Zhang Fei 張飛

Being several years younger than Guan Yu, he treated him as an elder brother. When Liu Bei gathered a following in his home village, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu guarded him and warded off insults, and when Liu Bei became Chancellor of Pingyuan, the two became Majors of Separate Command (biebu sima), each leading part of his troops. Liu Bei treated them like brothers, even sharing a bed with them. Records, Shu 6 §15 · 2

When Liu Bei followed Cao Cao in defeating Lü Bu and returned with him to Xu, Cao Cao appointed Zhang Fei General of the Household (zhonglang jiang). When Cao Cao sent Liu Bei to block Yuan Shu, Dong Zhao remarked that with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei serving as his wings, Liu Bei's true intentions could not be known. Liu Bei turned against Cao Cao and took refuge with Yuan Shao and Liu Biao. As Liu Bei grew closer to Zhuge Liang day by day, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and others were displeased, but they let the matter drop when Liu Bei reassured them: "My having Kongming is like a fish having water." Records, Shu 6 §15Records, Wei 14 §57Records, Shu 5 §8

In the 13th year of Jian'an (208), when Liu Biao died and Cao Cao entered Jing Province, Liu Bei fled toward Jiangnan, and Cao Cao, riding for a day and a night, caught up with him at Changban in Dangyang. Abandoning his wife and children, Liu Bei fled with a few dozen horsemen including Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun, and ordered Zhang Fei to hold the rear with twenty horsemen. Using the river as a barrier, Zhang Fei cut down the bridge, glared, levelled his spear and shouted: "I am Zhang Yide! Come and let us fight to the death!" None of the enemy dared approach, and so they escaped disaster. Records, Wei 1 §103–104Records, Shu 6 §15–16Records, Shu 2 §22

After Liu Bei pacified Jiangnan, Zhang Fei became Grand Administrator of Yidu and General Who Subdues Barbarians (zhenglu jiangjun) and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Xinting; he was later transferred to Nan Commandery. When Liu Bei came to Jing to meet Sun Quan, Zhou Yu submitted a memorial urging that Liu Bei, who had Guan Yu and Zhang Fei as generals like bears and tigers, be moved to Wu and the two men kept apart. Records, Shu 6 §16Records, Wu 9 §19

When Liu Bei, having entered Yi Province, turned to attack Liu Zhang, Zhang Fei went upriver with Zhuge Liang, Zhao Yun and others and pacified Baidi, Jiangzhou and Jiangyang. At Jiangzhou he defeated and captured Yan Yan, Grand Administrator of Ba Commandery, and rebuked him for resisting instead of surrendering. When Yan Yan replied, "In our province there are generals who lose their heads, but no generals who surrender," Zhang Fei in anger ordered him beheaded. When Yan Yan, without changing color, said, "If you would behead me, then behead me. Why get angry?", Zhang Fei admired his spirit, released him and made him an honored guest. Records, Shu 6 §16–17Records, Shu 2 §32

As Zhang Fei advanced from Jing Province by way of Dianjiang, Liu Zhang's officer Zhang Yi tried to stop him at Moxia in Deyang but was defeated. In a letter to Liu Zhang, Fa Zheng wrote that Zhang Yide's army of several tens of thousands had already pacified Badong, entered the borders of Qianwei, and was subduing Zizhong and Deyang by separate routes. Zhang Fei won every battle along his way and joined Liu Bei at Chengdu. When Yi Province was pacified in the 19th year of Jian'an (214), Liu Bei granted Zhuge Liang, Fa Zheng, Zhang Fei and Guan Yu each 500 jin of gold, 1,000 jin of silver, 50 million cash and 1,000 bolts of silk, and had Zhang Fei concurrently serve as Grand Administrator of Baxi. Records, Shu 11 §20Records, Shu 7 §22Records, Shu 6 §18Records, Shu 2 §33

