Zhang He

Zhang He; named among Yuan Shao's named generals as the campaign mobilises.

Zhang He; defects to Cao Cao with Gao Lan when Guo Tu poisons Yuan Shao against them - Cao Cao welcomes him and his career as one of the great Wei generals begins.

Second ambush company on the right; bursts with Zhang Liao into the old camp just as the fugitives' meal is cooked. In the hills he corners Liu Bei's remnant - 'quickly dismount and surrender!' - but thirty bouts with Zhao Zilong worst him, and Guan Yu's arrival drives him off.

Zhang He; with Cao Cao in the southern campaign.

The one antagonist Zhao Zilong cannot quickly beat - ten even bouts force the burdened rider to flee - and he has his spear poised over the pit-fallen fugitive when the flash of light lifts horse and man out; the apparition frightens him off the pursuit.

Zhang He; with Cao Cao.

Zhang He; with Cao Cao.

Zhang He; with Cao Cao in the Huarong flight.

Turns his back at the gallop and hits the bull's eye shooting backwards - the fourth arrow in the red.

Second against Ma Chao: twenty passes, then flight - the prelude to Li Tong's death.

Cuts down the willful Yang Ang between two armies, wears the first shift against Pang De, and is left holding Mount Mengtou Pass when the army turns south.

Laughs at his general's faith in soothsayers — 'I would take Baxi with my own troops' — dismisses Zhang Fei as a mere nobody, signs the pledge, and marches. The next chapter collects.

Loses everything twice over: the drunkard trick costs him his three camps, but he compasses the death of Lei Tong with a feigned-flight ambush before the back-path attack throws him out of Wakou Pass with ten followers. Saved from Cao Hong's executioners by Guo Huai, given five thousand to redeem himself at Jiameng — and beaten again by the two old generals, warning in vain thereafter against Huang Zhong's 'deep stratagem.'

The chapter's Cassandra — argues against every sortie, invents the gong-ring that saves Xiahou Yuan once, and is ignored into catastrophe. After the death he is beaten at two points, blocked by Zhao Yun and Du Xi, and falls back on River Han; as grain-train escort he traps Huang Zhong at Northern Mountain, only to shrink with Xu Huang from the one man at the camp gate.

Named in the elegy — 'whose wisdom defeated Zhang He to get Hanzhong.'

One of the four Chief Commanders of the dragon-fleet expedition.

Named Leader of the Van at the very end, on Sima Yi's own nomination — 'Zhang He, General of the Right Army, can shoulder this task' — and Cao Rui's answer that he was 'just the man I wished to send'. The pairing that will decide the next chapter.

Assigned to keep Wang Ping off the hill, which he does, driving him back after some ten encounters. Pursues the escaping Ma Su ten miles until Wei Yan stops him, gives ground and is chased fifteen miles — drawing Wei Yan onto Sima Yi's ambush, then turning back to make it three sides. Sent afterwards down the by-roads to hold up the Gu Valley retreat and take the baggage.

Left with Guo Huai to garrison Changan under the new defensive posture.

Consulted with Guo Huai on the strategic points the hundred fifty thousand should hold as Cao Zhen takes up the command.

Arrives at Cao Zhen's camp under royal command just after the fire, carrying Sima Yi's test - 'if you won the field the Shu army would stay, but if you did not, the Shu army would retreat' - and the scouts confirm the retreat. Fails to catch the retiring army. Then sent with three thousand troops to relieve the dying Hao Zhao, and arrives to find Chencang gone and San Pass taken; seeing Wei Yan and Jiang Wei already holding the approaches he retires, and Wei Yan follows and beats him heavily. Falls back on Changan and is left to guard it.

The chapter's best Wei showing and the reason Zhuge Liang marks him for death. Made Leader of the Van at Changan with Dai Ling under him. Sent on the night march to the Shu rear, spots the straw-carts and calls for a return a moment too late, and when Zhuge Liang offers him terms from the hilltop answers 'You peasant out of the woods, invader of our great country! How dare you use such words to me? Wait till I catch you: I will tear you to shreds!' Charges the hill into arrows and stones, breaks clear through the Shu ranks, then turns back alone to fight his way to Dai Ling and bring him out. Later argues Sima Yi into the pursuit against his judgement, stakes his head on it ('If I go and get beaten, I will stand the full rigor of military punishment'), gets independent command of thirty thousand, and is caught between Guan Xing in front and Wang Ping and Zhang Yi behind. Zhuge Liang's conclusion, watching him: 'He will do harm to Shu one day if I spare him. He will have to be removed.'

His last chapter, and the novel gives him a proper one. Volunteers for Yongcheng and Meicheng, is instead made Leader of the Van with a declaration of loyalty — 'So far I have not had an adequate opportunity to prove my sincerity… no sacrifice can be too great for me' — and holds Qishan with forty thousand while Sima Yi races for the wheat. Watches the Shu withdrawal and is too wary to follow it. Then asks for the pursuit and is refused twice, argues down Sima Yi's caution ('I know that, and you need not be afraid… A really noble man is prepared to sacrifice self for country. Never mind what happens'), and is given five thousand men. Wei Yan and Guan Xing take turns baiting him for a whole afternoon, each losing after about ten passes, until dark finds him in the Wooden Path with fire on the slopes, boulders and timber across the road behind and in front, and craggy precipices on both sides. 'Zhang He, his more than one hundred generals, and his whole pursuing army perished in the Wooden Path.' Sima Yi's verdict: 'Letting friend Zhang He die is my fault!' Cao Rui weeps and has the body searched for and honourably buried.