Zhang Liao (simplified: 张辽, traditional: 張遼, pinyin: Zhāng Liáo), courtesy name Wenyuan (文远 Wényuǎn), was a general of Cao Wei and one of the Five Elite Generals. He was from Mayi in Yanmen (modern Shuozhou, Shanxi); his family was descended from Nie Yi (聂壹) and had changed their surname to Zhang. He served Ding Yuan, He Jin, Dong Zhuo, and Lü Bu—as Chancellor of Lu under Lü Bu at twenty-eight—then surrendered to Cao Cao after the fall of Xiapi. He fought at Baima (with Guan Yu, killed Yan Liang), persuaded Chang Xi to surrender alone on Mount Sangong, fought at White Wolf Mountain (urged attack, received Cao Cao’s standard, killed the Wuhuan chanyu Tadun), quelled a mutiny at Changshe, and destroyed Chen Lan and Mei Cheng at Mount Tianzhu. With Li Dian and Yue Jin he defended Hefei; in 215 he led eight hundred men in a dawn assault on Sun Quan’s camp, broke to Sun Quan’s banner, re-entered the fray to rescue his men, and later pursued Sun Quan to the Xiaoyao ford and nearly captured him. His name was said to stop Jiangdong children from crying. He was enfeoffed as Marquis of Jinyang and died of illness at Jiangdu in 222; posthumous title Marquis Gang (刚侯).
Biography
Early life and service under Ding Yuan to Lü Bu
Zhang Liao was from Mayi in Yanmen commandery. His family was descended from Nie Yi (of the Mayi plot) and had changed their surname to Zhang to avoid enmity. In his youth he was a commandery clerk. The Inspector of Bing province Ding Yuan recruited him for his martial ability and sent him with troops to the capital for He Jin. He Jin had him recruit in Hebei; he obtained over a thousand men. When He Jin was killed and Dong Zhuo took power, Zhang Liao’s troops passed to Dong Zhuo. After Dong Zhuo’s death (192) his men went to Lü Bu, and he was made Commandant of Cavalry. He followed Lü Bu in flight and later to Xuzhou. In 196 Lü Bu made him Chancellor of Lu (at twenty-eight). In 198 he was Administrator of Beidi and with Gao Shun attacked Liu Bei at Xiaopei and took the city. When Cao Cao took Xiapi and executed Lü Bu, Zhang Liao led his troops in surrender. Cao Cao made him General of the Household and Marquis within the Pass; he had repeated merit and was promoted to Associate General.
Under Cao Cao: Baima, Chang Xi, north, White Wolf Mountain
In 200 Yuan Shao sent Yan Liang against Baima. Cao Cao had Zhang Liao and Guan Yu as vanguard; they defeated the enemy and killed Yan Liang. At Guandu Zhang Liao had further merit. Cao Cao sent him to pacify the counties of the kingdom of Lu. In 201 he and Xiahou Yuan besieged Chang Xi in Donghai; when supplies ran low and the army was about to withdraw, Zhang Liao said that lately Chang Xi had been watching him and his arrows had grown fewer—he must be hesitating—and asked to try to persuade him. He had someone tell Chang Xi that Cao Cao had ordered him to convey a message; Chang Xi came down and talked. Zhang Liao said the first to submit would receive great reward; Chang Xi agreed to surrender. Zhang Liao went alone up Mount Sangong to Chang Xi’s house and paid his respects to his family; Chang Xi then went with him to see Cao Cao. Cao Cao rebuked Zhang Liao for going alone into the enemy’s lair; Zhang Liao said that with the lord’s prestige and his carrying the mandate, Chang Xi would not dare harm him.
In 202 he fought Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang at Liyang and was made General of the Household for Steadfastness. When Yuan Shang held Ye, Cao Cao returned to Xu and sent Zhang Liao and Yue Jin to take Yin’an and move its people south. In 204 he took part in the capture of Ye, then campaigned in Zhao and Changshan and induced the bandits and Sun Qing of the Black Mountain to submit. In 205 he fought Yuan Tan and separately attacked the coast, defeating Liu Yi and others sent by Gongsun Kang; on his return to Ye, Cao Cao went out to meet him and rode with him in the same carriage. Cao Cao memorialised the merits of Zhang Liao, Yue Jin, and Yu Jin and made Zhang Liao General Who Pacifies the Caitiffs. He campaigned in Jiangxia, garrisoned Linying, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Duting. With He Kui he put down the bandit Cong Qian.
