Zhu Huan
Encyclopedia
Zhu Huan was a military general of Eastern Wu
during the Three Kingdoms
era of Chinese history
. Although joining the southern warlord, Sun Quan
, early on, Zhu Huan was not assigned important tasks until Sun had solidified his influence after the Battle of Jiangling
in 209. Henceforth, Zhu Huan was tasked with local defenses and successfully quelled some riots. When the emperor of the rival state of Cao Wei
, Cao Pi
, launched his three-pronged campaign against Sun Quan, Zhu Huan was appointed by the latter as a commander; he resisted the invaders, and was credited for defeating the enemy Grand Marshal, Cao Ren
, outside Ruxu fortress.
, Jiangsu
). He entered Sun Quan's government as a consultant to the latter's office, and was appointed as Prefect of Yuyao (餘姚長). When a plague broke out in Yuyao, provision prices skyrocketed, in response, Zhu Huan opened the granaries to the public, and ordered his civil officers to give medicine to those affected by the plague. As such, Zhu Huan gained recognition among the local population, and was promoted by Sun Quan as a colonel to lead 2,000 men to gather the scattered citizens who fled to avoid the natural disaster. As a result, nearly 10,000 people re-settled in the area of Wu and Kuaiji commanderies after several years of Zhu's effort.
, Zhu Huan was not given any order to go to the front-lines, rather, he stayed behind and remained obsure for some time until the bandits of Danyang and Poyang revolted openly. Since other generals were garrisoned in the northern or western borders, Zhu Huan was granted commandership to lead some troops to deal with the rebellious gangsters. To reward his subordinate's success in quelling the rebellion, Sun Quan granted Zhu Huan the title of "Marquis of Xincheng" (新城亭候), and promoted him to be a Major General (裨將軍).
as the area commander of Ruxu. The emperor of Wei, Cao Pi, initiated a three-pronged attack against Sun Quan, and ordered his Grand Marshal, Cao Ren, to personally take Ruxu fortress. Cao Ren purposefully leaked the news that he would attack Xianxi (羨溪) with the intention to dilute the defensive forces inside the fortress. Zhu Huan fell victim to Cao Ren's strategy and indeed sent his main forces eastward to strengthen Xianxi. At the time Cao Ren led his several tens of thousands men to Ruxu, Zhu Huan only had 5,000 troops remained inside the city walls. The defenders were scared because they were outnumbered, so Zhu Huan said to them, "whenever two armies fight, the outcome is determined by the commanders but not the size of forces. You have heard of Cao Ren's military reputation, how is his ability compared to mine? The military doctrine says an invading force should be double than a defending force when they fight on a plain. The condition mentioned is that the defenders do not have a fortress and the morale for both sides is equal. Now Cao Ren is not wise nor brave, his soldiers are faint-hearted, and they have travelled a thousand li
, exhausting both horses and men. On the other hand, we occupy a high-walled fortress, which sits to the north of a river and south to a mountain. This is a situation that we have the leisure to prevail over the tired invaders. We will win a hundred battles if situation like this recur one hundred times. We should have no anxiety even Cao Pi comes here in person, why should we worry about the likes of Cao Ren?" Then, Zhu Huan ordered his subordinates to hide the flags and drums to generate an illusion they were weak, in order to lure Cao Ren to attack. Cao Ren sent his son, Cao Tai, to lead the main forces to approach the fortress, and ordered general Shang Diao and Wang Shang to sneak-attack Middle Island, where defenders' families resided. Zhu Huan sent Yan Gui (嚴圭) to Middle Island and lay traps there, while he led the remaining troops out to battle Cao Tai. Shang Diao and Wang Shang were ambushed, when they went back to the shore, their ships had already been taken and they could not return. Shang Diao was killed in action and Wang Shang was captured in battle. 1,000 Wei soldiers were drowned when they attempted to flee the battlefield, and the rest of the detachment had their retreat route sealed. Outside Ruxu fortress, Zhu Ran repelled Cao Tai's attack, and managed to infiltrate the enemy and burned their camps. For his accomplishment, Zhu Huan was promoted to General Who Uplifts Military Might (奮武將軍), granted the title of Marquis of Jiaxing (嘉興侯), and he assumed the position of Chancellor of Pang.
