Zhu Ran 朱然

Zhu Ran, courtesy name Yifeng, was the son of Zhu Zhi's elder sister, and his original surname was Shi. Since Zhu Zhi had no son, when Zhu Ran was thirteen Zhu Zhi petitioned Sun Ce to let him make Zhu Ran his heir. Sun Ce ordered Danyang Commandery to summon Zhu Ran with gifts of mutton and wine, and when Zhu Ran arrived in Wu, Sun Ce congratulated him with generous courtesy. Records, Wu 11 §12

Zhu Ran had studied together with Sun Quan and formed a close bond with him. When Sun Quan took charge of the government he made the nineteen-year-old Zhu Ran Chief of Yuyao, later transferring him to Magistrate of Shanyin with the added rank of Colonel Who Breaks the Charge and supervision of five counties. Sun Quan, impressed by his ability, split off part of Danyang to form Linchuan Commandery and made him its Administrator with 2,000 troops, and when mountain bandits rose in force, Zhu Ran pacified them within a month. When Lord Cao came out to Ruxu, Zhu Ran guarded the camps at Dawu and Sanguan and was made Lieutenant General. Records, Wu 11 §13

In the 24th year of Jian'an (219), he accompanied Sun Quan in the attack on Guan Yu and, together with Pan Zhang, went separately to Linju and cut off Guan Yu's line of retreat. In the 12th month, Ma Zhong, a Major under Pan Zhang, captured Guan Yu and his son Guan Ping at Zhangxiang. Zhu Ran was transferred to General Who Displays Martial Might and enfeoffed as Marquis of Xi'an District. Records, Wu 11 §14Records, Wu 2 §28Records, Wu 10 §92

When Lü Meng's illness became grave and Sun Quan asked who could replace him, Lü Meng replied that Zhu Ran had courage and steadfastness in abundance and could be entrusted with the post. When Lü Meng died, Sun Quan gave Zhu Ran a tally of authority and had him guard Jiangling. In the 1st year of Huangwu (222), when Liu Bei attacked Yidu, Zhu Ran led 5,000 men and joined forces with Lu Xun to resist him, and separately broke Liu Bei's vanguard and cut off his line of retreat, putting Liu Bei to flight. He was made General Who Conquers the North and enfeoffed as Marquis of Yong'an. Records, Wu 11 §15Records, Wu 13 §17

In the 9th month, in the autumn of that year, Wei sent Cao Zhen, Xiahou Shang, Zhang He and others to surround Jiangling, while Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi, stayed at Wan in person to support them. When Zhang He occupied the island in the middle of the river, Zhu Ran was cut off from outside, and even the relief forces of Pan Zhang, Yang Can and others could not lift the siege. Inside the city many soldiers suffered from a swelling sickness, and only 5,000 were fit to fight. When the enemy built earthen mounds, dug tunnels and raised towers from which arrows poured down like rain, the officers and men all turned pale, but Zhu Ran calmly encouraged his soldiers, watched for openings and broke two of the enemy's camps. When the siege had lasted six months, Yao Tai, Magistrate of Jiangling, was discovered plotting to collude with the enemy and was executed by Zhu Ran. Xiahou Shang and the others could not prevail and withdrew, and Zhu Ran's name resounded in the enemy state; he was re-enfeoffed as Marquis of Dangyang. Records, Wu 2 §42 · 49Records, Wu 11 §16–18

When Sun Quan personally attacked Shiyang and was withdrawing his army, Pan Zhang, commanding the rearguard, fell into disorder at night and could not hold off the enemy; Zhu Ran turned back to block the enemy and only departed slowly after letting the boats ahead get far away. The Biography of Zhu Ran places this in the 6th year, while the Biography of the Lord of Wu dates the attack on Shiyang to the 7th month of the 5th year of Huangwu (226). In the 1st year of Huanglong (229) he became General of Chariots and Cavalry and Right Protector of the Army, concurrently Governor of Yan Province, but soon afterwards he was relieved of the governorship because Yan Province had been allotted to Shu. In the 3rd year of Jiahe (234), when Sun Quan launched a great campaign on a date agreed with Shu, Zhu Ran and Quan Cong each received the battle-axe and became Left and Right Commanders, but their soldiers fell ill, so they withdrew without attacking. Records, Wu 11 §19Records, Wu 2 §54

