張郃

Profile

A star of Yuan Shao’s army who came over to Cao Cao at Guandu — then fought for Wei for thirty more years among its Five Elite Generals. Praised for "mastery of changing circumstances," he was the man Shu feared most during Zhuge Liang’s campaigns, above all after crushing Ma Su at Jieting. He fell to ambush arrows at Mumen Trail, pursuing a retreating Shu army.

Key events

1. 200

   Battle of Guandu

   Cao Cao shatters Yuan Shao’s far larger host by burning the Wuchao grain depot — the war for the north. Zhang He defected to Cao Cao here.

   Cao CaoYuan ShaoXun YuGuo JiaXu Huang

2. 215

   Zhang Lu Surrenders Hanzhong

   Zhang Lu of the Five Pecks of Rice sect yields Hanzhong to Cao Cao — the crisis in which, it was said, Shu trembled dozens of times a day.

   Cao Cao

3. 219

   Battle of Mount Dingjun

   Under Fa Zheng’s direction, the veteran Huang Zhong cuts down Xiahou Yuan, Wei’s western commander — the stroke that won Hanzhong for Liu Bei.

   Huang ZhongXiahou YuanFa ZhengLiu BeiZhao Yun

4. 228

   Battle of Jieting

   Defying orders, Ma Su camps on the hilltop and is routed by Zhang He, wrecking the first campaign. Only Wang Ping kept his unit intact; Zhuge Liang executed Ma Su in tears.

   Ma SuWang PingZhuge Liang

5. 231

   Fourth Campaign — Death of Zhang He

   Pursuing Zhuge Liang’s withdrawal, the veteran Wei general Zhang He is slain by ambush arrows at Mumen Trail.

   Zhuge LiangSima Yi

History vs. the novelHistoryvsNovel

The novel keeps him losing to Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun; the historical Zhang He was the veteran even Shu’s best avoided. His death, too, is reworked in the novel as Sima Yi’s doing.