RNo direct record — estimated from his being an officer under Zhang FeiShu 6 §23
NSurrendered to Wu, but Sun Quan had him bound and handed over to Shu, where he was put to death by slow slicingCh. 81 §38Ch. 83 §30
Zhang Da 張達
Profile
Zhang Da was an officer of the headquarters of Zhang Fei of Shu. He has no biography of his own in the Records; in Chen Shou's main text his name appears once, in the passage on Zhang Fei in the Biographies of Guan, Zhang, Ma, Huang and Zhao (Records of Shu 6). When Liu Bei attacked Wu and Zhang Fei, who was to lead his troops from Langzhong and meet him at Jiangzhou, was about to set out, Zhang Da and Fan Jiang killed Zhang Fei, took his head, and fled downstream to Sun Quan. The Biography of the First Sovereign dates Zhang Fei's being killed by those around him to the 6th month of the 1st year of Zhangwu (221). Records, Shu 6 §22–23Records, Shu 2 §68
Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, his origin, what he did afterwards or his death, and the Records contain no assessment of him. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 81 as a junior officer under Zhang Fei and appears in 2 of its 120 chapters, but he is not named in any chapter title. In Chapter 81, after being flogged for asking for an extension of a deadline, he and Fan Jiang stab Zhang Fei to death as he lies asleep drunk, and in Chapter 83, when Sun Quan has him bound and sent back, he is put to death by slow slicing by the sword of Zhang Fei's son Zhang Bao. Records, Shu 6 §23Romance, Ch. 81 §13–17Romance, Ch. 83 §30–31
In the Records
Zhang Fei was heroic, imposing and fierce, second only to Guan Yu. Guan Yu treated the common soldiers well but was arrogant toward the gentry, while Zhang Fei loved and respected men of quality but had no care for the lowly. The First Sovereign often warned him: 'Your use of punishment and killing is already excessive, and every day you flog and beat your stout soldiers and yet keep them close beside you; this is the way to invite disaster.' But Zhang Fei did not mend his ways. Records, Shu 6 §22
When the First Sovereign attacked Wu, Zhang Fei was to lead ten thousand troops from Langzhong and meet him at Jiangzhou. As he was about to set out, Zhang Da and Fan Jiang, officers of his headquarters, killed Zhang Fei, took his head, and fled downstream to Sun Quan. When the area commander of Zhang Fei's camp sent up a memorial reporting it, the First Sovereign, on hearing that Zhang Fei's area commander had sent a memorial, said, 'Alas! Zhang Fei is dead.' Records, Shu 6 §22–23
The Biography of the First Sovereign records that in the 6th month of the 1st year of Zhangwu (221) the General of Chariots and Cavalry Zhang Fei was killed by those around him, and goes on to record that the First Sovereign, angered by Sun Quan's surprise attack on Guan Yu, led his armies against Wu in the 7th month of autumn that year. Zhang Da's name does not appear in this passage of the Biography of the First Sovereign. Records, Shu 2 §68
This one passage of the Biography of Zhang Fei is the only place where Zhang Da appears in Chen Shou's main text. His courtesy name, his origin, what he did after going over to Sun Quan and his death are not recorded, and he does not appear in Chen Shou's assessment in Records of Shu 6. In that assessment Chen Shou wrote that Zhang Fei was violent and showed no kindness, and that bringing about one's downfall through one's failings is the constant course of principle and fate. Records, Shu 6 §23 · 44
In the Romance
In Chapter 81 of the Romance, Zhang Fei, impatient for revenge, returns to Langzhong and orders white flags and white armor to be prepared within three days so that the three armies can attack Wu in mourning dress. The next day his junior officers Fan Jiang and Zhang Da come into his tent and ask for the deadline to be extended, since there is no way to prepare them at present; Zhang Fei, in a great rage, has the two tied to a tree and given fifty lashes each on the back, and says that if they are not ready by tomorrow he will kill them as an example. Blood pours from both men's mouths. Romance, Ch. 81 §13–14
Back at their camp, when Fan Jiang says that if they cannot finish everything by tomorrow they will both be killed, Zhang Da says, 'Rather than have him kill us, better that we kill him,' and to Fan Jiang, who says they cannot get near him, he says that if they are not fated to die, Zhang Fei will be lying drunk on his bed. That night, when Zhang Fei has drunk with his subordinate officers and lies down in his tent very drunk, the two, around the first watch, with daggers hidden on them, pretend that they have an important secret matter to report and get right up to his bed. Seeing Zhang Fei asleep with his whiskers bristling and his eyes wide open, at first they dare not act, and only when they hear his snoring like thunder do they stab Zhang Fei in the belly with a dagger. Romance, Ch. 81 §14–17
That night the two cut off Zhang Fei's head and flee to Eastern Wu with several dozen men, and the next day the army gives chase but cannot catch them. Zhang Fei's eldest son Zhang Bao comes to the First Sovereign and reports in tears: 'Fan Jiang and Zhang Da have killed my father and fled to Wu with his head!' The two present Zhang Fei's head to the Marquis of Wu and give a detailed account of what happened, and Sun Quan takes them in. Romance, Ch. 81 §19 · 23 · 38
