RAs Attendant Officer for Encouraging Learning, submitted a document citing the River Chart, the Luo Writing and the prophetic textsShu 2 §55
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant OfficerCh. 80 §37
Zhang Shuang 張爽
| Occupation | ROfficial · Attendant Officer for Encouraging Learning NOfficial · Attendant Officer | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R1 |
Profile
Zhang Shuang was an official of Shu under Liu Bei. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears once, in the Biography of the First Sovereign. After Emperor Wen of Wei proclaimed himself emperor, as Attendant Officer for Encouraging Learning he joined the Consultant Liu Bao, the Marquis of Qingyi Xiang Ju, the Lieutenant Generals Zhang Yi (張裔) and Huang Quan, Yang Hong, He Zong, Du Qiong, Yin Mo, Qiao Zhou and others in submitting a document that cited the prophetic and apocryphal texts and auspicious omens and asked Liu Bei to ascend the imperial throne. The Records do not give his courtesy name, his origin or any other deeds. Records, Shu 2 §55 · 59
In the Romance he appears in only one of the 120 chapters, Chapter 80, and no chapter has his name in its title. He is named as 'Zhang Shuang, Attendant Officer' in the list of civil and military officials who, through Zhuge Liang's stratagem, come in before the King of Hanzhong, prostrate themselves and ask him to ascend the imperial throne. Romance, Ch. 80 §37
In the Records
In the 25th year of Jian'an (220) Emperor Wen of Wei proclaimed himself emperor and changed the era name to Huangchu. When word spread that the Han emperor had been killed, the First Sovereign Liu Bei announced mourning, put on mourning garments and conferred on him the posthumous title Emperor Xiaomin. After this, reports of all kinds of auspicious omens came in from many places, day after day and month after month. Thereupon the Consultant and Marquis of Yangquan Liu Bao, the Marquis of Qingyi Xiang Ju, the Lieutenant Generals Zhang Yi (張裔) and Huang Quan, the Subordinate of the Grand Marshal Yin Chun, the Attendant Officer Mounted Escort of Yi Province Zhao Zuo, the Headquarters Attendant Officer Yang Hong, the Libationer Attendant Officer He Zong, the Attendant Officer for Deliberation Du Qiong, and the Attendant Officers for Encouraging Learning Zhang Shuang, Yin Mo and Qiao Zhou, among others, submitted a document. Records, Shu 2 §55
The document said that the River Chart, the Luo Writing and the prophetic and apocryphal texts of the Five Classics had been sifted and made clear by Confucius, and set out prophetic passages containing the character of Liu Bei's personal name, such as the line of the Luoshu Zhenyaodu, 'in the ninth generation it meets Bei (備), and they unite to become the time of the emperor'. It also cited the statement of 'my father Qun', made while he was still alive, that a yellow vapour had repeatedly risen straight up in the southwest, and the reports that during the 22nd year a vapour like a banner had repeatedly crossed the middle of the sky from the west to the far east, and that in this year Venus, Mars and Saturn had constantly followed Jupiter, the Year Star. It then asked that the Great King respond to Heaven and accord with the people by swiftly taking up the great enterprise and bringing peace to the realm. Records, Shu 2 §55–57 · 59
Next the Grand Tutor Xu Jing, the General Who Pacifies the Han Mi Zhu, the General Military Adviser Zhuge Liang and others also submitted a document, saying that more than eight hundred officials had submitted documents one after another, all citing auspicious tokens and omens, and that the charts and prophecies gave clear proof. They said that together with the Erudite Xu Ci and the Consultant Meng Guang they would establish the rites and ceremonies, choose an auspicious day and present the imperial title, and the First Sovereign ascended the imperial throne south of Wudan in Chengdu. In the Records, Zhang Shuang's name appears only among the signatories of the earlier document. Records, Shu 2 §60 · 64–65 · 55
In the Romance
In Chapter 80 of the Romance, when word reaches Chengdu that Cao Pi has made himself Emperor of Great Wei and that the Han emperor is rumoured to have been killed, the King of Hanzhong weeps aloud all day, orders the officials to put on mourning and confers the honorific posthumous title Emperor Xiaomin. Falling ill from his grief, he entrusts the affairs of government to Zhuge Liang, and Zhuge Liang confers with Xu Jing and Qiao Zhou, wishing to raise the King of Hanzhong to emperor. Qiao Zhou says that a yellow vapour has shot up at the northwest corner of Chengdu and the Emperor Star has appeared, and that these are signs that he should take the imperial throne. Romance, Ch. 80 §29–30
Zhuge Liang and Xu Jing lead the officials in submitting a memorial, but the King of Hanzhong, saying that he cannot imitate what a rebel does, shakes out his sleeves and withdraws. When they ask again three days later and he still does not comply, Zhuge Liang tells the officials of a plan and stays away, pleading illness. To the King of Hanzhong, who comes to visit him in his sickness, Zhuge Liang confides his worry that the officials, harbouring resentment, will scatter, and when the King of Hanzhong says that it will not be too late to act once the Military Adviser has recovered, Zhuge Liang springs up from his couch and strikes the screen once. Romance, Ch. 80 §31–36 · 37