In 207 Cao Cao prepared to attack Yuan Shang at Liucheng. Zhang Liao advised that the Son of Heaven was at Xu and if Liu Biao sent Liu Bei to attack it the situation would be lost; Cao Cao judged Liu Biao would not use Liu Bei and set out. The army met the Wuhuan suddenly. Many were afraid. Zhang Liao urged Cao Cao to fight while the enemy formation was not set; his spirit was high. Cao Cao gave him his standard and made him vanguard. Zhang Liao attacked and routed the Wuhuan and killed the chanyu Tadun. Later Cao Cao sent Zhang Liao to garrison Changshe. Before he left, mutineers set fires at night and the camp was in uproar. Zhang Liao told his men not to move—it could not be the whole camp rebelling, only some trying to stir the rest. He ordered those not rebelling to sit still and with a few dozen close troops stood in the centre; when things settled he found and killed the ringleaders.
Chen Lan and Mei Cheng; Hefei
At Chibi, Zhao Yan was sent to coordinate Yu Jin, Zhang Liao, and others. In 209 Chen Lan and Mei Cheng rebelled in Lu and Liu. Yu Jin and Zang Ba attacked Mei Cheng; Zhang Liao led Zhang He and Niu Gai against Chen Lan. Mei Cheng feigned surrender to Yu Jin then joined Chen Lan in the mountains at Tianzhu. The road was narrow and dangerous; the generals said they had too few men to go deep. Zhang Liao said it was one-on-one and the brave went forward; he camped below and attacked, killed Chen Lan and Mei Cheng, and captured their troops. Cao Cao increased his fief and gave him a tally. In 213 Cao Cao returned from attacking Sun Quan and left Zhang Liao, Yue Jin, and Li Dian with over seven thousand at Hefei. In 214 Sun Quan took Wan; Zhang Liao’s relief arrived at Jiashi after the city had fallen and he withdrew. In 215 Cao Cao went west against Zhang Lu and left Xue Ti a sealed instruction to open when the enemy came. In the eighth month Sun Quan led one hundred thousand to besiege Hefei. They opened the letter: when Sun Quan came, Zhang Liao and Li Dian were to fight and Yue Jin was to guard; the护军 was not to take part. The generals doubted. Zhang Liao said that if they waited for relief the city would fall first; the instruction was to strike before the enemy had fully assembled, break their momentum, and steady their own men, then they could hold. He said the outcome hung on this one battle and he would go out alone if the rest hesitated. Li Dian agreed to go with him. That night Zhang Liao recruited eight hundred daredevils and feasted them. At dawn he donned armour, took his halberd, and led the charge. He killed several dozen and two generals, shouted his name, and broke through to Sun Quan’s standard. Sun Quan climbed a mound and defended with a long halberd; Zhang Liao challenged him to come down. When Sun Quan saw how few Zhang Liao had he ordered them surrounded. Zhang Liao broke out with several dozen; those left behind cried “General, do you abandon us?” Zhang Liao turned back and fought in again to rescue them. By noon he returned to the city to defend; the generals were convinced. Sun Quan besieged for over ten days; when disease spread he withdrew. The main army had left; Sun Quan with Lü Meng, Jiang Qin, Ling Tong, Gan Ning and about a thousand was at the north of Xiaoyao ford. Zhang Liao led infantry and cavalry in pursuit. Sun Quan barely escaped (with Gan Ning and Gu Li’s whip); the bridge had been broken. It was said Zhang Liao had met Sun Quan but did not recognise him. Hence “Zhang Liao stops the crying” (张辽止啼)—parents in Jiangdong frightened children with his name. Cao Cao promoted him to General Who Conquers the East.
