RNo direct record — estimated from the record of his tolerating the exactions of those around himWu 10 §56
NBeheaded Mi Heng in his cups and slighted Gan Ning, who had saved his lifeCh. 23 §27Ch. 38 §43
Huang Zu 黃祖
| Occupation | RGeneral · Administrator of Jiangxia | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | R? N? Unverified | Native place | |
| Died | R208 N(same) Unverified | Place of death | |
| Cause of death | RKilled in battle NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R39 |
Profile
Huang Zu was Administrator of Jiangxia under Liu Biao. The Records have no separate biography of him; he appears in the biographies of Sun Jian, Sun Quan, Gan Ning and others. In the 3rd year of Chuping (192), on Liu Biao's orders, he met Sun Jian in battle; Sun Jian besieged Xiangyang but was killed at Mount Xian by an arrow shot by Huang Zu's soldiers. Records, Wu 1 §21Records, Wu 6 §27
After that he was attacked repeatedly by Sun Ce and Sun Quan, and in the spring of the 13th year of Jian'an (208) he lost his city to Sun Quan, fled with nothing but his life, and was beheaded by the pursuing cavalryman Feng Ze. Records, Wu 2 §3 · 7 · 10–11
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 7 as Liu Biao's vanguard and appears in 7 of its 120 chapters; no chapter bears his name in its title. In Chapter 7 he is captured by Huang Gai and released in exchange for Sun Jian's body, in Chapter 23 he beheads Mi Heng, and in Chapter 39 he is killed by Gan Ning's arrow. Romance, Ch. 7 §28–29 · 44–45Romance, Ch. 8 §2Romance, Ch. 23 §27–28Romance, Ch. 39 §2
In the Records
In the 3rd year of Chuping (192), when Yuan Shu had Sun Jian attack Liu Biao in Jing Province, Liu Biao sent Huang Zu to meet him in battle between Fan and Deng. Sun Jian defeated Huang Zu, crossed the Han River and besieged Xiangyang, but while riding alone past Mount Xian he was killed by an arrow shot by Huang Zu's soldiers. Records, Wu 1 §21
In the 4th year of Jian'an (199), after defeating Liu Xun, Administrator of Lujiang, Sun Ce advanced to Shaxian and attacked Huang Zu, Administrator of Jiangxia. Sun Quan, Sun Ben, Cheng Pu, Han Dang, Dong Xi and others took part in this battle. Xu Kun too later joined a campaign against Huang Zu and was killed by a stray arrow. Records, Wu 2 §3Records, Wu 6 §27Records, Wu 10 §4 · 16 · 46Records, Wu 5 §12
When Sun Quan took charge of the government, he made Xu Sheng acting Chief of Chaisang to hold off Huang Zu. Huang Zu's son Huang She came down the river with several thousand men and attacked Xu Sheng, but was routed by Xu Sheng's force of fewer than 200, with more than a thousand of his men wounded. In the 8th year of Jian'an (203) Sun Quan attacked Huang Zu to the west and broke his navy, but could not take the city and returned when the mountain bandits rose again. Ling Tong's father Ling Cao, following Sun Quan in the attack on Jiangxia, entered Xiakou, broke the vanguard at the head of the attack, and advanced alone in a light boat, where he was killed by a stray arrow. Records, Wu 10 §81 · 70Records, Wu 2 §7
In the 11th year of Jian'an (206), Huang Zu sent his commander Deng Long with several thousand troops into Chaisang, but Zhou Yu pursued and attacked him, captured Deng Long and sent him to Wu. The following year Sun Quan again attacked Huang Zu to the west, carried off his people as captives and returned. According to the Biography of Wu Fan, when Sun Quan was about to attack Huang Zu, Wu Fan said that this year held little advantage and it would be better to wait until the next year; Sun Quan attacked anyway but in the end could not win. Records, Wu 9 §8Records, Wu 2 §10Records, Wu 18 §3
Gan Ning had taken refuge with Liu Biao but, not being employed, moved to Huang Zu, who also treated him as an ordinary man. After coming over to Wu, Gan Ning advised Sun Quan to take Huang Zu first, saying that Huang Zu was now old and badly senile, short of wealth and grain, that those around him deceived him and cared only for gain so that his officials and soldiers resented him, and that he neglected his ships and implements of war so that his army had no discipline. Lu Su too had earlier told Sun Quan to destroy Huang Zu and then go on to attack Liu Biao. Records, Wu 10 §54–56Records, Wu 9 §38
