Zhang Bao

Sweeps in all in white armor with his father's coffin seen to and Langzhong left in his brother's hands — puts three arrows through a painted heart to claim the van, nearly duels Guan Xing over it, and ends the day his sworn elder brother by a broken arrow, riding as the Emperor's escort with his father's serpent halberd.

Fights everyone at Yidu: forty bouts with Xie Jing, twenty with Li Yi — until Tan Xiong's treacherous arrow drops his horse and only Guan Xing's sword saves him sprawling. Next day he spears Xie Jing in the camp-storm, and in the night ambush takes Cui Yu prisoner with his own hands.

Spears Xia Xun from the saddle with a roar that had already half-beaten him, arrives with his troop in the nick to pull Guan Xing out of Ma Zhong's encirclement — and takes his own revenge at last: hews Fan Jiang and Zhang Da to pieces on the altar before his father's fresh-featured head.

Breaks through to the Emperor with the Imperial Guards as the camps burn, holds the road up Saddle Hill with Fu Tong, guards his lord's person on the night flight — and comes back bleeding from the failed attempt to cut through Zhu Ran.

Holds the twin mobile reserve of thirty thousand, mirror to Guan Xing's, behind the five defended routes.

Named with Guan Xing as the mobile reserve guarding the home fronts during the southern expedition.

Appointed Right Guard of the Northern Expedition, paired with Guan Xing on the left — the two young kinsmen of the dead Tiger Generals kept close to the Prime Minister.

Sent by Zhuge Liang with five thousand men on the suspicion that Zhao Zilong was in trouble, kills Xue Ze on the road and breaks the encirclement with the head at his bridle. Ambushes Cui Liang's relief column from the rear, then rides in among the disguised escorts and spears Cui Liang as his double-cross is exposed — 'Scoundrel! Did you think your vile plot would be hidden from the eyes of our Prime Minister?'

Escorts Zhuge Liang clear of the night assault on Tianshui. Meets the last remnant of Jiang Wei's force on the road and reduces him to 'alone, a single horseman' — the state in which he reaches Tianshui's gate and is shot at. Later holds the high road with Guan Xing and joins the three-cohort attack that finishes the Wei rout.

Commands the left wing against the iron chariots and is driven off with Ma Dai, leaving Guan Xing surrounded. Comes back down the gully bank fighting, strikes Yue Ji into the water and rescues Guan Xing from it. Later one of the two ambushes that fall on the Qiang column as it founders in the pits, and one of the two that close behind Cao Zhen and Guo Huai.

The first of the two Wugong Hills bluffs, appearing under the banner 'Tiger General of the Right Guard' with three thousand men and orders to make noise rather than battle. The Wei soldiers break and run without a fight; he and Guan Xing let them go as instructed and collect the abandoned baggage.

With Guan Xing, springs the ambush at the signal fire that breaks Fei Yao's army and drives it into the streams.

With Guan Xing, ambushes and seizes the outermost Wei camp while its garrison is away chasing the fire, then rides in the hidden force that carries Zhuge Liang to Chencang ahead of his own decoy orders.

Rides on Zhuge Liang's right at the ambush of Guo Huai and Sun Li, and is spurring after the two of them up the hillside when his horse goes over into a gully with him; they pick him up kicked in the head and badly hurt, and he is sent back to Chengdu. The messenger who brings word of his death is what finally breaks Zhuge Liang — 'he uttered a great cry, blood gushed from his mouth and he fell in a swoon' — and ends the campaign. The chapter gives him his own lament: 'Fierce and valiant was Zhang Bao, / Striving hard to make a name; / Sad the gods should interfere / And withhold a hero's fame!'