| Occupation | RGeneral · General of Chariots and Cavalry of the Left NGeneral · General-in-Chief Who Conquers the West | Faction | Shu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | Book of Shu |
| Born | R? N? Unverified | Native place | Qianwei Commandery Wuyang County |
| Died | R264 N(same) Unverified | Place of death | RNChengdu County |
| Cause of death | RKilled NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R18 |
Zhang Yi, courtesy name Bogong, was a native of Wuyang County in Qianwei Commandery. When Liu Bei pacified Yi Province he became an Assistant Clerk (shuzuo), and after serving as Administrator of several commanderies he became Area Commander of Laixiang (Laixiang dudu) in the 9th year of Jianxing (231). Records, Shu 15 §11–12
After Zhuge Liang's death he rose through General-in-Chief Who Conquers the West and General-in-Chief Who Guards the South to General of Chariots and Cavalry of the Left. He opposed Jiang Wei's repeated campaigns but always followed him into battle, and in the 1st month of the year after Shu surrendered he was killed by mutinous soldiers in Chengdu. Records, Shu 15 §14–16
In his assessment, Chen Shou said that his standing up to Jiang Wei's keen drive was praiseworthy. In the Romance he first appeared in Chapter 64 as a general under Liu Zhang and featured in 27 of its 120 chapters, though no chapter title bears his name. The Romance portrayed him as a man of Wuyang who cut down Liu Gui at Luocheng and opened the city gates to surrender. Records, Shu 15 §85Romance, Ch. 64 §19 · 26
His great-great-grandfather Zhang Hao served as Minister of Works and his great-grandfather Zhang Gang as Administrator of Guangling, and both were known for their names and deeds. When Liu Bei pacified Yi Province and took the post of Governor of Yi Province, Zhang Yi became an Assistant Clerk. At the end of the Jian'an era he was recommended as Filial and Incorrupt (xiaolian) and became Chief of Jiangyang County; he was transferred to be Prefect of Fuling, promoted to Administrator of Zitong, and through successive promotions rose to Administrator of Guanghan and then of Shu Commandery. Records, Shu 15 §11–12
In the 9th year of Jianxing (231) he became Area Commander of Laixiang and General of the Household Who Pacifies the South (suinan zhonglang jiang). Being strict by nature in upholding the law, he failed to win the goodwill of the non-Han peoples with their different customs, and when the tribal chief Liu Zhou turned against him and rose in revolt, he raised troops to suppress him. The Biography of Ma Zhong records that when Liu Zhou rebelled in the 11th year of Jianxing (233), the court recalled Zhang Yi and replaced him with Ma Zhong. Records, Shu 15 §12Records, Shu 13 §31
When he was recalled before he had defeated Liu Zhou, his subordinates said he should ride back at once to accept punishment. Zhang Yi said that he was returning only because he had failed in his duty when the barbarians stirred, but that his successor had not yet arrived and he was on the battlefield, so he ought to transport provisions and stockpile grain as the means to destroy the rebels; being dismissed was no reason to abandon the affairs of the state. He kept command without slackening until his successor arrived, and when Ma Zhong wiped out Liu Zhou on the foundation he had laid, the Chancellor Zhuge Liang heard of it and thought well of him. Records, Shu 15 §12–13
When Zhuge Liang marched out to Wugong, he made Zhang Yi Commander of the Front Army (qianjun dudu) and concurrently Administrator of Fufeng. After Zhuge Liang's death Zhang Yi became Leader of the Front Army (qian lingjun), and his merit in suppressing Liu Zhou was belatedly recognized with the rank of Marquis Within the Passes. In the 1st year of Yanxi (238) he entered the court as Master of Writing (shangshu), and gradually moved on to command at Jianwei; he was granted the tally (jiajie), raised in fief to Marquis of the Capital District (duting hou), and became General-in-Chief Who Conquers the West. Records, Shu 15 §13–14
In the 18th year of Yanxi (255) he returned to Chengdu together with the General of the Guards, Jiang Wei. When Jiang Wei proposed another campaign, Zhang Yi alone argued against it at court, saying that the state was small and the people weary, so arms should not be used recklessly. Jiang Wei would not listen, took Zhang Yi and others with him on campaign, and raised Zhang Yi to General-in-Chief Who Guards the South. When Jiang Wei crushed Wang Jing, Wei's Inspector of Yong Province, at Didao, and Wang Jing's men who died in the Tao River were counted in the tens of thousands, Zhang Yi said that it was time to stop, for advancing further might ruin this great achievement. Jiang Wei was furious, and in the end he besieged Wang Jing at Didao but could not take the city. Records, Shu 15 §15–16