In the spring of the 13th year of Jian'an (208) Sun Quan again attacked Huang Zu. Huang Zu set two mengchong warships across the river to guard Miankou, anchoring them with stones tied to palm-fiber ropes, and a thousand men on board shot crossbows in crossing volleys so that the Wu army could not advance. Dong Xi and Ling Tong led picked men who would fight to the death, boarded the mengchong from large boats, and when Dong Xi cut the two ropes with his sword, the main army advanced. Huang Zu had his Area Commander Chen Jiu lead the navy against them, but Lü Meng cut off Chen Jiu's head. Records, Wu 2 §11Records, Wu 10 §49Records, Wu 9 §58–59
On hearing that Chen Jiu was dead, Huang Zu abandoned the city and fled with nothing but his life. The Biography of Sun Quan records that the cavalryman Feng Ze pursued him, cut off his head and displayed it; the Biography of Dong Xi says the soldiers pursued and cut him down, and the Biographies of Lü Meng and Wu Fan say he was pursued and captured. In the Biography of Wu Fan, when Huang Zu fled under cover of night, Wu Fan said he could not have gone far and would surely be captured, and around the fifth watch he was indeed seized. Sun Quan took tens of thousands of men and women captive, and the Biography of Gan Ning records that he absorbed all of Huang Zu's soldiers and followers. After Huang Zu's death, Liu Biao's eldest son Liu Qi became Administrator of Jiangxia. Records, Wu 2 §11Records, Wu 10 §50 · 57Records, Wu 9 §59Records, Wu 18 §3Records, Shu 5 §10
In the Romance
In Chapter 7 of the Romance, when Sun Jian comes to attack Liu Biao, Liu Biao, following Kuai Liang's advice, has Huang Zu lead the troops of Jiangxia as the vanguard. Huang Zu hides archers and crossbowmen along the riverbank and showers arrows on the enemy, but Sun Jian sends his boats back and forth for three days to make him use up his arrows, then shoots the gathered arrows back at him, and Huang Zu abandons Fancheng and flees to Dengcheng. He draws up his army in the open field and reviles Sun Jian as 'a rat of a bandit from Jiangdong', but loses his commanders Zhang Hu and Chen Sheng and, abandoning his helmet and horse, flees mingled among the foot soldiers. Romance, Ch. 7 §28–29 · 32–35
After Sun Jian falls into Lü Gong's ambush at Mount Xian and is killed, Huang Zu sallies out of the city with Kuai Yue and Cai Mao but is captured by Huang Gai in fewer than two bouts. Kuai Liang proposes sacrificing the witless Huang Zu to win Jiangdong, but Liu Biao says he cannot abandon Huang Zu, with whom he shares his inmost thoughts, and decides to exchange Huang Zu for Sun Jian's body; in Chapter 8 Sun Ce sends Huang Zu back. Romance, Ch. 7 §43–46Romance, Ch. 8 §1–2
In Chapter 18, when Liu Biao sets out to cut off Cao Cao's retreat, he has Huang Zu guard the strategic points. In Chapter 23, drinking with Mi Heng, whom Liu Biao has sent to Jiangxia, Huang Zu asks what Mi Heng thinks of him; when Mi Heng replies, 'You are like a god in a shrine, who receives sacrifices but has no power to answer them,' Huang Zu flies into a rage and beheads him. Romance, Ch. 18 §5Romance, Ch. 23 §22 · 27–28
In Chapter 38, in the 11th month of the 8th year of Jian'an (203), Sun Quan attacks Huang Zu and they fight on the great river; Huang Zu's army is beaten, but an arrow shot by Gan Ning, a subordinate commander of Huang Zu, kills Sun Quan's subordinate commander Ling Cao, and Sun Quan withdraws. Huang Zu does not give Gan Ning an important post, calling him 'a bandit who robbed on the river', and Gan Ning, who surrenders to Wu in the spring of the 13th year of Jian'an, advises Sun Quan to attack the old and foolish Huang Zu first. Romance, Ch. 38 §30 · 39 · 42–47
Huang Zu makes Su Fei his senior commander and Chen Jiu and Deng Long his vanguard and blocks Miankou with mengchong warships bound together with thick cables. But Gan Ning cuts the cables and kills Deng Long, Lü Meng cuts down Chen Jiu, and Su Fei is captured by Pan Zhang. In Chapter 39, fleeing toward Jingzhou after abandoning Xiakou, Huang Zu encounters Gan Ning lying in ambush outside the east gate and says, 'I never treated you lightly in the past,' but Gan Ning, fearing others would contest the credit, shoots him in the back; he falls from his horse and his head is cut off. Sun Quan intends to offer his head, together with Su Fei's, before his father's spirit. Liu Bei says that Huang Zu brought this disaster on himself because he was fierce by nature and did not know how to employ men. Romance, Ch. 38 §48–50Romance, Ch. 39 §1–4 · 12
Where the Romance differs
