RSurrendered with his county as the Yuan family collapsed and was enfeoffed as a full marquisWei 1 §88Wei 6 §68
NVolunteered for battle, vowing to submit to military law if he did not winCh. 48 §24
Jiao Chu 焦觸
| Occupation | RNGeneral | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Born | N? Unverified | Native place | |
| Died | N208 Unverified | Place of death | |
| Cause of death | NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R3 |
Profile
Jiao Chu was a senior general of Yuan Xi. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears in the Annals of Emperor Wu in Records of Wei 1 and the Biographies of Dong, the Two Yuans and Liu in Records of Wei 6. In the 1st month of the 10th year of Jian'an (205), the same month in which Cao Cao beheaded Yuan Tan and pacified Ji Province, he rebelled together with Zhang Nan and others and attacked Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang, and the two fled to the Wuhuan. Records, Wei 1 §88Records, Wei 6 §68
Jiao Chu styled himself Inspector of You Province and drove the Administrators of the commanderies and the Prefects and Chiefs of the counties to turn against the Yuan family and toward the Cao family, and at the oath sworn over a slaughtered white horse he proposed that Han Heng, the Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage who refused to go along, be allowed to fulfill his resolve. Jiao Chu and the others surrendered with their counties and were enfeoffed as full marquises. Records, Wei 6 §68–69Records, Wei 1 §88
Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name or origins, or his later deeds and death, and the assessment in Records of Wei 6 does not discuss him. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 33 as a commander who had surrendered from the Yuan side, and he appears in 3 of its 120 chapters; no chapter has his name in its title. In Chapter 48 he sets out with Zhang Nan in small boats against the naval camp on the south bank of the Yangtze and is killed by a thrust of Han Dang's spear. Records, Wei 1 §88Records, Wei 6 §68–69 · 96Romance, Ch. 33 §22Romance, Ch. 48 §28
In the Records
While Cao Cao was besieging Ye, Yuan Tan attacked Yuan Shang at Zhongshan, and Yuan Shang fled to Gu'an and took refuge with Yuan Xi. In spring, in the 1st month of the 10th year of Jian'an (205), Cao Cao attacked Nanpi and beheaded Yuan Tan, and Ji Province was pacified. Records, Wei 6 §67Records, Wei 1 §88
That month Yuan Xi's senior generals Jiao Chu, Zhang Nan and others rebelled and attacked Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang, who fled to the Wuhuan of the Three Commanderies. The Biographies of Dong, the Two Yuans and Liu record this as Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang being attacked by their generals Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan and fleeing to the Wuhuan of Liaoxi. Records, Wei 1 §88Records, Wei 6 §68
Jiao Chu styled himself Inspector of You Province and drove the Administrators of the commanderies and the Prefects and Chiefs of the counties to turn against the Yuan family and toward the Cao family. He drew up tens of thousands of troops, slaughtered a white horse to swear an oath and ordered, 'Whoever disobeys will be beheaded'; no one dared speak, and each in turn smeared the blood on his lips. Records, Wei 6 §68
When the turn came to the Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage Han Heng, Han Heng said that he had received the deep favor of Lord Yuan and his sons, and that now that they had been broken and destroyed he had neither the wisdom to save them nor the courage to die for them, so he had already fallen short in duty; but to face north and serve the Cao family was something he could not do. The whole gathering turned pale on Han Heng's account. Jiao Chu said that one who undertakes a great enterprise must establish a great principle, and that whether the enterprise succeeded did not depend on one man; let Han Heng fulfill his resolve, to encourage those who serve their lords. Records, Wei 6 §68–69
Jiao Chu and the others surrendered with their counties, and Cao Cao enfeoffed them as full marquises. Chen Shou's main text does not record Jiao Chu's courtesy name or origins, or his later deeds and death, and the assessment in Records of Wei 6 discusses only Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao and Liu Biao and does not deal with him. Records, Wei 1 §88Records, Wei 6 §96
In the Romance
In Chapter 33 of the Romance, when Cao Cao asks Guo Jia for a plan to attack Yuan Shang, who has taken refuge with Yuan Xi, Guo Jia advises him to have Jiao Chu, Zhang Nan and the other surrendered commanders of the Yuan attack them themselves. Following this advice, Cao Cao has Jiao Chu, Zhang Nan, Lü Kuang, Lü Xiang, Ma Yan and Zhang Yi each lead the troops of his own command and attack You Province by three routes. Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi, knowing that Cao Cao's army will soon arrive, abandon their city and flee to the Wuhuan of Liaoxi. Romance, Ch. 33 §22–23