From then on Jiang Wei was privately on bad terms with Zhang Yi, yet he always took him along, and Zhang Yi, having no choice, went with him. In the 2nd year of Jingyao (259) he was transferred to General of Chariots and Cavalry of the Left and concurrently made Inspector of Ji Province. The Biography of Liao Hua records that Liao Hua's rank was equal to Zhang Yi's. Records, Shu 15 §16 · 24
In the 6th year of Jingyao (263), when Wei raised a great army, Jiang Wei had earlier memorialized that Zhang Yi and Liao Hua should be sent to guard the mouth of Yang'an Pass and the bridgehead at Yinping, but Huang Hao had the matter shelved. Only after Zhong Hui and Deng Ai had advanced did the court send Liao Hua to Tazhong, and Zhang Yi, General of Chariots and Cavalry of the Left, Dong Jue, General-in-Chief Who Supports the State, and others to the mouth of Yang'an Pass. When the pass had already fallen, Zhang Yi and Dong Jue joined Jiang Wei and Liao Hua, fell back to Jiange, and held off Zhong Hui. Records, Shu 14 §43–45Records, Shu 3 §43Records, Wei 28 §105
After the Later Sovereign, Liu Shan, surrendered to Deng Ai, Zhang Yi went with Jiang Wei to Fu County and surrendered to Zhong Hui. The names of Jiang Wei, Zhang Yi, Liao Hua, Dong Jue and others also appear in a report Zhong Hui submitted. In the 1st month of the following year (264) he accompanied Zhong Hui to Chengdu and was killed there by mutinous soldiers. Records, Shu 15 §16Records, Wei 28 §115
In his assessment, Chen Shou named Zhang Yi together with Deng Zhi and Zong Yu, and said that Zhang Yi's standing up to Jiang Wei's keen drive was praiseworthy. Records, Shu 15 §85
He first appeared in Chapter 64 of the Romance as a general Liu Zhang sent to Luocheng, and on Zhang Ren's orders he held the city with Liu Gui. Later, on the city wall, he drew his sword, cut down Liu Gui and opened the gates to surrender, and the Romance identified him as "Zhang Yi, a man of Wuyang." Zhuge Liang had him and Wu Yi take Zhao Yun with them to pacify the provinces and commanderies along the Outer River, such as Jiangyang and Qianwei. Romance, Ch. 64 §19 · 26–27
In the battle at the Han River in Chapter 71, he guarded the camp as Zhao Yun's subordinate general. When Zhao Yun came back after rescuing Huang Zhong with Cao Cao's troops in pursuit, he proposed shutting the camp gates and holding them, but Zhao Yun rebuked him and told him not to close the gates. Romance, Ch. 71 §37 · 40 · 44–45
In the southern campaign against the Man, in Chapter 87 he captured E Huan together with Wei Yan and Wang Ping, and with Zhang Ni cut off Meng Huo's line of retreat. In Chapter 89 he brought in Meng You under guard, and in Chapter 90 he rushed into the Man camp with Wang Ping and captured Lady Zhurong and her household. Romance, Ch. 87 §11–12 · 48Romance, Ch. 89 §14Romance, Ch. 90 §56
In Chapter 99, when Zhuge Liang said there was no other general willing to risk death and take the lead, he volunteered, and even after being told that Zhang He was a famed general of Wei and more than his match, he went and, with Wang Ping, blocked the Wei army front and rear and routed it. In Chapter 103, together with Liao Hua, he routed Sima Yi, sending him fleeing into the woods alone on his horse with a single spear. Romance, Ch. 99 §24–25 · 33Romance, Ch. 103 §1
In Chapter 109, when Jiang Wei attacked Wei, he and Liao Hua became the vanguards of the left and right. In Chapter 110, as General-in-Chief Who Conquers the West, he opposed the expedition, saying that the land of Shu was small and its provisions scant, and when Jiang Wei, after his great victory at the Tao River, wanted to attack the city of Didao, he remonstrated repeatedly that this would be like adding feet to a drawing of a snake, but Jiang Wei did not heed him. In Chapter 115, while attacking the Wei camp at Mount Qi, he was cut off by Deng Ai, but when Jiang Wei came to his rescue, they attacked together from both sides and drove Deng Ai back. Romance, Ch. 109 §1Romance, Ch. 110 §31 · 37–39Romance, Ch. 115 §18–19
In Chapter 116, when Huang Hao would not send troops, he heard that Hanzhong was in danger, raised troops on his own, and came to Jiang Wei together with Liao Hua. In Chapter 117 he joined Dong Jue at Jiange, and in Chapter 119, when Jiang Wei, Zhong Hui and Deng Ai died at the end of Zhong Hui's revolt, he died amid the chaos of the rioting troops. Romance, Ch. 116 §43–44Romance, Ch. 117 §1Romance, Ch. 119 §22
How he came over to Shu: In Chapter 64 of the Romance, Zhang Yi, a general under Liu Zhang defending Luocheng, cut down Liu Gui and opened the gates to surrender. The Biography of Zhang Yi in the Records states only that he became an Assistant Clerk when Liu Bei pacified Yi Province and took the post of its Governor, and the slaying of Liu Gui does not appear. Romance, Ch. 64 §26Records, Shu 15 §12 · 10–16