Thereupon the civil and military officials waiting outside all come in, prostrate themselves on the ground and ask him to choose a day to perform the great ceremony. The King of Hanzhong sees that they are many officials: the Grand Tutor Xu Jing, the General Who Pacifies the Han Mi Zhu, the Marquis of Qingyi Xiang Ju, the Marquis of Yangquan Liu Bao and others, together with the Headquarters Officer Yang Hong, the Officer for Deliberation Du Qiong, the Attendant Officer Zhang Shuang, the Minister of Ceremonies Lai Gong, the Minister of the Household Huang Quan, the Libationer He Zong, the Academician Yin Mo, the Director of Studies Qiao Zhou and others. In the Romance, Zhang Shuang is merely named in this list and has no speaking scene. Romance, Ch. 80 §37
The King of Hanzhong exclaims in alarm that it is they who have plunged him into unrighteousness, but Zhuge Liang puts the Erudite Xu Ci and the Gentleman Remonstrant Meng Guang in charge of the rites and has an altar built south of Wudan in Chengdu. Qiao Zhou reads the prayer on the altar, and the King of Hanzhong receives the jade seal and changes the era name to the 1st year of Zhangwu. Romance, Ch. 80 §38–39 · 41–42
Where the Romance differs
Where Zhang Shuang appears: In Chapter 80 of the Romance, Zhang Shuang appears in the list of officials who, following Zhuge Liang's stratagem, come in and prostrate themselves before the King of Hanzhong. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, Zhang Shuang and others submitted a document that cited the prophetic and apocryphal texts and auspicious omens and asked him to take the throne, and Zhang Shuang's name appears among its signatories. Romance, Ch. 80 §37Records, Shu 2 §55
Office: In Chapter 80 of the Romance he is 'Zhang Shuang, Attendant Officer'. Among the signatories in the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, he is Attendant Officer for Encouraging Learning. Romance, Ch. 80 §37Records, Shu 2 §55
Who spoke of the yellow vapour: In Chapter 80 of the Romance, Qiao Zhou speaks of the yellow vapour at the northwest of Chengdu and the Emperor Star while conferring with Zhuge Liang and Xu Jing. In the Records, the yellow vapour in the southwest and the movements of the stars appear in the document submitted jointly by Liu Bao, Xiang Ju, Zhang Shuang, Yin Mo, Qiao Zhou and others. Romance, Ch. 80 §30Records, Shu 2 §55 · 57
Two separate documents: Chapter 80 of the Romance depicts Xu Jing, Mi Zhu, Zhang Shuang and others coming in together at one time and prostrating themselves. In the Records, the document submitted by Liu Bao, Xiang Ju, Zhang Shuang and others and the document submitted by the Grand Tutor Xu Jing, the General Who Pacifies the Han Mi Zhu, the General Military Adviser Zhuge Liang and others are recorded separately. Romance, Ch. 80 §37Records, Shu 2 §55 · 60
How the accession came about: In Chapter 80 of the Romance, when the King of Hanzhong declines again and again, Zhuge Liang uses a ruse of feigning illness to win his consent. The Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records states only that, after the two documents were submitted, the First Sovereign ascended the imperial throne south of Wudan in Chengdu; it says nothing of Liu Bei declining or of Zhuge Liang pleading illness. Romance, Ch. 80 §31–37Records, Shu 2 §55–65
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 total407 / 1000Rank 569 of 996 · Top 58%Romance total390 / 1000Rank 588 of 1,113 · Top 53%
Romance adaptation index−17Romance total − Records total
- LEA3131±0
- STR3131±0
- INT4040±0
- POL4240−2
- CHA3838±0
- VIR4545±0
- ADP4545±0
- SCH5545−10
- DIP4240−2
- DIS3835−3
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
9 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his office as Attendant Officer for Encouraging LearningShu 2 §55
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant OfficerCh. 80 §37
RNo direct record — estimated from his office as Attendant Officer for Encouraging LearningShu 2 §55
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant OfficerCh. 80 §37
RNo direct record — estimated from his office as Attendant Officer for Encouraging LearningShu 2 §55
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant OfficerCh. 80 §37
RNo direct record — estimated from his office as Attendant Officer for Encouraging LearningShu 2 §55
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant OfficerCh. 80 §37
RNo direct record — estimated from his office as Attendant Officer for Encouraging LearningShu 2 §55
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant OfficerCh. 80 §37
RNo direct record — estimated from his office as Attendant Officer for Encouraging LearningShu 2 §55
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant OfficerCh. 80 §37
RNo direct record — estimated from his office as Attendant Officer for Encouraging LearningShu 2 §55
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant OfficerCh. 80 §37
RJoined other officials in submitting a document urging the First Sovereign to take the imperial titleShu 2 §55
NJoined the civil and military officials in asking for the great ceremony to be performedCh. 80 §37
RNo direct record — estimated from his office as Attendant Officer for Encouraging LearningShu 2 §55
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as a civil official serving as Attendant OfficerCh. 80 §37
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)
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