Zhang Fei facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zhang Fei
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| 張飛 | |
A Qing dynasty illustration of Zhang Fei
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| General of Chariots and Cavalry (車騎將軍) | |
| In office 221 |
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| Monarch | Liu Bei |
| Colonel-Director of Retainers (司隸校尉) | |
| In office 221 |
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| Monarch | Liu Bei |
| Succeeded by | Zhuge Liang |
| General of the Right (右將軍) | |
| In office 219–221 |
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| Monarch | Liu Bei |
| Administrator of Baxi (巴西太守) (under Liu Bei) |
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| In office 214–219 |
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| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Administrator of Nan Commandery (南郡太守) (under Liu Bei) |
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| In office ?–214 |
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| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Administrator of Yidu (宜都太守) (under Liu Bei) |
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| In office ?–? |
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| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| General Who Attacks Barbarians (征虜將軍) (under Liu Bei) |
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| In office 209–? |
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| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| General of the Household (中郎將) (under Liu Bei) |
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| In office 199–209 |
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| Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown Zhuo Commandery, Han Empire |
| Died | July or August 221 Langzhong County, Baxi Commandery, Shu Han |
| Spouse | Lady Xiahou |
| Children |
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| Occupation | Military general, politician |
| Courtesy name | Yide (益德) |
| Posthumous name | Marquis Huan (桓侯) |
| Peerage | Marquis of Xixiang (西鄉侯) |
| Zhang Fei | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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"Zhang Fei" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
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| Traditional Chinese | 張飛 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 张飞 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Zhang Fei (died July or August 221 AD) was a brave general in ancient China. He served under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period. Zhang Fei, along with Guan Yu, were among Liu Bei's first followers. They shared a very close, brother-like bond with Liu Bei.
Zhang Fei fought in many important battles with Liu Bei. These included the Battle of Red Cliffs (208–209) and the Hanzhong Campaign (217–218). He was sadly killed by his own soldiers in 221. This happened just a few months after Liu Bei founded the state of Shu Han.
Zhang Fei is also a famous character in the 14th-century novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. This book tells exciting, dramatic stories about the Three Kingdoms period. In the novel, Zhang Fei, Liu Bei, and Guan Yu become "sworn brothers" in a special ceremony called the Oath of the Peach Garden. He stays loyal to this promise until his death.
Contents
Who was Zhang Fei?
Zhang Fei came from a place called Zhuo Commandery. In the late 180s, he and Guan Yu became followers of Liu Bei. Guan Yu was older than Zhang Fei, so Zhang Fei looked up to him like an older brother. Both Zhang Fei and Guan Yu were known for being very strong and brave fighters.
Liu Bei treated Zhang Fei and Guan Yu like his own brothers. They were so close that they often shared the same room and even ate together. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu always protected Liu Bei. They stood by him in crowds and guarded him during meetings. They were always ready to face danger with him.
Fighting Lü Bu
In 194, Liu Bei became the Governor of Xu Province. He left Zhang Fei in charge of Xiapi, the capital city. For reasons not fully known, Zhang Fei wanted to kill an officer named Cao Bao. Cao Bao escaped and asked another warlord, Lü Bu, for help.
Lü Bu attacked Xiapi and took control of the city. Zhang Fei had to escape. Liu Bei returned and had to accept Lü Bu's control over Xu Province. Later, Liu Bei teamed up with Cao Cao to defeat Lü Bu in 198. After this, Zhang Fei was given the title of General of the Household.
Adventures with Liu Bei
In 199, Liu Bei tricked Cao Cao and escaped from his control. He went back to Xu Province and took it over again. But Cao Cao soon defeated Liu Bei and took back Xu Province. Liu Bei then sought safety with different warlords, including Yuan Shao and Liu Biao.
It's not clear if Zhang Fei stayed with Liu Bei during all these travels. However, he was always ready to fight by Liu Bei's side.
The Red Cliffs Campaign
The Battle of Changban
In 208, a powerful warlord named Cao Cao launched a big attack. Liu Bei had to move his people away from danger. Cao Cao was worried Liu Bei would take an important area called Jiangling. So, Cao Cao sent his best cavalry (horse soldiers) to chase Liu Bei.
Cao Cao's soldiers caught up with Liu Bei at Changban. Liu Bei had to leave his family behind and escape with only a few trusted people, including Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun.
Zhang Fei led 20 horsemen to protect Liu Bei's escape. He destroyed a bridge and stood guard alone. He held his spear, stared at the enemy, and shouted, "I am Zhang Yide! Come and fight me if you dare!" Cao Cao's soldiers were too scared to come closer. This allowed Liu Bei and his group to get away safely.
After Red Cliffs
Later in 208, Liu Bei joined forces with Sun Quan. They defeated Cao Cao in the famous Battle of Red Cliffs. After this victory, Liu Bei took control of southern Jing Province. Zhang Fei was made a General and given control of Yidu Commandery. He was later put in charge of Nan Commandery.
Conquering Yi Province
Defending Jing Province
In 211, Liu Bei went to Yi Province to help its governor, Liu Zhang, fight another warlord. Zhang Fei and others stayed behind to guard Jing Province. Liu Bei had married Sun Quan's sister, Lady Sun, to make their alliance stronger. Lady Sun was very proud and her servants caused trouble. Even Liu Bei was careful around her.
When Sun Quan heard Liu Bei was away, he sent a ship to take his sister home. Lady Sun tried to take Liu Bei's son, Liu Shan, with her. But Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun stopped her and brought Liu Shan back safely.