In Chapter 83, the First Sovereign, attacking Wu in the 2nd year of Zhangwu (222), kills Lord Guan's enemies and offers them in sacrifice, and to Zhang Bao, who weeps and asks when his father's enemies will be avenged, he says that he will surely capture the two traitors for him. When Sun Quan grows fearful, Bu Zhi says that of those the ruler of Shu hates, only Fan Jiang and Zhang Da are in Eastern Wu, and proposes capturing the two and sending them back together with Zhang Fei's head to seek peace. Sun Quan puts Zhang Fei's head in a box of aloeswood, has Fan Jiang and Zhang Da bound and locked in a cage cart, and has Cheng Bing take a letter of state to Xiaoting. Romance, Ch. 83 §10 · 28–30
The First Sovereign raises both hands to his forehead and says, 'This is a gift from Heaven, and also the work of my third brother's spirit!', and has Zhang Bao set up a spirit tablet for Zhang Fei. Zhang Bao himself takes a sharp blade and puts Fan Jiang and Zhang Da to death by slow slicing, ten thousand cuts, as a sacrifice to his father's spirit. Even when the sacrifice is over, the First Sovereign's anger does not subside, and he does not accept peace. Romance, Ch. 83 §31–33
Where the Romance differs
Why they killed him: In Chapter 81 of the Romance, Fan Jiang and Zhang Da, flogged for asking for an extension of the deadline for the white flags and white armor, kill Zhang Fei for fear that they will die if the deadline passes. The Biography of Zhang Fei in the Records says only that Zhang Da and Fan Jiang, officers of his headquarters, killed Zhang Fei as he was about to set out, without stating the reason; before that passage stands the First Sovereign's warning to Zhang Fei that flogging his stout soldiers every day while keeping them close beside him was the way to invite disaster. Romance, Ch. 81 §13–15Records, Shu 6 §22–23
How they killed him: In Chapter 81 of the Romance, they stab Zhang Fei in the belly with a dagger as he lies asleep drunk, cut off his head and flee to Eastern Wu with several dozen men. The Biography of Zhang Fei in the Records records only that they killed Zhang Fei, took his head and fled downstream to Sun Quan, and does not record how they killed him or who went with them. Romance, Ch. 81 §17 · 19Records, Shu 6 §23
Who reported it: In Chapter 81 of the Romance, Zhang Fei's subordinate officer Wu Ban first sends up a memorial, and the eldest son Zhang Bao comes to the First Sovereign in person and reports it, naming Fan Jiang and Zhang Da. In the Biography of Zhang Fei in the Records, the area commander of Zhang Fei's camp sent up a memorial reporting it, and that area commander's name is not recorded. Romance, Ch. 81 §19 · 23Records, Shu 6 §23
Fate: In Chapter 83 of the Romance, Sun Quan, seeking peace, has the two bound and sent back together with Zhang Fei's head, and Zhang Bao puts them to death by slow slicing. In the Records, the account of Zhang Da ends with his flight to Sun Quan, and the Biography of Zhang Fei records that the eldest son Zhang Bao died young and the second son Zhang Shao became heir. Romance, Ch. 83 §30–31Records, Shu 6 §23
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
Records total318 / 1000Rank 965 of 996 · Top 97%Romance total296 / 1000Rank 1,073 of 1,113 · Top 97%
Romance adaptation index−22Romance total − Records total
- LEA3533−2
- STR4542−3
- INT3540+5
- POL3131±0
- CHA3130−1
- VIR85−3
- ADP4022−18
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3131±0
- DIS3131±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
9 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his being an officer under Zhang FeiShu 6 §23
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a junior officerCh. 81 §13
RNo direct record — estimated from his being an officer under Zhang FeiShu 6 §23
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a junior officerCh. 81 §13
RNo direct record — estimated from his being an officer under Zhang FeiShu 6 §23
NWhen they could not meet the deadline, was the first to plot killing Zhang FeiCh. 81 §15
RNo direct record — estimated from his being an officer under Zhang FeiShu 6 §23
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a junior officerCh. 81 §13
RNo direct record — estimated from his being an officer under Zhang FeiShu 6 §23
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a junior officerCh. 81 §13
RAs an officer of his headquarters, killed his commander Zhang Fei and fled with his headShu 6 §23
NKilled his commander Zhang Fei and presented his head to WuCh. 81 §15Ch. 81 §38
RNo direct record — estimated from his being an officer under Zhang FeiShu 6 §23
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a junior officerCh. 81 §13
RNo direct record — estimated from his being an officer under Zhang FeiShu 6 §23
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a junior officerCh. 81 §13
RNo direct record — estimated from his being an officer under Zhang FeiShu 6 §23
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a junior officerCh. 81 §13
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (2)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history Changed allegiance 1 times
Related events (1)
- Liu Bei Catches His Enemies at Xiaoting 222 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).