, where he acted as a subordinate general under Grand Marshal of Eastern Wu
, Lu Xun
. Zhu Huan once presented a proposal to Lu Xun, stating that they could easily capture the enemy commander-in-chief, Cao Xiu
, by blocking the latter's retreat route with 10,000 under his command. Zhu Huan's plan was rejected, but he was assigned with 30,000 men to attack the enemy's flank. When Cao Xiu led 100,000 troops and arrived at Shiting (石亭), Zhu Huan and general Quan Cong
charged Cao's left and right flanks while Lu Xun attacked after the enemy was disorganized. Cao Xiu's army was disintegrated, and the casualty numbered tens of thousands.
, his family did not have much savings because he used to take care of his subordinates' families to the sixth degree, so Sun Quan financially aided Zhu Huan's family to carry out the funeral. Zhu Huan's son, Zhu Yi, inherited his marquis title and served Wu as a Colonel of Cavalry.
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
era of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. Although joining the southern warlord, Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
, early on, Zhu Huan was not assigned important tasks until Sun had solidified his influence after the Battle of Jiangling
Battle of Jiangling
The Battle of Jiangling was fought by the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei against Cao Cao during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
in 209. Henceforth, Zhu Huan was tasked with local defenses and successfully quelled some riots. When the emperor of the rival state of Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
, Cao Pi
Cao Pi
Cao Pi , formally known as Emperor Wen of Wei, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Born in Qiao County, Pei Commandery , he was the second son of the late Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao.Cao Pi, like his father, was a poet...
, launched his three-pronged campaign against Sun Quan, Zhu Huan was appointed by the latter as a commander; he resisted the invaders, and was credited for defeating the enemy Grand Marshal, Cao Ren
Cao Ren
Cao Ren was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He played a significant part in assisting Cao Cao in the civil wars leading to the end of the Han Dynasty...
, outside Ruxu fortress.
Early life
Zhu Huan hailed from Wu Commandery (吳郡; present-day SuzhouSuzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
). He entered Sun Quan's government as a consultant to the latter's office, and was appointed as Prefect of Yuyao (餘姚長). When a plague broke out in Yuyao, provision prices skyrocketed, in response, Zhu Huan opened the granaries to the public, and ordered his civil officers to give medicine to those affected by the plague. As such, Zhu Huan gained recognition among the local population, and was promoted by Sun Quan as a colonel to lead 2,000 men to gather the scattered citizens who fled to avoid the natural disaster. As a result, nearly 10,000 people re-settled in the area of Wu and Kuaiji commanderies after several years of Zhu's effort.
Middle career
However, when Sun Quan sent out his elite generals to do battle with the dominant northern warlord, Cao CaoCao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
, Zhu Huan was not given any order to go to the front-lines, rather, he stayed behind and remained obsure for some time until the bandits of Danyang and Poyang revolted openly. Since other generals were garrisoned in the northern or western borders, Zhu Huan was granted commandership to lead some troops to deal with the rebellious gangsters. To reward his subordinate's success in quelling the rebellion, Sun Quan granted Zhu Huan the title of "Marquis of Xincheng" (新城亭候), and promoted him to be a Major General (裨將軍).
As a commissioner at Ruxu
In 222, Zhu Huan succeeded Zhou TaiZhou Tai
Zhou Tai , style name Youping , was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Early life and career:...
as the area commander of Ruxu. The emperor of Wei, Cao Pi, initiated a three-pronged attack against Sun Quan, and ordered his Grand Marshal, Cao Ren, to personally take Ruxu fortress. Cao Ren purposefully leaked the news that he would attack Xianxi (羨溪) with the intention to dilute the defensive forces inside the fortress. Zhu Huan fell victim to Cao Ren's strategy and indeed sent his main forces eastward to strengthen Xianxi. At the time Cao Ren led his several tens of thousands men to Ruxu, Zhu Huan only had 5,000 troops remained inside the city walls. The defenders were scared because they were outnumbered, so Zhu Huan said to them, "whenever two armies fight, the outcome is determined by the commanders but not the size of forces. You have heard of Cao Ren's military reputation, how is his ability compared to mine? The military doctrine says an invading force should be double than a defending force when they fight on a plain. The condition mentioned is that the defenders do not have a fortress and the morale for both sides is equal. Now Cao Ren is not wise nor brave, his soldiers are faint-hearted, and they have travelled a thousand li
Li (unit)
The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer...
