Zhao Yun

Qing Dynasty illustration.
Names
Simplified Chinese:	赵云
Traditional Chinese:	趙雲
Pinyin:	Zhao Yun
Wade-Giles:	Chao Yun
Zi:	Zilong (子龍)

Zhao Yun (168 - 229) was an important military commander during the civil wars of the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period of China. For most of his career, Zhao Yun served the warlord Liu Bei, playing a part in the establishment of Shu Han. In literature and folklore he is lauded as the third member of the Five Tiger Generals.

Due to the limited historical records, many facts about Zhao Yun's life remain unclear or unknown. The original records in Chen Shou's Sanguo Zhi are only a couple hundred words. Pei Songzhi's annotations provide a relatively clear, though still incomplete picture of Zhao's life.

Life

Early life

Circa 168, Zhao Yun was born in the Zhending (真定) county of Changshan (常山) province (now Zhengding, Hebei). He was over six feet tall and had a commanding presence. He joined Gongsun Zan, a warlord in the region, around the end of 191 or the beginning of 192 as commander of a small group of county volunteers. In 192 he was placed under the authority of Liu Bei, who at the time held only the rank of a major under Gongsun, as a commander of Liu’s cavalry. Liu Bei had a contingent of several thousand Wuhuan cavalry and Zhao Yun was put in charge of this force. Zhao Yun left Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei to attend his elder brother’s funeral soon after.

He rejoined Liu Bei in 200, when Liu Bei was defeated by Cao Cao and fled to Yuan Shao. Evidently Zhao Yun had an extremely close friendship with Liu Bei. Sanguo Zhi says that they slept in the same bed during the time the two were together in the city of Ye. Around the same time, Liu Bei sent Zhao Yun to secretly recruit more men to reinforce Liu’s then battered army under Yuan Shao. From then on, Zhao Yun followed Liu Bei throughout his sojourns throughout northern China.

In Jingzhou

In 202, Zhao Yun participated in the Battle of Bowang against Xiahou Dun, a general serving Cao Cao. During the battle, Zhao captured Xiahou Lan (夏侯蘭). Zhao Yun and Xiahou Lan were from the same hometown, and they had known each other since childhood. Zhao Yun went to Liu Bei and pleaded for Xiahou Lan’s life. He suggested to Liu Bei since Xiahou Lan was an expert in law, he could be appointed as an army judge. Liu Bei gave him the consent. However, Zhao Yun never kept Xiahou Lan close to him, so as to separate personal relations from official matters.

"Zhao Yun's Fight at Changban" inside the Long Corridor on the grounds of the Summer Palace in Beijing, China. Zhao Yun is the person in white.

In 208, Zhao Yun distinguished himself at the Battle of Changban. When Liu Bei was fleeing in the chaos, he left his family behind. Then Zhao Yun disappeared to the north, prompting suspicion that Zhao Yun had surrendered to Cao Cao. When someone reported that to Liu Bei, Liu Bei angrily threw a handaxe and said "Zilong would never desert me." Surely enough, Zhao Yun came back with Liu Bei's infant son Liu Shan in his arms, also bringing back his wife Lady Gan. With this, Zhao Yun was promoted to General of the Standard. (牙門將軍)

After the Battle of Red Cliffs, Zhao Yun played a major role in conquering territories of Jiangnan for Liu Bei. He was named a major-general (偏將軍) and was appointed the Grand Administrator of Guiyang (桂陽太守), replacing Zhao Fan. Zhao Fan had a widowed sister in-law, Lady Fan (樊氏), whose tremendous beauty supposedly could ruin countries and cities. He proposed her to Zhao Yun. However, Zhao Yun politely turned Zhao Fan down, “I share the same surname as you. Therefore I consider your brother my brother.” Many people thought it would be a great match and suggested to Zhao Yun that he should take Lady Fan as his wife. Zhao Yun explained to them, “Zhao Fan surrendered only recently. His intentions are not yet clear. Besides, there are plenty of women in this world.” In the end, he did not marry Lady Fan. His worries turned out to be true. Indeed, Zhao Fan later fled from Guiyang.

When Liu Bei entered Yizhou (益州), he appointed Zhao Yun as the main officer to oversee his base (Liuying Sima, 留營司馬) in Gong'an (公安). Liu’s wife then was Lady Sun, Sun Quan’s sister. Emboldened by her brother’s power and influence, she and her militia often ran wild, breaking many laws. Liu Bei considered since Zhao Yun was serious, firm and unwavering, he must be able to bring everything under control and maintain order. Therefore, Liu Bei gave Zhao Yun the special authority to oversee the internal affairs of Gongan (to keep an eye on Lady Sun and her followers at the same time). Soon after Liu Bei left Jingzhou, Sun Quan secretly summoned his sister back. Lady Sun decided to bring Liu Shan along with her, but Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei managed to stop her in time on the Yangtze River and rescued the young lord.

