RPlundered Chang'an, monopolized the government and killed Ma Yu and othersWei 6 §21Wei 6 §22
NOne of the rebel band, yet let his fellow townsman Han Sui goCh. 10 §1Ch. 10 §14
Fan Chou 樊稠
| Occupation | RNGeneral · General of the Right | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Cause of death | RKilled NKilled Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R6 |
Profile
Fan Chou was a former subordinate of Dong Zhuo. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears in the account of Li Jue and Guo Si in Records of Wei 6 (Biographies of Dong, the Two Yuans and Liu). After Dong Zhuo's death he joined forces with Li Jue and the others to take Chang'an, became General of the Right and Marquis of Wannian, and arbitrarily wielded the government of the court together with Li Jue and Guo Si. When he attacked Ma Teng, Ma Teng was defeated and returned to Liang Province, and when he attacked Huaili, Ma Yu and the others all died. Later he was killed as the generals contended for power. Records, Wei 6 §20–22 · 24
Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, his place of origin, or the years of his birth and death, and his name does not appear in the assessment of Records of Wei 6. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 3 as one of the generals advancing on Luoyang with Dong Zhuo, and he appears in 4 of its 120 chapters; his name is in no chapter title. In Chapter 10, for letting Han Sui go while pursuing him, he is beheaded at a banquet held by Li Jue. Records, Wei 6 §20–24 · 96Romance, Ch. 3 §2Romance, Ch. 10 §14–16
In the Records
In the 4th month of the 3rd year of Chuping (192), Wang Yun, Shisun Rui and Lü Bu killed Dong Zhuo. Earlier, Dong Zhuo's son-in-law Niu Fu had been stationed at Shan County and had sent the colonels Li Jue, Guo Si and Zhang Ji to plunder the counties of Chenliu and Yingchuan, and by the time Li Jue and the others returned, Niu Fu had already fallen. Having no letter of pardon and hearing that Chang'an intended to kill every man from Liang Province, Li Jue and the others followed Jia Xu's plan and led their followers west, gathering troops wherever they went, so that by the time they reached Chang'an their host numbered more than 100,000. Records, Wei 6 §16 · 19–20
They joined forces with Dong Zhuo's former subordinates Fan Chou, Li Meng, Wang Fang and others and surrounded the city of Chang'an. The city fell in ten days, and Lü Bu, who fought inside the city, was defeated and fled. Li Jue and the others let their troops loose to plunder and slaughter the old and young of Chang'an, put to death those who had killed Dong Zhuo, and exposed Wang Yun's corpse in the marketplace. Records, Wei 6 §20–21
Li Jue became General of Chariots and Cavalry and Marquis of Chiyang, concurrently Colonel-Director of Retainers with the Acting Credentials; Guo Si became General of the Rear and Marquis of Meiyang; and Fan Chou became General of the Right and Marquis of Wannian. Chen Shou wrote that Li Jue, Guo Si and Fan Chou arbitrarily wielded the government of the court. Zhang Ji became General of Agile Cavalry and Marquis of Pingyang and was stationed at Hongnong. Records, Wei 6 §21
In the same year Han Sui, Ma Teng and others surrendered and came to Chang'an with their followers. Han Sui was made General Who Guards the West and sent back to Liang Province, and Ma Teng was made General Who Conquers the West and stationed at Mei County. The Palace Attendant Ma Yu plotted with the Grandee Remonstrant Chong Shao, the General of the Household of the Left Liu Fan and others to have Ma Teng make a surprise attack on Chang'an while they responded from within, so as to kill Li Jue and the others. When Ma Teng led his troops as far as Changping Lodge, the plot leaked and Ma Yu and the others fled to Huaili. Fan Chou attacked Ma Teng, who was defeated and returned to Liang Province, and Fan Chou then attacked Huaili, where Ma Yu and the others all died. Records, Wei 6 §22
