Book of Wei, Chapter 17 · Biography of Zhang He

張郃字儁乂，河間鄚人也。漢末應募討黃巾，為軍司馬，屬韓馥。馥敗，以兵歸袁紹。紹以郃為校尉，使拒公孫瓚。瓚破，郃功多，遷寧國中郎將。

Zhang He, courtesy name Junyi, was from Mo, Hejian. At the end of the Han, he answered the call for recruits to campaign against the Yellow Turbans and became an army Major under Han Fu. When Han Fu was defeated, Zhang He led his troops to join Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao appointed him Colonel and sent him against Gongsun Zan. After Gongsun Zan was defeated, Zhang He, with his great merits, was promoted to Gentleman General Who Pacifies the State.

太祖與袁紹相拒於官渡，紹遣將淳于瓊等督運屯烏巢，太祖自將急擊之。郃說紹曰：「曹公兵精，往必破瓊等；瓊等破，則將軍事去矣，宜急引兵救之。」郭圖曰：「郃計非也。不如攻其本營，勢必還，此為不救而自解也。」郃曰：「曹公營固，攻之必不拔，若瓊等見禽，吾屬盡為虜矣。」紹但遣輕騎救瓊，而以重兵攻太祖營，不能下。太祖果破瓊等，紹軍潰。圖慙，又更譖郃曰：「郃快軍敗，出言不遜。」郃懼，乃歸太祖。

At Guandu, Cao Cao faced Yuan Shao in a stalemate. Yuan Shao sent the general Chunyu Qiong and others to escort the supply lines and encamp at Wuchao. Cao Cao personally led a swift attack against them. Zhang He urged Yuan Shao: “Lord Cao’s troops are elite. If he attacks, he will certainly defeat Chunyu Qiong and the others. Once they are defeated, your cause will be lost, General. We must send troops to their aid at once." Guo Tu said, "Zhang He's advice is mistaken. We should attack Cao Cao’s main camp instead. He will be forced to return, and Chunyu Qiong will be relieved without us having to rescue him." Zhang He replied, "Cao Cao’s camp is strongly fortified. We will certainly fail to take it. If Chunyu Qiong and the others are captured, we shall all become prisoners." Yuan Shao sent only light cavalry to aid Qiong, while committing his main force to attack Cao Cao’s camp, but failed to take it. Cao Cao duly defeated Qiong and the others, and Yuan Shao’s army collapsed. Guo Tu, ashamed, then slandered Zhang He again, saying, "Zhang He rejoiced at our army’s defeat and spoke with insolence." Fearing for his life, Zhang He surrendered to Cao Cao.

太祖得郃甚喜，謂曰：「昔子胥不早寤，自使身危，豈若微子去殷、韓信歸漢邪？」拜郃偏將軍，封都亭侯。授以衆，從攻鄴，拔之。又從擊袁譚於渤海，別將軍圍雍奴，大破之。從討柳城，與張遼俱為軍鋒，以功遷平狄將軍。別征東萊，討管承，又與張遼討陳蘭、梅成等，破之。從破馬超、韓遂於渭南。圍安定，降楊秋。與夏侯淵討鄜賊梁興及武都氐。又破馬超，平宋建。

Cao Cao was greatly delighted to have Zhang He and said to him, "In former times, Wu Zixu failed to see the truth soon enough and brought danger upon himself.How can that compare with Weizi leaving Yin or Han Xin joining Han?" He appointed Zhang He Adjunct General and enfeoffed him as Capital Neighbourhood Marquis. Given troops to command, Zhang He took part in the attack on Ye and captured it. He then joined the campaign against Yuan Tan in Bohai, and separately led troops to besiege Yongnu, where he won a great victory. During the expedition to Liucheng, Zhang He and Zhang Liao served as the army’s vanguard. For his merit, he was promoted to General Who Subdues the Di. Zhang He later separately campaigned in Donglai against Guan Cheng, then joined Zhang Liao in defeating Chen Lan, Mei Cheng, and others. He took part in the defeat of Ma Chao and Han Sui south of the Wei River, then besieged Anding and induced Yang Qiu to surrender. Together with Xiahou Yuan, Zhang He also campaigned against Liang Xing, a rebel from Fucheng, and the Di of Wudu. He later again defeated Ma Chao and subdued Song Jian.

