Niu Jin 牛金
| Occupation | RGeneral · General of the Rear NGeneral | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R4 |
Profile
Niu Jin was a retainer commander under Cao Ren. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears in the record of Cao Ren in the Biographies of the Xiahou and Cao clans, Records of Wei 9. He was the officer whom Cao Ren, holding Jiangling after the Battle of Red Cliffs, sent out with 300 recruited men against Zhou Yu's vanguard; he was surrounded by the enemy, and Cao Ren plunged in himself to rescue him. He rose to the post of General of the Rear. Records, Wei 9 §36–38 · 43
Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, his origins or his death, and the assessment of Records of Wei 9 does not take him up. In the Romance he appears in Chapter 51 as a bold general under Cao Ren, in 1 of its 120 chapters, and no chapter has his name in its title. The Romance portrays him as a general who asks to go out and fight, is surrounded and rescued by Cao Ren, abandons his horse and flees after going to relieve Yiling, and tries to capture Zhou Yu after Zhou Yu is struck by an arrow at the city of Nan Commandery. Records, Wei 9 §29–43 · 132Romance, Ch. 51 §12–13 · 20 · 25
In the Records
In the 13th year of Jian'an (208), Lord Cao, defeated at Red Cliffs, fell back to hold Nan Commandery, then left Cao Ren and others to guard the city of Jiangling and went straight back north himself. According to the biography of Cao Ren, Cao Ren had taken part in the pacification of Jing Province and, as acting General Who Conquers the South, stayed behind to garrison Jiangling and hold off Zhou Yu, general of Wu. Records, Wu 2 §11–13Records, Wu 9 §16Records, Wei 9 §36
Zhou Yu came to attack with a host of several tens of thousands; when his vanguard of several thousand had just arrived, Cao Ren climbed the wall to observe them, recruited 300 men, and sent his retainer commander Niu Jin to meet them and offer battle. The enemy were many and Niu Jin's men few, and at last they were surrounded. The Chief Clerk Chen Jiao was on the wall with Cao Ren, and seeing Niu Jin and the others on the point of being wiped out, everyone around them turned pale. Records, Wei 9 §36
Cao Ren, furious, told those around him to bring his horse. Chen Jiao and the others together held him back, saying that the enemy were strong, that even if a few hundred men were sacrificed there was no great harm, and that it was not for the general to throw himself in. Cao Ren did not answer, put on his armour, mounted, and rode out of the city leading several dozen stalwart horsemen of his own command. When they reached a ditch a hundred-odd paces from the enemy, Chen Jiao and the others thought Cao Ren would halt at the ditch to create a show of support for Niu Jin. But Cao Ren crossed the ditch and pressed straight ahead, charging into the enemy's encirclement, and only then were Niu Jin and the others able to break free. Records, Wei 9 §37
As the rest of the force had not all got out, Cao Ren turned straight back again and charged the enemy, bringing out Niu Jin's soldiers. Only a few men were lost, and the enemy host then withdrew. Chen Jiao and the others, who had all been afraid when they first saw Cao Ren ride out, sighed when they saw him return, 'The general is truly a man from Heaven!', and the Three Armies were won over by his courage. Taizu thought him all the more heroic and transferred his enfeoffment to Marquis of Anping Village. Records, Wei 9 §38
The Biography of the Lord of Wu records that in the 14th year of Jian'an (209) Zhou Yu and Cao Ren held each other off for more than a year, with very many killed and wounded, and that Cao Ren abandoned the city and fled. The records of this battle in the Records of Wu do not mention Niu Jin's name. Records, Wu 2 §15Records, Wu 9 §17 · 60–62
The biography of Cao Ren, after recording that Cao Ren died in the 4th year of Huangchu (223) and that his son Cao Tai succeeded him, adds at the end that Niu Jin rose to the post of General of the Rear. These two passages in the biography of Cao Ren are the only places where Niu Jin appears in Chen Shou's main text, and his courtesy name, his origins, and the year and circumstances of his death are not recorded. The assessment of Records of Wei 9 discusses only the Xiahou and Cao clansmen and does not take up Niu Jin. Records, Wei 9 §43 · 29–43 · 132
In the Romance