The battle at the Han River: In Chapter 71 of the Romance, Zhang Yi, as Zhao Yun's subordinate general, guarded the camp on the bank of the Han River. In the Biography of Zhang Yi in the Records, around this time he was serving in local posts such as Chief of Jiangyang County after being recommended as Filial and Incorrupt, and there is no record of his taking part in the battle for Hanzhong. Romance, Ch. 71 §44Records, Shu 15 §12
His deeds in the south: In Chapters 87–90 of the Romance, Zhang Yi accompanied Zhuge Liang's southern campaign against the Man and captured E Huan, Meng You and Lady Zhurong. In the Records, what Zhang Yi did in the south was to become Area Commander of Laixiang in the 9th year of Jianxing (231) and suppress Liu Zhou's rebellion, and Liu Zhou's rebellion does not appear in the Romance. Romance, Ch. 87 §12Romance, Ch. 89 §14Romance, Ch. 90 §56Records, Shu 15 §12–13Records, Shu 13 §31
Battles with Sima Yi: In Chapters 99 and 103 of the Romance, Zhang Yi routed the Wei army and Sima Yi. Of the fighting in Zhuge Liang's lifetime, the Biography of Zhang Yi in the Records mentions only the suppression of Liu Zhou and his appointment as Commander of the Front Army during the campaign to Wugong. Romance, Ch. 99 §33Romance, Ch. 103 §1Records, Shu 15 §12–14
Where he opposed the Didao campaign: In Chapter 110 of the Romance, Zhang Yi opposed the expedition while the troops were being put in order at Hanzhong, and remonstrated again after the victory. In the Records, he argued against it at court when he had returned to Chengdu with Jiang Wei, and Jiang Wei instead raised him to General-in-Chief Who Guards the South and took him along. Romance, Ch. 110 §31 · 38Records, Shu 15 §15
How he went to Yang'an Pass: In Chapter 116 of the Romance, when Huang Hao would not send troops, Zhang Yi raised troops on his own and came. In the Biography of Jiang Wei in the Records, Jiang Wei's memorial was shelved because of Huang Hao, and after Zhong Hui and Deng Ai had advanced, the court sent Zhang Yi, Dong Jue and others to the mouth of Yang'an Pass. Romance, Ch. 116 §43–44Records, Shu 14 §43–44
Surrender and death: Chapter 119 of the Romance says only that Zhang Yi died in the turmoil of Zhong Hui's revolt. In the Records, he surrendered to Zhong Hui at Fu County together with Jiang Wei, and in the 1st month of the following year (264) he accompanied Zhong Hui to Chengdu and was killed there by mutinous soldiers. Romance, Ch. 119 §22Records, Shu 15 §16
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.
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.
REven while returning in dismissal, he did not let go of state affairs until his successor arrived, and Zhuge Liang thought well of himShu 15 §13Shu 15 §85
NCut down Liu Gui and opened the city gates to surrender, but Zhuge Liang later counted him among the loyal and righteousCh. 64 §26Ch. 104 §8
RFell out with Jiang Wei but followed him perforce, and was killed by mutinous soldiersShu 15 §16
NJust before Luocheng fell, cut down Liu Gui and opened the city gates to surrender to Liu BeiCh. 64 §26
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as administrator and commanderShu 15 §12
NCut down Liu Gui on the city wall, but was beaten back by Xu Zhi within a few boutsCh. 64 §26Ch. 109 §4
RGoverned several counties and commanderies and upheld the law strictly; transported and stockpiled provisions until he leftShu 15 §12Shu 15 §13
NAdvised that caring for the troops and cherishing the people was the way to preserve the stateCh. 110 §31Ch. 64 §27
RAs Area Commander of Laixiang he attacked Liu Zhou but could not defeat him; later became Commander of the Front Army and General-in-Chief Who Conquers the WestShu 15 §12Shu 15 §14
NFell on Zhang He's rear for a great victory, routed Sima Yi with Liao Hua, and surrounded the Wei army at the Tao RiverCh. 99 §33Ch. 103 §1Ch. 110 §37
RAfter the great victory at Taoxi he advised that it was time to stop, and was proved right when the city of Didao could not be takenShu 15 §15Shu 15 §85
NWarned against the expedition and advised stopping after the great victory at Taoxi; urged withdrawing the army to calm the peopleCh. 110 §31Ch. 110 §38Ch. 114 §1
RUpheld the law so strictly that he failed to win the goodwill of the non-Han peoples, and Liu Zhou turned against himShu 15 §12
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a subordinate generalCh. 87 §48
RNo direct record — estimated from his descent from a renowned family and his recommendation as Filial and IncorruptShu 15 §11
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a warriorCh. 91 §41
RAlone at court he argued against Jiang Wei's campaign and was praised in the assessmentShu 15 §15Shu 15 §85
NRemonstrated with Jiang Wei repeatedly but could not persuade himCh. 110 §31Ch. 110 §38
RNo direct record — estimated from his career as Master of Writing and commanderShu 15 §14
NNo direct record — estimated from his career as a warriorCh. 91 §41
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.
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