal troops and broke out through a small city gate, but the troops of Hu Fen, Major under the General-in-Chief, intercepted him and beheaded him; his head was sent to the capital, and his three sets of kin were exterminated. Records, Wei 28 §41–42

According to the Biographies of the Three Successor Rulers in Records of Wu 3, in the winter of the 3rd year of Tianji (279), Jin sent Sima Zhou, Grand General Who Guards the East, toward Tuzhong; Wang Hun, General Who Pacifies the East, and Zhou Jun, Inspector of Yang Province, toward Niuzhu; Wang Rong, General Who Establishes Might, toward Wuchang; Hu Fen, General Who Pacifies the South, toward Xiakou; and Du Yu, General Who Guards the South, toward Jiangling. It had Wang Jun, General Who Soars Like a Dragon, and Tang Bin, General Who Broadens Martial Might, come east down the Yangtze, and made the Grand Commandant Jia Chong Grand Commander. In the 3rd month of the following year (280), Sun Hao surrendered. Chen Shou's main text does not record what Hu Fen did after advancing toward Xiakou. Records, Wu 3 §74 · 78 · 81–84