祖征張魯，先遣郃督諸軍討興和氐王竇茂。太祖從散關入漢中，又先遣郃督步卒五千於前通路。至陽平，魯降，太祖還，留郃與夏侯淵等守漢中，拒劉備。郃別督諸軍，降巴東、巴西二郡，徙其民於漢中。進軍宕渠，為備將張飛所拒，引還南鄭。拜盪寇將軍。劉備屯陽平，郃屯廣石。備以精卒萬餘，分為十部，夜急攻郃。郃率親兵搏戰，備不能克。其後備於走馬谷燒都圍，淵救火，從他道與備相遇，交戰，短兵接刃。淵遂沒，郃還陽平。

When Cao Cao campaigned against Zhang Lu, he first sent Zhang He to command the armies against Dou Mao, the Di king of Xinghe. Cao Cao entered Hanzhong through Sanguan, first sending Zhang He ahead with 5,000 infantry to clear the road. On reaching Yangpingguan, Zhang Lu surrendered. Cao Cao then returned, leaving Zhang He, Xiahou Yuan, and others to defend Hanzhong against Liu Bei. Zhang He was separately placed in command of several armies, and subdued the two commanderies of Badong and Baxi, resettling their inhabitants in Hanzhong. He then advanced to Dangqu, but was repulsed by Liu Bei's general Zhang Fei and withdrew to Nanzheng. Zhang He was later appointed General Who Sweeps the Bandits. Thereafter, Liu Bei encamped at Yangpingguan, while Zhang He held Guangshi. Liu Bei divided more than 10,000 elite troops into ten units and launched a fierce night attack. Zhang He led his personal guard in close combat, and Liu Bei could not overcome him. Later, Liu Bei set fire to the main defences at Zouma Valley. Xiahou Yuan went to fight the blaze, but encountered Liu Bei along another route. The two sides fought blade to blade, Xiahou Yuan was killed, and Zhang He withdrew to Yangpingguan.

當是時，新失元帥，恐為備所乘，三軍皆失色。淵司馬郭淮乃令衆曰：「張將軍，國家名將，劉備所憚；今日事急，非張將軍不能安也。」遂推郃為軍主。郃出，勒兵安陣，諸將皆受郃節度，衆心乃定。太祖在長安，遣使假郃節。太祖遂自至漢中，劉備保高山不敢戰。太祖乃引出漢中諸軍，郃還屯陳倉。

At that time, the army had just lost its commander and feared that Liu Bei would seize the advantage. All the troops were stricken with alarm. Xiahou Yuan’s Major, Guo Huai, addressed them: "General Zhang is a renowned general of the state, whom Liu Bei fears. In this crisis, no one but General Zhang can restore order." They therefore nominated Zhang He commander of the army. Zhang He came forward, marshalled the troops, and set the battle lines in order. The other generals all submitted to his command, and the army’s morale steadied. Cao Cao was then at Chang'an. He sent an envoy to appoint Zhang He as Provisional Bearer of the Imperial Tally. Cao Cao later came personally to Hanzhong, but Liu Bei held the high ground and dared not engage. Cao Cao therefore withdrew the armies from Hanzhong, and Zhang He returned to garrison at Chencang.

文帝即王位，以郃為左將軍，進爵都鄉侯。及踐阼，進封鄚侯。詔郃與曹真討安定盧水胡及東羌，召郃與真並朝許宮，遣南與夏侯尚擊江陵。郃別督諸軍渡江，取洲上屯塢。明帝即位，遣南屯荊州，與司馬宣王擊孫權別將劉阿等，追至祁口，交戰，破之。

When Cao Pi (posthumously honoured as Emperor Wen, the Civil Emperor) succeeded as King of Wei, he appointed Zhang He General of the Left and advanced his peerage to Capital Township Marquis. On ascending the imperial throne, Cao Pi further enfeoffed him as Marquis of Mo. The emperor ordered Zhang He and Cao Zhen to campaign against the Lushui Hu tribes of Anding and the Eastern Qiang, then summoned them both to court at the palace in Xu. Zhang He was afterwards sent south to join Xiahou Shang in attacking Jiangling. Zhang He led a separate force to cross the river and seized the fortified encampments on the islets. When Emperor Ming came to the throne, he sent Zhang He south to garrison Jing Province. Together with Sima Yi (posthumously honoured as King Xuan, the Renowned King), Zhang He attacked Liu A and other generals under Sun Quan, pursued them to Qikou, and defeated them in battle.