Later years and death
In 216 Cao Cao again attacked Sun Quan; at Hefei he toured the battlefield and sighed. He increased Zhang Liao’s troops and had him move to Juchao. At Ruxu, Zhang Liao and Zang Ba were vanguard; when rain swelled the river and Sun Quan’s ships advanced, Zhang Liao wanted to withdraw but Zang Ba said to wait for orders; the next day the order came. In 219 when Guan Yu besieged Cao Ren at Fancheng, Sun Quan submitted and Cao Cao recalled Zhang Liao and others to relieve Cao Ren. Zhang Liao had not yet arrived when Xu Huang had already defeated Guan Yu. Zhang Liao met Cao Cao at Mopo; Cao Cao came out by carriage to greet him and sent him to garrison in Chen. When Cao Pi succeeded (220), Zhang Liao was made General of the Vanguard and enfeoffed; his brother Zhang Fan and one son were made marquises. When Sun Quan rebelled again Zhang Liao returned to Hefei and was advanced to Marquis of Duxiang. Cao Pi gave his mother a carriage and had his family escorted to his garrison with honours. At the imperial accession Zhang Liao was enfeoffed as Marquis of Jinyang with 2,600 households. In 221 he went to Luoyang and Cao Pi received him at Jianshi Hall and asked about the defeat of Wu; Cao Pi said he was like the ancient Zhao Hu. He had a house built for Zhang Liao and a hall for his mother, and the eight hundred who had followed him in the assault were made Tiger Guard. When he fell ill at Yongqiu, Cao Pi sent the Palace Attendant Liu Ye with the imperial physician; when he improved slightly he returned to his garrison. In 222 Sun Quan rebelled again. Cao Pi sent Zhang Liao by boat to Hailin to join Cao Xiu. Sun Quan warned his generals: “Zhang Liao may be ill but he is still unbeatable—be careful.” That year Zhang Liao and others defeated Sun Quan’s general Lü Fan. Zhang Liao’s illness worsened and he died at Jiangdu. Cao Pi wept; he was granted the posthumous title Marquis Gang. His son Zhang Hu succeeded. In 225 Cao Pi granted an extra hundred households each to the families of Zhang Liao and Li Dian and Guannei Hou to one son each in recognition of the Hefei feat. In 243 Zhang Liao was among those enshrined in Cao Cao’s temple.
Personality and traits
Zhang Liao was bold and strategically astute. He went alone to Chang Xi’s house to secure his surrender, calmed the mutiny at Changshe by having non-rebels sit and killing the leaders, and at Hefei insisted on attacking before the siege was complete and led the assault himself. He re-entered the enemy ranks to rescue his trapped men. Cao Cao’s memorial praised his strength, planning, loyalty, and discipline. He reconciled with his护军 Wu Zhou after Hu Zhi’s advice (Hu Zhi declined to replace Wu Zhou and explained that trust should not be broken by a small grudge). When Cao Cao asked him to sound out Guan Yu’s intentions, Guan Yu said he would leave once he had repaid Cao Cao; Zhang Liao reflected that Cao was his lord and Guan Yu his friend (“公，君父也；羽，兄弟耳”) and reported truthfully.
Military achievements
Zhang Liao fought at Baima (with Guan Yu, killed Yan Liang), persuaded Chang Xi to surrender, campaigned in the north (Yin’an, Ye, Zhao, Changshan, coast), killed Tadun at White Wolf Mountain, quelled the Changshe mutiny, destroyed Chen Lan and Mei Cheng at Tianzhu, and above all at Hefei led eight hundred in the dawn assault, broke to Sun Quan’s standard, rescued his men, and later pursued Sun Quan to the Xiaoyao ford. He was one of the “Five Elite Generals” (with Yue Jin, Yu Jin, Zhang He, Xu Huang).
Relationships
He served Ding Yuan, He Jin, Dong Zhuo, and Lü Bu before surrendering to Cao Cao. Under Cao Cao he worked with Guan Yu (Baima), Xiahou Yuan (Chang Xi), Li Dian and Yue Jin (Hefei; he and Li Dian set aside past friction for the sortie), Zang Ba (Ruxu), and Xu Huang. Cao Cao gave him his standard at White Wolf Mountain and rode with him in one carriage after the coastal campaign. Cao Pi honoured him and his mother and the eight hundred daredevils. Sun Quan warned his men that even sick, Zhang Liao was “unbeatable.”
Anecdotes and allusions
Zhang Liao stops the crying
张辽止啼 (Zhāng Liáo zhǐ tí)
After Hefei, Zhang Liao’s name terrified Jiangdong; when children would not stop crying, parents said “Zhang Liao is coming!” and they stopped. Hence “Zhang Liao stops the crying” and the Japanese phrase “Ryō rai rai” (辽来来).
Source: Wei lüe, Wang Shen Wei shu; Meng qiu
Type: Historical
Lord is father, Guan Yu is brother
公君父也，羽兄弟耳 (Gōng jūnfù yě, Yǔ xiōngdì ěr)
When Cao Cao had Zhang Liao ask Guan Yu whether he would stay, Guan Yu said he would leave after repaying Cao Cao. Zhang Liao worried that reporting this might get Guan Yu killed but that not reporting would be disloyal; he said “Cao is my lord and father, Guan Yu is my brother” and reported the truth.
