RNo direct record — estimated from his death in battle at XiaotingShu 2 §71
NDied in battle going to rescue the Former Lord, with a poem saying his righteousness had few equalsCh. 84 §37Ch. 84 §38
Zhang Nan 張南
| Occupation | RGeneral · General NGeneral · Deputy General | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | R? N? Unverified | Native place | |
| Died | R222 N(same) Unverified | Place of death | RXiaoting |
| Cause of death | RKilled in battle NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R4 |
Profile
Zhang Nan, courtesy name Wenjin, followed Liu Bei from Jing Province into Shu. He has no separate biography in the Records; he appears in the eulogy praising him together with Feng Xi in Yang Xi's Eulogies of the Supporting Ministers of Ji Han and in Chen Shou's short note beneath it, as well as in the Biography of the Former Lord and the biography of Lu Xun. Records, Shu 15 §33 · 74
When Liu Bei attacked Wu, Zhang Nan followed him at the head of troops and commanded the front division, and in the summer of the 2nd year of Zhangwu (222), when Lu Xun crushed Liu Bei's army at Xiaoting, he died together with Feng Xi. Records, Wu 13 §17 · 21Records, Shu 2 §70–71Records, Shu 15 §74
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 81 as a deputy general together with Feng Xi when Liu Bei deploys his army for the campaign against Wu, and appears in 5 of its 120 chapters; there is no chapter with his name in the title. Together with Wu Ban and Feng Xi he drives Sun Huan into the city of Yiling and surrounds it, but in Chapter 84, on his way to rescue Liu Bei, he is caught in a pincer attack from front and rear and dies together with Feng Xi. Romance, Ch. 81 §12Romance, Ch. 82 §35 · 37Romance, Ch. 84 §37
In the Records
Zhang Nan's courtesy name was Wenjin. Chen Shou transcribed in the Records of Shu the Eulogies of the Supporting Ministers of Ji Han that Yang Xi wrote in the 4th year of Yanxi (241), and for those included in the eulogies for whom he did not write a biography, he recorded their story beneath the eulogy. Zhang Nan is grouped in one eulogy with Feng Xi, and according to Chen Shou's note he followed Liu Bei from Jing Province into Shu. Records, Shu 15 §33 · 74
In the 7th month, in autumn, of the 1st year of Zhangwu (221), Liu Bei led his armies against Wu. According to the biography of Lu Xun, Liu Bei set up dozens of linked encampments from the Wu Gorge and Jianping to the border of Yiling, made the general Feng Xi Grand Commander and Zhang Nan commander of the front division, and appointed several separate commanders besides. Zhang Nan followed Liu Bei against Wu at the head of troops. Records, Shu 2 §68Records, Wu 13 §17Records, Shu 15 §74
In the 6th month, in summer, of the 2nd year of Zhangwu (222), a yellow vapour appeared at Zigui, and some ten days later Lu Xun (whom the Biography of the Former Lord records under his original name, Lu Yi) crushed Liu Bei's army at Xiaoting, and the generals Feng Xi, Zhang Nan and others were all killed. The biography of Lu Xun records that Lu Xun had each of his soldiers carry a bundle of thatch grass, took a camp by fire attack, and then led all his armies in a simultaneous assault, beheading Zhang Nan, Feng Xi, the Hu king Shamoke and others and breaking more than forty camps. Records, Shu 2 §71Records, Wu 13 §21
Chen Shou's note records that Zhang Nan died together with Feng Xi. Yang Xi's eulogy said of the two, 'Xiuyuan (Feng Xi) made light of the enemy, lost the moment and brought on harm; Wenjin threw himself forward and shared in this downfall. The calamity arose from one man and grew to be vast.' Records, Shu 15 §74
In the Romance
In Chapter 81 of the Romance, Liu Bei throws to the ground the memorial Zhuge Liang had submitted to save Qin Mi and deploys his army for the campaign against Wu, making Huang Zhong vanguard of the front division and Feng Xi and Zhang Nan deputy generals. Romance, Ch. 81 §12
In Chapter 82, when Zhang Bao and Guan Xing pursue Sun Huan into his camp, Wu Ban leads Zhang Nan and Feng Xi and drives the troops in to fall upon it. When Sun Huan has lost many of his officers, Zhang Nan and Feng Xi urge Wu Ban to raid the camp while it is weak, and when Wu Ban worries that Zhu Ran's naval forces might cut off their way back, Zhang Nan proposes that the two generals Guan Xing and Zhang Bao each lie in ambush in the mountain valleys with 5,000 men and attack Zhu Ran from both sides if he comes to the rescue. After Wu Ban proposes the plan of sending soldiers posing as deserters, that night Feng Xi, Zhang Nan and Wu Ban storm Sun Huan's camp by three routes and surround Sun Huan after he flees to the city of Yiling. Romance, Ch. 82 §28 · 31–32 · 35 · 37
In Chapter 83, in the 1st month, in spring, of the 2nd year of Zhangwu (222), when Huang Zhong arrives at the camp at Yiling, Wu Ban receives him together with Zhang Nan and Feng Xi. In the same chapter, when Mi Fang and Fu Shiren kill the Wu general Ma Zhong and come to Xiaoting with his head, the soldiers lying in wait on the road first bring the two to Zhang Nan and Feng Xi, and the two tell them everything. Romance, Ch. 83 §1 · 26
