RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalShu 14 §45
NHad considerable courage, and Jiang Wei cherished him greatlyCh. 112 §23
Jiang Shu 蔣舒
| Occupation | RGeneral NGeneral · Deputy General | Faction | Shu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R3 |
Profile
Jiang Shu was a general of Shu. He has no separate biography in the Records; his name appears only once, in the biography of Jiang Wei, and his courtesy name, origin and offices are not recorded. Records, Shu 14 §45
In the 6th year of Jingyao (263), when Zhong Hui of Wei invaded Hanzhong and sent a separate general to attack the mouth of the pass, Jiang Shu opened the gates, came out and surrendered, while Fu Qian fought and died. When the mouth of the pass fell, Zhong Hui drove far ahead. The Records does not record what happened after his surrender. Records, Shu 14 §43 · 45Records, Wei 28 §104
In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 112 as one of two generals from Xichuan whom Jiang Wei cherished and drilled in Hanzhong, and appears in 5 of its 120 chapters; there is no chapter with his name in the title. In Chapter 116, while guarding Yang'an Pass with Fu Qian, he surrenders to Wei, and the Romance includes a poem by a later writer: 'Better to die like Fu Qian than to live like Jiang Shu.' Romance, Ch. 112 §23Romance, Ch. 116 §21–22 · 25
In the Records
According to the biography of Jiang Wei, in the 5th year of Jingyao (262) Jiang Wei advanced to Houhe but was defeated by Deng Ai and stationed himself at Tazhong; when the eunuch Huang Hao sought to have him removed, he felt himself in danger and did not return to Chengdu. In the 6th year of Jingyao (263) Jiang Wei sent a memorial saying that Zhong Hui was preparing troops in Guanzhong, and that Zhang Yi and Liao Hua should be sent to guard the mouth of Yang'an Pass and the bridgehead at Yinping respectively, but Huang Hao, who trusted the words of shamans and spirits, told the Later Sovereign Liu Shan that the enemy would not come and had the matter shelved. Records, Shu 14 §43–44
Only when Zhong Hui was about to head for Luogu and Deng Ai to enter Tazhong did Shu send Liao Hua to Tazhong to support Jiang Wei, and Zhang Yi, Dong Jue and others to the mouth of Yang'an Pass to aid the various strongholds from outside. According to the Biography of Zhong Hui, Zhong Hui entered by Xiegu and Luogu with a host of over 100,000, and Shu ordered the various strongholds not to fight but to withdraw and hold the two cities of Hancheng and Lecheng. Records, Shu 14 §44Records, Wei 28 §103–104
A month or so later Jiang Wei, crushed by Deng Ai, returned to Yinping. Zhong Hui surrounded the two cities of Hancheng and Lecheng and sent a separate general to attack the mouth of the pass, where Jiang Shu opened the gates, came out and surrendered, while Fu Qian fought and died. Zhong Hui attacked Lecheng but could not take it; hearing that the mouth of the pass had already fallen, he drove far ahead, and Jiang Wei and Liao Hua abandoned Yinping, withdrew, joined Zhang Yi and Dong Jue, and held Jiange. Records, Shu 14 §45
The Biography of Zhong Hui records that Zhong Hui went out of the mouth of Yang'an, sent men to offer sacrifices at Zhuge Liang's tomb, and sent the Army Protector Hu Lie and others ahead to attack and break the pass fortress, obtaining the grain stored in its granaries. Jiang Shu's name does not appear in this passage, and Chen Shou's main text does not record Jiang Shu's offices or what happened after his surrender. Records, Wei 28 §105Records, Shu 14 §45
In the Romance
In Chapter 112 of the Romance, Jiang Wei, in Hanzhong, picks two generals from Xichuan and drills the troops with them every day; one is Jiang Shu and the other is Fu Qian. Both have considerable courage, and Jiang Wei cherishes them greatly. In Chapter 113, in the winter of the 1st year of Jingyao (258), when Jiang Wei raises an army of 200,000, Jiang Shu and Fu Qian take charge of the right army. Romance, Ch. 112 §23Romance, Ch. 113 §23
In Chapter 114 Jiang Wei, lying in ambush in the mountain valleys with Xiahou Ba, has Jiang Shu go out by Xiegu. In Chapter 115, having decided to go to Tazhong to set up military farms, Jiang Wei entrusts Hanshou to Hu Ji, Lecheng to Wang Han and Hancheng to Jiang Bin, and has Jiang Shu and Fu Qian guard the passes and strongholds together. Romance, Ch. 114 §32Romance, Ch. 115 §29–30
In Chapter 116, when Zhong Hui comes to take Yang'an Pass, Fu Qian, who is guarding the pass, discusses with his deputy general Jiang Shu whether to fight or to hold. Jiang Shu says that the Wei troops are very numerous and their momentum cannot be withstood, so the best plan is to hold firm, and when Fu Qian says that if they do not go down from the pass and fight, Hancheng and Lecheng are finished, he falls silent and does not answer. When Zhong Hui calls on them to surrender, Fu Qian has Jiang Shu hold the pass and leads 3,000 men down to fight. Romance, Ch. 116 §20–22
When Fu Qian falls back and tries to re-enter the pass, Wei banners are already raised on it, and Jiang Shu shouts, 'I have already surrendered to Wei!' Fu Qian denounces him as a traitor who has forgotten kindness and betrayed righteousness, fights again, and cuts his own throat. The Romance includes a poem by a later writer: 'Better to die like Fu Qian than to live like Jiang Shu.' Romance, Ch. 116 §22–25
