Wu Gang 吳綱
| Occupation | RNOfficial · Chief Clerk | Faction | Wei |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R3 |
Profile
Wu Gang was Chief Clerk (zhangshi) to Zhuge Dan, General-in-Chief Who Conquers the East of Wei. He has no biography of his own in the Records; in Chen Shou's main text he appears once each in the account of Zhuge Dan in the Biographies of Wang, Guanqiu, Zhuge, Deng and Zhong (Records of Wei 28) and in the Biographies of the Three Successor Rulers (Records of Wu 3). When Zhuge Dan rebelled at Shouchun in the 5th month of the 2nd year of Ganlu (257), Wu Gang took Zhuge Dan's young son Zhuge Jing to Wu to ask for help. The Biographies of the Three Successor Rulers record him as a hostage sent to Wu together with Zhuge Jing and the sons and younger brothers of the Gate Generals. His later deeds and death are not in Chen Shou's main text. Records, Wei 28 §35–36Records, Wu 3 §16
In the Romance he appears in Chapter 111 as Zhuge Dan's Chief Clerk, and he appears in 1 of its 120 chapters; no chapter has his name in its title. He took Zhuge Jing to Wu as a hostage, asked Sun Chen for help at the Stone City, and returned to Shouchun to report to Zhuge Dan. Romance, Ch. 111 §30–32
In the Records
In the 5th month of the 2nd year of Ganlu (257), when the court summoned Zhuge Dan to be Minister of Works, Zhuge Dan, on receiving the edict, grew even more afraid and at last rebelled. He attacked and killed Yue Chen, Inspector of Yang Province, gathered the government soldiers and newly attached troops of Huainan and Huaibei, shut the city gates and held out, and then had his Chief Clerk Wu Gang take his young son Zhuge Jing to Wu to ask for help. Records, Wei 28 §35–36
The people of Wu were overjoyed and sent the generals Quan Yi, Quan Duan, Tang Zi, Wang Zuo and others with thirty thousand men to come secretly together with Wen Qin in support of Zhuge Dan. They also made Zhuge Dan Left Protector-General, granted the tally, Grand Minister over the Masses, General of Agile Cavalry and Governor of Qing Province, and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Shouchun. At this time Wang Ji, General Who Guards the South, had just arrived and surrounded Shouchun, but the encirclement had not yet closed, so Tang Zi, Wen Qin and others made use of the rugged terrain northeast of the city and got inside. Records, Wei 28 §36
The Biographies of the Three Successor Rulers (Records of Wu 3) record that in the 5th month of the 2nd year of Taiping (257) Zhuge Dan held the city of Shouchun with the forces of Huainan, sent General Zhu Cheng to submit a memorial declaring himself a vassal, and also sent his son Zhuge Jing, his Chief Clerk Wu Gang and the sons and younger brothers of the Gate Generals as hostages. In the 6th month Wen Qin, Tang Zi, Quan Duan and others were given 30,000 infantry and cavalry to rescue Zhuge Dan. Records, Wu 3 §16
These two passages are the only places where Wu Gang appears in Chen Shou's main text. In the 3rd year of Ganlu (258) Shouchun fell and Zhuge Dan was beheaded by the troops of Hu Fen, Major (sima) to the General-in-Chief, but what became of Wu Gang is not recorded. His courtesy name, origins and death are also not in Chen Shou's main text. The assessment of Records of Wei 28 discusses only Wang Ling, Guanqiu Jian, Zhuge Dan, Zhong Hui and Deng Ai and does not deal with Wu Gang. Records, Wei 28 §28–44 · 140
In the Romance
In Chapter 111 of the Romance, Zhuge Dan learns that Sima Zhao, while summoning him to the capital as Minister of Works, has sent a secret letter to Yue Chen, Inspector of Yang Province, and he storms into Yang Province and kills Yue Chen. He then prepares a memorial listing Sima Zhao's crimes one by one and has it presented at Luoyang, gathers the households of the agricultural colonies and newly surrendered troops, and orders his Chief Clerk Wu Gang to send his son Zhuge Jing to Wu as a hostage to ask for help. Romance, Ch. 111 §28–30
At this time in Eastern Wu the Chancellor Sun Jun had died of illness, and his cousin Sun Chen was assisting in the government and held power. Wu Gang takes Zhuge Jing to the Stone City and bows to Sun Chen. When Sun Chen asks the reason, Wu Gang says that Zhuge Dan, a clansman and younger brother of Marquis Wu Zhuge (Zhuge Liang) of Shu-Han, had long served Wei, but seeing Sima Zhao deceive his sovereign, slight his superiors, depose the ruler and wield power, he wishes to punish him and, lacking the strength, is coming over to submit. Fearing that there might be no trustworthy proof, he has sent his own son Zhuge Jing as a hostage, and so he asks them to send troops to help. Romance, Ch. 111 §31–32