Later in 214, Zhao Yun accompanied Zhuge Liang and Zhang Fei into Shu. He held separate command, marching via Jiangzhou (江州; modern-day Chongqing) and Jianwei (犍為) to Chengdu. Zhao Yun was named General Yijun (翊軍將軍) after Liu Bei claimed Chengdu.

Battle of Hanshui

In 219, Liu Bei and Cao Cao were battling over the control of Hanzhong. Cao Cao had huge supplies of rice stocked up near the North Mountain. Zhao Yun sent his soldiers with Huang Zhong, one of Liu Bei’s great generals, to attack Cao Cao’s army and to take the supplies. Huang Zhong did not return on time. Along with dozens of men, Zhao Yun went out of his camp to look for Huang. Cao Cao’s main force was marching at that time; Zhao Yun ran into Cao’s vanguards. Not soon after the two sides commenced to engage in battle, Cao Cao’s main force arrived. The situation became very perilous for Zhao Yun, as he and his men were greatly outnumbered. He decided to attack the frontline of Cao Cao’s army. Cao’s men were surprised by the attack and momentarily dispersed. However, they soon regrouped and surrounded Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun fought his way out toward his own camp. When he found out his lieutenant general Zhang Zhu (張著) was wounded and fell behind, he went back to rescue him.

Cao's army pursued Zhao Yun to his camp. At that time, the Administrator of Mianyang (沔陽), Zhang Yi (張翼), was at Zhao Yun’s camp. Zhang thought it best to have all the gates closed in order to defend the camp. However, upon entering the camp, Zhao Yun ordered all banners to be dropped and hidden, all drums to be silenced, and the gates to be left open completely. Suspicious of an ambush, Cao Cao and his army hastily retreated. Zhao Yun ordered his drummers to beat drums as loudly as they could, and his archers to rain down arrows on Cao’s men. The stunned Cao army was completely routed. Attempting to escape, Cao soldiers rushed toward the Han River, and in confusion and panic many were pushed into the river and drowned.

The day after the battle, Liu Bei arrived to inspect the battlefield. He exclaimed, “Zilong has valor through and through.” He ordered a celebration, complete with wines and music until late that night, in honor of Zhao Yun. From then on, Liu Bei’s army called Zhao Yun “The General with the Might of a Tiger” (虎威將軍).

Later life

In 221 Liu Bei proclaimed to be the Emperor of Shu. At the same time he declared war on Sun Quan out of revenge for the death of Guan Yu and loss of Jingzhou. Zhao Yun made an attempt to dissuade Liu Bei from entering the war, and to attack Cao Wei first. Liu Bei refused to heed the advice and subsequently waged war against Wu. He left Zhao Yun behind to be in command of Jiangzhou. After Liu Bei was defeated in the Battle of Yiling, Zhao Yun’s troops advanced to Yong'an. At that time, the Wu army had already retreated.

Liu Bei died in 223, and his son Liu Shan succeeded the throne. That year, Zhao Yun was named General who Conquers the South (征南將軍), and Central Military Commander (中護軍). He was also bestowed the title Marquis of Yongchang Ting (永昌亭侯). Soon after, he was promoted to General who Guards the East (鎮東將軍). In 227, Zhao Yun followed Zhuge Liang into Hanzhong to prepare for the first of the Northern Expeditions. The next year, Zhuge Liang sent Zhao Yun to Jigu (箕谷) as a decoy against the main force of Wei led by Cao Zhen. Zhuge Liang’s main force suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Jieting. At the same time and against a far superior force, Zhao Yun was also unable to muster a victory. However, he was able to limit the loss to the minimum by gathering his men immediately and defending his positions steadfastly. He was demoted to the General Who Maintains Peace in the Army (鎮軍將軍).

In 227, Zhao Yun accompanied Zhuge Liang to Hanzhong on the first of the Northern Expeditions. The next spring, Zhao was directed a march through the Yegu (斜谷) as a decoy to the main force, which would travel left through Qishan (祁山). He was opposed in force by the Wei commander Cao Zhen. After presenting a worthy defense against a far superior force, Zhao Yun was able to lead a relatively orderly retreat.

About 229, Zhao Yun died at Hanzhong and this was much grieved in the Shu army. He received the posthumous appellation of Shunping Marquis (順平侯) from Liu Shan in 261. Liu Shan’s order to have Zhao Yun honored said, “When Zhao Yun was serving the late Emperor Liu Bei, his contributions were already remarkable. When I was young, I relied on his loyalty to save me from great danger. That’s why I am bestowing him the honour.” Only twelve Shu officials were awarded noble titles posthumously. It was considered a great honour by Shu people at that time.

Zhao Yun had two sons, Zhao Tong and Zhao Guang (趙廣). The younger son was a subordinate of Jiang Wei, and died in combat in Tazhong (沓中).