According to the Annals of Wei, in the 7th month of the 1st year of Jingchu (237), Zhu Ran and others with 20,000 men surrounded Jiangxia Commandery but withdrew when attacked by Hu Zhi, Inspector of Jing Province, and others. In the 5th month of the 2nd year of Zhengshi (241) he besieged Fancheng, and when the Grand Tutor Sima Yi came to resist him, he withdrew in the 6th month. The Biography of the Lord of Wu places this in the 4th year of Chiwu. Records, Wei 3 §53Records, Wei 4 §12Records, Wu 2 §95

When he attacked Zhazhong in the 5th year of Chiwu (242), the Wei commander Pu Zhong blocked a narrow pass in an attempt to cut off Zhu Ran's rear, with Hu Zhi as his support. Zhu Ran's troops had already gone out in all directions and there was no time to gather them, so Zhu Ran led the 800 men of his headquarters guard in a surprise counterattack, putting Pu Zhong at a disadvantage, and Hu Zhi and the others also withdrew. When he attacked Zhazhong again in the 9th year of Chiwu (246), the Wei commander Li Xing and others cut off his line of retreat with 6,000 infantry and cavalry, but Zhu Ran went out at night to meet them, won and returned. Records, Wu 11 §20Records, Wu 2 §104

Before this, Ma Mao, who had come over to Wu, harbored treacherous intentions and was put to death, which greatly angered Sun Quan. Before setting out, Zhu Ran memorialized that if he won he would fill boats with his captures until they choked the river, to relieve the anger of high and low alike; Sun Quan held back the memorial and did not show it. When Zhu Ran reported his victory, Sun Quan brought out the memorial at a banquet, saying he was 'clear-sighted in foreseeing affairs', and sent an envoy to appoint him Left Grand Marshal and Right Military Adviser. The Biography of the Lord of Wu dates this appointment to the 9th month of the 9th year of Chiwu (246). Records, Wu 11 §21Records, Wu 2 §104

Zhu Ran was less than seven chi tall, but his spirit and bearing were distinct; he applied patterns and ornaments only to military equipment and kept everything else plain. Even when there was nothing to do, he had the drums beaten morning and evening so that the soldiers packed their gear and fell into ranks, so that the enemy never knew where to prepare, and he achieved merit every time he went into battle. Although Zhuge Rong and Bu Xie had each succeeded to their fathers' posts, Sun Quan specially made Zhu Ran Grand Commander over them all. In the first month of the 11th year of Chiwu (248) he built walls at Jiangling. Records, Wu 11 §22Records, Wu 2 §106

With Lu Xun also dead, Zhu Ran was the only one of the meritorious officials and famous commanders still alive. When he had been bedridden for two years and his illness grew steadily worse, Sun Quan reduced his meals by day and could not sleep at night, and the messengers carrying medicine and food were within sight of one another on the road. Chen Shou wrote that of the ailing meritorious officials to whom Sun Quan devoted his concern, Lü Meng and Ling Tong mattered most and Zhu Ran came next. When he died in the 3rd month of the 12th year of Chiwu (249) at the age of sixty-eight, Sun Quan put on plain white mourning clothes and grieved for him. His son Shi Ji succeeded him, and in the Wufeng era Shi Ji submitted a memorial and returned to the original surname Shi. Records, Wu 11 §23–24 · 30Records, Wu 2 §107

In his assessment, Chen Shou said that Zhu Zhi and Lü Fan were employed as long-standing retainers, while Zhu Ran and Zhu Huan became renowned for their valor and resolve. Records, Wu 11 §67