RUsed spies to lure the bandit leaders of Poyang into acting as insidersWu 9 §67
NNo direct recordCh. 67 §36
Zhu Guang 朱光
| Occupation | RNGeneral · Administrator of Lujiang | Faction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Died | Place of death | NWan County | |
| Cause of death | NKilled in battle Unverified | ||
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R4 |
Profile
Zhu Guang was the man whom Cao Cao sent as Administrator of Lujiang and stationed at Wan. He has no biography of his own in the Records and appears in the Biography of the Lord of Wu in Records of Wu 2, the Biographies of Zhou Yu, Lu Su and Lü Meng in Records of Wu 9, and the Biographies of Cheng, Huang, Han, Jiang, Zhou, Chen, Dong, Gan, Ling, Xu, Pan and Ding in Records of Wu 10. At Wan he opened up rice fields on a large scale and had spies lure the bandit leaders of Poyang into acting as insiders for him. Records, Wu 9 §67
In the 5th month of the 19th year of Jian'an (214) Sun Quan attacked Wancheng, and when the city fell in the intercalary month, Zhu Guang was captured together with the Army Adviser Dong He and several tens of thousands of men and women. The Biography of the Lord of Wu records, at the end of its entry for the 24th year of Jian'an (219), the year Jing Province was pacified, that Sun Quan sent Zhu Guang and others back. Records, Wu 2 §19 · 29
Chen Shou did not assess him. In the Romance he first appears in Chapter 61 as the Administrator of Lujiang whom Cao Cao leaves to guard Wancheng when he withdraws his army from Ruxu, and he appears in 2 of its 120 chapters; no chapter has his name in its title. In Chapter 67 the Romance portrays him as a man who is struck down by Gan Ning's iron chain and then killed by the soldiers' swords. Romance, Ch. 61 §48Romance, Ch. 67 §39–40
In the Records
The Biography of Lü Meng, after describing how Sun Quan held off Cao Cao at Ruxu, records the following. Cao Cao sent Zhu Guang as Administrator of Lujiang and stationed him at Wan, and Zhu Guang opened up rice fields on a large scale and also had spies summon and lure the bandit leaders of Poyang into acting as insiders. Lü Meng said that the fields of Wan were fertile, that once a harvest ripened the enemy's numbers would surely grow, and that if this went on for several years Cao Cao's designs would become plain, so he should be removed early; and he laid out the situation in detail. Records, Wu 9 §66–67
In the 5th month of the 19th year of Jian'an (214) Sun Quan attacked Wancheng in person. Lü Meng recommended Gan Ning as Commander of the Wall-Scaling Troops to lead the assault at the front, while he himself followed with picked troops. They advanced at dawn, and when Lü Meng took up the drumstick and beat the drum with his own hands, the soldiers all leapt up and climbed the walls of their own accord, and the city was taken by about breakfast time. Gripping a silk rope in his hand, Gan Ning climbed the wall himself ahead of the officers and soldiers, and at last the city was taken and Zhu Guang captured. Records, Wu 2 §19Records, Wu 9 §67–68Records, Wu 10 §61
The Biography of the Lord of Wu records that Wancheng was taken in the intercalary month and that Zhu Guang, Administrator of Lujiang, the Army Adviser Dong He and several tens of thousands of men and women were captured. Soon afterwards Zhang Liao reached Jiashi, but on hearing that the city had already fallen he withdrew. In the reckoning of merit Lü Meng came first and Gan Ning second, and Sun Quan made Lü Meng Administrator of Lujiang and Gan Ning General Who Breaks Assaults. Records, Wu 2 §19Records, Wu 9 §68Records, Wu 10 §61
In the 24th year of Jian'an (219), after Sun Quan had captured Guan Yu and pacified Jing Province, the Biography of the Lord of Wu records at the end of that year's entry that Sun Quan sent the Colonel Liang Yu to present tribute to the Han court, had Wang Dun buy horses, and sent Zhu Guang and others back. Records, Wu 2 §28–29
Chen Shou's main text does not record Zhu Guang's courtesy name, his origin, his later career or his death, nor does it assess him. Records, Wu 2 §19 · 29Records, Wu 9 §67Records, Wu 10 §61
In the Romance
In Chapter 61 of the Romance, Cao Cao and Sun Quan face each other at Ruxu for a month or more into the new year, and when Cao Cao's soldiers are suffering in the mud under the spring rains, a letter arrives from Sun Quan. Having read the letter, which tells him that the spring waters are just rising and he should leave quickly, Cao Cao laughs heartily and orders his army to turn back; he has Zhu Guang, Administrator of Lujiang, guard Wancheng, and then leads the main army back to Xuchang himself. Romance, Ch. 61 §46–48
