Zhao Yun

Zhao Yun's debut chapter - a tall, dignified young warrior from Changshan who has just left Yuan Shao in disgust. Saves Gongsun Zan from death under the Yuan Shao army, takes service with him, and immediately makes friends with Liu Bei after the relief column arrives.

Lent to Liu Bei by Gongsun Zan with two thousand troops for the Xuzhou expedition; he commands the rear column and supports the ox-horn line with Guan Yu. At the parting Liu Bei holds his hands, in tears, unable to let go.

Remembered, not seen: hearing of Gongsun Zan's fiery end, Liu Bei's first anxiety is the fate of Zhao Zilong.

Found holding the Sleeping Bull camp: after Gongsun Zan's fiery end he drifted, refused Yuan Shao's invitations, killed the horse-thief Pei Yuanshao - and drops from the saddle at Liu Bei's shout. 'Now I have reached your side, that is enough for all my life.' The last of the core finally under one banner.

The chapter's saving spear: thirty even bouts with Xu Chu, an alley cut through the night ambush ('fear not, my lord, only follow me!'), Gao Lan dead from the saddle at the moment Liu Bei faces capture, and Zhang He worsted in thirty more bouts. Every road out of ch31 is opened by Zhao Zilong.

Kills Zhang Wu for the Dilu horse at Jiangxia, insists on escorting Liu Bei to Xiangyang with three hundred men, and stands sword in hand at the feast until manoeuvred away to the officers' banquet - to ride out of the gate at chapter's end hunting Cai Mao for vengeance.

Misses his lord at the banquet, corners the lying Cai Mao twice, reads the wet hoof-track on the far bank, and traces Liu Bei to Water Mirror's farm by morning. In the battle that follows he kills Lü Kuang with a single spear thrust.

Duels Li Dian ten bouts in the opening clash, then executes Shan Fu's formation-break: in at the southeast gate with five hundred men, feint at the fleeing Cao Ren, out due west, and back in again until the Eight Gates dissolve. At the night raid he cuts Cao Ren's road of retreat; he ends the chapter garrisoning captured Fancheng.

Recalled from Fancheng to play the ordered loser: he duels Xiahou Dun and retreats, turns and retreats again, dragging one hundred thousand men down the narrowing road - and when the reeds ignite he wheels round for the slaughter.

Commands the four gate parties: fire arrows over the walls when the evening wind rises, the east gate left open as the one door of the trap - and his own company waiting beyond it to slaughter the escapers.

Zhao Yun; the chapter's headline feat. Searches the burning chaos of Changban Slope for Liu Bei's wives and son; finds Lady Mi wounded, who entrusts the infant Liu Shan to him before throwing herself into a well; carries Liu Shan in his bosom and cuts through 50 named Cao Cao officers in a single charge. Cao Cao watches from a hill and orders no arrow shall touch him.

Cuts down both Zhong brothers - the second with the wheel-about slash that leaves half a head - crosses the bridge past Zhang Fei, and lays the sleeping child in his lord's hands with 'death is too light a punishment' on his lips. When Liu Bei flings the baby aside ('to preserve that suckling I very nearly lost a great general!'), he snatches him up weeping: 'were I ground to powder, I could not prove my gratitude.'

Zhao Yun; with Liu Bei at Jiangxia.

Zhao Yun; with Liu Bei at Jiangxia.

Waits at the sand spit exactly as arranged, warns the pursuers off with one exhibition shot - the arrow that severs Xu Sheng's sail-rope - then lands to take his own assignment: three thousand men in the Black Forest jungle, to fire the road behind Cao Cao's passing.

Answers the first laugh: 'I am Zhao Zilong, and long have I been waiting here!' - routs the column but lets Cao Cao ride into the smoke, taking only the banners, exactly as instructed.

Welcomes Zhou Yu's embassy with a display of bold soldiery, then executes the whisper: slips into Nanjun behind the night raid and answers the returning victor from the wall - 'Pardon, General! I had orders from the Directing Instructor to take this city.'

Wins Guiyang by lot over Zhang Fei's wrangling and takes it with three thousand men: unhorses Chen Ying and frees him, accepts Zhao Fan's surrender and his sworn brotherhood - then knocks him down over the offered widow ('is not your sister-in-law my sister-in-law?'). He drinks the two false deserters under the table, beheads them, rides their five hundred men through the gates as a screen, and seizes the city. His three reasons for refusing Lady Fan close the chapter: reputation first, family later.