In the same chapter, Zhong Hui, having taken Yang'an Pass, is frightened by a violent wind while patrolling the mountains to the southwest and asks the surrendered general Jiang Shu whether there is a shrine to a god on Mount Dingjun. When Jiang Shu replies that there is no shrine, only the tomb of Marquis Wu, Zhuge Liang, Zhong Hui goes in person the next day to offer sacrifices before the tomb. At Tazhong, Jiang Wei receives the report that Zhong Hui has broken Yang'an Pass, that Jiang Shu has surrendered and that Fu Qian has died fighting. Romance, Ch. 116 §26–29 · 38
Where the Romance differs
Background: In Chapter 112 of the Romance, Jiang Shu is a general from Xichuan whom Jiang Wei picked and drilled, and whom Jiang Wei cherished greatly for his courage. The biography of Jiang Wei in the Records gives only his name, in the passage about his surrender at the mouth of the pass, and does not state his origin or his relationship to Jiang Wei. Romance, Ch. 112 §23Records, Shu 14 §45
Earlier campaigns: In Chapters 113–114 of the Romance, Jiang Shu takes charge of the right army in Jiang Wei's campaigns and goes out by Xiegu. The Records has no record of Jiang Shu taking part in Jiang Wei's campaigns. Romance, Ch. 113 §23Romance, Ch. 114 §32Records, Shu 14 §45
Deployment at the pass: In Chapters 115–116 of the Romance, Jiang Wei entrusts the pass to Jiang Shu and Fu Qian before going to Tazhong, with Fu Qian as commander and Jiang Shu as his deputy general. In the biography of Jiang Wei in the Records, Jiang Wei sent a memorial proposing that Zhang Yi and Liao Hua be sent to guard the mouth of Yang'an Pass, but Huang Hao had it shelved, and the relative rank of Jiang Shu and Fu Qian at the mouth of the pass is not recorded. Romance, Ch. 115 §30Romance, Ch. 116 §21Records, Shu 14 §43–45
How he surrendered: In Chapter 116 of the Romance, while Fu Qian goes down from the pass to fight, Jiang Shu raises Wei banners on the pass and shouts that he has surrendered. The biography of Jiang Wei in the Records says only that when the general sent by Zhong Hui attacked the mouth of the pass, Jiang Shu opened the gates, came out and surrendered, while Fu Qian fought and died. Romance, Ch. 116 §22Records, Shu 14 §45
Zhuge Liang's tomb: In Chapter 116 of the Romance, Zhong Hui asks the surrendered Jiang Shu about a shrine on Mount Dingjun and then offers sacrifices in person at Zhuge Liang's tomb. The Biography of Zhong Hui in the Records records that Zhong Hui went out of the mouth of Yang'an and sent men to offer sacrifices at Zhuge Liang's tomb, and Jiang Shu does not appear. Romance, Ch. 116 §29Records, Wei 28 §105
Judgement: Chapter 116 of the Romance sets Fu Qian against Jiang Shu and includes a poem by a later writer saying it is better to die like Fu Qian than to live like Jiang Shu. The biography of Jiang Wei in the Records merely sets down Jiang Shu's surrender and Fu Qian's death side by side in a single sentence and adds no judgement. Romance, Ch. 116 §25Records, Shu 14 §45
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 total332 / 1000Rank 952 of 996 · Top 96%Romance total345 / 1000Rank 929 of 1,113 · Top 84%
Romance adaptation index+13Romance total − Records total
- LEA3535±0
- STR3850+12
- INT3545+10
- POL3131±0
- CHA3333±0
- VIR2210−12
- ADP4548+3
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3131±0
- DIS3131±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RWhen Zhong Hui's separate general attacked the pass, opened the gates and surrendered, while Fu Qian fought and diedShu 14 §45
NRaised Wei banners on the pass and surrendered while Fu Qian was out, and a later poem condemned himCh. 116 §22Ch. 116 §25
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalShu 14 §45
NAdvised that the Wei troops were too many to withstand, so holding firm was the best planCh. 116 §21
7 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a general guarding a passShu 14 §45
NNo direct record — estimated from his guarding the pass with Fu QianCh. 115 §30
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalShu 14 §45
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalCh. 115 §30
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalShu 14 §45
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalCh. 115 §30
RWhen the pass was attacked, chose surrender over fightingShu 14 §45
NAfter surrendering the pass, was made use of by answering Zhong Hui's questionsCh. 116 §22Ch. 116 §29
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalShu 14 §45
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalCh. 115 §30
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalShu 14 §45
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalCh. 115 §30
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalShu 14 §45
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a generalCh. 115 §30
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 →
Allegiance history Changed allegiance 1 times
Related events (2)
- Zhuge Liang's Spirit Appears at Mount Dingjun 263 · Appears (Romance scene)
- Zhong Hui Divides His Army on the Hanzhong Road 263 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).