Jiang Bin 蔣斌

Jiang Bin was the son of Jiang Wan. Jiang Wan had returned to stay at Fu County, where his illness grew steadily worse, and he died in the 9th year of Yanxi (246); his posthumous name was Gong. Jiang Bin succeeded him and became General Who Pacifies by Martial Might and Protector of the Army at Hancheng. Records, Shu 14 §13–14

Jiang Wei argued that the system of spreading troops out to hold the various defensive positions of Hanzhong could ward off the enemy but would not win any great advantage, and proposed that when the enemy came, the positions should withdraw their troops, gather the grain and fall back on the two cities of Hancheng and Lecheng. Accordingly the Area Commander of Hanzhong, Hu Ji, was pulled back to stay at Hanshou, the Army Supervisor Wang Han was set to guard Lecheng, and the Protector of the Army Jiang Bin to guard Hancheng. Records, Shu 14 §41–42

In the autumn of the 4th year of Jingyuan (263), Wei sent Deng Ai, Zhuge Xu and Zhong Hui to attack Shu. Shu ordered its various positions not to give battle but to fall back and hold the two cities of Hancheng and Lecheng. The Army Supervisor Wang Han held Lecheng and the Protector of the Army Jiang Bin held Hancheng, each with 5,000 troops. Zhong Hui gave the Protector of the Army Xun Kai and the General of the Front Li Fu 10,000 men each, and had Xun Kai besiege Hancheng and Li Fu besiege Lecheng. Records, Wei 28 §103–104

Wei's General-in-Chief Zhong Hui reached Hancheng and sent Jiang Bin a letter. He wrote that Ba and Shu had many worthy and wise men of letters and of arms, but that Jiang Bin and Zhuge Siyuan (Zhuge Zhan), to compare them to plants and trees, were of the same kind as himself; that respect for the elders of one's home district had been held dear in ancient and modern times alike; and that when he came west he wished to visit the grave of Jiang Bin's father, sweep the tomb and offer sacrifices, and asked to be told where it was. Records, Shu 14 §14Records, Shu 5 §59

In his reply Jiang Bin told him that his late father had fallen ill and died in Fu County, and that, the divination having proved auspicious, he had been buried there. He wrote that to treat another man's father as one's own was the benevolence of Yan Hui, and that on hearing these words he was moved and grieved, and his longing grew all the more. On receiving the reply Zhong Hui praised and admired its sentiment and sense of duty, and on reaching Fu County did as the letter said. Records, Shu 14 §15

After the Later Sovereign surrendered to Deng Ai, Jiang Bin went to Fu County to meet Zhong Hui, who received him with the courtesy due to a friend. Jiang Bin followed Zhong Hui to Chengdu and was killed there by mutinous soldiers. His younger brother Jiang Xian was Coachman of the Heir; Zhong Hui also prized his talent and learning, but he died at the same time as Jiang Bin. Records, Shu 14 §16

According to the Biography of Zhong Hui, Zhong Hui reached Chengdu on the 15th day of the 1st month of the 5th year of Jingyuan (264), and the next day summoned all the Protectors of the Army, Commandery Administrators and Cavalry Commanders of the Gate and above, together with the former officials of Shu, and shut them up; at midday on the 18th, when Hu Lie's soldiers came out beating drums, the troops of the various armies rushed to the city vying to be first and killed Jiang Wei and Zhong Hui. The record of Jiang Bin does not give the day of his death separately. Records, Wei 28 §124–128Records, Shu 14 §16