In the 20th year of Jian'an (215), Cao Cao defeated Zhang Lu and left Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He to guard Hanzhong. Zhang He, leading a separate force, came down into Baxi intending to move its people to Hanzhong; he advanced to Dangqu, Mengtou and Dangshi and faced Zhang Fei for more than fifty days. Zhang Fei led over ten thousand picked troops by another road to intercept and engage Zhang He's army; because the mountain roads were narrow, its van and rear could not aid each other, and Zhang Fei at last defeated Zhang He. Zhang He abandoned his horse, climbed the mountains and withdrew to Nanzheng by a byway with some ten of his men, and the land of Ba was secured. The Biography of the First Sovereign records this battle as having been fought at Wakou. Records, Shu 2 §35–36Records, Shu 6 §19

In the 22nd year of Jian'an (217), Liu Bei stationed Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, Wu Lan and others at Xiabian, and Cao Cao sent Cao Hong to oppose them. When Zhang Fei camped at Gushan intending to cut off the rear of Cao Hong's army, Cao Xiu argued that an enemy truly intending to cut the road would have moved in secret, and proposed attacking Wu Lan first. After Cao Hong defeated Wu Lan, in the 3rd month of the 23rd year of Jian'an (218) Zhang Fei and Ma Chao fled to Hanzhong. Records, Wei 1 §156 · 158–160Records, Wei 9 §55–56

In the 24th year of Jian'an (219), when Liu Bei became King of Hanzhong, Zhang Fei was made General of the Right and granted the tally of authority. Everyone named Zhang Fei as the general to guard Hanchuan, and he privately thought so too, but Liu Bei promoted Wei Yan instead. In the 1st year of Zhangwu (221) he was promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry (juji jiangjun), concurrently Colonel-Director of Retainers, and raised to Marquis of Xixiang. The edict of appointment likened his loyalty and resolve to the deeds of Shao Hu. His eldest daughter and her younger sister in turn became empresses of the Later Sovereign. Records, Shu 6 §10 · 20–21Records, Shu 10 §57Records, Shu 4 §13 · 15

Zhang Fei was second only to Guan Yu in grandeur, dignity and valor, and Cheng Yu and others called Guan Yu and Zhang Fei each a match for ten thousand men. Guan Yu treated the common soldiers well but was arrogant toward the gentry, whereas Zhang Fei loved and respected men of quality but showed no care for lesser men. Liu Bei often warned him: "You already put too many men to death by punishment, and every day you flog your stalwart soldiers yet keep them close to you. This is the way to invite disaster." But Zhang Fei did not change. Records, Shu 6 §22

When Liu Bei campaigned against Wu, Zhang Fei was to lead ten thousand troops out from Langzhong and join him at Jiangzhou. As he was about to set out, Zhang Da and Fan Jiang, officers of his own headquarters, killed him and fled downriver with his head to Sun Quan. The Biography of the First Sovereign places this in the 6th month of the 1st year of Zhangwu (221). On hearing that the area commander (dudu) of Zhang Fei's camp had sent up a memorial, Liu Bei said, "Alas! Zhang Fei is dead." The posthumous title Marquis Huan was conferred in the 9th month of the 3rd year of Jingyao (260). His eldest son Zhang Bao died young, and his second son Zhang Shao succeeded him, rising to Palace Attendant and Deputy Director of the Imperial Secretariat; Zhang Bao's son Zhang Zun followed Zhuge Zhan and died fighting Deng Ai at Mianzhu. Records, Shu 6 §22–23Records, Shu 2 §68Records, Shu 3 §38–40

In his assessment Chen Shou called Guan Yu and Zhang Fei both generals who were a match for ten thousand men and tiger-like servants of their age. He said that Zhang Fei's righteous release of Yan Yan showed the bearing of a first-rank man of the realm, but wrote that Zhang Fei was violent and without kindness, and that to bring about one's ruin through one's shortcomings is the natural course of things. Records, Shu 6 §44