RFought to hold off the enemy until all his men were dead, and died in battleShu 15 §75
NDrove off Chunyu Dan with his spear and charged back and forth for over a hundred bouts inside the encirclementCh. 84 §18Ch. 84 §33
Fu Tong 傅彤
| Occupation | RGeneral · Detached Commander NGeneral · Guard of the Central Army | Faction | Shu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | R? N? Unverified | Native place | Yiyang Commandery |
| Died | R222 N(same) Unverified | Place of death | |
| Cause of death | RKilled in battle NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R2 |
Profile
Fu Tong was a man of Yiyang and a general of Liu Bei. When Liu Bei set out to attack Wu and faced Lu Xun, he served as a detached commander together with Fu Kuang, Zhao Rong, Liao Chun and others. Records, Shu 15 §75Records, Wu 13 §17
When Lu Xun crushed Liu Bei's army at Xiaoting in the 2nd year of Zhangwu (222), Fu Tong guarded the rear of the withdrawing Liu Bei and fought to hold off the enemy. When all his men were dead and a Wu general told him to surrender, he cursed him, 'Wu dog! How could a general of Han surrender!' and died fighting. Records, Shu 2 §71Records, Shu 15 §75
He has no biography of his own in the Records; his account is appended to the note Chen Shou placed beneath the encomium on Feng Xi and Zhang Nan in Yang Xi's 'Encomia on the Supporting Ministers of Ji Han'. Chen Shou recorded that commentators praised him and his son Fu Qian for keeping loyalty and righteousness through successive generations. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 81 as a Guard of the Central Army, and he appears in 3 of its 120 chapters; his name is in no chapter title. In Chapter 84, surrounded by the Wu army while guarding the rear, he curses, 'How could I surrender to Wu dogs!', vomits blood and dies. Records, Shu 15 §33 · 74–75Romance, Ch. 81 §12Romance, Ch. 84 §33–34
In the Records
Fu Tong was a man of Yiyang. He has no biography of his own in the Records. For those included in the 'Encomia on the Supporting Ministers of Ji Han', which Yang Xi wrote in the 4th year of Yanxi (241), but for whom no biography was written, Chen Shou recorded their careers from beginning to end in notes beneath the encomia. Fu Tong is appended to the note beneath the encomium on Feng Xi and Zhang Nan with the words, 'At that time there was also Fu Tong of Yiyang.' Records, Shu 15 §33 · 74–75
In the autumn, the 7th month, of the 1st year of Zhangwu (221), Liu Bei, angered by Sun Quan's surprise attack on Guan Yu, led the armies to attack Wu. In the 2nd month of the following year Liu Bei advanced from Zigui at the head of his generals, following the mountains and cutting across the ridges, and set up camp at Xiaoting in Yidao. Sun Quan made Lu Xun Grand Commander to resist him, and the Biography of Lu Xun records that Liu Bei set up dozens of encampments in a continuous line from the Wu Gorge and Jianping to the border of Yiling, made the general Feng Xi Grand Superintendent and Zhang Nan commander of the vanguard, and made Fu Kuang, Zhao Rong, Liao Chun, Fu Tong and others each a detached commander. Records, Shu 2 §68 · 70Records, Wu 13 §17
Lu Xun first attacked one camp without success, then had each of his soldiers carry a bundle of thatch grass and took the camps with fire. He then led all his armies in a simultaneous attack, beheaded Zhang Nan, Feng Xi, the Hu king Shamoke and others, and destroyed more than forty camps. The Biography of the First Sovereign records that in the 2nd year of Zhangwu (222) Lu Yi (Lu Xun) crushed the First Sovereign's army at Xiaoting, that Feng Xi, Zhang Nan and others were all killed, and that the First Sovereign returned from Xiaoting to Zigui, gathered his scattered soldiers, then abandoned his boats and returned to Yufu by land. Records, Wu 13 §21Records, Shu 2 §71
When the First Sovereign withdrew his army, Fu Tong guarded the rear and fought to hold off the enemy, and all his men were killed. When a Wu general told Fu Tong to surrender, Fu Tong cursed him, 'Wu dog! How could a general of Han surrender!' and at last died fighting. The Records do not record the name of the Wu general who urged him to surrender. Records, Shu 15 §75
His son Fu Qian was appointed Gentleman of the Left. Fu Qian later became Commander of Guanzhong, and in the 6th year of Jingyao (263) he too faced danger and gave his life. Chen Shou recorded that commentators praised father and son for keeping loyalty and righteousness through successive generations. Fu Tong does not appear in Chen Shou's assessment at the end of the Biographies of Deng Zhi, Zhang Yi, Zong Yu and Yang Xi. Records, Shu 15 §75 · 85
In the Romance
In Chapter 81 of the Romance, Liu Bei throws to the ground Zhuge Liang's memorial urging him not to attack Wu and sets out on campaign, making Huang Zhong vanguard commander of the front division, Feng Xi and Zhang Nan deputy generals, Fu Tong and Zhang Yi Guards of the Central Army, and Zhao Rong and Liao Chun the rear army. Romance, Ch. 81 §11–12
In Chapter 84, Lu Xun, saying he will first take a camp on the south bank of the river, gives his junior general Chunyu Dan five thousand men to attack the fourth camp south of the river, held by the Shu general Fu Tong. When, after the third watch, Chunyu Dan charges in with drums beating and men shouting, Fu Tong bursts out at the head of his troops and, levelling his spear, goes straight for Chunyu Dan. Chunyu Dan, unable to hold him off, flees, finds his way blocked by Zhao Rong and Shamoke and loses more than half his men, and Lu Xun says he only wanted to test the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. Romance, Ch. 84 §16–19