諸葛亮出祁山。加郃位特進，遣督諸軍，拒亮將馬謖於街亭。謖依阻南山，不下據城。郃絕其汲道，擊，大破之。南安、天水、安定郡反應亮，郃皆破平之。詔曰：「賊亮以巴蜀之衆，當虓虎之師。將軍被堅執銳，所向克定，朕甚嘉之。益邑千戶，并前四千三百戶。」司馬宣王治水軍於荊州，欲順沔入江伐吳，詔郃督關中諸軍往受節度。至荊州，會冬水淺，大船不得行，乃還屯方城。

Thereafter, Zhuge Liang advanced through Mount Qi. Zhang He was promoted to Specially Advanced and sent to command the armies against Zhuge Liang’s general Ma Su at Jieting. Ma Su occupied a defensible position on the southern mountain rather than descending to hold the city. Zhang He cut off his access to water, attacked, and routed him. The commanderies of Nan'an, Tianshui, and Anding had rebelled in support of Zhuge Liang , but Zhang He defeated and pacified them all. An imperial edict proclaimed: "The rebel Zhuge Liang led the masses of Ba and Shu against our army of roaring tigers. Clad in stout armour and bearing keen weapons, you, General, brought victory and order wherever you went. I commend you highly. Your fief is hereby increased by one thousand households, bringing the total to four thousand three hundred." Later, Sima Yi trained a naval force in Jing Province, intending to follow the Mian River into the Yangtze and attack Wu. An edict ordered Zhang He to lead the armies of Guanzhong there and place himself under Sima Yi’s command. When he reached Jing Province, however, the winter waters were too shallow for the great ships to sail, so Zhang He returned and garrisoned Fangcheng.

諸葛亮復出，急攻陳倉，帝驛馬召郃到京都。帝自幸河南城，置酒送郃，遣南北軍士三萬及分遣武衞、虎賁使衞郃，因問郃曰：「遲將軍到，亮得無已得陳倉乎！」郃知亮縣軍無穀，不能乆攻，對曰：「比臣未到，亮已走矣；屈指計亮糧不至十日。」郃晨夜進至南鄭，亮退。詔郃還京都，拜征西車騎將軍。

Some time later, Zhuge Liang marched out again and fiercely attacked Chencang. The emperor summoned Zhang He to Luoyang by relay horse, and personally visited the city of Henan. There, he held a banquet to send Zhang He off and assigned him 30000 troops from the Northern and Southern Armies, together with detachments of the Martial Guards and Rapid Tigers for his protection. The emperor then asked, "By the time you arrive, will Liang not already have taken Chencang?" hang He knew that Zhuge Liang’s army was operating far from its base and lacked provisions, and so could not sustain a long attack. He replied, "Before I arrive, Zhuge Liang will surely have withdrawn. Counting the days, I judge that his supplies will last fewer than ten days." Zhang He pressed on day and night. By the time he reached Nanzheng, Zhuge Liang had withdrawn. An edict recalled Zhang He to Luoyang, where he was appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry Who Conquers the West.

郃識變數，善處營陣，料戰勢地形，無不如計，自諸葛亮皆憚之。郃雖武將而愛樂儒士，嘗薦同鄉卑湛經明行脩，詔曰：「昔祭遵為將，奏置五經大夫，居軍中，與諸生雅歌投壺。今將軍外勒戎旅，內存國朝。朕嘉將軍之意，今擢湛為博士。」

Zhang He had a keen grasp of changing circumstances and was skilled in setting up camps and drawing up formations. His assessments of battle conditions and terrain invariably proved correct, and even Zhuge Liang was wary of him. Though a military commander, Zhang He delighted in the company of Confucian scholars. He once recommended his fellow countryman Bei Zhan as a man well versed in the classics and cultivated in conduct. An edict proclaimed: "Long ago, when Ji Zun was a general, he petitioned for Doctors of the Five Classics to be appointed. In camp, he sang classical odes and played pitch-pot with the students. Now, General, though you command the troops in the field, you remain mindful of the imperial court. I commend your intention and hereby appoint Bei Zhan an Erudite."

諸葛亮復出祁山，詔郃督諸將西至略陽，亮還保祁山，郃追至木門，與亮軍交戰，飛矢中郃右膝，薨，謚曰壯侯。子雄嗣。郃前後征伐有功，明帝分郃戶，封郃四子列侯。賜小子爵關內侯。

Afterwards, Zhuge Liang again marched out through Mount Qi. By imperial edict, Zhang He took command of the generals and advanced west to Lüeyang. Zhuge Liang withdrew to hold Mount Qi, and Zhang He pursued him to Mumen and engaged his army in battle. An arrow struck Zhang He in the right knee, and he died. Zhang He was posthumously titled Marquis Zhuang, the Valiant Marquis. His son Zhang Xiong succeeded him. In recognition of Zhang He’s repeated merit on campaigns, Emperor Ming divided the households of his fief and enfeoffed four of his sons, each as a Marquis. His youngest son was granted the title Marquis Within the Pass.