Sun Jian's death: In Chapter 7 of the Romance, Sun Jian falls into Lü Gong's ambush at Mount Xian and is killed by stones and arrows. In the Biography of Sun Jian in the Records, Sun Jian was killed by an arrow shot by Huang Zu's soldiers while riding alone past Mount Xian. Lü Gong does not appear in Chen Shou's main text. Romance, Ch. 7 §42–43Records, Wu 1 §21
Capture and release: In Chapters 7 and 8 of the Romance, Huang Zu is captured by Huang Gai and released in exchange for Sun Jian's body. This does not appear in the Biography of Sun Jian in the Records. Romance, Ch. 7 §44–45Romance, Ch. 8 §1–2Records, Wu 1 §21
Mi Heng: In Chapter 23 of the Romance, Huang Zu beheads Mi Heng after being insulted by him over drinks. In Chen Shou's main text, Mi Heng appears only as a name Hu Zong used for comparison in assessing Yin Fan, and has no connection with Huang Zu. Romance, Ch. 23 §27–28Records, Wu 17 §35
Ling Cao's death: In Chapter 38 of the Romance, Ling Cao is killed in the battle of the 8th year of Jian'an (203) by an arrow shot by Gan Ning, a subordinate commander of Huang Zu. The Biography of Ling Tong in the Records says only that when Ling Cao followed Sun Quan in the attack on Jiangxia, he advanced alone in a light boat and was killed by a stray arrow, without naming who shot it. Romance, Ch. 38 §30Records, Wu 10 §70
The cables at Miankou: In Chapter 38 of the Romance, Gan Ning approaches with more than a hundred small boats and cuts the cables of the mengchong warships. In the Biography of Dong Xi in the Records, Dong Xi and Ling Tong led picked men who would fight to the death and boarded the mengchong from large boats, and it was Dong Xi who cut the two ropes. Romance, Ch. 38 §49Records, Wu 10 §49
Deng Long: In Chapter 38 of the Romance, Deng Long is killed by Gan Ning while blocking Miankou as Huang Zu's vanguard in the 13th year of Jian'an (208). In the Biography of Zhou Yu in the Records, Deng Long entered Chaisang on Huang Zu's orders in the 11th year of Jian'an (206) and was captured by Zhou Yu and sent to Wu. Romance, Ch. 38 §48–49Records, Wu 9 §8
Su Fei: In Chapters 38 and 39 of the Romance, Su Fei fights as Huang Zu's senior commander and is captured by Pan Zhang. Su Fei does not appear in Chen Shou's main text, and his name is absent even from the Biographies of Sun Quan and Gan Ning, which record the battle against Huang Zu. Romance, Ch. 38 §48 · 50Records, Wu 2 §11Records, Wu 10 §52–68
Huang Zu's death: In Chapter 39 of the Romance, Gan Ning lies in ambush outside the east gate, shoots the fleeing Huang Zu in the back, knocks him from his horse and cuts off his head. In the Biography of Sun Quan in the Records, the cavalryman Feng Ze pursued him and cut off his head; the Biography of Dong Xi says the soldiers pursued and cut him down, and the Biography of Lü Meng says he was captured. The Biography of Gan Ning says only that Sun Quan captured Huang Zu. Romance, Ch. 39 §1–2Records, Wu 2 §11Records, Wu 10 §50 · 57Records, Wu 9 §59
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 total324 / 1000Rank 961 of 996 · Top 97%Romance total275 / 1000Rank 1,097 of 1,113 · Top 99%
Romance adaptation index−49Romance total − Records total
- LEA5040−10
- STR3322−11
- INT3032+2
- POL2233+11
- CHA2830+2
- VIR4020−20
- ADP3528−7
- SCH3130−1
- DIP3328−5
- DIS2212−10
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RWas short of wealth and grain, neglected farming, and left his ships and weapons in disrepairWu 10 §56
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as Administrator of JiangxiaCh. 38 §30
RLost to Sun Jian, but his soldiers shot Sun Jian dead, and he blocked Miankou with mengchong warshipsWu 1 §21Wu 2 §7Wu 10 §49
NWas badly defeated by Sun Jian while defending with hidden archers and crossbowmen, but repulsed Sun Quan's first attackCh. 7 §32Ch. 38 §30
RTreated Gan Ning as an ordinary man and failed to make use of himWu 10 §54
NRejected recommendations to promote Gan Ning and was said not to know how to employ menCh. 38 §43Ch. 39 §12
5 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a military commanderWu 1 §21
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a military commanderCh. 23 §27
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as Administrator of JiangxiaWu 9 §8
NFlew into a rage during an exchange with Mi Heng and beheaded himCh. 23 §27
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 (7)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Related events (4)
- Battle of Xiangyang 192 · Command
- Battle of Xiakou 203 · Command
- Battle of Jiangxia 208 · Command
- The Sun Family Takes Revenge on the Yangtze 208 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).