In Chapter 84, while Wu Ban and Zhang Nan have long been besieging the city of Yiling, Feng Xi arrives with news that the Shu army has been defeated, so they set off to rescue Liu Bei, and only then does Sun Huan get free. On the way, Zhang Nan and Feng Xi are attacked from the front by the Wu army and from behind by Sun Huan sallying out of the city of Yiling; the two fight with all their strength to break through but cannot escape, and die in the confused fighting. The Romance includes a poem by a later writer: 'Feng Xi's loyalty had no second, Zhang Nan's righteousness few equals.' Romance, Ch. 84 §37–38
In Chapter 85, in the 6th month, in summer, of the 2nd year of Zhangwu (222), Liu Bei, having withdrawn to Baidi, hears the report that Feng Xi, Zhang Nan, Fu Tong, Cheng Ji, Shamoke and others have all given their lives in the service of the state, and grieves without end. Romance, Ch. 85 §1–2
Where the Romance differs
Background: Chen Shou's note in the Records states that Zhang Nan's courtesy name was Wenjin and that he followed Liu Bei from Jing Province into Shu. The Romance first brings him on in Chapter 81 as a deputy general, with no courtesy name or background. Romance, Ch. 81 §12Records, Shu 15 §74
His post: In Chapter 81 of the Romance, Zhang Nan becomes a deputy general together with Feng Xi, and Huang Zhong takes the post of vanguard of the front division. In the biography of Lu Xun in the Records, Liu Bei made Feng Xi Grand Commander and Zhang Nan commander of the front division. Romance, Ch. 81 §12Records, Wu 13 §17
Stratagems: In Chapter 82 of the Romance, Zhang Nan urges a raid on Sun Huan's camp and proposes the plan of placing Guan Xing and Zhang Bao in ambush to attack Zhu Ran's relief force from both sides. Neither Chen Shou's note in the Records nor the Biography of the Former Lord or the biography of Lu Xun records any words or stratagems of Zhang Nan. Romance, Ch. 82 §31–32Records, Shu 15 §74Records, Shu 2 §71Records, Wu 13 §17 · 21
The siege of Yiling: In Chapters 82–84 of the Romance, Zhang Nan and Wu Ban drive Sun Huan into the city of Yiling and besiege it for a long time. The biography of Lu Xun in the Records says only that Sun Huan attacked Liu Bei's vanguard at Yidao and was surrounded, without naming the generals who surrounded him. Romance, Ch. 82 §37Romance, Ch. 84 §37Records, Wu 13 §23
How he died: In Chapter 84 of the Romance, Zhang Nan lifts the siege of Yiling to rescue Liu Bei and dies caught between the Wu army in front and Sun Huan coming out after him. In the Records, Lu Xun took a camp by fire attack and launched a simultaneous assault, beheading Zhang Nan, Feng Xi and others, and there is no mention of Sun Huan sallying out of the city. Romance, Ch. 84 §37Records, Shu 2 §71Records, Wu 13 §21
Assessment: Chapter 84 of the Romance includes a poem by a later writer praising Zhang Nan's righteousness. Yang Xi's eulogy in the Records said that Feng Xi made light of the enemy and brought on harm, that Zhang Nan threw himself forward and fell with him, and that the calamity arose from one man and grew vast. Romance, Ch. 84 §38Records, Shu 15 §74
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 total367 / 1000Rank 808 of 996 · Top 82%Romance total420 / 1000Rank 380 of 1,113 · Top 35%
Romance adaptation index+53Romance total − Records total
- LEA4850+2
- STR4045+5
- INT3552+17
- POL3131±0
- CHA3535±0
- VIR5072+22
- ADP3540+5
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3133+2
- DIS3131±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated from his overall careerWu 13 §17
NPointed out the moment for raiding the camp and proposed an ambush to attack Zhu Ran from both sidesCh. 82 §31Ch. 82 §32
8 similar abilities — show evidence
RCommanded the front division of Liu Bei's army in the Yiling campaignWu 13 §17
NRaided Sun Huan's camp by three routes and long besieged the city of YilingCh. 82 §35Ch. 84 §37
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as commander of the front divisionWu 13 §17
NNo direct record — estimated from the record of his fighting hard to break throughCh. 84 §37
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officerWu 13 §17
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a deputy generalCh. 81 §12
RNo direct record — estimated from his overall careerWu 13 §17
NNo direct record — estimated from his overall careerCh. 81 §12
RNo direct record — estimated from his overall careerWu 13 §21
NNo direct record — estimated from his choosing to rescue the Former LordCh. 84 §37
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officerWu 13 §17
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officerCh. 81 §12
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officerWu 13 §17
NNo direct record — estimated from the record of his receiving Mi Fang and others who came overCh. 83 §26
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as a military officerWu 13 §17
NNo direct record — estimated from his overall careerCh. 81 §12
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 (5)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Related events (2)
- Battle of Xiaoting 221~222 · Command
- Lu Xun Burns Seven Hundred Li of Camps 222 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).