In Chapter 51 of the Romance, Zhou Yu makes Jiang Qin the vanguard, with Xu Sheng and Ding Feng as his lieutenants, and has them cross the river first to attack Nan Commandery. Cao Ren in Nan Commandery has Cao Hong hold Yiling so that the two positions support each other, and when he hears that the Wu army has crossed the Han River, he says that holding fast and not fighting is the best plan. Then the bold general Niu Jin steps forward indignantly, saying that not going out to fight when enemy troops have reached the foot of the walls is cowardice, and that an army just defeated must rouse its fighting spirit again; he asks for 500 picked troops to fight one battle to the death. Cao Ren agrees. Romance, Ch. 51 §11–12
Niu Jin fights Ding Feng for four or five bouts, pursues him into the enemy lines when Ding Feng feigns defeat and flees, and is surrounded by Ding Feng's troops; charging left and right, he cannot break out. Cao Ren, seeing this from the wall, puts on his armour, leads out several hundred stalwart horsemen of his own command, drives off Xu Sheng and rescues Niu Jin from the middle of the encirclement, and seeing that several dozen horsemen are still left inside, charges in again to rescue them. When Jiang Qin blocks the road, Cao Ren and Niu Jin scatter him with all their strength, Cao Ren's younger brother Cao Chun comes up in support, and the Wu army is routed. Romance, Ch. 51 §12–14
When Gan Ning comes to attack Yiling, Cao Ren, following Chen Jiao's advice that if Yiling were lost Nan Commandery could not be held either, sends Cao Chun and Niu Jin to lead troops secretly to relieve Cao Hong. After Cao Hong is defeated and Gan Ning takes Yiling, the troops of Cao Chun and Niu Jin, arriving at dusk, join forces from two sides and surround Yiling. As Zhou Yu's main army approaches, Cao Hong, Cao Chun and Niu Jin inform Cao Ren and divide their troops to resist, but when Gan Ning and Zhou Tai strike out along two routes, they are thrown into great confusion. Fleeing by a side road, the three find their way blocked by heaps of felled trees, and all abandon their horses and flee; the Wu army takes more than 500 horses. Romance, Ch. 51 §15–16 · 19–20
Cao Ren opens the plan Cao Cao left behind and makes the city appear empty. When Zhou Yu enters through the open gate, runs into pitfalls and crossbows, is struck in the left side by a crossbow bolt and falls from his horse, Niu Jin charges out from within the city to capture him, but Xu Sheng and Ding Feng risk their lives to rescue him. Three days later Niu Jin brings troops to offer battle, and when Cheng Pu does not move, he hurls abuse until sunset, and comes again the next day to abuse them. On the third day he comes right up to the camp gate, shouting abuse and saying again and again that he will capture Zhou Yu. Romance, Ch. 51 §21 · 24–25 · 27
After Zhou Yu vomits blood and collapses before the battle lines, soldiers who come over in surrender from the Wu camp say that Zhou Yu is dead, and Cao Ren decides to raid the camp that night to seize Zhou Yu's body, making Niu Jin the vanguard. He himself leads the centre and Cao Hong and Cao Chun the rear as they leave the city, but in Zhou Yu's great camp there are only banners and spears set up, Wu troops lying in ambush strike from all sides, and Cao Cao's army is crushed. Cao Ren cannot return to Nan Commandery and flees to Xiangyang, and Niu Jin does not appear again in the Romance after this chapter. Romance, Ch. 51 §32 · 34–38
Where the Romance differs
How he came to fight: In Chapter 51 of the Romance, when Cao Ren proposes to hold fast, Niu Jin himself steps forward and asks for 500 picked troops to go out and fight. In the Records, when Zhou Yu's vanguard of several thousand had just arrived, Cao Ren recruited 300 men and sent his retainer commander Niu Jin to meet them and offer battle. Romance, Ch. 51 §12Records, Wei 9 §36
Why he was surrounded: In Chapter 51 of the Romance, Niu Jin is trapped inside the enemy lines while pursuing Ding Feng, who feigns defeat and flees. The Records state only that the enemy were many and Niu Jin's men few, so that at last they were surrounded; there is no feigned defeat by Ding Feng. Romance, Ch. 51 §12–13Records, Wei 9 §36