Zhao Yun; finishes the Guiyang settlement.

Opens the first silken bag at the landing: visit Patriarch Qiao with sheep and wine, and let five hundred guards in gala dress shop the engagement into every mouth in Nanxu. At the temple banquet his eye finds the hidden ruffians - the warning that lets Liu Bei kneel his way out of the ambush - and the Dowager toasts 'the hero of Dangyang' by name.

Idles a year in the front palace watching his lord dissolve into luxury - then opens the second bag: the invented Cao Cao invasion that shakes Liu Bei loose. On the road he opens the third at the roadblock, handing Liu Bei the confession-speech that turns Lady Sun into their rescuer, and stands bursting with wrath beside her carriage at both confrontations.

Appears on the suddenly living wall as Zhou Yu challenges the gate: 'the Directing Instructor knows that you want to try the ruse of Borrow a Road to Destroy the Host' - the sentence that turns the trap inside out.

Commands the funeral escort - the redoubtable presence at Zhuge Liang's shoulder that keeps the grieving southern officers' hands off their swords.

Zhao Yun; named in passing - will join the Yi expedition.

Zhao Yun; intercepts Lady Sun's boat on the river and forcibly retrieves Liu Shan from her - the second of the famous baby-rescues.

Zhao Yun; rides with Zhuge Liang on the relief march west.

Zhao Yun; with Zhuge Liang at the Luocheng siege.

Zhao Yun; with Liu Bei at Chengdu.

Zhao Yun; with Liu Bei at Chengdu.

Zhao Yun; later in the chapter - the one-man stand at the granary. Cuts a path through the Wei encirclement to rescue Huang Zhong; reaches camp; opens his gates wide, sits silent on horse - Cao Cao thinks ambush and pulls back; then crushes the retreating Wei from behind. Liu Bei famously says: 'Zilong is all guts.'

Zhao Yun; the empty-camp gambit at the Han River - opens gates and stands silent; Cao Cao bolts; the resulting Wei rout costs Cao Cao the Han River line.

Zhao Yun; one of the Five Tiger Generals.

Zhao Yun; in Chengdu when the news comes.

Zhao Yun; in Liu Bei's court at the accession.

Zhao Yun; argues with Zhuge Liang against the expedition; ordered to stay behind to guard the rear.

Zhao Yun; the chapter's rescuer. Riding in from Chengdu hears of the fire; charges through Lu Xun's pursuit lines and cuts a path to Liu Bei; carries the emperor to Baidicheng. Kills the Wu pursuit officer Zhu Ran in single combat at the crossing.

Zhao Yun; defends Yangping Pass against Cao Zhen's army; holds. The last of the Five Tigers still standing tall.

Zhao Yun; in Chengdu - receives the news of Wu's renewed alliance.

Zhao Yun; with the southern campaign - distinguished himself in the early engagements.

Zhao Yun; with the southern campaign - the spear-and-charge backbone of every engagement.

Zhao Yun; with the campaign.

Zhao Yun; with the campaign through the climactic burnings.

Zhao Yun; the chapter's veteran centerpiece. Insists on going north despite his age (over 70 now). Zhuge Liang appoints him vanguard commander. The 'old tiger' role he plays through the next several chapters.

Zhao Yun; the chapter's veteran hero. Now over seventy, still in command of the vanguard. Cuts down five Wei generals in succession in the opening engagement, including Han Qi's father Han De and Han De's four sons. The old tiger's last great battle; Liu Bei's voice from the past echoes ('Zilong is all guts').

Zhao Yun; with the expedition.

Zhao Yun; with the expedition; charges the Qiang battle.

Zhao Yun; commands the rear guard on the retreat; his last great service - keeps the Shu army from being run down.

Zhao Yun; commands the retreat rear-guard, brings every man home - Zhuge Liang praises him as the only commander to lose no men in the campaign. The 'old tiger' still in form.

Zhao Yun dies. The chapter's quiet tragedy. The great Zhao Zilong - last of the Five Tigers - succumbs to old age and falls ill; dies in his bed. Zhuge Liang weeps when the news arrives: 'Heaven has cut off one of my arms.' Sons Zhao Tong and Zhao Guang carry the news to court.

Zhao Yun; named in passing in the same eulogy comparison.