Source: Fu zi (in SGZ)
Type: Historical
Advance at the van, break the line
登锋陷阵 (Dēng fēng xiàn zhèn)
At Hefei Zhang Liao “advanced at the van and broke the line” (登锋陷阵), killing dozens and two generals and reaching Sun Quan’s standard. The phrase denotes leading a charge into the enemy formation.
Source: SGZ (Zhang Liao zhuan), Wei shu
Type: Historical
Achievements
- Military: Baima (kill Yan Liang), Chang Xi (alone on Mount Sangong), White Wolf Mountain (kill Tadun), Changshe (quell mutiny), Tianzhu (Chen Lan, Mei Cheng), Hefei (800 assault, pursuit to Xiaoyao ford).
- Political: Chancellor of Lu under Lü Bu; General Who Conquers the East, Marquis of Jinyang; enshrined in Cao Cao’s temple (243).
- Legacy: One of the Five Elite Generals; “Zhang Liao stops the crying”; Tang/Song military temple (64/72 generals).
Behind the scenes
Zhang Liao is in SGZ Wei 17 (with Yue Jin, Yu Jin, Zhang He, Xu Huang). Birth year 169 is inferred from his being twenty-eight when Lü Bu made him Chancellor of Lu (196 or 198). The Romance has him die protecting Cao Pi from Ding Feng’s arrow (Ch. 86); historically he died of illness at Jiangdu in 222 after defeating Lü Fan. The novel’s “威震逍遥津” matches the historical pursuit to the Xiaoyao ford.
Historical evaluations
- Cao Cao (memorial): “Strength and strategy are complete; loyal and single-minded; in battle often in command; strikes hard and breaks the solid; no stronghold he does not take; drum in hand and never weary…”
- Cao Pi: “This is the ancient Zhao Hu.”
- Sun Quan: “Zhang Liao may be ill but he is still unbeatable—be careful.”
- Chen Shou: “The lord built this martial achievement, and the fine generals of the time—the five came first.”
Legacy
Zhang Liao symbolises the general who “advances at the van and breaks the line” and whose name could stop children crying. He is remembered for White Wolf Mountain and above all for the Hefei assault and pursuit. He appears in the Romance (including death from Ding Feng’s arrow), in opera, film, and games (e.g. Dynasty Warriors), and at Xiaoyaojin Park in Hefei (cenotaph and statue).
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 169 | Born in Mayi, Yanmen |
| 188–189 | Under Ding Yuan; to capital for He Jin; recruited in Hebei; Dong Zhuo |
| 192 | Troops to Lü Bu; Commandant of Cavalry |
| 196 | Chancellor of Lu under Lü Bu (age 28) |
| 198 | Beidi Taishou; with Gao Shun took Xiaopei; surrendered to Cao Cao; Zhonglang Jiang, Guannei Hou |
| 200 | Baima with Guan Yu, killed Yan Liang; Associate General |
| 201 | Chang Xi at Donghai; alone on Mount Sangong, Chang Xi surrendered |
| 202–205 | Liyang, Yin’an, Ye, Zhao/Changshan, coast; General Who Pacifies the Caitiffs, Duting Hou |
| 207 | White Wolf Mountain; urged attack; received standard; killed Tadun |
| 208 | Changshe; quelled mutiny |
| 209 | Chen Lan, Mei Cheng at Tianzhu; increased fief, tally |
| 213–214 | Left at Hefei with Yue Jin, Li Dian (7,000+); Wan fell before his relief arrived |
| 215 (8th month) | Sun Quan 100,000 at Hefei; opened instruction; 800 dawn assault; broke to Sun Quan’s banner; rescued men; pursuit to Xiaoyaojin; General Who Conquers the East |
| 216 | Ruxu with Zang Ba; garrison at Juchao |
| 219 | Recalled for Cao Ren; met Cao Cao at Mopo; garrison in Chen |
| 220 | General of the Vanguard; brother and one son marquises; Hefei; Duxiang Hou; Jinyang Hou 2,600 households |
| 221 | Audience at Jianshi Hall; “Zhao Hu”; house and mother’s hall; 800 as Tiger Guard |
| 222 | With Cao Xiu at Hailin; defeated Lü Fan; died at Jiangdu; posthumous Marquis Gang; Zhang Hu succeeded |
| 225 | Extra 100 households each for Zhang Liao and Li Dian; one son each Guannei Hou |
| 243 | Enshrined in Cao Cao’s temple |