Pang De

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Pang De (170 – 219)^[1] was a military officer during the end of Han Dynasty. He served different powers during his life-span, including the Han court under Emeperor Ling; the Liang Province power led by Han Sui and Ma Teng; the Hanzhong warlord, Zhang Lu; and the leading the warlord and Chancellor of Han, Cao Cao. Although joining Cao's force later than most of his comrades, Pang was noted for his loyalty when he refused to surrender to the enemy at the Battle of Fancheng.

Life

Early life and career

Pang De initially served his hometown of Nan'an as a civil clerk. When the Liangzhou Rebellion broke out, he became a soldier of Ma Teng, who was a Major under supervision of the Inspector of Liang Province at the time. After the Inspector was killed in a mutiny, he followed Ma Teng to combine forces with Han Sui, who had already defected to the rebels two years earlier. Together, they placed Wang Guo as their puppet leader, and raided the region around Chang'an. After the crushing defeat at the battle of Chencang in 188 AD, the rebels started fighting amongst themselves, and during those battles, Pang De was credited with defeating the Qiang and Di units. His effort enabled Ma Teng to be one of the largest warlords of Liangzhou, besides Han Sui, hence he was made a Colonel by Ma.

Service under Ma Chao

In AD 202, Yuan Shang sent his general, Guo Yuan, to lead a combined force of Yuan Shang and Xiongnu tribe to invade Hedong. Pang De and Ma Chao were sent by Ma Teng to assist Cao Cao's Grand Administrator of Chang'an, Zhong Yao, to fight the advancing enemy. In the ensuing battle, Pang De led the vanguard to charge the enemy, who was by the time trying to cross a shallow point. With the formation broken, Guo Yuan was vulnerable, and was killed by Pang De in the chaos. It was recorded in the Brief History of Wei that, after the battle was over, the victorious side of Cao Cao could not locate the head of Guo Yuan. At night, when the generals gathered for the victory, Pang De threw out a head, which Zhong Yao (who had no sons by that time, and was the uncle of Guo Yuan) held with tears, claiming that to be Guo's head, Pang apologized to Zhong right away; but Zhong said to Pang, "Even I'm Guo Yuan's uncle, he is still a traitor of our country, why are you making apology to me?"

After Ma Teng was summoned to Xuchang, his son Ma Chao took over his forces, and reconciled with Han Sui, and they initiated the Alliance of Warlords within Passes, which included Yang Qiu, Li Kan, Cheng Yi and others, to resist Cao Cao from the East of Tong Pass. However, the alliance was defeated at the battle of Tong Pass, Pang then followed Ma Chao to Hanzhong, where the latter submitted to the governor Zhang Lu.

Service under Cao Cao

When the western warlord Liu Zhang's guest general and distant uncle,^[2] Liu Bei, betrayed and suddently attacked the host, Ma Chao was sent by Zhang Lu to press on Liu Zhang's territories; however, incited by Liu Bei, Ma killed his colleague, Yang Bai, and confiscated Zhang's expedition force to join Liu Bei. Pang was sick at the time and stayed behind in Hanzhong, so he later surrendered to Cao Cao when the latter took over the city. Well aware of Pang's valour in battle due to his merits in the war against Guo Yuan years earlier, Cao Cao appointed him as General Who Establishes Honor (立義將軍).

When Hou Yin rebelled and took over the city of Wan, he was dispatched with Cao Ren to quell the uprising. After they finished the task,Cao Ren was ordered to garrison at Fancheng, while Pang was placed under Yu Jin, who would be sent to fight against the invasion of the now King of Hanzhong,^[3] Liu Bei. The enemy commander was the famous general, Guan Yu, who had split his sizable forces to beseige Xiangyang and Fancheng. Due to the fact that Pang's elder brother Pang Rou (龐柔), and former master Ma Chao were both holding high positions in Liu's force, many in the city of Fan suspected the allegiance of Pang De. As a proof of his loyalty, Pang personally led a small detachment out to battle Guan Yu, and forced the latter to retreat several times. On one occasion, Pang De shot an arrow that planted itself in Guan Yu's helm, because of this incident, Pang De was widely known among the enemy troops as General White Horse, from the white steed he often rode. As he was feared by many in Guan Yu's army, his raids into Guan's formation generated quite a headache for the invaders, and the standoff lasted for some time until summer.

After two weeks of heavy rain, the Han River next to Fancheng flooded, and Yu Jin's strong army perished in the natural disaster. Pang De and a few tens of men sought refuge on a dam outside the city walls. Guan Yu's troops fired upon them from large ships in the middle of the river, while Pang De fired back with amazing accuracy. At the time, most of Yu Jin's men floating on the river, who submitted to the enemy, were saved by Guan's mariners, so Pang De's aides, Dong Heng (董衡) and Dong Chao (董超), both suggested Pang to give up resistance. Pang had them both executed on the spot and continued his desparate fight.