At the battle of Changban in Chapter 41, he and Zhang Nan block the way in front of Zhao Yun as he gallops off. Behind, Ma Yan and Zhang Yi are in pursuit, and the Romance says that all four were commanders who had surrendered from Yuan Shao's service. Zhao Yun fights the four generals with all his strength, and when Cao Cao's troops swarm in he draws the Qinggang Sword, cuts his way about him and breaks through the layered encirclement. Romance, Ch. 41 §60–61
In Chapter 48, when Cao Cao says that the troops of Qing, Xu, Yan and Dai are not used to boats, Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan, former generals under Yuan Shao, step forward and say that although they are men of You and Yan they can handle boats, and that if lent patrol boats they will go and seize the flags and drums at the river mouth. When Cao Cao warns them not to treat their lives as a children's game, the two cry out that if they do not win they will gladly submit to military law. Cao Cao gives them twenty boats and five hundred picked troops, and has Wen Pin meet them on their way back with thirty patrol boats. Romance, Ch. 48 §23–25
The next day Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan lead twenty scouting boats toward the south bank, and the Romance says that, trusting only in the courage of the moment, the two rowed their small boats as if flying. When Zhou Yu asks who will go out first, Han Dang and Zhou Tai step forward and come out with five scouting boats each. Jiao Chu, arriving first, has his men shoot arrows at Han Dang's boat and then closes with him with a long spear, but is killed by a single thrust of Han Dang's spear. Zhang Nan, following behind, is cut down by Zhou Tai. Romance, Ch. 48 §26–29
Where the Romance differs
Who claimed to be Inspector of You Province: In Chapter 33 of the Romance, the man who swears a blood oath to abandon the Yuan and turn to Cao Cao, and who lets Han Heng, refusing to follow, go as he pleases, is Wuhuanchu, Inspector of You Province. In the Records, it is Jiao Chu who styles himself Inspector of You Province, leads the oath and proposes that Han Heng be allowed to fulfill his resolve. Romance, Ch. 33 §23–24Records, Wei 6 §68–69
How Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang were attacked: In Chapter 33 of the Romance, Jiao Chu is a commander who has already surrendered to Cao Cao and, following Guo Jia's plan, marches on You Province by three routes, while Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang flee before Cao Cao's army arrives. In the Records, Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan, senior generals of Yuan Xi, rebelled and attacked Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang, and afterward surrendered with their counties and were enfeoffed as full marquises. Romance, Ch. 33 §22–23Records, Wei 1 §88Records, Wei 6 §68
Changban: In Chapter 41 of the Romance, Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan block the way in front of Zhao Yun. The record of Jiao Chu in the Records contains no battle of Changban. Romance, Ch. 41 §60Records, Wei 1 §88Records, Wei 6 §68–69
Death: In Chapter 48 of the Romance, Jiao Chu sets out with Zhang Nan in small boats against the naval camp on the south bank of the Yangtze and is killed by a thrust of Han Dang's spear. The Records do not record Jiao Chu's deeds or death after he was enfeoffed as a full marquis. Romance, Ch. 48 §28Records, Wei 1 §88Records, Wei 6 §68–69
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 total428 / 1000Rank 461 of 996 · Top 47%Romance total339 / 1000Rank 965 of 1,113 · Top 87%
Romance adaptation index−89Romance total − Records total
- LEA5040−10
- STR4035−5
- INT4025−15
- POL4031−9
- CHA5035−15
- VIR3538+3
- ADP6235−27
- SCH3131±0
- DIP4238−4
- DIS3831−7
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsWei 6 §68
NTrusting only in the courage of the moment, went against the southern naval camp in small boatsCh. 48 §24Ch. 48 §28
RDrove the Administrators and county Prefects to turn against the Yuan familyWei 6 §68
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as Yuan Xi's subordinate generalCh. 33 §19
RAs Yuan Xi's senior general, drew up tens of thousands of troops and attacked Yuan Xi and Yuan ShangWei 6 §68Wei 1 §88
NLed the troops of his own command and attacked You Province by separate routesCh. 33 §22
6 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as Yuan Xi's senior generalWei 1 §88
NClosed with Han Dang and was killed by a single thrust of his spearCh. 48 §28Ch. 41 §60
RNo direct record — estimated from his styling himself Inspector of You ProvinceWei 6 §68
NNo direct record — estimated from his military careerCh. 33 §22
RBetrayed his lord Yuan Xi, but respected the resolve of Han Heng, who refused to go alongWei 6 §68Wei 6 §69
NNo direct record — estimated from his being used by Cao Cao as a surrendered commander of the YuanCh. 33 §19
RNo direct record — estimated from his military careerWei 6 §68
NNo direct record — estimated from his military careerCh. 48 §23
RAt the oath, said that a great principle must be establishedWei 6 §69
NNo direct record — estimated from his asking Cao Cao to let him go into battleCh. 48 §25
RNo direct record — estimated from his deedsWei 6 §69
NNo direct record — estimated from his deedsCh. 33 §22
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 →
Related events (1)
- The Northern Army Chains Its Warships 208 · Appears (Romance scene)
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).