Pan Zhang
| Pan Zhang | |
|---|---|
| General of Eastern Wu | |
| Born | (Unknown) |
| Died | 234 |
| Names | |
| Simplified Chinese | 潘璋 |
| Traditional Chinese | 潘璋 |
| Pinyin | Pān Zhāng |
| Style name | Wengui (文珪) |
Pan Zhang (died 234)[1] was a military general of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Although an active general with high rank, he was known to desire wealth and treasure, and to dress himself in a gaudy fashion. It was said that he would kill wealthy officials or soldiers in order to confiscate their wealth for his own.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life and career
Pan was from Fagan, Dong Commandery (east of present-day Guan County, Shandong). He began to follow Sun Quan after the latter rose to Chief of Yanxian. Known as a heavy drinker and a complusive gambler, Pan frequently borrowed money to quench these habits, when his creditors asked him to return the money, he always claimed he would repay the debts when he became endowed with wealth. Due to his "distinguished" character, Sun noticed Pan and had him assigned as a captain. He became popular for his powers to cease crime in any area he lived, and was know to be a strong disciplinarian thereafter.
[edit] Service under Sun Quan
Pan was promoted to be prefect of Xi'an county of Yuzhang commandery. At the time, Liu Biao, the warlord of Jing Province constantly sent his pawns to raid the area, but once Pan stationed there, Liu's men stopped the pillage. He was promoted to the rank of a colonel, and quelled a local uprising before he was summoned to Sun's headquarter, Jianye.
During the Battle of Xiaoyao Ford, the northern warlord, Cao Cao left the defense of Hefei fortress to Zhang Liao, who personally led the charge into Sun Quan's formation, and slew Sun's bodyguard leader, Chen Wu. Sun's generals Song Qian and Xu Sheng were unable to resist Zhang and fled, the soldiers deserted following their superiors. Sun was thus an open target for Zhang's cavalry; but Pan chased after the deserting troops of Song and Xu and had two of them executed: the soldiers were shocked and turned back, successfully pushed Zhang back into the fortress. Sun admired Pan's military discipline and granted him the title of Major General for his performance in this particular incident.
In 219, Pan participated in Lü Meng's invasion of Jing Province, and with Zhu Ran, they blocked two possible return routes of the enemy commander, Guan Yu. Correctly predicting Guan's retreat route, Pan's subordinate, Ma Zhong had Guan Yu and Guan Ping captured alive. In recognition of Pan's effort, Sun Quan immediately split Zigui and Yidu to form a new commandery, and had Pan appointed as the Governor.[2]
After losing Jing Province and his close aide, Guan Yu, the Shu emperor Liu Bei resolved to retake Jing Province, and launched the biggest expedition in Shu history in 222. Under the command of Lu Xun, Pan pulled back to Xiaoting from Guling, and prepared for a final showdown with the massive army of Liu. After several months of standoff, Lu ordered an incursion into one of Liu's camps and found out the camps were linked with wooden fences; Lu then ordered a large scaled fire attack. Pan joined Lu's operation: in the battle, his unit had Liu's Protector-of-the-Army, Feng Xi killed, and incurred great damage to the Shu Han forces.
[edit] Later life and death
In Pan's later years, he was tasked with the defense against the state of Cao Wei. Once, the Wei emperor, Cao Pi sent Zhang He, Xu Huang, Cao Zhen and Xiahou Shang to invade Nan Commandery with the immediate goal to capture Jiangling city, which Zhu Ran guarded with 5,000 troops. Wei vanguard of 30,000 led by Xiahou built wooden bridges to cross a stream to land the Hundred Miles Island (百里洲), while none of the Wu generals could locate the crossing points of the Wei troops. Pan then told his comrades that the Wei troops were highly spirited and the water level was low, so they'd better avoid battles with them at the moment. Following the river upstream, Pan ordered his soldiers to collect a few hundred million bundles of reeds, and attached them atop some large rafts and set them on fire. He then sent the rafts downstream so that they would burn the wooden bridges being used by Wei. Sensing the danger of being isolated, Xiahou withdrew from the island before his retreat route would be destroyed. For his effort in the siege, Pan was promoted to the rank of General of the Right (右将軍).
Pan's last battle was the invasion of Shiyang, in which he was tasked with guarding the rear when Wu forces retreated from the area. However, he laid his guard down one night, a mistake he never committed before, and was targeted by the enemy and defeated.[3] Pan was barely saved when Zhu Ran led reinforcement to the scene.
Pan died in 234 of a natural course, and was not succeeded by his son, Pan Ping, because the latter was exiled to Kuaiji for poor conduct; however, Pan Zhang's wife was allowed to stay in Jianye, and was granted with fiefs and 50 households of tenant farmers.
[edit] Appointments and titles held
- Chief of Yangxian (陽羨長)
- Senior Major (別部司馬)
- Chief of Xi'an, Yuzhang (豫章西安長)
- Colonel of Martial Vehemence (武猛校尉)
- Lieutenant General (偏將軍)
- Administrator of Guling (固陵太守)
- General of Inspiring Might (振威將軍)
- Marquis of Liyang (溧陽侯)
- General Who Pacifies the North (平北將軍)
- Administrator of Xiangyang (襄陽太守)
- General of the Right (右將軍)
[edit] In fiction
In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Pan captured Guan Yu in an ambush during the invasion of Jing Province. He was given Guan's famed weapon, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, as a reward.
On one of the nights before the Battle of Xiaoting, Pan barged into a peasant hut for rest. Coincidentally, Guan Yu's son Guan Xing was also in the hut for the same reason. When Pan entered, he saw a portrait of Guan Yu and was so stunned that he dropped the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Guan Xing picked up the weapon and killed Pan to avenge his father.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ de Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A biographical dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23–220 AD). Brill. p. 683. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0.
- ^ (權即分宜都（至）、秭歸二縣為固陵郡，拜璋為太守) A new commandery named Guling was established by Sun after Guan's defeat. See Records of Three Kingdoms Chapter 55.
- ^ (六年，權自率眾攻石陽，及至旋師，潘璋斷後。夜出錯亂，敵追擊璋，璋不能禁。) See Records of Three Kingdoms Chapter 56.
- Chen Shou. Records of Three Kingdoms, Chapter 55, Biography of Pan Zhang.
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