In Chapter 67, when Yi Ji, sent by Liu Bei, asks Sun Quan to attack Hefei, Sun Quan raises an army, and Lü Meng says that Cao Cao has had Zhu Guang, Administrator of Lujiang, station troops at Wancheng and open up rice fields on a large scale, sending the grain into Hefei to fill its military stores, so they should first take Wancheng and then attack Hefei. When Sun Quan's forces cross the river, take Hezhou and reach Wancheng, Zhu Guang sends men to Hefei to ask for help while holding the city firmly and refusing to come out. The arrows shot from the walls pour down like rain and strike Sun Quan's command canopy. Romance, Ch. 67 §35–38
The next day, at the fifth watch, when the meal is over and the three armies advance in force, Gan Ning, holding an iron chain in his hand, climbs the wall in the face of arrows and stones. Zhu Guang has his archers and crossbowmen shoot all at once, but Gan Ning brushes aside the forest of arrows and knocks Zhu Guang down with a single blow of the chain. When Lü Meng beats the drum himself, the soldiers surge up all together and hack Zhu Guang to death with a flurry of swords, and most of the rest surrender. Wancheng is taken when it is only the hour of Chen, and Zhang Liao, who is on his way to the rescue, is told halfway that Wancheng has fallen and returns to Hefei. Romance, Ch. 67 §39–40
Where the Romance differs
What he did at Wan: In Chapter 67 of the Romance, Lü Meng says that Zhu Guang is opening up rice fields on a large scale and sending the grain into Hefei to fill its military stores. In the Biography of Lü Meng in the Records, Zhu Guang opened up rice fields on a large scale while having spies lure the bandit leaders of Poyang into acting as insiders. His dealings with the Poyang bandits are not in the Romance. Romance, Ch. 67 §36Records, Wu 9 §67
Cause of the attack: In Chapter 67 of the Romance, Sun Quan raises an army after Yi Ji, sent by Liu Bei, asks him to attack Hefei, and Lü Meng proposes attacking Wancheng first. In the Records, Lü Meng advised that once the fields of Wan ripened the enemy's numbers would grow and that Zhu Guang should be removed early, and Sun Quan attacked Wancheng in person in the 5th month of the 19th year of Jian'an (214). Romance, Ch. 67 §35–37Records, Wu 9 §67Records, Wu 2 §19
Call for help: In Chapter 67 of the Romance, Zhu Guang sends men to Hefei to ask for help, and Zhang Liao hears of the city's fall halfway and turns back. In the Records, Zhang Liao reached Jiashi and withdrew on hearing that the city had already fallen, and nothing is said of Zhu Guang asking for help. Romance, Ch. 67 §37 · 40Records, Wu 9 §68
Gan Ning's assault: In Chapter 67 of the Romance, Gan Ning climbs the wall holding an iron chain and knocks Zhu Guang down with it. In the Biography of Gan Ning in the Records, Gan Ning became Commander of the Wall-Scaling Troops, climbed the wall himself gripping a silk rope and led the way, took the city and captured Zhu Guang. Romance, Ch. 67 §39Records, Wu 10 §61
Zhu Guang's end: In Chapter 67 of the Romance, Zhu Guang is killed by the soldiers' flurry of swords as the city falls. In the Records, Zhu Guang was captured together with the Army Adviser Dong He and several tens of thousands of men and women, and at the end of the entry for the 24th year of Jian'an (219) it is recorded that Sun Quan sent Zhu Guang and others back. His death is not in Chen Shou's main text. Romance, Ch. 67 §40Records, Wu 2 §19 · 29
Reckoning of merit: At the victory banquet in Chapter 67 of the Romance, Lü Meng yields the seat of honor to Gan Ning and praises his achievement highly. In the Biography of Gan Ning in the Records, in the reckoning of merit Lü Meng came first and Gan Ning second. Romance, Ch. 67 §41Records, Wu 10 §61
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 total438 / 1000Rank 421 of 996 · Top 43%Romance total393 / 1000Rank 565 of 1,113 · Top 51%
Romance adaptation index−45Romance total − Records total
- LEA4545±0
- STR3330−3
- INT5540−15
- POL6458−6
- CHA4038−2
- VIR4545±0
- ADP4038−2
- SCH3331−2
- DIP4533−12
- DIS3835−3
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
RSummoned and lured the bandit leadersWu 9 §67
NNo direct recordCh. 61 §48
8 similar abilities — show evidence
RHeld Wan but was captured when it fellWu 10 §61Wu 2 §19
NAsked for help and held the city firmlyCh. 67 §37
RNo direct recordWu 10 §61
NKnocked down by Gan Ning's iron chain and killedCh. 67 §39Ch. 67 §40
ROpened up rice fields on a large scale at Wan, which alarmed Lü MengWu 9 §67
NOpened up rice fields on a large scale at Wancheng and sent grain to HefeiCh. 67 §36
RNo direct recordWu 9 §67
NNo direct recordCh. 67 §40
RNo direct recordWu 2 §19
NNo direct record — died in battle defending the cityCh. 67 §39
RNo direct record — captured and later sent backWu 2 §29
NNo direct recordCh. 67 §37
RNo direct recordWu 9 §67
NNo direct recordCh. 61 §48
RNo direct recordWu 9 §67
NNo direct recordCh. 61 §48
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 (2)
AppearsNot present Chapter list →
Related events (1)
- Battle of Wancheng 214 · Command
Includes automatic matching from Wikipedia infoboxes and source keywords (unverified).