Taking Yi Province
Around 212, Liu Bei decided to take Yi Province from Liu Zhang. He called for Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang, and Zhao Yun to bring more troops. Zhang Fei defeated Liu Zhang's general, Zhang Yi, and continued his advance.
Zhang Fei then attacked a city called Jiangzhou. It was defended by Zhao Zan and a brave officer named Yan Yan. Zhang Fei defeated them and captured Yan Yan. Zhang Fei asked Yan Yan why he resisted instead of surrendering. Yan Yan bravely replied that he would rather die than surrender. Zhang Fei was so impressed by Yan Yan's courage that he released him and treated him with respect.
Zhang Fei's army continued to win battles until they reached Chengdu, the capital of Yi Province. There, they met up with Liu Bei. In 214, Liu Zhang surrendered, and Liu Bei took control of Yi Province. Zhang Fei was rewarded with gold, silver, coins, and silk. He was also made the Administrator of Baxi Commandery.
The Hanzhong Campaign
Battle of Baxi
In 215, Cao Cao took control of Hanzhong Commandery. He left his generals, Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He, to defend it. Zhang He then attacked Baxi Commandery, trying to force its people to move to Hanzhong.
Zhang He's army met Zhang Fei's troops. They faced each other for over 50 days. Then, Zhang Fei led about 10,000 elite soldiers on a different path to attack Zhang He. The mountain paths were narrow, splitting Zhang He's army. Zhang Fei won a great victory. Zhang He and a few men escaped on foot. Peace returned to Baxi Commandery.
Winning Hanzhong
In 217, Liu Bei launched a campaign to take Hanzhong from Cao Cao. He sent Zhang Fei and Ma Chao to attack Wudu Commandery. Zhang Fei tried to trick Cao Hong, the defender, but Cao Hong's officer, Cao Xiu, saw through the trick. Zhang Fei's allies suffered a defeat.
In 219, Liu Bei won the Hanzhong Campaign and declared himself "King of Hanzhong." He appointed Zhang Fei as General of the Right. Many people thought Zhang Fei would be left to guard Hanzhong, and Zhang Fei thought so too. But Liu Bei surprised everyone by choosing Wei Yan instead.
Serving Shu Han
In 221, Liu Bei became emperor and founded the state of Shu Han. He promoted Zhang Fei to General of Chariots and Cavalry. He also gave him the title of Marquis of Xi District.
Zhang Fei's Death
In late 219, Sun Quan broke his alliance with Liu Bei. Sun Quan's general, Lü Meng, invaded Liu Bei's lands in Jing Province. This led to the death of Guan Yu. Around July or August 221, Liu Bei started a campaign against Sun Quan to get revenge and take back his lands. Zhang Fei was ordered to lead 10,000 soldiers to meet Liu Bei's main army.
During this preparation, Zhang Fei's own soldiers, Fan Qiang and Zhang Da, killed him. When Liu Bei heard the news, he cried out, "Oh! Fei is dead."
Years later, in 260, Liu Bei's son, Liu Shan, gave Zhang Fei the special title "Marquis Huan" after his death.
Zhang Fei's Family
In the year 200, Zhang Fei met Xiahou Yuan's niece, who was about 13 years old. He married her. They had two daughters. Both of Zhang Fei's daughters later married Liu Shan, Liu Bei's son and the future emperor of Shu Han. They became known as Empress Jing'ai and Empress Zhang.
Zhang Fei's oldest son, Zhang Bao, died young. Zhang Bao's son, Zhang Zun, was a government official. In 263, during the Conquest of Shu by Wei, Zhang Zun fought bravely but was killed in battle.
Zhang Fei's second son, Zhang Shao, inherited his father's title. He also served as an important official in Shu Han. In 263, when Shu Han was about to fall, Zhang Shao was one of the officials who officially surrendered to the Wei general Deng Ai. After Shu fell, Zhang Shao went with Liu Shan to the Wei capital, Luoyang.
How People Saw Zhang Fei
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Historians described Zhang Fei and Guan Yu as incredibly strong warriors, "capable of fighting ten thousand enemies." They were like tigers among Liu Bei's followers. Zhang Fei was known for respecting good people but being harsh and cruel to his own soldiers. Liu Bei often warned him about his punishments, saying it would cause trouble. Sadly, Zhang Fei did not change his ways.
Despite his flaws, Zhang Fei was seen as one of the finest fighters of his time. People from other kingdoms also recognized his great strength. The phrase "capable of fighting ten thousand enemies" became a common saying in Chinese culture to describe someone with amazing power.
Zhang Fei in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In the famous novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhang Fei is described as a very tall man with a panther's head, huge round eyes, and a tiger's beard. His voice was like thunder, and he moved like a charging horse.
In the novel, Zhang Fei is shown as a very loyal and powerful warrior. However, he is also short-tempered and often gets into trouble when he's not fighting. His special weapon is a "1.8 zhang long serpent spear." This means it was a very long spear with a wavy, snake-like head.
Some famous fictional stories about Zhang Fei in the novel include:
- Oath of the Peach Garden
- List of fictitious stories in Romance of the Three Kingdoms#Zhang Fei thrashes the imperial inspector
- Battle of Hulao Pass
- Battle of Changban#In fiction
Images for kids
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"Zhang Fei" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
In Spanish: Zhang Fei para niños
- Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms
