龐統

Profile

The "Fledgling Phoenix" of the saying: win either him or the Sleeping Dragon and the realm is yours. His unimpressive looks got him shunted to a county post — until he cleared a backlog of cases in half a day. He drew the blueprint for the Yi Province campaign and famously offered his lord three plans, best to worst. A stray arrow killed him at Luocheng at thirty-six; ever after, Liu Bei wept at the mention of his name.

Key events

1. 211

   Liu Bei Enters Yi Province

   Invited by Liu Zhang to fight Zhang Lu, Liu Bei enters the land of Shu with Pang Tong and Fa Zheng. Within three years it would have a new master.

   Liu BeiFa Zheng

2. 214

   Liu Bei Takes Yi Province

   With Fa Zheng’s defection and reinforcements under Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun, Liu Bei enters Chengdu — at the cost of his strategist Pang Tong at Luocheng.

   Liu BeiFa ZhengZhuge LiangZhang FeiZhao YunMa Chao

History vs. the novelHistoryvsNovel

The chain-link ships at Red Cliffs and the ominous "Fallen Phoenix Slope" are both fiction. The historical Pang Tong was a celebrated judge of character who held the strategist-general post side by side with Zhuge Liang.