Zhao Fan

Historical Record

Historical materials on Zhao Fan are lacking; the standard histories contain no clear record of his life and deeds or his specific activities during the Three Kingdoms period. Therefore no objective statement about him can be made on the basis of the historical sources.

In the Novel

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhao Fan appears as Grand Administrator of Guiyang, and his image revolves chiefly around his interactions with Zhao Yun. When Zhao Yun, on Liu Bei's orders, led troops to attack Guiyang, Zhao Fan at first showed a hesitant, irresolute attitude. Although his subordinate commandants Chen Ying and Bao Long, presuming on their own valor, urged going out to fight, Zhao Fan well knew the formidable strength of Liu Bei's faction—especially Zhao Yun's valiant showing at Changban—and so inclined toward surrender ^c:14748.

After Chen Ying went out to fight and was defeated, Zhao Fan resolutely chose to come out of the city and surrender, receiving Zhao Yun with the courtesy due a guest. He sought to bond with Zhao Yun by appealing to their shared surname and shared native region as sworn brothers, claiming that the two were "of one family five hundred years ago," and even discovering that the two were of the same age, only that Zhao Yun was four months older, whereupon he honored Zhao Yun as his elder brother, and the two conversed with great pleasure ^c:14749.

However, at the subsequent banquet, Zhao Fan's conduct took a sharp turn. He introduced his widowed sister-in-law, Lady Fan, to Zhao Yun and sought to give Lady Fan to Zhao Yun in marriage, hoping to bind them as kin for generations. He claimed that Lady Fan had said that if she were to remarry, three conditions must be met—the man must be "accomplished in both civil and martial arts, his name known throughout the realm," "of dignified appearance, outstanding in bearing and presence," and "of the same surname as her brother-in-law"—and that Zhao Yun happened to meet every one of these conditions ^c:14751. This move of Zhao Fan's enraged Zhao Yun, who held that it threw the bonds of human relations into disorder; he knocked Zhao Fan down with one blow and stormed out of the city ^c:14753.

Zhao Fan thereupon bore a grudge and conspired with Chen Ying and Bao Long, scheming to capture Zhao Yun through a feigned surrender. He had Chen Ying and Bao Long pretend to surrender to Zhao Yun, intending that when Zhao Fan led troops to challenge him, the two would seize Zhao Yun on the field ^c:14754. However, this scheme was seen through by Zhao Yun, and Chen Ying and Bao Long were instead killed by him. Zhao Yun then captured Zhao Fan and brought him before Liu Bei and Kongming ^c:6435. When Kongming inquired about the matter, Zhao Fan truthfully recounted the course of offering his sister-in-law in marriage. Although Kongming felt this was "also a fine thing," Zhao Yun firmly refused, holding that the move harmed the moral order and was a failure of great principle, and that since Zhao Fan had only just surrendered, his heart was hard to fathom, so the lord's great enterprise should not be jeopardized over a single woman. Liu Bei therefore praised Zhao Yun as a "true man," and in the end released Zhao Fan, still ordering him to serve as Grand Administrator of Guiyang, and richly rewarded Zhao Yun ^c:6435.

Key Relationships

* Lady Fan (kin_of): Zhao Fan's widowed sister-in-law, whom in the novel Zhao Fan sought to give to Zhao Yun in marriage, becoming the trigger for the conflict between Zhao Fan and Zhao Yun ^c:14751 (unique to the novel).
* Liu Bei's faction (defected_to): Zhao Fan, as Grand Administrator of Guiyang, chose to surrender to Liu Bei's faction when Zhao Yun's troops reached his city ^c:14749. Although he later wavered, in the end he was still released by Liu Bei and continued as Grand Administrator ^c:6435 (unique to the novel).
* Zhao Yun (rival/brother-in-law_attempt): Zhao Fan sought to become sworn brothers with Zhao Yun and wished to give his widowed sister-in-law to Zhao Yun in marriage, but they fell out because Zhao Yun refused, and Zhao Fan was ultimately captured by Zhao Yun ^c:14749, ^c:14751, ^c:14753 (unique to the novel).
* Chen Ying, Bao Long (subordinate): Commandants under Zhao Fan who, presuming on their valor, urged going out to fight, and later conspired with Zhao Fan in a feigned surrender against Zhao Yun, only to be killed by Zhao Yun in the end ^c:14748, ^c:14754 (unique to the novel).

Iconic Scenes

* Surrender at Guiyang and the sworn brotherhood: When Zhao Yun's troops reached his city, Zhao Fan chose to open the gates and surrender, and actively appealed to kinship with Zhao Yun, claiming the same surname and same native region, ultimately becoming sworn brothers with Zhao Yun. This scene displays Zhao Fan's pragmatism and adaptability in the face of a formidable opponent ^c:14749 (unique to the novel).
* Offering his sister-in-law in marriage: At the banquet, Zhao Fan introduced his widowed sister-in-law, Lady Fan, to Zhao Yun and sought to give her to him in marriage in order to cement the relationship. This move enraged Zhao Yun and led to the rupture between the two, becoming a key episode in Zhao Fan's characterization ^c:14751, ^c:14753 (unique to the novel).
* The feigned surrender backfires: Having failed to give his sister-in-law in marriage, Zhao Fan bore a grudge and conspired with his subordinates Chen Ying and Bao Long, scheming to capture Zhao Yun through a feigned surrender. However, the scheme was seen through by Zhao Yun, and in the end Zhao Fan was instead captured and his subordinates killed. This scene highlights Zhao Fan's cunning and his ultimate failure ^c:14754, ^c:6435 (unique to the novel).
* Zhao Yun's refusal of the marriage: After being captured, Zhao Fan confessed before Liu Bei and Kongming the matter of offering his sister-in-law in marriage. Zhao Yun firmly refused this "fine thing" and set out his reasons, displaying his lofty character and consideration for the larger situation. This scene not only shapes Zhao Yun's image as a "true man" but also indirectly consolidates Zhao Fan's standing as a negative example ^c:6435 (unique to the novel).