Cao Ren's rescue: In Chapter 51 of the Romance, Cao Ren goes out with several hundred stalwart horsemen to rescue Niu Jin. In the Records, Cao Ren led several dozen stalwart horsemen of his own command; though Chen Jiao and the others tried to stop him, he crossed the ditch and charged in, freed Niu Jin and the others, and went back again to rescue the rest of the soldiers. Romance, Ch. 51 §13Records, Wei 9 §37–38
The fighting at Yiling: In Chapter 51 of the Romance, Cao Chun and Niu Jin surround Gan Ning at Yiling and then, fleeing in defeat, find the road blocked by heaped trees and abandon their horses. The biography of Zhou Yu in the Records says that Cao Ren divided his infantry and cavalry to surround Gan Ning, and the biography of Lü Meng says that the enemy, fleeing by night, came upon a road blocked with trees and the horsemen all abandoned their horses, but neither record names Niu Jin. Romance, Ch. 51 §16 · 20Records, Wu 9 §17 · 60–61
Zhou Yu's arrow wound: In Chapter 51 of the Romance, Zhou Yu is struck in the left side by a crossbow bolt in the trap at the city of Nan Commandery, and Niu Jin charges out to capture him. In the biography of Zhou Yu in the Records, Zhou Yu, riding into the enemy lines himself, was struck in the right side by a stray arrow, and Niu Jin does not appear. Romance, Ch. 51 §25Records, Wu 9 §17
The outcome at Nan Commandery: In Chapter 51 of the Romance, the night raid with Niu Jin as vanguard falls into Zhou Yu's ambush and is crushed, and Cao Ren flees to Xiangyang. The Biography of the Lord of Wu in the Records says that in the 14th year of Jian'an (209) Zhou Yu and Cao Ren held each other off for more than a year and then Cao Ren abandoned the city and fled. Romance, Ch. 51 §36–38Records, Wu 2 §15
Afterwards: In the Romance, Niu Jin does not appear after Chapter 51. The biography of Cao Ren in the Records says that Niu Jin rose to the post of General of the Rear. Romance, Ch. 51 §36Records, Wei 9 §43
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.
- LEA5055+5
- STR6270+8
- INT3830−8
- POL3533−2
- CHA4038−2
- VIR5050±0
- ADP4040±0
- SCH3131±0
- DIP3332−1
- DIS3533−2
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
No ability differs by 10 or more — the Romance portrays this person much as the Records do.
10 similar abilities — show evidence
RSurrounded when heavily outnumbered and rescued by Cao Ren; later rose to General of the RearWei 9 §36Wei 9 §43
NOffered battle day after day and led the vanguard in Cao Ren's night raidCh. 51 §27Ch. 51 §36
RMet Zhou Yu's vanguard of several thousand in battle with 300 recruited menWei 9 §36Wei 9 §38
NA bold general who volunteered to lead 500 men in a fight to the death and charged out to capture Zhou YuCh. 51 §12Ch. 51 §14Ch. 51 §25
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as retainer commander and General of the RearWei 9 §36
NWas surrounded while pursuing Ding Feng's feigned retreatCh. 51 §12Ch. 51 §13
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as retainer commander and General of the RearWei 9 §36
NNo direct record — estimated from his conduct as a general under Cao RenCh. 51 §12
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as retainer commander and General of the RearWei 9 §36
NNo direct record — estimated from his conduct as a general under Cao RenCh. 51 §12
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as retainer commander and General of the RearWei 9 §36
NNo direct record — estimated from his conduct as a general under Cao RenCh. 51 §12
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as retainer commander and General of the RearWei 9 §36
NNo direct record — estimated from his conduct as a general under Cao RenCh. 51 §12
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as retainer commander and General of the RearWei 9 §36
NNo direct record — estimated from his conduct as a general under Cao RenCh. 51 §12
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as retainer commander and General of the RearWei 9 §36
NNo direct record — estimated from his conduct as a general under Cao RenCh. 51 §12
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as retainer commander and General of the RearWei 9 §36
NNo direct record — estimated from his conduct as a general under Cao RenCh. 51 §12
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 (1)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Related events (2)
- Cao Ren Battles the Wu Army 208~209 · Appears (Romance scene)
- Battle of Jiangling 208~209 · Command
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).