Zhang Ni

Posted on the escape by-roads with Zhang Yi, he brings in the fleeing Dongtu Na exactly as the map-study predicted — and springs the left jaw of the ambush that surrounds Meng Huo's pursuit.

Stations one of the four cool-forest stockades through the burning fifth month.

Meets Lady Zhurong's array and takes her flying sword through the arm — captured, sentenced by her at the banquet, spared by Meng Huo's memory of the five releases, and exchanged for her. Repays it in the finale: his ambush wing helps net Meng Huo's rescue march.

Appointed Left Army Marching General under Ma Dai for the Northern Expedition.

One of the four commanders placed in ambush around the emptied Shu camp for the Wei van's night raid.

Sent with Liao Hua and Wang Ping to check Wang Shuang after two commanders have died testing him. Fights several bouts, pursues the feigned flight against Wang Ping's shout not to, and takes a meteor hammer in the back that pitches him forward over the saddle. Hurt internally and vomiting blood at intervals, he still brings back the assessment that matters — Wang Shuang is unstoppable and is fortifying outside Chencang. Rides with Ma Dai in the charge at the Fei Yao parley.

The other jaw of the pincer on Sun Li, five thousand troops to Ma Zheng's five thousand, closing in behind him out of the dark once the grain carts go up.

One of the four sent to meet Zhang He's pursuit and retreat by stages, drawing thirty thousand Wei troops ten miles through the sixth-moon heat until 'the soldiers and horses were panting and nearly spent', then turning on Guan Xing's signal. Later sent with Wang Ping and one thousand men to garrison the Chencang road against Cao Zhen's four hundred thousand, and objects to the odds until Zhuge Liang explains the coming rain.

One of the four commanders of the Gu Valley column, and with Du Qiong the pair whose divisions stop the Wei pursuit of Chen Shi's wreck. Then sent with Ma Zheng by the by-roads west of Qishan, marching by night and lying up by day, to join the four-sided assault on Cao Zhen's camp. Present at the apology in the tent afterwards.

The other Leader of the Van on the march in, and one of the four left holding the Qishan camps. Withdraws in the two-division retreat that Zhang He watches and dares not touch.

Front division with Wang Ping at the crossing and out of the ambush with him. Then given the costume half of the convoy raid: five hundred men dressed as the Deities of the Six Layers with demon heads and beast shapes, faces stained every colour, flags, swords and bottle-gourds trailing smoke, hidden in the hills to burst out and drive the wooden animals away - 'No one will dare pursue such uncanny company', and nobody does.

One of the five named on the deathbed as dependable to the death, and with the army on the withdrawal.

Sent with Wang Ping to garrison Baidicheng against the Wu army at Baqiu.

In command of the commissariat for the two-hundred-thousand expedition out of Yangping Pass — which is the arm of it Jiang Wei then uses as bait, sending a couple of hundred men and a hundred wooden oxen down the Iron Cage road for Xu Zhi to capture.

Dies in this chapter. When Chen Tai comes out of the hills and Jiang Wei is surrounded, fighting in every direction with his horse spent, 'Zhang Ni, who had heard of his straits, came to his rescue with a body of cavalry. Zhang Ni cut his way in, and Jiang Wei immediately broke the siege and got out. Zhang Ni saved his general, but lost his own life in the melee.' The Latter Ruler bestows honours on his family when the death is reported from Hanzhong.