The battle dragged from morning into the afternoon, and Guan Yu's attacks became more and more ferocious as time passed. Out of arrows, Pang De and his troops engaged their enemies in hand-to-hand combat. The water level was still rising and most of Pang De's soldiers had surrendered. With only three men, Pang De tried to row back to the city on a small boat, which was capsized.

Death

When he was captured and brought before Guan Yu, Pang De refused to kneel. Guan tried to persuade him to surrender, but Pang cursed and swore at his captor, saying that his loyalty still lay with Cao Cao and belittling Liu Bei as "mere common talent". Guan then had him executed. While Pang De refused to surrender, Yu Jin, the commander who had long served Cao Cao, however, begged Guan Yu for his life and surrendered. When Cao Cao heard of Pang De's unwavering determination, he compared Pang's loyalty to Yu Jin's and was moved to tears.^[4] Pang De was later given the posthumous name of Marquis Zhuang (壯侯), literally meaning the robust marquis.

Pang De was survived by four sons, including Pang Hui, who also served a military post for Cao Wei.

Pang De in Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a historical novel by Luo Guanzhong, is a romanticization of the events that occurred before and during the Three Kingdoms era. Pang De made his first appearance in Chapter 58 as a trusted officer of Ma Teng and his son Ma Chao. When Ma Chao had a dream, in which he was attacked by a pack of tigers in a snowy land, he consulted Pang De, who thought that it was a bad omen. True enough, they soon heard news of the death of Ma Teng, who was away in Xuchang planning a coup against Cao Cao.

The subsequent events more or less adhere to what is historically true. When it came to the Battle of Fancheng, however, the novel again deviates away from history to give a much more sentimental and exaggerated story on Pang De.

It was written that the city of Fancheng was besieged by the enemy general Guan Yu. Pang De then volunteered to command the vanguard force of the relief army to be sent to its help. Cao Cao was delighted and granted him the post.

Later, however, others advised Cao Cao to retrieve the order as Ma Chao, former lord of Pang De, and Pang De's elder brother both served Liu Bei. Cao Cao then called for Pang De, who knelt and knocked his head against the floor till his face was covered in blood. Seeing such sincerity in his general, Cao Cao then had no more doubts.

Pang De then ordered a wooden coffin, which he brought along to Fancheng as an expression of his determination to win the battle or lose his life. Outside Fancheng, Pang De engaged Guan Yu in a one-on-one duel, which ended in a tie after more than a hundred bouts.

The next day, the two generals rode forward to challenge each other again. After more than fifty bouts, Pang De feigned retreat and fired an arrow at the pursuing Guan Yu. The arrow hit its target on his left arm. Pang De then spun around and rushed forward to finish his enemy. However, Yu Jin, chief commander of the relief army, did not wish his subordinate to receive such high credits and ordered the retreat signals be sounded. The chance was then missed and Guan Yu was escorted back to his camp.

Heavy rain then began to fall ceaselessly for many days, causing the Han River to flood. Pang De and his 500 soldiers took refuge on a section of dam and withstood the enemies on boats. His force gradually decimated till only he was left fighting. Jumping onto a boat, Pang De then attempted to row to the city.

Zhou Cang, an enemy warrior, came along in a raft and capsized Pang De's boat. He then jumped into the water and captured Pang De. When brought to Guan Yu, Pang De refused to kneel. He cursed and swore at his captors when asked to surrender. Guan Yu then had him beheaded. Seeing Pang De's loyalty and fearlessness before death, Guan Yu was moved and gave him a proper burial.

Modern references

Pang De appears in the Koei video game series Dynasty Warriors, being introduced as a playable character in Dynasty Warriors 5 and its expansion titles. However, he is removed in Dynasty Warriors 6.

In Dynasty Warriors 5, he fights for Wei after being captured. In Xtreme Legends, he leaves Ma Chao after the Battle of Ji to find a bigger purpose for his life.

Pang De also appears in Warriors Orochi as a helper to Orochi. He later joins Zhao Yun's coalition. In the sequel of Warriors Orochi, Pang De has returned to Wei, but because of Cao Pi, he and Xu Zhu join forces with Wu at Okehazama. In Dream Mode, he works with Sun Ce, Maeda Toshiie, and Shibata Katsuiie in defeating Da Ji and Himiko.

References

Notes

^ de Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A biographical dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23–220 AD). Brill. p. 685. ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0.
^ Liu Bei might be Liu Zhang's distant cousin instead of uncle.
^ The title "King" of ancient China is often translated into "Prince".
^ Yu Jin had followed Cao Cao over 30 years, while Pang De was a new recruit.

Books

Yu, Huan. The Brief History of Wei.
Chen Shou (2002). San Guo Zhi. Yue Lu Shu She. ISBN 7-80665-198-5.
Luo Guanzhong (1986). San Guo Yan Yi. Yue Lu Shu She. ISBN 7-80520-013-0.
Lo Kuan-chung; tr. C.H. Brewitt-Taylor (2002). Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 0-8048-3467-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)