, exhausting both horses and men. On the other hand, we occupy a high-walled fortress, which sits to the north of a river and south to a mountain. This is a situation that we have the leisure to prevail over the tired invaders. We will win a hundred battles if situation like this recur one hundred times. We should have no anxiety even Cao Pi comes here in person, why should we worry about the likes of Cao Ren?" Then, Zhu Huan ordered his subordinates to hide the flags and drums to generate an illusion they were weak, in order to lure Cao Ren to attack. Cao Ren sent his son, Cao Tai, to lead the main forces to approach the fortress, and ordered general Shang Diao and Wang Shang to sneak-attack Middle Island, where defenders' families resided. Zhu Huan sent Yan Gui (嚴圭) to Middle Island and lay traps there, while he led the remaining troops out to battle Cao Tai. Shang Diao and Wang Shang were ambushed, when they went back to the shore, their ships had already been taken and they could not return. Shang Diao was killed in action and Wang Shang was captured in battle. 1,000 Wei soldiers were drowned when they attempted to flee the battlefield, and the rest of the detachment had their retreat route sealed. Outside Ruxu fortress, Zhu Ran repelled Cao Tai's attack, and managed to infiltrate the enemy and burned their camps. For his accomplishment, Zhu Huan was promoted to General Who Uplifts Military Might (奮武將軍), granted the title of Marquis of Jiaxing (嘉興侯), and he assumed the position of Chancellor of Pang.
Battle of Shiting
Six years later, Zhu Huan participated in the Battle of ShitingBattle of Shiting
The Battle of Shiting was fought between the contending states of Cao Wei and Eastern Wu in 228 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The battle concluded with victory of Wu over Wei.-The battle:...
, where he acted as a subordinate general under Grand Marshal of Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
, Lu Xun
Lu Xun
Lu Xun or Lu Hsün , was the pen name of Zhou Shuren , one of the major Chinese writers of the 20th century. Considered by many to be the leading figure of modern Chinese literature, he wrote in baihua as well as classical Chinese...
. Zhu Huan once presented a proposal to Lu Xun, stating that they could easily capture the enemy commander-in-chief, Cao Xiu
Cao Xiu
Cao Xiu was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. A distant nephew of Cao Cao, Cao Xiu was given special attention by the former, who once asserted him befitting...
, by blocking the latter's retreat route with 10,000 under his command. Zhu Huan's plan was rejected, but he was assigned with 30,000 men to attack the enemy's flank. When Cao Xiu led 100,000 troops and arrived at Shiting (石亭), Zhu Huan and general Quan Cong
Quan Cong
Quan Cong , style name Zihuang , was a military general of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He married Sun Quan's oldest daughter Sun Luban. During the subjugation of the Shanyue, Quan achieved great success. Quan afterwards marched with Lu Xun to attack the Cao Wei...
charged Cao's left and right flanks while Lu Xun attacked after the enemy was disorganized. Cao Xiu's army was disintegrated, and the casualty numbered tens of thousands.
Death
After Zhu Huan's death in 238 at the age of 62 by East Asian age reckoningEast Asian age reckoning
East Asian age reckoning is a concept and practice that originated in China and is widely used by other cultures in East Asia, which share this traditional way of counting a person's age. Newborns start at one year old, and each passing of a Lunar New Year, rather than the birthday, adds one year...
, his family did not have much savings because he used to take care of his subordinates' families to the sixth degree, so Sun Quan financially aided Zhu Huan's family to carry out the funeral. Zhu Huan's son, Zhu Yi, inherited his marquis title and served Wu as a Colonel of Cavalry.
Appointments and titles held
- Chief of Yuyao
- Colonel Who Eliminates Bandits (湯寇校尉)
- Major General (裨將軍)
- General Who Uplifts Military Might (奮武將軍)
- General of the Vanguard (前將軍)