Sun Chen grants the request and raises an army of 70,000, making Quan Yi and Quan Duan the commanders-in-chief, Yu Quan the rear guard, Zhu Yi and Tang Zi the vanguard and Wen Qin the guide, and has it advance in three columns. Wu Gang returns to Shouchun to inform Zhuge Dan, who is overjoyed and draws up his troops in readiness. In the Romance Wu Gang does not appear again after this passage. Romance, Ch. 111 §32
Where the Romance differs
Hostage: In Chapter 111 of the Romance, Wu Gang takes Zhuge Jing as a hostage and asks Sun Chen for help, then returns to Shouchun to inform Zhuge Dan. The Biographies of the Three Successor Rulers in the Records record that Wu Gang too was sent as a hostage together with Zhuge Jing and the sons and younger brothers of the Gate Generals, and there is no record in Chen Shou's main text that he returned to Shouchun. Romance, Ch. 111 §32Records, Wu 3 §16Records, Wei 28 §28–44
What he said in Wu: In Chapter 111 of the Romance, Wu Gang bows to Sun Chen at the Stone City, introduces Zhuge Dan as a clansman and younger brother of Marquis Wu Zhuge, and asks for help by listing Sima Zhao's crimes. Chen Shou's main text does not record whom Wu Gang met in Wu or what he said. Romance, Ch. 111 §31–32Records, Wei 28 §36Records, Wu 3 §16
Relief army: In Chapter 111 of the Romance, Sun Chen gives Quan Yi, Quan Duan, Yu Quan, Zhu Yi, Tang Zi and Wen Qin 70,000 troops and sends them in three columns. In the account of Zhuge Dan in the Records, Quan Yi, Quan Duan, Tang Zi, Wang Zuo and others came with thirty thousand men together with Wen Qin, and the Biographies of the Three Successor Rulers record that in the 6th month Wen Qin, Tang Zi, Quan Duan and others were given 30,000 infantry and cavalry. In the Biographies of the Three Successor Rulers, Zhu Yi became Front Area Commander after Sun Chen halted at Huoli in the 7th month, and led 50,000 armored soldiers together with Ding Feng and others. Romance, Ch. 111 §32Records, Wei 28 §36Records, Wu 3 §16
Who else was sent: In the Biographies of the Three Successor Rulers in the Records, Zhuge Dan sent General Zhu Cheng to submit a memorial declaring himself a vassal. Zhu Cheng does not appear in Chapter 111 of the Romance, and those who go to Wu are Wu Gang and Zhuge Jing. Records, Wu 3 §16Romance, Ch. 111 §30–32
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.
- LEA3635−1
- STR3333±0
- INT4040±0
- POL4542−3
- CHA4040±0
- VIR4850+2
- ADP4040±0
- SCH3638+2
- DIP6268+6
- DIS4040±0
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
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkWei 28 §36
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkCh. 111 §30
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkWei 28 §36
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkCh. 111 §30
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkWei 28 §36
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkCh. 111 §31
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkWei 28 §36
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkCh. 111 §30
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkWei 28 §36
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkCh. 111 §31
RNo direct record — estimated from his following Zhuge DanWu 3 §16
NNo direct record — estimated from his speaking for Zhuge Dan's cause for raising troopsCh. 111 §31
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkWei 28 §36
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkCh. 111 §31
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkWei 28 §36
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkCh. 111 §31
RTook Zhuge Jing to Wu to ask for help and obtained a relief army of 30,000Wei 28 §36Wu 3 §16
NConveyed Zhuge Dan's intentions to Sun Chen and got him to raise a relief army of 70,000Ch. 111 §31Ch. 111 §32
RNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkWei 28 §36
NNo direct record — estimated from his post as Zhuge Dan's Chief ClerkCh. 111 §31
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 →
Allegiance history
- Wei · Romance · Romance ch. 111 「又令长史吴纲，送子诸葛靓入吴为质求援」 · Q124653312