At that time the people of the Three Adjuncts still numbered several hundred thousand households, but Li Jue and the others let their troops loose to rob and plunder the towns, and within two years the people had eaten one another until they were almost all gone. The generals contended for power and in the end killed Fan Chou and absorbed his followers. After that Guo Si and Li Jue grew increasingly suspicious of each other and fought within Chang'an. Chen Shou's main text does not state separately who killed Fan Chou or in what year. Records, Wei 6 §23–24
The assessment that Chen Shou appended to the end of Records of Wei 6 discusses only Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao and Liu Biao and does not mention Fan Chou. Records, Wei 6 §96–97
In the Romance
In Chapter 3 of the Romance, Dong Zhuo, on receiving the secret letter, has his son-in-law Niu Fu hold Shaanxi and advances on Luoyang leading Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji, Fan Chou and others. In Chapter 5 Dong Zhuo divides his 200,000 troops into two routes, sending Li Jue and Guo Si to hold Sishui Pass, while he himself leads 150,000 and holds Hulao Pass together with Li Ru, Lü Bu, Fan Chou, Zhang Ji and others. Romance, Ch. 3 §2Romance, Ch. 5 §41
In Chapter 9 Dong Zhuo has four of his trusted generals, Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji and Fan Chou, lead 3,000 of the Flying Bear Army to guard Mei Fortress. Hearing that Dong Zhuo is dead and that Lü Bu is about to arrive, the four lead the Flying Bear Army in flight to Liang Province overnight, and, staying in Shaanxi, ask for pardon. Wang Yun says that Dong Zhuo's arrogance was all abetted by these four and that they alone will not be pardoned, and the four, following the advice of the adviser Jia Xu, gather a host of more than 100,000 and storm toward Chang'an along four routes. Romance, Ch. 9 §18 · 29 · 36–38
Li Jue, driven back by Lü Bu and encamped against a hill, invites Guo Si, Zhang Ji and Fan Chou to confer, and lays a plan whereby he himself will lure Lü Bu into fighting at the mouth of the valley, Guo Si will strike at his rear, and Zhang Ji and Fan Chou will divide their troops into two routes and head straight for Chang'an. At the news that the troops of Zhang Ji and Fan Chou have invaded Chang'an, Lü Bu hurriedly turns his army back. A few days later Li Meng and Wang Fang secretly open the city gates from inside, and the troops of the four routes surge in all at once. Romance, Ch. 9 §41–42 · 44 · 46
In Chapter 10, when Li Jue and Guo Si intend to murder Emperor Xian, Fan Chou, together with Zhang Ji, stops them, arguing that if they kill him now the people will not follow them, and that they should keep honoring him as sovereign as before, lure the regional lords into the passes, first clip his wings and only then kill him. The four each write down the titles they want and present them, the emperor has no choice but to comply, and Fan Chou becomes General of the Right and Marquis of Wannian. When Ma Teng and Han Sui storm in, Jia Xu proposes stationing Zhang Ji and Fan Chou on Mount Zhouzhi, 200 li west of Chang'an, to hold fast. Romance, Ch. 10 §1–2 · 6 · 8
When the Xiliang army, out of provisions, withdraws, Li Jue and Guo Si send Zhang Ji after Ma Teng and Fan Chou after Han Sui. Near Chencang, Han Sui says, 'You and I are men of the same home district; why are you so heartless today?' Fan Chou answers, 'I cannot disobey the orders of my superiors,' but when Han Sui says that he too came only for the sake of the state, Fan Chou turns his horse around, withdraws his troops and lets Han Sui go. Romance, Ch. 10 §13–14
Li Jue's nephew Li Bie, who saw this, goes back and reports it, and Li Jue wants to raise troops to attack Fan Chou. Jia Xu proposes holding a banquet, inviting Zhang Ji and Fan Chou, and seizing and beheading Fan Chou at the table. When the wine has gone halfway round, Li Jue demands to know why Fan Chou colluded with Han Sui and plotted rebellion, and before Fan Chou can answer, men with swords and axes rush out and cut off his head beneath the table. Fan Chou's troops are assigned to Zhang Ji to command. Romance, Ch. 10 §15–17
Where the Romance differs