In the same chapter, when the camps go up in flames and Liu Bei is caught in a pincer attack by Xu Sheng and Ding Feng, Zhang Bao breaks through the encirclement to rescue Liu Bei, and then Fu Tong's troops arrive and join them. Zhang Bao and Fu Tong escort Liu Bei up Ma'an Mountain and hold the mouth of the mountain to the death. When Guan Xing proposes going to Baidi City, Liu Bei asks who will guard the rear, and Fu Tong steps forward: 'Your servant will take it on, even unto death!' At dusk that day they go down the mountain with Guan Xing in front, Zhang Bao in the middle, and Fu Tong left behind to guard the rear. Romance, Ch. 84 §24–27
Guarding the rear, Fu Tong is surrounded on all sides by the Wu army. When Ding Feng urges him to surrender, saying that his master Liu Bei has already been captured, Fu Tong curses, 'I am a general of Han. How could I surrender to Wu dogs!', and leading the Shu troops fights more than a hundred bouts, but cannot break out. With a long sigh, 'I am finished!', he vomits blood and dies amid the Wu army. The Romance includes a poem by a later writer saying, 'Even in death he cursed the Wu dogs; Fu Tong was not unworthy of being a general of Han.' Romance, Ch. 84 §33–34
In Chapter 85, Liu Bei, staying at Baidi City, 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 §2
Where the Romance differs
His post: In Chapter 81 of the Romance, Fu Tong becomes a Guard of the Central Army together with Zhang Yi. In the Biography of Lu Xun in the Records, he became a detached commander together with Fu Kuang, Zhao Rong, Liao Chun and others. Romance, Ch. 81 §12Records, Wu 13 §17
The fight at the fourth camp: In Chapter 84 of the Romance, Fu Tong holds the fourth camp south of the river and beats off the night attack by Chunyu Dan, sent by Lu Xun. The Biography of Lu Xun in the Records says only that Lu Xun first attacked one camp without success, without naming the general who held it, and the account of Fu Tong has no such fight either. Romance, Ch. 84 §17–18Records, Wu 13 §21Records, Shu 15 §75
Ma'an Mountain: In Chapter 84 of the Romance, Fu Tong escorts Liu Bei up Ma'an Mountain with Zhang Bao and holds the mouth of the mountain. The Biography of Lu Xun in the Records says only that Liu Bei climbed Ma'an Mountain and deployed his troops around himself, and Fu Tong's name does not appear. Romance, Ch. 84 §25–26Records, Wu 13 §21
How he came to guard the rear: In Chapter 84 of the Romance, when Liu Bei asks who will guard the rear, Fu Tong volunteers. The Records say only that when the First Sovereign withdrew his army, Fu Tong guarded the rear and fought to hold off the enemy, and do not say who assigned him the task. Romance, Ch. 84 §27Records, Shu 15 §75
The man who urged surrender: In Chapter 84 of the Romance, the Wu general Ding Feng urges him to surrender, saying that Liu Bei has already been captured. The Records say only 'a Wu general' and do not give his name. Romance, Ch. 84 §33Records, Shu 15 §75
Manner of death: In Chapter 84 of the Romance, after fighting more than a hundred bouts Fu Tong sighs, vomits blood and dies amid the Wu army. In the Records, after all his men had been killed, he cursed the Wu general and died fighting. Romance, Ch. 84 §34Records, Shu 15 §75
His son Fu Qian: The Records state that after Fu Tong's death his son Fu Qian became Gentleman of the Left, and that commentators praised father and son for keeping loyalty and righteousness through successive generations. In the Romance, Fu Qian appears in Chapter 112 as a general from Xichuan picked by Jiang Wei, but there is no mention of his being Fu Tong's son. Records, Shu 15 §75Romance, Ch. 112 §23
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 total446 / 1000Rank 381 of 996 · Top 39%Romance total460 / 1000Rank 195 of 1,113 · Top 18%
Romance adaptation index+14Romance total − Records total
- LEA5558+3
- STR5565+10
- INT3838±0
- POL3331−2
- CHA4245+3
- VIR8690+4
- ADP4040±0
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3331−2
- DIS3331−2
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
9 similar abilities — show evidence
RTook the field as a detached commander and guarded the rear in the retreat, holding off the enemyWu 13 §17Shu 15 §75
NRepelled Chunyu Dan's night attack and volunteered to guard the First Sovereign's rearCh. 84 §18Ch. 84 §27
RNo direct record — estimated from his service as a detached commander under the First SovereignShu 15 §75
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a Shu generalCh. 84 §25
RNo direct record — estimated from his service as a detached commander under the First SovereignShu 15 §75
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a Shu generalCh. 84 §25
RNo direct record — estimated from his service as a detached commander under the First SovereignShu 15 §75
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a Shu generalCh. 84 §25
RRefused to surrender, cursing the 'Wu dog'; commentators praised his loyaltyShu 15 §75
NRefused to surrender as a general of Han and died fighting; praised in verseCh. 84 §33Ch. 84 §34
RNo direct record — estimated from his service as a detached commander under the First SovereignShu 15 §75
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a Shu generalCh. 84 §25
RNo direct record — estimated from his service as a detached commander under the First SovereignShu 15 §75
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a Shu generalCh. 84 §25
RNo direct record — estimated from his service as a detached commander under the First SovereignShu 15 §75
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a Shu generalCh. 84 §25
RNo direct record — estimated from his service as a detached commander under the First SovereignShu 15 §75
NNo direct record — estimated from his deeds as a Shu generalCh. 84 §25
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 (3)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Allegiance history
- Shu · Romance · Romance ch. 84 「”逊教皆退不用，独唤阶下末将淳于丹曰：“吾与汝五千军，去取江南第四营：蜀将傅彤所守」 · Q124397771
Related events (1)
- Lu Xun Burns Seven Hundred Li of Camps 222 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).