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Many of Zhao Yun's actual exploits were highly dramatized in the novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. These tales portrayed him as a courageous, loyal, and heroic warrior. They show him surviving insurmountable odds, many times single-handedly. Some examples include:

The rescue of Liu Shan in an army of millions

The novel protrayed Zhao Yun quickly and single-handedly slaying numerous enemy soldiers as he rode his horse from group to group asking Shu soldiers where Lady Gan, Lady Mi, and Liu Shan had disappeared to during the Battle of Changban. As proof of his resolve, he stated that he would search through heaven and hell to find them and if he could not, he would die on the battlefield. One of the many soldiers that fell to Zhao Yun was Xiahou En, who carried one of Cao Cao's swords, the "Qinggang" (青釭), which Zhao Yun took with him. Upon finally finding Lady Mi and Liu Shan near an old well, Lady Mi gave the child to Zhao Yun and refused to go with him stating that she would only slow them down. With enemy soldiers approaching, the two argued until Lady Mi threw herself into the well. Zhao Yun then placed the child into his armor and proceeded to fight his way back through several groups of soldiers and officers to Liu Bei, even using the sword he stole from Xiahou En. His valor impressed even Cao Cao, who ordered his men not to kill Zhao Yun, but capture him instead in hopes that Zhao Yun would turn over to his side.

Zhao Yun rescues A Dou from Lady Sun

In Chapter 61 (a fictionalization of a true incident) Lady Sun, younger sister of powerful warlord Sun Quan married to Liu Bei to secure an alliance between the two, returned to her homeland to visit her sick mother. However, the sickness was a lie to persuade Lady Sun to bring along Liu Shan, who would then be used as a hostage to exchange for Jingzhou (荆州, present day Hubei and Hunan) with Liu Bei. When Zhao Yun learned of her departure, he rushed down to the quay, where Lady Sun had already boarded the boat manned by Zhou Shan (周善), whom Sun Quan sent to fetch her sister.

Grabbing hold of a small fishing boat, Zhao Yun caught up with the larger boat and leapt onto it. Soldiers from the Kingdom of Wu were not able to stop him. Although Zhao Yun was able to forcibly retrieve Liu Shan from his stepmother, he was not able to get off the boat, which was speeding down the river back to Wu lands. Fortunately, the boat was intercepted by a fleet led by Zhang Fei. When Zhou Shan tried to resist, Zhang Fei slew him. The two generals then brought the only son of Liu Bei safely back while Lady Sun returned to her mother.

Cultural impact

Zhao Yun, as he appears in Dynasty Warriors 5.

Zhao Yun has become a popular figure in Chinese culture, having been featured prominently in literature, art, anecdotes, etc. Already a relatively well-known hero from the Three Kingdoms period told through folklores for centuries, Zhao Yun became a household name after the wide success of the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms created more than 1000 years after his death. It is said that Zhao Yun was one of the favorite characters of the author Luo Guanzhong. In the novel, Zhao Yun is described as being almost perfect, possessing unparallelled physical power as well as unwavering loyalty to his master, tremendous courage, keen intelligence and serene charisma.

Since the novel’s original Chinese publication, there have been many adaptations into various literary and art forms and translated into several other Asian languages, resulting in steadily growing popularity. Zhao Yun became a legend, and his name also became a synonym for courage and bravery.

Recently Zhao Yun’s popularity has moved well beyond Asia into the western world through various non-conventional media including the internet and computer games (represented by series of strategy/fighting games created by Koei). Zhao Yun is often portrayed as being youthful and handsome, fearless and invincible, calm and intelligent, genuine and selfless in today’s operas, novels, games, comics and plays.

An upcoming film entitled Resurrection of the Dragon will feature Zhao Yun, portrayed by Andy Lau.

In video games

Zhao Yun has been a central character in the Dynasty Warriors video game series developed by Koei. He is usually in a prominent position on the manual/cover of the game (no small feat when competing with 45+ other warriors) and is the character most often used by the developers in screenshots of upcoming titles. He is portrayed as a just and honourable man, who seeks to find a virtuous and kind lord for whom he can proudly swear allegiance to. He addresses his enemies with respect, and warns them of his battle prowess before engaging them in combat. He wields a long-reaching spear called the "Fierce Dragon," and is almost always seen leading from the front on the battlefield. With a wide attack range and swift, smooth moves, he is a very versatile combatant and may be hard to beat when fighting him. He is also one of the few playable officers initially selectable before having played the game (most have to be unlocked by completing specific requirements), and is usually the character that is automatically highlighted on the character selection screen. His weapon features a good balance between crowd-clearing regular attacks and a direct targeting "Musou Attack" (special attack). In this, he spins his spear repeatedly out in front, juggling an opponent and causing heavy damage.

References

• Chen Shou. Sanguo Zhi, including texts by Pei Songzhi
• http://www.monkeypeaches.com/