Zhang Qiu 張球

In Chapter 103 of the Romance, an edict reaches Sima Yi, who has fled back to his camp after a defeat, saying that Eastern Wu has invaded along three routes and the court is discussing sending generals to resist them, so he is to hold fast and not give battle. Cao Rui, the ruler of Wei, hearing that Sun Quan is coming with his forces divided along three routes, likewise raises troops along three routes, sending Liu Shao to relieve Jiangxia and Tian Yu to relieve Xiangyang, while he himself leads the main army with Man Chong to relieve Hefei. Romance, Ch. 103 §3–4

Man Chong goes ahead with a detachment to the mouth of Lake Chao and sees countless Wu warships along the eastern shore, their banners in neat order. Man Chong memorializes that the men of Wu, thinking little of the Wei army for having come from afar, will surely not yet have made preparations, so that a raid on their water camp tonight while they are off guard will certainly win a complete victory, and the ruler of Wei says this matches his own intention exactly. Romance, Ch. 103 §4–5

The ruler of Wei at once orders the valiant general Zhang Qiu to lead 5,000 troops, each carrying fire-raising equipment, and attack from the mouth of the lake, and Man Chong to lead 5,000 troops and attack from the eastern shore. Around the second watch that night, Zhang Qiu and Man Chong each lead their troops silently toward the mouth of the lake, and on nearing the water camp they raise a shout all together and charge in. The Wu troops panic and flee without fighting, and as the Wei troops set fires on every side, the warships, provisions and fodder, and equipment burned are beyond counting. Zhuge Jin flees to Miankou with his defeated troops, and the Wei army returns in great victory. Romance, Ch. 103 §5

The next day Lu Xun sends a memorial asking that the siege of the New City be lifted and the Wei army's line of retreat cut, but the junior officer carrying it is captured by the Wei troops. Saying that his plan has leaked, Lu Xun turns his troops toward Xiangyang to sow doubt in the enemy and then slowly withdraws, and the ruler of Wei, declaring that Lu Xun's generalship is not inferior to that of Sun Wu and Wu Qi, leads the main army in person to encamp at Hefei. In the Romance, Zhang Qiu's name appears only in this one passage on the raid at the mouth of Lake Chao. Romance, Ch. 103 §6 · 9–12 · 5