His deeds in Dong Zhuo's lifetime: In Chapters 3, 5 and 9 of the Romance, Fan Chou advances on Luoyang with Dong Zhuo, holds Hulao Pass, and guards Mei Fortress together with Li Jue, Guo Si and Zhang Ji. In the Biographies of Dong, the Two Yuans and Liu in the Records, Fan Chou first appears as 'a former subordinate of Dong Zhuo' in the passage on the encirclement of Chang'an after Dong Zhuo's death, and nothing is recorded of his earlier deeds. Romance, Ch. 3 §2Romance, Ch. 5 §41Romance, Ch. 9 §18Records, Wei 6 §2–20
The fall of Chang'an: In Chapter 9 of the Romance, Fan Chou flees to Liang Province with Li Jue, Guo Si and Zhang Ji, gathers troops and returns when pardon is refused, attacks Chang'an along a separate route from Zhang Ji, and Li Meng and Wang Fang open the city gates from inside. In the Records, Li Jue, Guo Si and Zhang Ji, sent by Niu Fu, plundered Chenliu and Yingchuan, returned and headed west on Jia Xu's plan, and on reaching Chang'an joined forces with Fan Chou, Li Meng, Wang Fang and others to surround the city, which fell in ten days. No inside collaborators opening the gates are recorded. Romance, Ch. 9 §29 · 36 · 42 · 46Records, Wei 6 §19–20
The government of the court: In Chapter 10 of the Romance, Li Jue and Guo Si hold the government of the court together, and Fan Chou merely becomes General of the Right and Marquis of Wannian. In the Records, Fan Chou became General of the Right and Marquis of Wannian and arbitrarily wielded the government of the court together with Li Jue and Guo Si. Romance, Ch. 10 §2Records, Wei 6 §21
The fight with Ma Teng: In Chapter 10 of the Romance, Fan Chou is stationed on Mount Zhouzhi with Zhang Ji to hold fast, and then pursues Han Sui among the withdrawing Xiliang troops, while it is Zhang Ji who pursues Ma Teng. In the Records, after the plot of Ma Yu and the others leaked, Fan Chou attacked Ma Teng, who was defeated and returned to Liang Province, and Fan Chou then attacked Huaili, where Ma Yu and the others all died. Romance, Ch. 10 §8 · 13Records, Wei 6 §22
Letting Han Sui go: In Chapter 10 of the Romance, Fan Chou lets Han Sui go near Chencang after hearing his words, and this becomes known to Li Jue. In Chen Shou's main text there is neither Fan Chou's pursuit of Han Sui nor his letting him go. Romance, Ch. 10 §14–15Records, Wei 6 §20–24
Death: In Chapter 10 of the Romance, following Jia Xu's plan, Li Jue holds a banquet and beheads Fan Chou, and entrusts his troops to Zhang Ji. The Records says only that 'the generals contended for power and in the end killed Fan Chou and absorbed his followers', without stating who killed him or how. Romance, Ch. 10 §15–17Records, Wei 6 §24
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 total325 / 1000Rank 960 of 996 · Top 97%Romance total348 / 1000Rank 907 of 1,113 · Top 82%
Romance adaptation index+23Romance total − Records total
- LEA6258−4
- STR5050±0
- INT3542+7
- POL1020+10
- CHA3535±0
- VIR1025+15
- ADP3222−10
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3035+5
- DIS3030±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — killed amid a power struggleWei 6 §24
NSeized and beheaded at a banquet for letting Han Sui goCh. 10 §14Ch. 10 §16
7 similar abilities — show evidence
RBesieged and took Chang'an, defeated Ma Teng and attacked HuailiWei 6 §20Wei 6 §22
NPursued Han Sui and inflicted a heavy defeat on the Xiliang armyCh. 10 §13Ch. 10 §8
RNo direct record — estimated from his being a military commanderWei 6 §22
NNo direct record — estimated from his being a pursuing commanderCh. 10 §13
RNo direct recordWei 6 §20
NNo direct recordCh. 10 §17
RNo direct recordWei 6 §21
NNo direct recordCh. 10 §16
RNo direct recordWei 6 §21
NNo direct recordCh. 10 §14
RNo direct recordWei 6 §21
NNo direct recordCh. 10 §17
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 (4)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Dong Zhuo faction (~192) · Records · 「與卓故部曲樊稠、李蒙、王方等合圍長安城」
Related events (2)
- Revolt of Li Jue and Guo Si 192 · Command
- Battle of Hulao Pass · Command
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).