Zhang Pu 張普

In Chapter 96 of the Romance, Cao Xiu, Grand Commander and Marshal of Yangzhou for Wei, submits a memorial reporting that Zhou Fang, Administrator of Poyang in Eastern Wu, wishes to surrender with his commandery and has secretly set out seven points, and Wei raises a great army along three routes. Zhou Fang wins Cao Xiu's trust by cutting off his hair before him when Cao Xiu tests him, and Cao Xiu is about to behead Jia Kui, General Who Establishes Might, who has warned him not to advance rashly and called even the oath of the cut hair a deception, but desists at the generals' entreaty and leaves Jia Kui's troops behind in camp. Following Zhou Fang's advice, Cao Xiu takes the whole great army with its carts and equipment to Shiting and encamps there. Romance, Ch. 96 §23 · 29–33 · 35

The next day word comes that a Wu army of unknown size holds the mouth of the valley ahead, and Zhou Fang disappears with a few dozen men. Cao Xiu bitterly regrets having fallen into the enemy's trap but says there is nothing to fear, and makes the senior general Zhang Pu the vanguard, sending him with several thousand troops to fight the Wu army. When the two lines face each other, Zhang Pu rides out and shouts abuse, 'Rebel general, surrender at once!', but after only a few bouts against Xu Sheng, who rides out to meet him, he cannot hold his ground, pulls back his troops and returns, and tells Cao Xiu that Xu Sheng's valor is more than he can withstand. Romance, Ch. 96 §35–36

Saying that he will defeat them with a surprise force, Cao Xiu has Zhang Pu lie in ambush south of Shiting with 20,000 troops and Xue Qiao north of Shiting with 20,000, and tells them that the next day he himself will feign defeat and lure the enemy to the front of the northern hill, whereupon they are to attack from three sides at the signal of a cannon. Lu Xun, however, gives Zhu Huan and Quan Cong 30,000 troops each to circle round by the mountain paths of Shiting behind Cao Xiu's camp and set fire to it, and at about the second watch Zhu Huan's troops run into Zhang Pu's ambush behind the Wei camp. Romance, Ch. 96 §37–38

Zhang Pu, not realizing they are Wu soldiers, rides straight up to question them and is cut down from his horse with a single stroke of Zhu Huan's blade, and the Wei troops promptly flee. Xue Qiao, defeated by Quan Cong, also flees, and Cao Xiu, his camp thrown into great confusion, flees along the Jiashi road and escapes thanks to Jia Kui's rescue. The opening of Chapter 97 records this battle as Cao Xiu's great defeat by Lu Xun at Shiting in the autumn, 9th month, of the 6th year of Jianxing of Shu Han. In the Romance, Zhang Pu's name appears in only four passages of Chapter 96. Romance, Ch. 96 §39–41 · 36–39Romance, Ch. 97 §1